Best MPEG2 Decoder to Use?

[mshe]

Hi all,

Can someone recommend the best decoder to use for BeyondTV 4.1? I like a decoder that minimizes CPU usage.

Thanks!

[Mamba]

My observation here has been to use the one tailored for your vid card. As in, Nvidia PV for GeForce cards and the ATI Cyberlink for Radeons. As always, YMMV...

[btvfreak]

Most like the nvidia Purevideo decoder, including myself. You can use this decoder on any card, and DXVA acceleration will work as long as your card supports DXVA. The added purevideo acceleration will only work with cards that support purevideo (ex. nvidia 6600 or above, including the nvidia 6150 onboard chipset video).

Others like the what Snapstream has done with the Snapstream SP decoder.

[mshe]

I have a Radeon 9500/9700... Do you know where I can download ATI's decoder?

Is it the same as the retail Cyberlink's PowerDVD 6.0 codec?

Thanks.

[Mamba]

No, it's a customized version for ATI cards. See this thread:
http://forums.snapstream.com/vb/beyond-tv-beyond-tv-link-user-user-troubleshooting-support-forum/30050-alternate-mpeg2-audio-decoder.html#post181937

FYI, while what btvfreak said is true, the ATI one works better for me than the Nvidia PV.

[btvfreak]

Decoders affect picture quality, which is a very subjective topic. You'll need to try each to see which one you like best. We're just giving opinions about what we like.

[mshe]

I have Beyond TV loaded on an old Athlon 2000+... so low CPU usage is a priority for me

I'm only using my system to record SD TV anyways ... and for streaming LiveTV

I'll give the ATI decoder a try and see how it goes.

Thanks!