FreeBSD PVR -- any suggestions would be helpful

[Vulpes Velox]

On Sun, 17 Oct 2004 13:35:37 -0500
"Mark Beaver" <beaverm at corp.earthlink.net> wrote:

> I'd like to build a FreeBSD based PVR station with at least Svideo
> output and ideally digital coax sound (maybe not dolby digital) 
> 
> Currently I have:
> 
> P3 350
> 448 Megs of ram
> 160Gigs of storage
> 
> I'd like to know if anyone has had any luck with this type of system
> if so, what kind of hardware.
> 
> If anyone thinks I'd need more hardware, please by all means let me
> know what you've had work for you, (working on a budget so nothing
> extra ordinary) I more or less just want a system that will record
> reasonably well, and possibly play back simultaneously if possible
> (given budget)
> 
> Anyone have any suggestions ideas for hardware or software
> 
> FWIW: I'm looking for video cards w/ svideo out, and an encoder card
> (Hauppauge, or the like)

For svideo out I would suggest either a cheap ATI or nVidia card...

for the video recoding stuff, you have two choices, a PVR-250/350,
which now has a driver in the ports, or a Brooktree Bt848/849/878/879
card. Brooktree cards are cheap now days. You can get them for like 30
USD or slightly less now.