Minimum CPU for PS3 Media Server Transcoding on the fly?

[jaybee]

Hi all,

I will probably be asked soon to do a couple of builds for friends. One of the minimum requirements will be to play full 1080p high bit rate rips using PS3 media server transcoding .mkv files on the fly. I used to have an old e2180 rig overclocked and even that stuttered, however I can't be sure that it was my CPU that was the bottleneck as this was before I discovered PS3 media server and was using tversity with codec issues.
Anyway, my current q6600 rig happily transcodes on the fly any high quality 1080p rip at all with minimal fuss. What would be the minimum cpu that could do this as well? I've been looking at building very low cost rigs preferably as cheap as possible. So would an AMD Athlon X2 240 be ok? ? Would going intel core2duo be preferable or a quad over a dual? Or is that just overkill? What about a laptop cpu minimum?

Cheers

 

[jaybee]

Sorry to clarify, the reason it was stuttering for me last time was because I was using tversity with dodgey codecs I think. I'm now using PS3 media server with ethernet and a q6600 and obviously it's completely fine.
On the other hand, my friend has an aging Pentium 4 3ghz with 768mb ram and he can't stream 1080p .mkvs on the fly. Stutter fest. This is over ethernet and is definitely the old PC that it the bottleneck.

Define a "good quality" dual core though?

 

[jaybee]

Nobody really replied to this. Any more thoughts?

 

[jaybee]

If it helps, my Q6600 has trouble with things with 5.1 surround sound with the same setup over an ethernet cable.

That certainly doesn't sound right. I would suggest that you have some bad settings? Make sure you cap the bandwidth at 100mbits if you are on a 100mb lan, also check transcode settings and ensure you have multicore support checked as said above. A q6600 shouldn't struggle even at stock. The surround shouldn't have much to do with it either, it depends on the bitrate of the whole movie you watch.

I was hopinh a x2 245 would do it, but maybe the only way to find out is to try it.

 

[jaybee]

er, I can stream 1080p .mp4 straight to my PS3 and it plays them natively with no problem, why don't you just get some software and repackage (not re encode) your .mkv files to .mp4? shudnt take very long if its just changing the container..

Because I can't be bothered with that. They all exist as .mkv files from the start, and that's adding another process when I can simply use PS3 media server. However, that's where the higher spec machine is required to transcode on the fly. I see a lot of people on the net talk of how their processor can handle 1080p ok, but not many specify if it can handle transcodes of full high bitrate 1080p rips on the fly. Not to worry though. I will bite the bullet and take a chance.