Using an Acer Aspire Revo 3610 as a MediaPortal Client

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Dingbatt

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Topic # 67641 5-Sep-2010 13:31

The Acer Aspire Revo 3610 is a Atom 330 system with an ION graphics processor. I am wanting to know if it is good enough to use as a TV client on MediaPortal to provide 1080p video and 5.1 audio via hdmi to my AVR/Plasma. I use MP1.1.0 for FreeviewHD viewing only and I have a separate computer doing the TVServer part of MP. I intend to use the WMC7 codecs in the client.
My current HTPC with a AMD 5400 + Nvidia9500GT was stuttering on FreeviewHD and had to be chopped back to 720p. I don't want its replacement to suffer a similar fate.

Is the Revo 3610 good enough for the job?

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Nety

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Reply # 376941 5-Sep-2010 17:55

That odd, on the face of it your current HTPC should be able to easily handle 1080p output. Of course Freeview is only 720p or 1080i anyway but regardless the current box should handle it.

If my information is right the 330 is dual core and with the ion GPU I think it should work but hopefully some who has one can confirm.

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PANiCnz

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Reply # 376976 5-Sep-2010 20:10

It'll be fine, just need to make sure the PC is configured to decode HD video on the GPU and not the CPU.

Dingbatt

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Reply # 377060 6-Sep-2010 09:22

I should actually consult my own signature a little closer. My HTPC is a AMDx2 5200. When I run it at 1080p with hardware graphics enabled it has occasional CPU %s of 80+. Dropping it to 720p produces %s of around 25. The HTPC is a combined MP client and TVserver. A networked computer running an AMDx2 7750 + Nvidia8500GT happily runs at 1080p with no stuttering so that is what got me interested in the Revo because I will turn the HTPC into a pure TVServer and then have the Revo as the Client connected to the Receiver/TV.
The stuttering only started when the RCs for MP1.1.0 came along.
Is there anyone running a Revo with MP1.0.0?
I intend to use WMC7 codecs, so can these use hardware acceleration in MP?

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Dingbatt

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Reply # 378107 9-Sep-2010 08:36

Just to update. I took the plunge and got the 3610. And have connected it as a MP client to my main HTPC. It handles Freeview HD video adequately but is glacially slow on some other operations particularly changing channels. I am using ethernet and not wifi because I am assuming that is faster.

I am still working through trying to optimise some things and particularly getting rid of the Acer bloatware and will probably ditch McAfee for something lighter.

Some things I am still to determine are;

Why the HTPC comes out of standby as it should when starting MP on our family desktop but not on the Revo,

Will I get better channel changing behaviour if I change the HTPC to a "TVserver only" setup rather than the single seat it is at the moment.

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mailmarshall

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Reply # 378129 9-Sep-2010 09:27

Hi

I also have the Revo 3610 and have been workign though uninstalling the bloatware on this thing. Why would one need Norton and Mcafee on the same machine I will never understand??

Am in the process of settign it up for use with XBMC. The trial 1080 and 720 vids look OK so far.

Interested to hear how your MP goes.

Jaxson

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Reply # 378131 9-Sep-2010 09:30

Hi Dingbatt,

Maybe a silly question, but where did you get the Revo 3610 from?

Dingbatt

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Reply # 378235 9-Sep-2010 13:58

Jaxson: Hi Dingbatt,

Maybe a silly question, but where did you get the Revo 3610 from?

JBHF

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Kopkiwi

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Reply # 378783 11-Sep-2010 14:59

Don't put XBMC on the Acer. I had it on there and it was a nightmare. Random shut downs, very unstable when changing out skins and it can be a right pain in the arse to transfer TV Shows across.

I got mine from ebay. A guy on there selling it for sub $400. have a search, free shipping to NZ.

Dingbatt

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Reply # 378810 11-Sep-2010 18:16

Got the TVServer to come out of hibernation when I start MP on the Revo now, amazing the difference surveying every check box makes.

The video performance is okay on FreeviewHD, although I am running the resolution at 720p into the receiver and then letting it upscale it to 1080p before sending to the plasma. That appears to give the best video performance to my eyes.

It is slow to first start up LiveTV and to change channels but I believe that is partially due to operating over my LAN. I have disabled wifi because the Revo kept defaulting to that everytime I started it.

As an exercise I fired up WMC7 on the TVserver HTPC and recorded a couple of programs. When I accessed them from WMC7 on the Revo they started up faster and used less processor resources. It's a shame MS can't sort out being able to access tuner cards in other (server) PCs to view live TV and allow multiple recordings from 1 mux (and tuner). Those things are the main benefits of MP.
I believe the Revo operates at its limit as a MPclient. Having the Ion processor means it copes with the video load but is very slow at the other 'housekeeping' (channel change, epg, menus, etc). The family PC which is also set up as a MPclient (AMDx2 7750 + 8500GT) and it happily provides video at 1080p and it's quicker with the 'housekeeping'. But it has a standard ATX power supply and and 4 case cooling fans so is much noisier than the Revo. The Revo could happily sit in my lounge as it produces no more noise than the cooling fans on the plasma.

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Mattmannz

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Reply # 382196 20-Sep-2010 12:15

I couldn't get reliable HD decode support under windows on the ION's. I have an Asus EB1012 I think it is.

Under XBMC live it works perfectly, no issues at all at 1080p even with high bitrate movies. Under Windows the performance was intermittent.

Tested using Win7MC, CoreAVC, and other codecs. Same result all the time.

MAtt.

Dingbatt

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Reply # 382581 21-Sep-2010 08:55

Mattmannz: I couldn't get reliable HD decode support under windows on the ION's. I have an Asus EB1012 I think it is.

Under XBMC live it works perfectly, no issues at all at 1080p even with high bitrate movies. Under Windows the performance was intermittent.

Tested using Win7MC, CoreAVC, and other codecs. Same result all the time.

MAtt.

So far I have been able to get the 3610 to operate as a TVclient on MP but the video is plagued with glitches and the performance meter shows CPU loads of around 60% on the 2 primary cores (about 15% on the hyperthreaded ones) with hardware acceleration active (inactive pushes CPU to 90%). I tried playing the TS files in WMC7 and the same files that glitched in MP run smoothly in WMC7 (albeit with no sound) with processor loads of 15-30%.
I believe I am either going to have to ditch the idea of a separate server-client setup using the 3610 and redeploy it for a separate use, or switch to WMC7. The reason I don't use WMC7 at the moment is all the tuners are in the TVServer so I can't watch live TV on the 3610 under WMC7.

I note there is a thread at:

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=84&topicid=68328

about graphics requirements under MP which have increased markedly since 1.1.0 came out.

It's looking like the 3610 is going to be 'redeployed' in the house as a internet portal and I will purpose build a TVclient with enough grunt to do the job.

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