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Support Center » Knowledgebase » Understanding `hardware encoder / encoding` vs. `software encoder / encoding`
 Understanding `hardware encoder / encoding` vs. `software encoder / encoding` - SnapStream Knowledgebase
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The terms "hardware encoder," "hardware encoding," or "hardware encode" and "software encoder," "software encoding," or "software encode" are used throughout many Knowledge Base articles. This article will help you to better understand what is meant by both of these terms, and the benefits and drawbacks of both types of systems. Please note that HDTV is a special case that fits in neither of the above categories. HDTV capture cards do not encode at all. They receive an MPEG-2 Transport Stream and simply feed it to the PC. This results in no appreciable rise in CPU usage except for writing data to the hard drive. Also please note that Beyond TV does not support using a hardware-encoding card with a non hardware-encoding card in a multiple-tuner setup.

ARTICLE:

One of the major divisions between all tuner devices is whether they are "Hardware encoders" or not.



In a Hardware Encoder setup, the tuner device compresses the video / audio source before sending the it to Beyond TV.


Benefits of using a Hardware Encoding tuner device:



Low CPU Usage

There is virtually no CPU usage during recording, because the tuner device is doing all of the necessary video / audio compression. This means that not only is the PC's processor free to do other things, but that even lower-end machines can record top-quality video.

Multiple Tuners

Using hardware encoders enables the multiple tuner capability of Beyond TV 3.5 and later.



Drawbacks of using a Hardware Encoding tuner device:



Streaming

When using hardware encoders, streaming Live TV through the Web Admin interface is not possible (see this Knowledge Base article for more information).

Heat

Hardware encoders create quite a bit of heat which can be an issue in inadequately ventilated systems, especially since most computer cases are not engineered with cooling of expansion slots in mind.

Recording Formats

When using a hardware encoder, your choice of recording formats is limited to what the device can output. The vast majority of hardware encoders can only record to the MPEG-2 format.

Price

Tuner devices with hardware encoding cost quite a bit more than tuners without.




In a Software Encoder setup, the tuner device sends Beyond TV an uncompressed video feed, which Beyond TV must then compress (encode) to either the Windows Media, or MPEG-2, format.



Benefits of using a tuner device without hardware encoding:



Recording Formats

In a "software encoder" setup, the user can choose to record directly to the MPEG-2, Windows Media, or DivX AVI formats.

Streaming

Since such a setup can record directly to the Windows Media format, streaming Live TV over the Web Admin interface is possible.

Price

Tuner devices without hardware encoding cost significantly less than those with.



Drawbacks of using a tuner device without hardware encoding:



High CPU Usage

The computer's CPU must encode (compress) the recording, so creating high-quality recordings will require a fast CPU.

Multiple Tuners

The multiple tuner capabilities of Beyond TV 3.5 and later are not supported on systems using a tuner without hardware encoding.






If you are not sure if your tuner card has hardware encoding capabilities or not, please refer to this Knowledge Base article for a complete list of tuner devices supported for use with Beyond TV, separated into hardware-encoder and non hardware-encoder sections.

Article Details
Article ID: 1378
Created On: Dec 28 2005
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