[Powaqqatsi]

I want to replace my VCR with a cheap digital recording system. (no TiVo is not an option) So I was thinking about getting a PowerMac 8600 or something like that. I will hook it up to my TV-set and use it as A kind of VCR. Would I be able to use a PowerPC 604e 200Mhz for encoding MPEG1 in real time to the hard drive ? And what PCI cards would I need ? Or can I use the built in video-in-out of the PowerMac 8600 ? And Would MPEG1 be sufficient for ± VHS quality ? (I think so). I also want to hook it up to my amp tu use it as an MP3 player (or AAC, anyone know an AAC-decoder for OS9 or Linux ?). I'm a poor student so I don't have a lot of money so please keep the solution as cheap as possible No expensive FireWire Video to DV solutions etc.

A lot of questions I know
thanks in advance.

[Uncle Skeleton]

Originally posted by Powaqqatsi:
Would I be able to use a PowerPC 604e 200Mhz for encoding MPEG1 in real time to the hard drive ?

no. Toast has a pretty fast MPEG1 encoder, and I think a 400mhz G3 takes roughly 8x real time to encode with it. It might be fast enough to encode to DV in real time, but better would be to get a card that encodes to DV in hardware. But as long as you're getting a card and MPEG1 is good enough for you, get the EyeTV.

[Powaqqatsi]

I don't need DV, and I don't want to invest in a solution like the EyeTV (for which I would need an extra USB PCI-card). The question about MPEG1 in my post was a stupid one forget about it . What I need to do is be able to capture TV in realtime onte my HD, And I need to be able to look at it afterwards (just like a VCR). Would using something like the Formac ProTV be good for that ? Can the Apple Video Player (don't know if that's the name, I know I had an app on my Performa 5300 that could capture video and I think it's was the Apple Video Player). I don't need an OSX solotion, good 'ol OS9 will do. OSX sucks comletely on a system like that. (or YDL or somethin like that, but drivers could be an issue).