Hi,

my answers are based on vdr-xine -- just give it a try ;-)

Simon Baxter wrote:

Can you use a fully-featured card (with MPEG decoder) without using the decoder?

yes.

I've read you need to attach an external cable from the card audio output to the PC soundcard. Is this necessary???

no.

Can you just use xineliboutput or vdr-xine as a soft device instead??

vdr-xine's file INSTALL says:

USING FULL FEATURED CARDS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If your system is equipped with a full featured card (i. e. a card that has its own MPEG decoder), you'll see in xine nothing more than "NO SIGNAL". This is because VDR has chosen the hardware MPEG decoder over the software MPEG decoder, so the output device is your full featured card. To get the output to xine, you'll have to go to VDR's OSD setup menu and choose the highest device available, which should be vdr-xine's software device.

vdr-xine's file MANUAL says:

Get primary device when xine connects: Yes ***** REQUIRES VDR >= 1.3.32 *****

This option is especially useful for owners of full featured DVB cards which usually run the OSD on a full featured card (i. e. the full featured card is the primary device). With this option set to Yes, vdr-xine automatically makes itself the primary device while xine is connected to it. In that way the OSD and live TV are automatically available via vdr-xine without the need to manually switch the primary device via remote control nor SVDRP interface.

Bye.