I have installed Ubuntu on a neighbor's computer, which he bought with the explicit purpose of running as a Linux-based media center. It was recommended to him to buy ATI graphics due to FOSS support. Now, however, he is being told to either go buy nVidia or go back to Windows:
http://phoronix.com/forums/showthrea...3987#post73987

The short version of the story goes like this: what media center software works with ATI video?

dotancohen:

Ubuntu does well with either ATI or nVidia; both media chip makers provide Linux drivers which are available online. With Ubuntu Linux driver installation is very easy because once installed Ubuntu has built-in application ('envy' I think) which searches and installs automatically the latest available ATI or nVidia driver in the internet.

You can also choose from various distributions (distros) which offer varied advantages depending on your computing needs. Try visit distro watch: http://distrowatch.com/

The best way is to install and run your Ubuntu on a partition, anyway meanwhile, you can try other Linuxes from separate partitions until you can make your final decision which of them you prefer. The free software world offers you many choices, yet they're free!

FOSS? No, this report is aimed to discourage free software use and encourages to buy and use commercial (M$) systems. This is a matter of decision to you. Example: I can scare you to hell from using Linux/Unix and fool you into Vistra if Bill pays me well. Don't pay attention to hypocrites.

Hope this helps. Ahalan.

Thank you zmalekmustaq but what we need now is software suggestions, not encouragement.

Hi Dotan,
I'm unfamiliar with a "media centre". Is it something like amarok? or kaffeine? What exactly does a media centre do? play media, yes?
I have used an ATI card (Radeon 9550) for years and never had any trouble with it wrt media.
cheers,
jdk

i cant determine from your question if you are having trouble running X (gnome desktop or similar).
this post will help you get a gui:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...8/#post3525107
please tell us what card you are having trouble with (the output of lspci could tell us that); you can also use the "vesa" driver if all else fails for basic operation (the resulting file goes to /etc/X11/xorg.conf)

if all you need is the ability to watch videos on your tv then this small program should work for you. (keep in mind that it doesnt cover recording tv via a capture card)
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...center-719104/

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by and by, i use fc-9 live-usb and it works on both ati and nvidia based laptops with little modification. xine, mplayer, flash, ... work fine so as long as you get a graphical login you can use any movie player to get what you want -- sorry if i totally missed your question.

Ubuntu ATI how-to..
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/ATI

Media Center Specific ATI directions
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/ATI_Proprietary_Driver


Mythbuntu has a very nice install guide for mythbuntu 8.10
http://www.mythbuntu.org/installation_manual


I prefer nVidia in Linux as well, but I'm not going to try and tell you that ATI won't work. that's just silly.

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----"The short version of the story goes like this: what media center software works with ATI video?"----
/

This question should be asked directly to ATI tech sites.
Or that .....
Proceed use Ubuntu! as it has for many times proved to work with ATI.

Media center software????
Ans: Ubuntu has plenty like any other distro, plenty for either ATI and nVidia to turn the PC into a movie box.

This sounds Microsoftish mentalidad where card-O.S.-app connive; something linux community is undisturbed. This makes the question very difficult to answer even by the masters here. Pardon me.

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