RE: Re: [OT] Video Input Output Cards

["Phil Harris" <phil@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The RealMagic Hollywood+ / Sigma Xcard have excellect s-video output stages
(I have both cards myself) and that is what I'm comparing against ... It
can't be *THAT* difficult to produce a graphics card with a decent quality
TV out, after all they do it with the Xbox!

I know that when you convert from non-TV resolutions to TV res then there
will be losses but there are so many examples now of good quality user
interfaces on TVs - XBMC, TiVo, DVD Player menu structures etc. that are
actually written for TV resolution.

Basically I'm now at the point where if I can't get the Matrox or Radeon
cards that I have here at home producing a decent output (and by that I
mea=
n
an interlaced RGB signal for piping into a SCART socket or a JS Technology
RGB - S-Video converter) then I'm buggered. I'm also trying to get a proper
16:9 ratio resolution working too so that windows and windows apps don't
ru=
n
"Squat and fat".

Luckily I try to be nice to my customers and in doing so they often end up
doing me favours in return - one recently posted some folding beer tokens
t=
o
work for our next evening out (thanks if you're on here but I don't think
you are) but also I found heads up one of Intels Digital Home R&D
departments. He tells me that there are some nice graphics cards on the way
which are more TV output targetted - so hopefully there's light at the end
of the tunnel there - however I get the impression that they're going to be
PCI-Express rather than PCI or AGP.

Phil

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Shaf Ali [mailto:shaf@xxxxxxx]=20
> Sent: 21 August 2004 00:19
> To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Re: [OT] Video Input Output Cards
>=20
> Very well said and totally agreed.
>=20
> My experiences have lead me to similar disappointments.........
>=20
> I do remember an MPEG card (Hollywood I think) which played=20
> DVD's back out at reasonable quality (well in those days damn=20
> right good quality....)
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> I'm going to see if I can dig it out and play with it.
>=20
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> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Phil Harris" <phil@xxxxxxx>
> To: <ukha_d@xxxxxxx>
> Sent: Friday, August 20, 2004 11:03 PM
> Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Re: [OT] Video Input Output Cards
>=20
>=20
>=20
> One of my gripes is that there are no graphics cards with=20
> *GOOD* support for
> TV resolutions or decent quality TV outputs ... The s-video=20
> stages on all
> the graphics cards I have tried suck!
>=20
> There's a possibility that the Matrox G400 / G450 series of=20
> cards can be
> used to give an interlaced RGB output suitable for feeding=20
> into a SCART
> socket (and it's possible that the Ati Radeon 9x00 series of=20
> cards may be
> coaxable into doing the same) - however this requires playing=20
> about with
> PowerStrip and defining custom resolutions. Why the hell=20
> can't some graphics
> card manufacturer wake up to the fact that some people want=20
> good quality PC
> DVD playback through a big screen rather than a PC monitor?
>=20
> Phil
>=20
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: big_red_frog [mailto:anthony.tod@xxxxxxx]
> > Sent: 20 August 2004 22:45
> > To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> > Subject: [ukha_d] Re: [OT] Video Input Output Cards
> >
> > Just my two pence, but I have a AIW card in my AV server, and
> > basically I am very disappointed with it.
> >
> > No native 16:9 resolutions, so no good for my projector, and
> > the TV input is lack luster to say the least, as well as
> > pretty unstable software, especially on the installation
> > configuration front, sound options disappearing entirely and
> > other major issues. Many people seem to have similar problems
> > with them.
> >
> > I really could not recomend one.
> >
> > The pinnacle stuff seems to have a good rep.
> >
> > --- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, Jim Noble <yahoo-groups@b...> wrote:
> > > Shaf Ali wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hi,
> > > > Can anyone recommend a good quality card for input of
analogue
> > A/V to
> > > > a PC ?
> > > > Preferably I'd like an all in one mid range graphics
card FX5700
> > ish with
> > > > the ability to have *good* TV out.
> > >
> > >
> > > Ps. Just bought an Asus v9520vs twin DVI + VIVO card for
~=A360
> > (dabs).
> > > It's only fx5200 based, but there's an fx5700 version
(v9560vs).
> > >
> > > Other than that, it's mainly Radeon All-in-wonder based
stuff.
> > Plenty of
> > > Radeon 9600 ones about...
> > >
> > > Jim
> >
> >
> >
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