general questions about xcard and dvd-r playback

[kimpan]

Hello
I have a standalone dvd player (samsung dvd 811) that doesn't play my dvd-r's without pixels or jumps...
next to my 29" tv I have a htpc connected to the tv via a ati radeon 7000 tv-out, this htpc does not have a monitor connected to it, I use it for divxplayback.
I have tried my dvd-r's in the htpc and they play perfectly without pixels and it doesn't jump...
The problem is that the tv-out quality isn't as good as the quality through my standalone dvd-player, so I thought: either I buy a new standalone dvd-player that better can handle dvd-r's OR I buy a mpeg-card (like the xCard) and use the htpc as a dvd-player?
now to my questions:

1.
how is the dvd-playback quality with xcard compared to the quality I get with a standalone dvd-player (with standalone dvd-player I mean one that costs about 300$)

2.
How would I connect the xcard to the tv? via scart? and how does the playback work? I know I can't use windows when using the xcard, does this mean that I have to switch between the tv-out and the xcard weither I like to be in windows and then switch to xcard when I wanna watch a dvd?
or does the xcard automaticly take over when I load a dvd in the dvd-rom at startup? how does this work?

3.
My currently soundcard is a !live 5.1 which I have connected to my reciever, I'm sending digital signal to the reciever which let's the reciever encode the signal to DD..
does the xcard also do audio? Do I have to connect the xcard to my reciever aswell or can I simply use my soundcard for that and disable the xcard's audio?

I would appriciate any answeres I can get.
/Kim

PS. I posted wrong in the software playback discussion earlier... deleting that thread now..

[thayne]

1.
how is the dvd-playback quality with xcard compared to the quality I get with a standalone dvd-player (with standalone dvd-player I mean one that costs about 300$)

Playback quality is just as good, if not better than a stand alone

2.
How would I connect the xcard to the tv? via scart? and how does the playback work? I know I can't use windows when using the xcard, does this mean that I have to switch between the tv-out and the xcard weither I like to be in windows and then switch to xcard when I wanna watch a dvd?
or does the xcard automaticly take over when I load a dvd in the dvd-rom at startup? how does this work?

I connect mine via an s-video cable, and run the sound through my surround sound system. It supports composit and componant video output too.

You can use windows while watching a movie. You choose to either have the movie play on screen or to a TV or both. I just have mine play on the TV and I can continue to use the PC for other stuff if I want.

3.
My currently soundcard is a !live 5.1 which I have connected to my reciever, I'm sending digital signal to the reciever which let's the reciever encode the signal to DD..
does the xcard also do audio? Do I have to connect the xcard to my reciever aswell or can I simply use my soundcard for that and disable the xcard's audio?

The Xcard wont process surround sound, you have to send it to a SS receiver. It will play stereo right out your PC. if your sound card has a composit Suround sound input you can just run the cable from the Xcard into your sound card. The Xcard doesnt have an optical SS output.

[kimpan]

but I don't have a monitor... how will that work?
are there any problems that I should be aware of? didn't quiet understand what you said about the sound.. will I be able to continue using my signal through my audiocard?
what about the tv-out? I use s-video there.. Don't understand how I can both have windows and still use xcard? not at the same time I suppose?

[thayne]

but I don't have a monitor... how will that work?
are there any problems that I should be aware of? didn't quiet understand what you said about the sound.. will I be able to continue using my signal through my audiocard?
what about the tv-out? I use s-video there.. Don't understand how I can both have windows and still use xcard? not at the same time I suppose?

You will need a monitor. The Xcard wont display your desktop on the TV. The Xcard isn't a video card. It's just for playing movies. If your sound card doesnt have SS input, then you just plug the Xcard audio out into your sound card audio in, but that only gives you stereo sound.

[thayne]

Actually there is software called JovePlayer, that will let you control the Xcard with on TV menu's, so you wouldn't need a Monitor if you got that software, but you wouldn't be able to use your PC for anything else.

[kimpan]

ok that really blows....
I don't want a monitor...
are there any other options to get really good picture quality (just lika a standalone) from my pc -> tv without using a monitor?

[thayne]

Actually if I were you I would get this:
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=90123771&loc=111&sp=1

When I set mine up there were no DVD players that supported DivX and networking. I wanted to be able to play DivX and mpeg movies from my network server to my TV so I built a machine just for that, but now they have set top players that do the same.

[thayne]

ok that really blows....
I don't want a monitor...
are there any other options to get really good picture quality (just lika a standalone) from my pc -> tv without using a monitor?

I have a Geforce 5200 FX video card that has pretty good TV out, not as good as the Xcard, but better than any others I have seen and it will run your desktop on your TV, but the resolution is really bad.

[kimpan]

I live in Sweden.. and that player doesn't seem to be around here...
damn this is annoying...

[thayne]

I may be wrong but I think buy.com ships worldwide. They may even have a distrobution center in Europe.

[thayne]

I miss read your 3rd question. Yes if you have a SS receiver you just connect the Xcard directly to that, but it doesn't have optical digital only composit digital, which I think most receivers support both.