What are some of the best digital video to HDTV?

[ljCharlie]

I have a HDTV and I'm looking to connect my computer to use my HDTV as my monitor. What are some of best performance digital video cards that will connect smoothly to the HDTV?

Any suggestions is greatly appreciated.

ljCharlie

[edDV]

ATI AIW cards with DVI-I out adapt easily to Y, Pb, Pr (1080i) HDTV inputs. Best to have a dual head card. Direct DVI connection may be more problematic due to HDCP encryption issues. VGA outputs on the AIW can also be made to work with a special VGA to Y,Pb,Pr adapter.

Best forum to study and ask is Rage 3D Multimedia Discussion and Technical Support
http://www.rage3d.com/board/forumdisplay.php?s=e678fbc069512ce6a72ab459efd0d061&f=24

Other cards can do this if you want to get into the geek of scan rates and blanking widths. Ask more and I will point you to the data.

[ljCharlie]

Many thanks for the response. Basically I need it to be digital using the DVI instead of component.

I read some where on another forum that DVI-D cable will work with both my video card and my HDTV but I also read that there are a lot of problems.

ljCharlie

[edDV]

The DVI-I connector on the ATI AIW cards contains both digital (DVI-D) and analog pins. The analog pins in a DVI-I connector are essentally the same as the VGA 15-pin connector so with DVI-I you get both.

The ATI AIW drivers also output digital 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i over the digital interface. A HDTV may have a DVI connector but it rarely will accept standard computer screen resolutions other than 640x480. There are a few "conference room" style models that will accept 1024x768 or 1280x1024 resolutions but these are rare. Bottom line, it all depends on what the HDTV will accept. The HDTV manufacturers often actively discourage computer connection.

On top of resolution and interlace vs progressive issues, there is also the matter of HDCP encryption present on the HDTV-DVI and HDMI connectors. Once you read all through this material, you still won't know if your computer will connect. That is why connecting Y, Pb, Pr is such an attractive altenative.

Here is some reading material to help explain the issues.

http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/howto-dvi-hdmi.html
http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/DVI_monitor_cables.html
--- scroll down 30% to "Connecting a PC to a HDTV through DVI"
http://www.siimage.com/documents/DVIHDMI69LoRes.pdf
http://www.pacificcable.com/HDMI_Tutorial.htm
http://www.siimage.com/pdf/223300.pdf
http://www.digitalconnection.com/FAQ/HDTV_12.asp

Good Luck and welcome to the confusing world of DVI-HDTV.

[ljCharlie]

Thank you very much for the explanation those links. I will certainly take a look at those links.

Yes, I did call Sony and they told me not connect to a computer. My plasma HDTV's resolution is 1024X1024. I'm not sure if this means anything but yes, I will read more before I spend the money.

By the way, what ATI AIW model do you recommend?

Again, thanks!

ljCharlie

[edDV]

If your HDTV resolution is 'only' 1024x1024, it probably does not support 720p unless your documentation says it will. That means your only HDTV choice for input would be 1080i. Your TV would scale the 1920x1080 to 1024x1024. 480i and 480p (720x480) would also work.

Here is the FAQ for the ATI HDTV component video adapter. It lists the supported cards and answers general questions.

http://www.ati.com/products/hdtvadapter/faq.html#2

There a three kinds of adapters for different class cards.
I'll just list them below from the FAQ. The AIW 9700 and 9800 series cards are in current production and in most cases include the adapter.Some standard Radeon cards also support the purple adapter.

I'd recommend finding a dual DVI-I card so you can drive a computer monitor and HDTV in dual monitor mode. According to Q8 in the FAQ, only the AIW 9700 supports some of the dual monitor modes.

From the ATI HDTV COMPONENT VIDEO ADAPTER FAQ

Q2: What graphics cards does the HDTV Component Video Adapter support?

A2: ATI's HDTV Component Video Adapter supports RADEON® 9800/9700/9500/9600/8500 Series of products with two (3) versions of the adapter:

VGA to YPrPb Adapter (black) is for use with RADEON® 8500 class graphics boards. This includes:

* RADEON® 8500 (64MB)
* RADEON® 8500 (128 MB)
* RADEON® 8500LE (128MB)
* ALL-IN-WONDER® RADEON® 9600 Series

DVI-I to YPrPb Adapter (Purple) is for use with the following graphics boards:

* RADEON® 9800 series
* RADEON® 9700 series
* RADEON® 9600 series
* RADEON® 9500 series
* ALL-IN-WONDER® RADEON® 8500DV (64MB)
* ALL-IN-WONDER® RADEON® 8500 (128MB)

Special ATI YPrPb Cable (Red) is for use with the following graphics boards:

* ALL-IN-WONDER® RADEON® 9800 Series
* ALL-IN-WONDER® RADEON® 9700 Series


Q8: Does Component Output support multiple displays?

A8: Component Output is a single display feature and will not work simultaneously with TV Output (ALL-IN-WONDER® cards) nor simultaneously with VGA monitors (non-TV enabled graphics boards). The only exception is with the ALL-IN-WONDER® 9700 Series.

[edDV]

I was just reading the ATI AIW 9700pro and 9800pro specs and it reads like you can only use a computer monitor or a HDTV, not both.

The new ALL-IN-WONDER X600 PRO and X800 XT seem to say they will drive both with independent scan rates for each.

Read carefully before you buy.

[edDV]

PS: It looks like the dual VGA AIW 9600 series can also drive a VGA monitor and a component Y, Pb, Pr HDTV simultaneously. Download the manual.

[redwudz]

I'm using an ATI adapter (DVI-I to YPrPb Adapter) at the moment, watching a video played from my computer onto a 5 X 8 ft. projection screen. My projector is 600 X 800.

Anyway, I still wouldn't want to use it as a computer monitor replacement. Lettering is readable, but not that good. Much better than SVHS. I'm using a Sapphire ATI chipset Radeon 9550 graphics board. Still fine tuning the display and settings.

[ljCharlie]

Thanks for all your help.

ljCharlie