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  1. I am thinking about getting a Happauge WinTV-250MCE card and one of the systerm requirements is: VGA card (PCI or AGP) which supports video overlay (NVidia, S3, ATI, etc.). What exactly is video overlay? I'm not a gamer so I was just going to get a cheap AGP $45.00 Aopen video card, 128 MB, with Nvidia chip that has TV out. How do I know if it has video overlay and will it effect the quality of video capture of the Happauge?

    Thanks,

    -Darin
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    I'm quite sure its just the ability to see video and your desktop at the same time. So you can be working and watching at the same time.... A novelty of sorts...
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  3. Video overlay was originally the ability of a video card to show video from another device in a window. The main video card marks a block of the desktop as transparent -- so you can see the secondary card's image there.

    Now it also means that the block is transparent to another section of memory on the same card. One application places video in that memory and Windows automatically displays that picture in the window on the desktop. That section of memory can also have it's own, separate, video output. This allows you to output the just the video to a TV (via a separete connector) while the main monitor dislays the full Windows desktop.

    Most of Windows' video handling now happens via video overlays. So all modern display cards support video overlay.
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  4. Video Restorer lordsmurf's Avatar
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    In one sentence, it's where VIDEO plays on a graphics card.
    Want my help? Ask here! (not via PM!)
    FAQs: Best Blank DiscsBest TBCsBest VCRs for captureRestore VHS
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  5. I see, so basically it's for sending the signal out to the TV. Is there a difference in quality of that signal/viewing the PC on my TV between a $45 Aopen Nvidia card or a $180 ATI Radeon 9600 card?

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    -Dman
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  6. Member edDV's Avatar
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    It's for more than that and is necessary, but not to worry, most cards support overlay these days.

    http://www.canopus.us/US/support/compat_cards.asp
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    Originally Posted by dman777
    I see, so basically it's for sending the signal out to the TV.
    No.

    Imagine the monitor is layers.
    Now imagine looking at it from the side.

    One of those layers is OVERLAY and for video only.

    Other ones are for graphics.

    NOTHING to do with video out to tv.
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  8. Member richdvd's Avatar
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    It's the placement of a full-motion video window on the display screen. There are various ways to display video on a computer's screen, depending on whether the video source has been digitized or is still in analog NTSC format.

    Since computer monitors are generally analog, NTSC video can be merged with signals coming from the video adapter. Increasingly, faster computer buses (PCI, VL-bus, etc.) and faster video busses (Advanced Feature Connector, VM Channel, etc.), allow for analog video to be digitized and stored with other binary data for output. Then the video adapter turns it into analog scan lines for the monitor.
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  9. Member edDV's Avatar
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    This google hit works for a plain english description of video overlay.
    scroll down to "Overlay" ~50%

    http://www.sonic.com/products/cineplayer/technology/acceleration.asp

    There are other excellent descriptions of video concepts on that same page.
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    So, presumably this is why when you drag your TV window across your monitor, the video content seems to lag behind? And why, Alt-PrtScr leaves a black hole where the video picture ought to be?

    Regards, jrisch
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  11. Originally Posted by jrisch
    So, presumably this is why when you drag your TV window across your monitor, the video content seems to lag behind? And why, Alt-PrtScr leaves a black hole where the video picture ought to be?
    Yes, exactly.
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    Originally Posted by junkmalle
    That section of memory can also have it's own, separate, video output. This allows you to output the just the video to a TV (via a separete connector) while the main monitor dislays the full Windows desktop.
    My laptop has an SVideo output that I've never used. Am I correct in my understanding of what you said, the SVideo output connected to a TV will display just the video window? Or is there something I should do in Desktop Settings to configure it? Or do I need some software to output to SVideo? Sorry but I don't have the laptop here so can't tell you what the onboard video is.

    regards, jrisch
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  13. Originally Posted by jrisch
    Originally Posted by junkmalle
    That section of memory can also have it's own, separate, video output. This allows you to output the just the video to a TV (via a separete connector) while the main monitor dislays the full Windows desktop.
    My laptop has an SVideo output that I've never used. Am I correct in my understanding of what you said, the SVideo output connected to a TV will display just the video window? Or is there something I should do in Desktop Settings to configure it? Or do I need some software to output to SVideo? Sorry but I don't have the laptop here so can't tell you what the onboard video is.

    regards, jrisch
    Yes, most cards will let you send only the medial player window to the TV output. It' will be in your display configuration settings. Look for something like "Theater mode" or "DVD Max".
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  14. Member edDV's Avatar
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    If it is a NVidea based card, get the latest driver software and you will see a menu for configuration of the S-Video port. It can do many modes, but don't expect high quality video from this port. Very cheap components are being used on the consumer cards.
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  15. Originally Posted by edDV
    If it is a NVidea based card, get the latest driver software and you will see a menu for configuration of the S-Video port. It can do many modes, but don't expect high quality video from this port. Very cheap components are being used on the consumer cards.

    Ok....I have narrowed it down to two choices:
    For the same price, I can get the ATI radeon 9600XT with 128 DDR memory or I can get a Sapphire radeon 9600XT with 256 DDR memory. I would like to go with the Sapphire brand because of the extra memory for the same price, but I would loose any qaulity in the video from the S-Video port? Would it better to go with ATI instead based on qaulity video from the S-Video port?


    Thanks,
    -Dman
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  16. Member edDV's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by dman777
    Originally Posted by edDV
    If it is a NVidea based card, get the latest driver software and you will see a menu for configuration of the S-Video port. It can do many modes, but don't expect high quality video from this port. Very cheap components are being used on the consumer cards.

    Ok....I have narrowed it down to two choices:
    For the same price, I can get the ATI radeon 9600XT with 128 DDR memory or I can get a Sapphire radeon 9600XT with 256 DDR memory. I would like to go with the Sapphire brand because of the extra memory for the same price, but I would loose any qaulity in the video from the S-Video port? Would it better to go with ATI instead based on qaulity video from the S-Video port?


    Thanks,
    -Dman
    I'm not familiar with the S-Video output from the standard Radeon cards. I have an All-In-Wonder 8500DV and the S-Video out is OK on that.

    The 9600XT does support HDTV analog component out the DVI-I or VGA connectors when a special adapter is used. I would suggest a dual VGA or VGA/DVI-I version to allow both a computer monitor and HDTV feed simultaneously.

    Some video out features from the ATI docs on the Radeon Series.

    "VIDEOSHADER™ HD
    VIDEOSHADER HD is a key feature of the video processing engine that allows it to tap into the power of the programmable pixel shader units of the RADEON X800 3D core. This allows shaders to be used to accelerate many different video processing tasks, including noise removal (VIDEOSOAP), de-blocking (FULLSTREAM), adaptive de-interlacing, frame rate conversion, color space conversion, and much more. VIDEOSHADER HD also provides the flexibility required to support all of the latest video formats, including MPEG1/2/4, Real, DivX, and WMV9.

    VideoSoap™
    VideoSoap™ provides advanced filtering to reduce speckling, improve sharpness and smooth blurry motion to provide high quality personal video recordings

    VIDEO IMMERSION™ II
    ATI’s VIDEO IMMERSION™ II technology integrates industry-leading digital video features, including advanced adaptive de-interlacing algorithm, temporal filtering, and video gamma enhancement for unprecedented video quality and integrated digital TV decode capability. In addition, there is component output support for HDTVs (High Definition Television) at 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i.
    "

    When used with an HDTV tuner card, the Radeon can output the screen image to an external HDTV via these analog component outputs.
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