do i need a HD capture device in order to put out HDTV

[densbucs]

I am currently designing a multimedia machine to accent my home theater. My question is: Do i need to buy a HD capture card in order for my video out card to produce HDTV? To do the HDTV i was planning on using either the HD out component or the DVI out to the T.V.

I guess i should also state that I would like to be more clear on my question. Will my video out card produce HDTv or will I need to capture HD in order to produce HD? Hope i'm not to confusing, I just want to get a better understanding. I have scoured the internet and this site, but haven't come across a real clear answer. Thanks in advance.

Also accepting recomendations !!javascript:emoticon('')
Very Happy

[thrasimacus]

you need an HDTV card for HDTV.

What is your vid out card?
S-video does not do HDTV...
You need to have a firewire TV or component out card.
From what i've read...firewire and dvi HDTV's are the only real HDTV's.
component doesn't quite cut it.

[edDV]

This can be more difficult than you would think.

To get your desktop or second monitor to the HDTV your answer depends on the particular TV and your display card choice.

The easiest and only ATI supported solution is to pick a card off this list and use it with the ATI component analog adapter. http://www.ati.com/products/hdtvadapter/faq.html#2
I like the dual head cards like the AIW-9600XT that allow both a computer monitor and HDTV component analog out.

If your goal is to add a DTV ATSC tuner, several are available for watching on the computer monitor. To play out to the HDTV, you will need a compatible display card (like a AIW) or a tuner with an output port.

Tuner cards usually have a hardware TS decoder chip like the TeraLogic Janus. The the decoder chip will also support TS file playback without heavy CPU load. http://www.broadcastpapers.com/data/januswhtppr.pdf

Interfacing a cable or sat box is near impossible. Some QAM cable decoder cards exist but most cable HD channels are encrypted. Only the locals can be received in most cases.

[densbucs]

Thanks for the details. I was planing on still using my cable box as the first device hit after the wire comes out of the wall. Then from teh cable box to the capture card. Then video out, most likely the DVI output to a HDTV ready television. I was mainly wondering if the capture card would need to be something special, such as a HDTV capture card. ?

Or will a HDTV out video card be sufficient enough to output HDTV?

[edDV]

Cablebox HD to PC isn't gonna work in HD except for high geek extraction of unencrypted TS streams via IEEE-1394 for some local DTV channels with some set top boxes.

Are you wanting to put your desktop on the HDTV? then see the ATI solution.

"cable box to the capture card" is the missing link for HD. They don't want you to. This can only be done in 480i (S-Video).

How technically deep do you want to go?

Define your goals in more detail.

[densbucs]

Well I want to take a signal from my cable provider ( or should i use satelite) and capture it with a mutimedis PC. This way i can do a PVR as well. I then take the signal out, via PCI express, through a DVI output and run it into a HDTV ready tv with a DVI in put.

My question really was, will i get HDTV output, through my PCI express, HDTV out, DVI out to my HDTV tv with any signal. Meaning does the video out card convert all video, that comes through the PC, to HI-Def?

Or does, the signal I capture have to be HI-Def before my video card can put out Hi-def?
Thanks for the responses !!

[edDV]

Or does, the signal I capture have to be HI-Def before my video card can put out Hi-def?

It has to be high def in to get high def out

You can't get there easily with cable or satellite.

Over the air local channels (with antenna) can be acquired with ATSC tuner cards (so long as the record flag isn't used) but not cable or sat.
see http://www.antennaweb.org and enter your address to see available channels.

All of your needs can be met in 480i standard def.

[densbucs]

All of your needs can be met in 480i standard def.


What is the 480i standerd def? Thnks again for the help. Bouncing questions off people seems to a good way for me to make a good choice.

[edDV]

All of your needs can be met in 480i standard def.


What is the 480i standerd def? Thnks again for the help. Bouncing questions off people seems to a good way for me to make a good choice.

Normal NTSC resolution.

Missing High Def link is cable or sat box to PC. You can only tune local over the air


Follow what these guys are doing before you decide to dive in.
http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/HTPC.html

[densbucs]

All of your needs can be met in 480i standard def.


What is the 480i standerd def? Thnks again for the help. Bouncing questions off people seems to a good way for me to make a good choice.

Normal NTSC resolution.

Missing High Def link is cable or sat box to PC. You can only tune local over the air


Follow what these guys are doing before you decide to dive in.
http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/HTPC.html

Good stuff. Although i think the power strip might be more trouble than it may be worth. I also thought it was interesting to read the although they used MSFT media center, their second choice was Win98 !! Thanks for pointing me their direction. You are a good man, EDTV.

[edDV]

All of your needs can be met in 480i standard def.


What is the 480i standerd def? Thnks again for the help. Bouncing questions off people seems to a good way for me to make a good choice.

Normal NTSC resolution.

Missing High Def link is cable or sat box to PC. You can only tune local over the air


Follow what these guys are doing before you decide to dive in.
http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/HTPC.html

Good stuff. Although i think the power strip might be more trouble than it may be worth. I also thought it was interesting to read the although they used MSFT media center, their second choice was Win98 !! Thanks for pointing me their direction. You are a good man, EDTV.

I think they said their first choice was XP Home edition.

[edDV]

Media Center is a different animal. But not ready for HD cable.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/default.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/evaluation/hdtv/default.mspx