Best video-out device, PC->TV

[kenmckaba2]

What device will give me the best quality playback on my TV when playing MPEG-2, DivX, AVI, etc?

I have an ATI Radeon 9000 AIW- will I see better results if I use a Canopus to output an analog signal to my TV? If so how much better? What about the MPEG decoder cards I've heard of?

Any other devices or methods I should consider?

Thanks,
Ken

[RabidDog]

What cards? try immersive experience 3d card this is very very good.

[kenmckaba2]

Huh? Who makes it? Can you post a link to the card?

[teegee420]

I have an ATI Radeon 9000 AIW- will I see better results if I use a Canopus to output an analog signal to my TV? If so how much better? What about the MPEG decoder cards I've heard of?

Have you even tried the output of your AIW? You didn't make that clear. If so, what exactly are you dissatisfied with?

[monzie]

Errr the quality of playback covers much more than just one thing.......

...but as I use both ATI (a R9000) and nVidia (a FX5200) I can assure you that both are excellent at TV-out work.........and neither card is anywhere near a top end card (they are bottom end). You may need to dig in their options to get the best results....do not ever EXPECT just to plug and play (which unfortunately is what about 99% of the world think you do.....then wonder why they cant get a video file playing on the TV) let alone adjust the brightness/colour/sharpness etc.

The BIGGEST difference in a quality tv-output will be:

a) the cable used........try and use s-video (a GIANT leap over a typical yellow rca video lead as supplied with most cards...complete with a signal sapping s-vid to rca converter lead).

b)Your pc itself (ensure it can easily decode mpeg4's without hogging all the resources) and that the file is not fragmented all over a HDD.

c)The decoders/filters used to play the file (audio and video)

d)The media player used.......if your using wmp........think again.

e)The TV's set up!!! You WILL nead to adjust the brightness (lower it until you get black showing as black...........not (dark) green...........a common failure which messes up the contrast. Also if its a widescreen TV note that the various modes will give better or worse quality depending on the file.......eg. on SOME files the 16:9 mode may give better quality playback than the standard (super)zoom mode..............widescreen TV's playback can be adjusted at BOTH the media player and the TV end (do NOT use your gfx cards FULL SCREEN mode if you want more control....control the picture with your media player).

I'm afraid that most TV-Out set ups require individual setting up as everyones viewing taste is different.......with the TV itself playing a MAJOR part...........go into a TV retailers and LOOK carefully at the QUALITY of the picture on the TV's displayed (you'd be amazed at how many people DO NOT DO THIS but look at the brand/size/price instead coz they think all TV's are the same quality of display......DOH!).

If it all 'duz-your-'ed-in' get a mpeg4 (divx/xvid) playing DVD player...the Yamada's are good (if your in the UK/Europe).

Oh and I forgot to mention the quality of the encoding is probably the BIGGEST issue..........................

[FulciLives]

For MPEG-1/MPEG-2 you can't beat the Sigma Designs Hollywood Plus card and the newer Sigma Designs Xcard which does MPEG-1/MPEG-2 and some MPEG-4 such as DivX

Excellent output heads and shoulders above ANY video card output (ala ATI or NVIDIA) but then again you can't exactly output your desktop either with the Sigma Designs cards.

CLECK HERE for the SIGMA DESIGNS website

- John "FulciLives" Coleman