Help, Whats better? PC TV output or (s)VCD?

[supercows]

Hi I am very confused, as I believed that my dvd player would be able to output better quality than my computer.
However, using the v7700 card I am able to output to a tv, the same files that I have on a VCD and I THink that the PC actually looks better.

Is this true? Is it perhaps my dvd player that does not play things up as well?? It looked much more crisp and clear using the TV out card.

ANy info regarding this is highly appreciated.

Supercows

[tacosalad]

VCDs will look better with Windows Media Player than with most DVD players.

Consider that Media Player was programmed with a lot of filtering to handler lower-bitrate video. The typical DVD player expects DVD media, which has a high enough bitrate that a lot of artifacts don't appear in the first place, and hence don't need to be filtered.

Even so, there's a difference between DVD players--even within the same manufacturer. For example, the Pioneer 434 plays VCDs perceptibly cleaner than the Pioneer 343, even though the latter model is newer (but less expensive). I'd speculate that cheaper players have fewer filtering stages.

[supercows]

thanks, so I guess I will hold on converting all my Avi etc. to VCD format as it looks better through media player

Yes, I also heard that some DVD players play VCDs better than others. Like the top of the line from Sony, supposedly even clean up the blockiness etc. ??
Well, I will have to test the thing out..

Thanks for the info.

Supercows

[SatStorm]

You see, when we say "DVD Stand Alone", we mean one device, but a DVD standalone, got differend hardware parts.
In a way, a standalone dvd is a dedicated computer, made only for one reason: Play mpegs...
So it has parts inside, like a computer got cards. Some video cards on pc's are better that other ones, so and with standalones: Some got better parts for picture and some got better parts for reading...

We prefer standalones good for xvcds,mini dvds, etc...
Those got good hardware for reading those formats, but that has nothing to do with the picture quality! Most of the times, the parts for the picture ain't good....

I think that the best picture you get with vcds on standalones, is with Pioneer and Amoisonic models.
I saw also apex, cyberhome and encore standalones, and compare to the picture amoisonic and pioneer got, well... they suck!

[Clint]

Of course, whether the signal is digital or anaolg makes a difference too (s-video connectors or phono plugs?)

[supercows]

Yep, I know how the Inside of the DVD standalone works (I have open several, and seen screenshots), so I agree. But the same brand such as Apex can have different products machine to machine, in other words sometimes the DVDrom might be panasonic, sometimes something else. (I know this for sure with Yamakawa which is still better than Cyberhome, so I can imagine what different pieces they might put together sometimes).
ANyway, and for the signal, I ony use RGB through the scart, as phono or even normal scart is visible worse on my TV. And yes, thats why I am even more confused, because the pc uses a Svhs. BUt Here is something I wonder, those TV out cards (mine is asus 7700) perhaps output progressive? Is that possible? I mean its a very good card, (and it will not fit into my DVD standalone

Still, I am going to try to tweak my tv out function, maybe change the jumper to NTSC as amm my movies are NTSC, right now I have it output PAL, so if I am not wrong, its actually converting NTSC to PAL, this might hamper smoothness.

Ok, those were my 2 big cents

[statuspending]

yo yo yo.

svideo is still an analog signal.

[supercows]

Yes of course Svhs is analog, but RGB is not which is what my DVD standalone uses. THUS thats why I am suprised that my ANALOG (SVHS) is actually BETTER than the RGB.


Sorry, maybe I am more clear now... btw, if you know whether the tv output on 7700 is progressive, that would be very helpful