HDTV and HDMI/Component output PCI Card?

[rmalghan]

Hi: I recently purchased a new PC. The graphics card is integrated ATI Radeon 200. I am planning to buy a HDTV tuner for this and want to be able to connect it to my HDTV which has a HDMI interface. How do I connect my PC to the HDTV?

1. Am I better off to have two cards HDTV tuner and a Video output card such as a HDMI PCI card? If so are there any HDMI PCI cards?
2. Are there any PCI type HDTV tuners that will output it to a HDMI output built on on the board without taxing the PC CPU?
3. Are there any PCI type HDTV tuners that will output it to a S-Video or Component output built on on the board without taxing the PC CPU?

Any other suggestions.

Thanks
Ravi

[INFRATOM]

First check on DVI cables, they are very expensive and short. for 2.5 meter (~6ft) $150 for Monster and $100 for regular brand. It may not worth connecting computer to HiDef TV.

[greymalkin]

100 bucks! man i've got about 5 dvi cables sitting in my room right now!

I know some of the ati radeon cards have the capability to use a dvi to component adapter to connect to your tv. you might want to look into that as well.

[edDV]

First, what is a Radeon 200 card? OEM?
Is your mobo connection AGP/PCI or PCI Express?

Best to wait on new output cards if just for HDTV. The cards are evolving and are not yet ready for MPeg4 (H.264, VC-1, DivX) or are way too expensive intended for developers.

AGP cards 9550 - 9800 can be hooked up with analog component at 480p, 540p, 720p, or 1080i and are cheap and good enough until the HD DVD becomes available. With many of these cards DVI connection to HDMI is possible depending on the TV.

What model TV do you have?

[rmalghan]

edDV: I have a Toshiba 61" HDTV without the tuner. The computer is not just for HDTV. I use it for other purposes too. But I want to use it to record OTA HDTV signal and be able to play it on my TV.

I think the Video card is part of the motherboard. (ATI Radeon® Xpress 200 (PCI-Express®) 128MB DDR shared video memory).

Thanks
Ravi

First, what is a Radeon 200 card? OEM?
Is your mobo connection AGP/PCI or PCI Express?

Best to wait on new output cards if just for HDTV. The cards are evolving and are not yet ready for MPeg4 (H.264, VC-1, DivX) or are way too expensive intended for developers.

AGP cards 9550 - 9800 can be hooked up with analog component at 480p, 540p, 720p, or 1080i and are cheap and good enough until the HD DVD becomes available. With many of these cards DVI connection to HDMI is possible depending on the TV.

What model TV do you have?

[edDV]

Need two+ more details.

1. TV model number, ... or you can tell me display technology, input connections , native resolution, PC resolution support resolutions?
2. Computer motherboard graphics support: PCI? AGP? PCI Express?
3. Might as well tell me the processor and memory.

It is looking like you are limited to less than 640x480 low resolution over S-Video to the TV. You can watch HDTV (up to approx 1280x720) on your computer monitor if you get a HD tuner card.

[rmalghan]

edDV:
1. Toshiba DLP 62" (62HM84: 62" Diagonal HD Monitor DLPâ„¢ Projection TV with HDMI). It has S-Video (2), Component(2) inputs.
2. AMD Athlon™ 64 3400+ Processor. I think it has a motherboard graphics support: PCI express (ATI Radeon® Xpress 200 (PCI-Express®) 128MB DDR shared video memory). Definitely not PCI.
3. 1G RAM and 200G HDD.

Thanks
Ravi

Need two more details.

1. TV model number, ... or you can tell me display technology, input connections , native resolution, PC resolution support resolutions?
2. Computer motherboard graphics support: PCI? AGP? PCI Express?
3. Might as well tell me the processor and memory.

It is looking like you are limited to less than 640x480 low resolution over S-Video to the TV. You can watch HDTV on your computer monitor if you get a tuner card.

[edDV]

Get one of the ATI Xnnn (3 digit) cards for basic HD output connnection (1080i scaled in the TV to720p) or 720p direct.

The more expensive Xnnnn (4 digit) cards have the Avivo MPeg4 provisions and the Crossfire dual processing paths. Don't expect these to work well yet. We know how long it takes for ATI to debug software. Wait for the $350-550 prices to come down.

http://www.ati.com/products/RadeonX1800/index.html

At the low end, you may be able to get analog component 1080i or 720p from the Xpress200 chips. That would depend on the motherboard manufacturer. You need to ask them.

http://www.ati.com/products/radeonxpress200Intel/specs.html