Geforce MX 400 - 64mb...is it the problem???

[fgtan]

Hello, I´ve made a HTPC that has a Geforce MX 400 - 64mb. I connected it to my LG 42 plasma through VGA.
I really would like to have the same image quallity from my DVDs on my TV set. Either playing them from my dvd player or the HTPC.
Problem is , when I play the same DVD movie from a dvd player, the image is great, black is really black, brightness is great and the sharpness is awesome.
If I play this same dvd movie from my HTPC, the image does loses a lot of quality...I tried several players, such as...Power dvd...media Player..BS PLayer and many many others and it´s all the same...
So what do I need to do to have the same quality as playing from a standalone dvd player???
Is it my Geforce MX 400 - 64mb the problem??? If it´s not, what can I do??

Thxs

[edDV]

Several issues. Some relate to all display cards.

All display cards convert incoming video to progressive frames in the RAMDAC (RAM+Digital to analog converter) for VGA output. If the video is already progressive this isn't an issue. A good player like PowerDVD will extract progressive frames from a progressive DVD and all will be fine.

Interlace video must be deinterlaced. This can be done in hardware on the display card or in software. An MX400 will be poor for hardware deinterlace and mediocre for MPeg2 decoding. Software deinterlace and MPeg2 decode quality is scaled to the available CPU power. You didn't list your CPU. With a fast CPU, more can be done in software. If the player assigns MPeg2 decode and deinterlace to a MX400, results will be poor vs. a standalone DVD player.

Next consideration is levels. Display cards have been notorious for setting poor video levels especially getting black correct. Computer display is more linear than video. Historically computer display was office oriented where the need was a bright display with good contrast. Video is biased to darker room lighting with a gamma that emphasizes fine shades of dark gray against a solid black. Most computer display cards fail at the dark end of the scale.

Newer display cards (e.g. ATI AVIVO and NVidia PureVideo) are trying to be better with video output and their results are getting closer to DVD player performance. These features are only offered on upper range display cards (e.g. NVidia 7xxx and 8xxx). A good minimal choice for a HTPC is a NVidia 7600GT or ATI x1800. These will do OK with DVD but will be weak for MPeg4 (h.264). An MPeg2 interlace or Divx type DVD will still play better from a premium DVD player like the OPPO.

I could go on but will stop here.

[Baldrick]

You should be able to get similiar quality but it might need more tweaking than playing directly from a standalone dvd player.

What resolution are you using? Try use same as the lg 42 supports to get it pixel mapped. Try also adjust the brighness under the display->settings->advances. And a DVI/HDMI connection would also help a bit.

[tipstir]

Hello, I´ve made a HTPC that has a Geforce MX 400 - 64mb. I connected it to my LG 42 plasma through VGA.
I really would like to have the same image quallity from my DVDs on my TV set. Either playing them from my dvd player or the HTPC.
Problem is , when I play the same DVD movie from a dvd player, the image is great, black is really black, brightness is great and the sharpness is awesome.
If I play this same dvd movie from my HTPC, the image does loses a lot of quality...I tried several players, such as...Power dvd...media Player..BS PLayer and many many others and it´s all the same...
So what do I need to do to have the same quality as playing from a standalone dvd player???
Is it my Geforce MX 400 - 64mb the problem??? If it´s not, what can I do??

Thxs

Did you install all the codecs for video and audio. You'll have to tweak the settings to match your HDTV. Make sure you're using high grade monitor cable to from your PC to TV. Nivida drivers have new support for control panel but I use the classic panel then I tweak the grama by 0.55, contrast 100%, Brightness 100% and Digital 1. Check your overlay setting make sure your using no video overlay mode. I have those cards too, I just have 128MB DDR AGP 8x OC (overclocked)

[MOVIEGEEK]

The MX 400 card is old and slow:
If you have an AGP port get at least a ATI 9600 or nvidia 6200.
If you only have PCI ports then a ATI 9250 or nvidia 5200 is the best you can do.
Also as Baldrick mentioned use DVI or an ATI DVI->component adapter,HDMI connectors are only available on expensive PCIe cards.
Use Powerstrip or ATI CCC to output 720x480(576 PAL)/16bit/60Hz.