Come on. 28 views and not one of you has a single answer to my questions? 
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Bunch of n00b questions regarding HTPCs.
The sole reason I'm thinking about building myself an HTPC is because none of the players support playback of x264-encoded files. At best, these players will come out in Spring 2007 and I don't wish to wait that long.
I have a few questions, but before I ask these, it's important for you to understand the goals I have.
- x264 playback.
- TS playback.
- Quality of display. (1080P is a necessity)
- No encoding whatsoever.
- No capturing whatsoever.
- Price (the cheaper, the better).
**Note : I'll be using a Sony 60" A2000 TV.**
Having said that, here are my questions...
1. What are your recommended requirements for flawless x264 & 1080P TS playback? Keep in mind I plan on using Windows XP Pro.
2. I will be buying an AMD CPU (non-debatable) and would prefer an nForce-equipped motherboard. Suggestions?
3. HTPC vs. STBs such as the Helios X5000, Mediagate MG-35, TViX HD M-5000U, etc. Output quality is better on which? HTPCs or STBs?
4. I previously had tried a couple of years back to output XviD files from an ATi Radeon 9800 Pro to a CRT JVC 32" TV and found the quality was good, but not excellent. Misconvergence problems abound and colors were washed up. Is the quality much better now? I cannot stress enough how quality is what's important.
5. Which cheap graphics card should I go for? Remember : I don't plan on encoding or capturing any shows. This is specifically exclusively for playback. So no $500 cards, please.
6. Which software players do you use? WMP, VLC, etc.?
7. Are there any HDMI-equipped cards out there or will I need to use a DVI-to-HDMI converter?
8. Anything else I should be on the lookout for? Any tips you could give me before making the plunge?
Many thanks to whomever takes the time to answer my questions!
I have a few questions, but before I ask these, it's important for you to understand the goals I have.
- x264 playback.
- TS playback.
- Quality of display. (1080P is a necessity)
- No encoding whatsoever.
- No capturing whatsoever.
- Price (the cheaper, the better).
**Note : I'll be using a Sony 60" A2000 TV.**
Having said that, here are my questions...
1. What are your recommended requirements for flawless x264 & 1080P TS playback? Keep in mind I plan on using Windows XP Pro.
2. I will be buying an AMD CPU (non-debatable) and would prefer an nForce-equipped motherboard. Suggestions?
3. HTPC vs. STBs such as the Helios X5000, Mediagate MG-35, TViX HD M-5000U, etc. Output quality is better on which? HTPCs or STBs?
4. I previously had tried a couple of years back to output XviD files from an ATi Radeon 9800 Pro to a CRT JVC 32" TV and found the quality was good, but not excellent. Misconvergence problems abound and colors were washed up. Is the quality much better now? I cannot stress enough how quality is what's important.
5. Which cheap graphics card should I go for? Remember : I don't plan on encoding or capturing any shows. This is specifically exclusively for playback. So no $500 cards, please.
6. Which software players do you use? WMP, VLC, etc.?
7. Are there any HDMI-equipped cards out there or will I need to use a DVI-to-HDMI converter?
8. Anything else I should be on the lookout for? Any tips you could give me before making the plunge?
Many thanks to whomever takes the time to answer my questions!
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If you search you will find answers to most of your questions.
For an AMD CPU you'll need a X2 4400+ or better to do full HD 1080P h264 playback according to NVIDIA. And cheap video cards don't do hardware offload of 1080P h264 decode ... sorry ... it can be done entirely in software but it can be jerky even with a really fast dual core CPU. NVIDIA's website has a PureVideo page that shows what hardware decode capability each of their chips has.
For an AMD CPU you'll need a X2 4400+ or better to do full HD 1080P h264 playback according to NVIDIA. And cheap video cards don't do hardware offload of 1080P h264 decode ... sorry ... it can be done entirely in software but it can be jerky even with a really fast dual core CPU. NVIDIA's website has a PureVideo page that shows what hardware decode capability each of their chips has.
I have a few questions, but before I ask these, it's important for you to understand the goals I have.
- x264 playback.
- TS playback.
- Quality of display. (1080P is a necessity)
- No encoding whatsoever.
- No capturing whatsoever.
- Price (the cheaper, the better).
**Note : I'll be using a Sony 60" A2000 TV.**
Having said that, here are my questions...
1. What are your recommended requirements for flawless x264 & 1080P TS playback? Keep in mind I plan on using Windows XP Pro.
Dont pay the premium for the newest most powerfull cpu. Spend the money on storage.
2. I will be buying an AMD CPU (non-debatable) and would prefer an nForce-equipped motherboard. Suggestions?
I have an amd x2 4400+ in my HTPC's and use a gigabyte 939 mobo g-k8n51gmf-9 which has firewire, usb, gigabit, and pci-e. I ditched the onboard gpu and added a dedicted video card. System was built earlier this year. Oh-yeah 2 gigs ram.
3. HTPC vs. STBs such as the Helios X5000, Mediagate MG-35, TViX HD M-5000U, etc. Output quality is better on which? HTPCs or STBs?
Pretty similar. STB's have terrible output in my opinion (Comcast). HTPC's require fiddling and can be sensitive/quircky to configure.
4. I previously had tried a couple of years back to output XviD files from an ATi Radeon 9800 Pro to a CRT JVC 32" TV and found the quality was good, but not excellent. Misconvergence problems abound and colors were washed up. Is the quality much better now? I cannot stress enough how quality is what's important.
Dont know about ATI cards as I use nvidia. See 6 for details. Quality is very good.
5. Which cheap graphics card should I go for? Remember : I don't plan on encoding or capturing any shows. This is specifically exclusively for playback. So no $500 cards, please.
I use a gigabyte nvidia 6600 gpu in my htpc's with component out. Card costed like $100. Would probably get a 7600GT today which I think is ~$180
6. Which software players do you use? WMP, VLC, etc.?
` I use TheaterTek and Zoom Player mainly. Since I mainly playback HD mpeg2 transport streams I like TT because it will seamlessly playback segmented files without pauses between segments. ZP can do this also but isnt setup straight out of the box. I also like TT because it allows you to play custom intros and trailers before the selected title. My system is setup to playback the HD Cert custom intro, 3 random QT HD trailers, and then the main movie. Its like being at the movie theater and gives you time to get your popcorn and drinks. BTW-PowerDVD 7 supports hardware accelerated H.264 decoding using the nvidia API which can be helpful since these streams can tax the cpu. With TT I use the CoreAVC decoder which is very fast but does not yet support HW decoding. (I also have PDVD installed) Most of the time I use TT as it is more versatile and fits better in the HTPC look in my opinion.
VLC is free but I dont like the layout/look. TT and the others cost money so I would start with VLC. I also have WMP and WinDVD.
7. Are there any HDMI-equipped cards out there or will I need to use a DVI-to-HDMI converter?
Yes, there is at least 1 I saw was going to be released this month. I think it was an msi card. I bet in 6 months they will be much more common. Personally I use component out and leave the dvi free. My resolution is set to 1080 and you will probably have under/overscan to deal with. But the drivers should allow you to compensate. This is most prominent on RP TV's. Not sure if yours is a RP? Powerstrip can be handy for custom timings if needed.
8. Anything else I should be on the lookout for? Any tips you could give me before making the plunge?
Beware of noise, noise, noise. Which case are you going to use? I choose the Hiper case which looks cool but is cramped inside, and I had to import it from England. It blends in and looks so sexy and sophisticated. http://www.hipergroup.com/English/products/media.html
Get as big a hard drive as you can afford or use a NAS. You will fill it up quickly. I try to keep all my content centrally stored on a NAS which is almost full after only 4 months (2 TB) So now I have to either buy a second ReadyNAS or start filling up the hard drives in the Tvix, htpc's, mediagate. Since I have 3 HTPC's, 3 network dvd players and lets see 3 streamers (tvix/mg's) the NAS is really nice for me.
As for tuners, I am waiting for ATSC network tuners with BeyondTV drivers. The HDHomerun is supposed to add these drivers early next year.
They simply multicast over your network and you can stick the thing in a closet.
Beware of downloading too much in 1 month.
There are hidden limits with your cable provider which they wont tell you about.(If you are downloading) If you download too much they will warn you to slow down. Blah-blah-blah (Comcast)
It seems pc's and tv's use a slightly different color table and it seems every player except TT is too dark out of the box, but windvd and powerdvd have presets for contrast/brightness/etc... Seems to be a 0-256 versus 16-256 integer thing.
I will try and playback some AVC content tonight and tell you the cpu usege on my system using various decoders. If I had a digital camera, I would post a pic of my system(s). Maybe I will borrow my brothers.
BTW-The tvix is cool cause it boots in like 15 seconds and in another 3 or 4 I am watching my movie. Fast, quiet, easy, no fiddling. It just does what I want. But it does not support AVC, yet. Cannot wait for the 5101.
There exists several front ends, I really like meedio and beyondtv/media. Unfortunately meedio has been bought by yahoo and I refuse to install their software/spyware.
Probably wont be "cheap" when you are done.
I know you dont seem to like my opinion and may consider this post to be spam, but hopefully you find some value out of my knowledge, experiences, opinion, and suggestions.
Enjoy your htpc.
.
- x264 playback.
- TS playback.
- Quality of display. (1080P is a necessity)
- No encoding whatsoever.
- No capturing whatsoever.
- Price (the cheaper, the better).
**Note : I'll be using a Sony 60" A2000 TV.**
Having said that, here are my questions...
1. What are your recommended requirements for flawless x264 & 1080P TS playback? Keep in mind I plan on using Windows XP Pro.
Dont pay the premium for the newest most powerfull cpu. Spend the money on storage.
2. I will be buying an AMD CPU (non-debatable) and would prefer an nForce-equipped motherboard. Suggestions?
I have an amd x2 4400+ in my HTPC's and use a gigabyte 939 mobo g-k8n51gmf-9 which has firewire, usb, gigabit, and pci-e. I ditched the onboard gpu and added a dedicted video card. System was built earlier this year. Oh-yeah 2 gigs ram.
3. HTPC vs. STBs such as the Helios X5000, Mediagate MG-35, TViX HD M-5000U, etc. Output quality is better on which? HTPCs or STBs?
Pretty similar. STB's have terrible output in my opinion (Comcast). HTPC's require fiddling and can be sensitive/quircky to configure.
4. I previously had tried a couple of years back to output XviD files from an ATi Radeon 9800 Pro to a CRT JVC 32" TV and found the quality was good, but not excellent. Misconvergence problems abound and colors were washed up. Is the quality much better now? I cannot stress enough how quality is what's important.
Dont know about ATI cards as I use nvidia. See 6 for details. Quality is very good.
5. Which cheap graphics card should I go for? Remember : I don't plan on encoding or capturing any shows. This is specifically exclusively for playback. So no $500 cards, please.
I use a gigabyte nvidia 6600 gpu in my htpc's with component out. Card costed like $100. Would probably get a 7600GT today which I think is ~$180
6. Which software players do you use? WMP, VLC, etc.?
` I use TheaterTek and Zoom Player mainly. Since I mainly playback HD mpeg2 transport streams I like TT because it will seamlessly playback segmented files without pauses between segments. ZP can do this also but isnt setup straight out of the box. I also like TT because it allows you to play custom intros and trailers before the selected title. My system is setup to playback the HD Cert custom intro, 3 random QT HD trailers, and then the main movie. Its like being at the movie theater and gives you time to get your popcorn and drinks. BTW-PowerDVD 7 supports hardware accelerated H.264 decoding using the nvidia API which can be helpful since these streams can tax the cpu. With TT I use the CoreAVC decoder which is very fast but does not yet support HW decoding. (I also have PDVD installed) Most of the time I use TT as it is more versatile and fits better in the HTPC look in my opinion.
VLC is free but I dont like the layout/look. TT and the others cost money so I would start with VLC. I also have WMP and WinDVD.
7. Are there any HDMI-equipped cards out there or will I need to use a DVI-to-HDMI converter?
Yes, there is at least 1 I saw was going to be released this month. I think it was an msi card. I bet in 6 months they will be much more common. Personally I use component out and leave the dvi free. My resolution is set to 1080 and you will probably have under/overscan to deal with. But the drivers should allow you to compensate. This is most prominent on RP TV's. Not sure if yours is a RP? Powerstrip can be handy for custom timings if needed.
8. Anything else I should be on the lookout for? Any tips you could give me before making the plunge?
Beware of noise, noise, noise. Which case are you going to use? I choose the Hiper case which looks cool but is cramped inside, and I had to import it from England. It blends in and looks so sexy and sophisticated. http://www.hipergroup.com/English/products/media.html
Get as big a hard drive as you can afford or use a NAS. You will fill it up quickly. I try to keep all my content centrally stored on a NAS which is almost full after only 4 months (2 TB) So now I have to either buy a second ReadyNAS or start filling up the hard drives in the Tvix, htpc's, mediagate. Since I have 3 HTPC's, 3 network dvd players and lets see 3 streamers (tvix/mg's) the NAS is really nice for me.
As for tuners, I am waiting for ATSC network tuners with BeyondTV drivers. The HDHomerun is supposed to add these drivers early next year.
They simply multicast over your network and you can stick the thing in a closet.
Beware of downloading too much in 1 month.
There are hidden limits with your cable provider which they wont tell you about.(If you are downloading) If you download too much they will warn you to slow down. Blah-blah-blah (Comcast)
It seems pc's and tv's use a slightly different color table and it seems every player except TT is too dark out of the box, but windvd and powerdvd have presets for contrast/brightness/etc... Seems to be a 0-256 versus 16-256 integer thing.
I will try and playback some AVC content tonight and tell you the cpu usege on my system using various decoders. If I had a digital camera, I would post a pic of my system(s). Maybe I will borrow my brothers.
BTW-The tvix is cool cause it boots in like 15 seconds and in another 3 or 4 I am watching my movie. Fast, quiet, easy, no fiddling. It just does what I want. But it does not support AVC, yet. Cannot wait for the 5101.
There exists several front ends, I really like meedio and beyondtv/media. Unfortunately meedio has been bought by yahoo and I refuse to install their software/spyware.
Probably wont be "cheap" when you are done.
I know you dont seem to like my opinion and may consider this post to be spam, but hopefully you find some value out of my knowledge, experiences, opinion, and suggestions.
Enjoy your htpc.
.
1) A better than average dual core CPU is really needed right now to handle H.264 stuff, video cards help, but beefier CPUs really help.
2) AX2 4400+ or better
3) Depending on how you setup your HTPC you can tweak the living hell out of the picture, meaning that you can make it much better or mangle it beyond belief. The out of the box experience is usually comprable to high end gear.
4) Well xvid files sometimes have issues with color, but that's the xvid files problem. Output via DVI/HDMI/Component don't give anything up to consumer gear.
5) As for the video Cards, this is kind of tricky, they use the GPU power to do thinkgs like de-interlace 1080i mpeg 2 streams in the TS file. So a beefy GPU is still really a good idea. At a minimum you should get an x1600pro or a geforce7600gt. I'm a fan of nvidia's purevideo stuff, but the ATI avivo is suppose to be pretty good too.
recap: minimum x1600pro or 7600GT but make sure you have HDCP, absolutely sure!
6) I use windows Media Center with FFDshow loaded to handle all my downloaded content, and nvidia purevideo decoder to handle my DVD/TV content.
7) Saphire makes a x1600pro card with HDMI, even has the ability to passthru your spdif audio.
8) Look for ways to keep your system as quite as possible noise is a pain in the butt. Look into windows media center, it's the easiest thing to setup. Windows Vista is right around the corner, it'll require around 2GB or memory. Make sure you go for lots of HD space as well.
2) AX2 4400+ or better
3) Depending on how you setup your HTPC you can tweak the living hell out of the picture, meaning that you can make it much better or mangle it beyond belief. The out of the box experience is usually comprable to high end gear.
4) Well xvid files sometimes have issues with color, but that's the xvid files problem. Output via DVI/HDMI/Component don't give anything up to consumer gear.
5) As for the video Cards, this is kind of tricky, they use the GPU power to do thinkgs like de-interlace 1080i mpeg 2 streams in the TS file. So a beefy GPU is still really a good idea. At a minimum you should get an x1600pro or a geforce7600gt. I'm a fan of nvidia's purevideo stuff, but the ATI avivo is suppose to be pretty good too.
recap: minimum x1600pro or 7600GT but make sure you have HDCP, absolutely sure!
6) I use windows Media Center with FFDshow loaded to handle all my downloaded content, and nvidia purevideo decoder to handle my DVD/TV content.
7) Saphire makes a x1600pro card with HDMI, even has the ability to passthru your spdif audio.
8) Look for ways to keep your system as quite as possible noise is a pain in the butt. Look into windows media center, it's the easiest thing to setup. Windows Vista is right around the corner, it'll require around 2GB or memory. Make sure you go for lots of HD space as well.
Thanks a lot for your reply! Just checked the nVidia website and even a 7600GT supports everything they displayed in that table, including h.264!
According to ATi, an x1300 would work as well. However, I know that what's advertised and what actually works are 2 different things, so please correct me if this will fail or be problematic. I can get a Sapphire x1300 Lite for 125$ CDN (approx $105 US). Good deal?
According to ATi, an x1300 would work as well. However, I know that what's advertised and what actually works are 2 different things, so please correct me if this will fail or be problematic. I can get a Sapphire x1300 Lite for 125$ CDN (approx $105 US). Good deal?
Excuse me for my tardiness. My previous post was written before I saw the following replies.
A lot of good info in there. And yes, qz3fwd, I'll take into account the info you posted, despite our difference. It's appreciated.
The Sapphire x1600pro is definitely a very interesting card. Cheap and supposedly a great performer *and* has an onboard HDMI connector! I'll look into that, definitely.
I'm a bit disappointed a 4400+ or better is required for flawless playback, but if that's what it takes...
Can you quickly explain what HDCP is, please? It rings a bell, but...
As for making my PC as quiet as possible, that shouldn't be a problem. I have a fanless power supply that I'll be using and I'll simply remove the heatsink from the videocard and use a heatpipe "sandwhich" solution. As for the CPU, a Zalman fan should be good enough to quiet it down. Since I don't plan on overclocking it, that shouldn't be a problem.
A lot of good info in there. So now, it's a question of ATi vs. nVidia in the HDMI-ouput pic quality. Any noticeable differences? I've always personally found nVidia to be less problematic than ATi products, but I haven't read too much on the use of nVidia-based videocards for HDMI output and in 1080P to boot.
That's one sexy case, qz3fwd. However, I can only imagine the cost! Something else that bothers me a bit is the height is only 53 mm? How did you manage to fit a videocard in there? I'm curious to hear about that.
A lot of good info in there. And yes, qz3fwd, I'll take into account the info you posted, despite our difference. It's appreciated.
The Sapphire x1600pro is definitely a very interesting card. Cheap and supposedly a great performer *and* has an onboard HDMI connector! I'll look into that, definitely.
I'm a bit disappointed a 4400+ or better is required for flawless playback, but if that's what it takes...
Can you quickly explain what HDCP is, please? It rings a bell, but...
As for making my PC as quiet as possible, that shouldn't be a problem. I have a fanless power supply that I'll be using and I'll simply remove the heatsink from the videocard and use a heatpipe "sandwhich" solution. As for the CPU, a Zalman fan should be good enough to quiet it down. Since I don't plan on overclocking it, that shouldn't be a problem.
A lot of good info in there. So now, it's a question of ATi vs. nVidia in the HDMI-ouput pic quality. Any noticeable differences? I've always personally found nVidia to be less problematic than ATi products, but I haven't read too much on the use of nVidia-based videocards for HDMI output and in 1080P to boot.
That's one sexy case, qz3fwd. However, I can only imagine the cost! Something else that bothers me a bit is the height is only 53 mm? How did you manage to fit a videocard in there? I'm curious to hear about that.
No. the x1300 doesn't have the memory bandwidth. 6600GT or x1600pro or better. Period.
HDCP is an encryption mechanism between the GPU and display so that you cant cant cap the uncompressed stream. (Hollywood DRM paranoia). You need it if you want to be able to play HD DVD or Blu Ray movies in the future(plus your display has to support it). If you D/L only then you dont need it since these are mpeg2 transport streams.
Noise is subjective but even just the noise of a spinning hard drive and cpu fan can be really annoying. I had to buy special low noise fan for the CPU. Most of the stock elcheapo fans whine at like 45+ db. You can always add sound absorption matl to the case walls to help out.
Last I heard the ATI drivers had problems with PQ? Some have said ATI PQ really sucks.
The case was only like $100 (from memory). It allows for 1 expansion card which is installed with a riser card which turns the card horizontal. I have another hiper case with motherboard & hard drive but missing cpu, memory, and video card. It will be my Halloween holiday project and will be connected to my 2'nd Sharp 45" LCD. The case has just enough room for mobo, video card, slim dvd rom, hard drive, and 1U heatsink.
Theres 2 case manufcturers which have a case with a small touchscreen lcd on the front. Cool but expensive, like $500
Noise is subjective but even just the noise of a spinning hard drive and cpu fan can be really annoying. I had to buy special low noise fan for the CPU. Most of the stock elcheapo fans whine at like 45+ db. You can always add sound absorption matl to the case walls to help out.
Last I heard the ATI drivers had problems with PQ? Some have said ATI PQ really sucks.
The case was only like $100 (from memory). It allows for 1 expansion card which is installed with a riser card which turns the card horizontal. I have another hiper case with motherboard & hard drive but missing cpu, memory, and video card. It will be my Halloween holiday project and will be connected to my 2'nd Sharp 45" LCD. The case has just enough room for mobo, video card, slim dvd rom, hard drive, and 1U heatsink.
Theres 2 case manufcturers which have a case with a small touchscreen lcd on the front. Cool but expensive, like $500
I don't know much about the ATi drivers for HDTV (I had my 8500 hooked up to 36" via svideo) but the new Nvidia ones work great on that TV with a cheap DVI -> HDMI cable, was plug and play, and easy overscan adjust. x1300 doesn't have that much 3D horsepower which stuff like VMR9 playback (as opposed to overlay) uses. you should be able to get a 7600GS for $130 cdn which would kill the x1300. But keep in mind if you ever wanted to play games on the TV a little extra money for the 7600GT would be well spent, especially if you want to run 1080p
I have the A2000 as well with a 6600GT and its quite impressive. the TV does do 1080p but the text is pretty small and none of these TVs have perfect convergence with the 3 chip design, so mine is a little fuzzy text on the lower left half of my TV (blue and red both out by 1 pixel on opposite sides of text here), but still readable, which is pretty good for a "TV" just not perfect. so for this reason I use 720P desktop which also lets my games run faster. If you end up running 720P there is a "chroma" service menu change you need to make, search for the A2000 owners only tweaks thread. Also this TV has input 7 with the HDMI in for video and 2 RCAs in for sound, which I didn't even realize would be quite useful until I was hooking it up.
I dont know if Blueray movie playback will be any different than the 720p or 1080p WMV or quicktime clips I have tried, but my 6600GT on a single core AMD64 2800+ plays those back flawlessly, and runs all kind of sharpen filters on normal DVDs well.
I have the A2000 as well with a 6600GT and its quite impressive. the TV does do 1080p but the text is pretty small and none of these TVs have perfect convergence with the 3 chip design, so mine is a little fuzzy text on the lower left half of my TV (blue and red both out by 1 pixel on opposite sides of text here), but still readable, which is pretty good for a "TV" just not perfect. so for this reason I use 720P desktop which also lets my games run faster. If you end up running 720P there is a "chroma" service menu change you need to make, search for the A2000 owners only tweaks thread. Also this TV has input 7 with the HDMI in for video and 2 RCAs in for sound, which I didn't even realize would be quite useful until I was hooking it up.
I dont know if Blueray movie playback will be any different than the 720p or 1080p WMV or quicktime clips I have tried, but my 6600GT on a single core AMD64 2800+ plays those back flawlessly, and runs all kind of sharpen filters on normal DVDs well.
AMD4400+ X2
2 GB Corsair Memory
6600 GPU
TheaterTek 2.4 & PowerDVD 7
Playback off of a ReadyNAS NV (Gigabit LAN)
CPU Useage:
20 Mbps 1080 AVC w/PowerDVD 7 = 40%
? Mbps 720 Mpeg2 w/TheaterTek 2.4 = 10%
So AVC takes a lot more CPU power to decode.
I would post screencaps of my desktop but your limited to like 640x480 images.
2 GB Corsair Memory
6600 GPU
TheaterTek 2.4 & PowerDVD 7
Playback off of a ReadyNAS NV (Gigabit LAN)
CPU Useage:
20 Mbps 1080 AVC w/PowerDVD 7 = 40%
? Mbps 720 Mpeg2 w/TheaterTek 2.4 = 10%
So AVC takes a lot more CPU power to decode.
I would post screencaps of my desktop but your limited to like 640x480 images.
Both nVidia and ATI have gotten isv certified I believe, so output should be equal and consistent from say a 3rd party mpeg decoder or something like coreAVC.
But things like ATI's avivo and nVidia's purevideo use the graphics cards to do de-interlacing and scaling can produce very different pictures, which one is superior depends in part on the content, and neither is set in stone as a software update could swing it either way.
But things like ATI's avivo and nVidia's purevideo use the graphics cards to do de-interlacing and scaling can produce very different pictures, which one is superior depends in part on the content, and neither is set in stone as a software update could swing it either way.
I have a few more questions...
1- Would there be any benefit to getting a videocard with HDMI output versus DVI (which would then need to be converted to HDMI with an adapter)? I know they're both digitally-based output, so I'm wondering if the conversion affects quality in any way.
2- Would it be possible to use a remote & frontend without needing to buy a tuner card? Remember ; I won't be watching TV programs. I will be viewing movies stored on the PC (TS, x264, VOB/DVD). If so, which one would you recommend and why?
3- Which player would you recommend I use to play x264 files? TheaterTek 2.4 doesn't support it.
4- Any advantage to installing Windows Media Center as opposed to Windows XP?
5- FFDShow seems to be the codec people use to play/configure all their video files to optimal settings. Any specific settings I should pay attention to?
Many thanks again, guys! Very appreciated.
1- Would there be any benefit to getting a videocard with HDMI output versus DVI (which would then need to be converted to HDMI with an adapter)? I know they're both digitally-based output, so I'm wondering if the conversion affects quality in any way.
2- Would it be possible to use a remote & frontend without needing to buy a tuner card? Remember ; I won't be watching TV programs. I will be viewing movies stored on the PC (TS, x264, VOB/DVD). If so, which one would you recommend and why?
3- Which player would you recommend I use to play x264 files? TheaterTek 2.4 doesn't support it.
4- Any advantage to installing Windows Media Center as opposed to Windows XP?
5- FFDShow seems to be the codec people use to play/configure all their video files to optimal settings. Any specific settings I should pay attention to?
Many thanks again, guys! Very appreciated.
Q1: I don't know
Q2: MCE Remote
Q3: Mediaportal (Free with MCE remote support out of the box, can be configured to play EVERYTHING)
Q4: For you no. MCE has support for 2 digital TV cards while XP pro does not. THis is easily remedied by registeringf a few DLLS from MCE to a Windows XP installation.
Q5: I only use FFDShow for the 3IVX and DIVX Codecs. I use coreAVC for x264 and Xvid for Xvid. USe the Haali Mediasplitter to split MKV, MP4, AVI and OGM.
You won't need to bother with any FFDshow settings if you get a n 6600GT or better.
Q2: MCE Remote
Q3: Mediaportal (Free with MCE remote support out of the box, can be configured to play EVERYTHING)
Q4: For you no. MCE has support for 2 digital TV cards while XP pro does not. THis is easily remedied by registeringf a few DLLS from MCE to a Windows XP installation.
Q5: I only use FFDShow for the 3IVX and DIVX Codecs. I use coreAVC for x264 and Xvid for Xvid. USe the Haali Mediasplitter to split MKV, MP4, AVI and OGM.
You won't need to bother with any FFDshow settings if you get a n 6600GT or better.
Thanks again! I do have follow-up questions.
1. Is the MCE Remote the only one I should consider or are there alternatives?
2. Would it be possible to use a front-end like myHTPC without using a tuner? I basically wish to emulate the way a media server would work (such as the X5000, TViX 5000U, MG-35, etc.).
1. Is the MCE Remote the only one I should consider or are there alternatives?
2. Would it be possible to use a front-end like myHTPC without using a tuner? I basically wish to emulate the way a media server would work (such as the X5000, TViX 5000U, MG-35, etc.).
Bumpitee-bump-bump.
Check out the logitech mediaplay mouse, thats what I use for a remote, the play/stop buttons work same as the ones keyboards have which works with most windows players (I use Sage TV for pvr and Zoom player) but it only works for around 10' distance
WIndows MCE has the built in tv pvr among some other things, and some big buttons / text which looked good on my old 36" crt at 480i, but on the A2000 you don't need to worry about the big buttons and if you dont want to PVR analog TV then XP pro is fine. and you can get Sage / Beyond TV if you decide to later which is cheaper than windows anyway. Although I'm thinking of installing Win2000 to see if its any more stable heh.
I use FFDshow to run a sharpen filter on DVDs in zoom player, which makes a nice difference.
WIndows MCE has the built in tv pvr among some other things, and some big buttons / text which looked good on my old 36" crt at 480i, but on the A2000 you don't need to worry about the big buttons and if you dont want to PVR analog TV then XP pro is fine. and you can get Sage / Beyond TV if you decide to later which is cheaper than windows anyway. Although I'm thinking of installing Win2000 to see if its any more stable heh.
I use FFDshow to run a sharpen filter on DVDs in zoom player, which makes a nice difference.
as for HDMI vs DVI, I would say DVI just because a cheap DVI -> HDMI cable works fine and you can't plug monitors into a HDMI port if you ever wanted to use the card for dual monitors or something, but it could be this HDCP thing which I don't have might require a HDMI port on the video card, don't know about that.
Quote:
1) I really really like logitech's harmony remotes, but they don't come with an IR reciever.
Very easy to configure for use with MCE, but not sure about anything else.
2) I know MCE works without a tuner just fine.
DVI+HDCP v HDMI:
-Video Quality- none, in the future HDMI 1.3 can support higher bit depth color, but no video cards or TVs can use it currently.
-Audio-The current crop of HDMI cards only passthrough spdif data, which could simplify wiring for you, but even though HDMI 1.0,1.1 support 8channel 24b/192khz audio and 1.3 supports passing encoded DTHD and DTS-HD, no current HDMI video card can do that.
(all HDMI video cards have HDCP, a small minority of DVI cards have HDCP, you'll need HDCP for DRM'd content in the future.)
| Originally Posted by StratMangler Thanks again! I do have follow-up questions. 1. Is the MCE Remote the only one I should consider or are there alternatives? 2. Would it be possible to use a front-end like myHTPC without using a tuner? I basically wish to emulate the way a media server would work (such as the X5000, TViX 5000U, MG-35, etc.). |
Very easy to configure for use with MCE, but not sure about anything else.
2) I know MCE works without a tuner just fine.
DVI+HDCP v HDMI:
-Video Quality- none, in the future HDMI 1.3 can support higher bit depth color, but no video cards or TVs can use it currently.
-Audio-The current crop of HDMI cards only passthrough spdif data, which could simplify wiring for you, but even though HDMI 1.0,1.1 support 8channel 24b/192khz audio and 1.3 supports passing encoded DTHD and DTS-HD, no current HDMI video card can do that.
(all HDMI video cards have HDCP, a small minority of DVI cards have HDCP, you'll need HDCP for DRM'd content in the future.)
BTW a new OEM copy of MCE is cheaper than a new OEM copy of XP pro.
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