[plainman007]

Hi,


I want to play HD video clips from a PC which i built exclusively for this. Dual Core 3 Ghz. 4 gb ram. Seperate media HDD etc, Dual Head Nvidia 7300GS graphics card, Soundblaster 5.1 VX (since i anyway needed just simple stereo audio out).


The DVI out of the graphics card goes to the 720p projector. It correctly identifies the incoming signal as 720p @ 60Hz. But the projected video looks softer than the same clip running on an independent media player costing 1/10th the price of my PC which incidentally costed about 1200 USD to assemble. Whats the logic behind this ? But both technically are outputting a 720p signal. So is the 720p signal emanating from the PC inferior in someway ? How do i rectify the situation ? A better Video Card (will it really help) ?


Thanks

 

[walford]

The HD video quality from your PC is totally dependent on the video qualities of your 7300 card and on the DVD player you are using with it. The 9xxx and newer Nvidia and even 8xxx cards, graphic cards have better quality internal instructions for the procesing of HD content.

Every component in the standalond player is dedicated to providing optimal HD video quality which is why is does do a better job.

 

[rockytt]

Could be a lot of things:

What player are you using on your PC to play back these files? Any overscanning on the DVI input that might need to be accounted for? Are you using the same input for your independent media player or a different one? You say your pc is set to 720p, is [email protected]? Which PJ and what is the native resolution ([email protected])?


I realize that this doesn't help your situation directly, but one thing to keep in mind is that your media device has to do one thing, and one thing only-while your htpc can do many, many things. It can be difficult for a HTPC to outperform a $200 BD STB for the same reason. Your PC can be made to outperform the dedicated consumer devices, but it just requires some work-

($1200? That had to be a long time ago-spent less than that on 2 BD-capable machines a year ago)

 

[plainman007]

Walford > Your right ...which is why im planning to get a 8400GS card for this system. Do you think that card would do a good job ? Its got the PUREVIDEO HD feature on it.


Im not using a software dvd player to playback the content. Im playing back hd avi files from the independent dedicated media HDD in the system. Im using a special software which offers dual screen management where the playback/transport controls are on the lcd monitor and only the video gets sent to the projector. Else it shows only a black screen through the projector and that black screen doesnt let even the mouse to be seen or enter the next monitor. I have no other option as i have to use this method for professional presentations. It looks ugly to show the desktop and for people to see the mouse moving into the projected image etc. The software called EZY Pro, about which i cant find any info on the net and i communicated with the developer who gave me the following info....


I believe it uses the internal video engine of direct x or direct show and would basically give the same quality as media player would. The software plays back only Mpeg2 or Avi HD. And any installed codec on the system in these file types will play. Basically if media player can play the said avi or mpeg. Then this software will play it back too with the same quality as WMPlayer. I did a comparision playback on the same system, playing back with this software and WMPlayer and both turned out equal in the projector. So i guess that clears the EZY software of any quality issues. Now if you dont want to be bothered with this software thats fine. Lets say i just want to playback using windows media player. Still how do i correct the quality ?


Whats the correct kind of hardware to put into a HTPC to play really good HD video with good color fidelity ? Anything other than the graphics card plays a vital role ??

Rocktt > Yes the PJ is set to exactly the same resolution and scan freq. 720p @60Hz (How can one set the Hz within a HD70 PJ ???? Not possible right). This res and scan has been identified by Nvidia when the PJ was hookked to it and i guess it must be right at least the Res is. Overscanning on the DVI input ? ok that went right above my head

. Yes you are correct. I built this system 2 yrs ago

. But i built it specifically for this purpose using a $200 professional server cabinet etc.

 

[Favelle]

Umm....what?

 

[Servicetech571]

I'm running an Nvidia 8300 IGP I bought for $60 on Newegg, looks fine to me. HD is every bit as good as the TV's internal tuner.

 

[walford]

The PureVideoHD features in the 9xxx chips are improved over those in the 8xxx. I would suggest a 9500GT.

You also have to be sure you are using decoder program that will take full advantage of PureVideoHD features such as the one in PowerDVD9 Ultra especially if playing BluRay disks.

However since your PJ is a 720p model and not a 1080p model a 9400 chip card is a less costly choice.