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My first foray into connecting a "HTPC" to my 65" Sony HDTV has met with some not-unexpected problems. I will be using the HTPC for feature film videos only (SD VOB's, as well as 720p and 1080p HD formats), not at all for gaming. Initially, I would have preferred using the new HTPC's, ASRock A780GMH HDMI output, but have failed miserably to get my Sony to even recognize the signal from the HTPC, over the HDMI connection. The VGA output, on the other hand, is working flawlessly, at 1980 x 1080, into this Sony's VGA input.
I soon plan to purchase a dedicated graphics card, to offload much of the signal processing from my CPU, and to enhance video performance with the "shader" capability that video cards offer. I may also add a Blu-ray, read-only optical drive, so the graphics card I select will need to handle full 1080p signals without a hiccup. After hours of research, I have to admit, though, that I'm more confused than ever about "audio over HDMI". Are there any cards which natively embed the audio in the HDMI signal, as Blu-ray players, and devices like the Popcorn Hour A-110 do, or is it necessary to fuss with a S/PDIF connection to the mobo, or some such, in order to enable the HDMI audio?
As a secondary concern, I plan to address my failure to even get HDMI to work with my Sony, in an extensive Sony forum, specific to this model HDTV (it's a short throw, rear projection type, not LCD or Plasma, if that matters). But, in the "worst case scenario" category, should I continue to fail, with a new graphics card's HDMI connector, are there any material, picture quality differences among the 1920 x 1080 VGA signals that HD capable graphics cards produce? Are all VGA outputs "created equal", or do some cards output a better picture at the higher resolutions, over VGA?
I'm looking for something in the $100 to $125 range. Advice... suggestions, please...
I soon plan to purchase a dedicated graphics card, to offload much of the signal processing from my CPU, and to enhance video performance with the "shader" capability that video cards offer. I may also add a Blu-ray, read-only optical drive, so the graphics card I select will need to handle full 1080p signals without a hiccup. After hours of research, I have to admit, though, that I'm more confused than ever about "audio over HDMI". Are there any cards which natively embed the audio in the HDMI signal, as Blu-ray players, and devices like the Popcorn Hour A-110 do, or is it necessary to fuss with a S/PDIF connection to the mobo, or some such, in order to enable the HDMI audio?
As a secondary concern, I plan to address my failure to even get HDMI to work with my Sony, in an extensive Sony forum, specific to this model HDTV (it's a short throw, rear projection type, not LCD or Plasma, if that matters). But, in the "worst case scenario" category, should I continue to fail, with a new graphics card's HDMI connector, are there any material, picture quality differences among the 1920 x 1080 VGA signals that HD capable graphics cards produce? Are all VGA outputs "created equal", or do some cards output a better picture at the higher resolutions, over VGA?
I'm looking for something in the $100 to $125 range. Advice... suggestions, please...