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H3D II Card : ~US$900

HD Aux Card : ~US$300
http://www.avbuzz.com/bbs/av/diss.php?id=54262
Quote:

About the new card - there have been significant changes to the new card. Namely: 1. The Fli2200 has been replaced by the Fli2300. 2. Horizontal and Vertical Chroma/Luma and Detail Enhancement Settings 3. Noise Reduction Circuitry 4. TrueLife(TM) Processing (isolates skin tones and minimizes processing to those areas) 5. Built in scaler/upconverter (the scaler is a 12-tap and is superior to the 3-4 tap scalers on graphic cards) 6. On-board 10-bit DAC allows for direct output from the H3D-II card via Component or RGB output - meaning you don't need an expensive graphics card, nor do you need to send the data over the PCI bus as it will go directly out of the Fli2300. (*requires the optional HD Aux board) 7. Sub-pixel horizontal/vertical chroma delay 8. 24-bit input/output headers to accomodate a new daughter card (HDTV Aux) that can accept HDTV via DVI/Analog, let the Fli2300 process/scale it, then back out of the HDTV Aux card via DVI/analog (I've attached a picture of an optional DVI-RGB Y cable that would allow use of both the analog and digital in/out of the two DVI-I connectors on the HD Aux board) 9. Excellent frame rate conversion allows for 59.94/72/75, etc. frames rates when using the HD Aux board. As you can see the card offers a number of new features. The new HDTV Aux card will be ready to ship with the H3D-II when it is ready. However, it should be noted that the H3D-II can still be used just as the old card is today and will not require the HDTV Aux card unless the customer wants to scale HDTV or loopback the graphic card vie DVI/RGB to be scaled or passed through. Major Sellings Points I would have to say the most significant upgrade to the H3D-II is its ability to scale anything and to do so without a graphics card. I cannot think of another card on the market quite like it. The customer will be able to feed their graphic card into the HD Aux board using DVI and also a MyHD card and a Sigma card all via ribbon cables for a turn-key all digital-path HTPC. A sample configuration might be something like this: GPU loopback - Radeon card fed DVI out and into the HD Aux DVI input (can be jumpered to be an A/B switch or to be scaled by Fli2300). If configured to allow the Fli2300 to scale then the Fli2300 can also be used for luma/chroma/detail enhancement. If configured to be A/B switch then the DVI or RGB signal from Radeon would be switched through seemlessly. This may be useful for customers wanting to use software DVD players and further processing its output with teh Fli2300. HDTV Input - into the HD Aux card from component Dish 6000 or RGB into our card from RCA DTC100. Either in which can be scaled by the Fli2300 and the user can apply further picture enhancements as needed. The major draw here is that the user can conceiveably have a single DVI run to their display from our card. They can also input analog HDTV and have it sent through the Fli2300 and then back out using DVI. MyHD 100 - card fed via RGB/Component output and looped-back into the HD Aux board will allow scaling by the Fli2300 and the user can apply enhancements and do frame rat conversions as needed. Sigma XCard - fed via bt656 ribbon cable into the H3D-II card whereby the Fli2300 will deinterlace it and then scaled the Fli2300 and the user can apply luma/chroma/detail enhancement/noise reduction as needed. DVI Output via HD Aux board using the Fli2300's 12-tap scaling engine, or; RGB or Component Output - via HD Aux board using on-board DAC and 12- tap scaling engine on Fli2300 Lip Sync and Green Tint While this still seems to be limited to a small percentage of customers, these are now non-issues on the new card if the customer uses the HD Aux in/out board. This is because the on-board DAC or direct digital DVI path will not use the PCI bus and DirectX isn't involved at all to muck things up.

 

[Phat Phreddy]

WOW... HD input seems a Major feature...


Just wish I had HD !!!

 

[hgodwin]

I am confused about the need for input and scaling HDTV. Why would I not just input my HDTV signal into my television?


hgodwin

 

[pdermody]

One reason for it is to scale to whatever native resolution of your display device.


Another is to denoise/sharpen if you like.


-pd

 

[hgodwin]

So, one would mostly use this product with a projector vs. a hdtv? For example, if I was to want to watch Alias in hdtv using the local hdtv broadcast, how much better would it be to feed the signal through this product before it reaches my tv?


hgodwin

 

[jamin]

Depends on how good the TV is at deinterlacing and scaling the incoming rez. Also depends on just how big your field of view is.

 

[hgodwin]

jamin,

But would my television need to deinterlace the hdtv signal. (Aside, I do not have a hdtv but am seriously considering purchasing one). I was under the impression that my television scaling and deinterlacing capabilities would only be taxed if I was to input a sdtv signal. Or are all broadcast hdtv signals sent interlaced and it is up to tv to deinterlace? This would be a moot point if the broadcast signal is 1080i, right?


hgodwin


hgodwin

 

[jamin]

hgodwin,


I think I just jumped in above my pay grade. I'll try anyway.

My impression is that most, if not all, TVs have a native resolution that

all the incoming stuff is scaled to.


Yes, you are right, only the SD stuff will need to be de-interlaced. 1080i is way above may pay scale so I can't go there.


I am sure that all TVs aren't created equal as far as scaling is concerned.

Seems to me that the 12-tap scaling of the Fli2300 will probably outgun

what is in the TV and will certainly best that of a GDU card in your HTPC.


The point I did not make so well is this. If your screen size and your

viewing distance from it aren't such that it is say 28 degrees or greater

field of view, you may not notice this stuff. I can't speak with any real

credibility since I'm using an FP display and have no direct experience with

the other.


So, speaking of moot-point, I'll just dash back into hyperspace before I get stomped !

 

[mlcarson]

When will this card be available? I was within days of buying the original h3d. This seems like enough of an improvement to wait.

 

[pmerritt]

i know it's a lot of money for what i'm about to say but, this card would be perfect for scaling video games to Hi-DEF and since it would be done in hardware your system wouldn't take a performance hit. Imagine running all your games in 800X600 and then having the card scale and process the image. Even older systems would be able to handle the latest games at that low resolution and the video would still look great.

 

[rabident]

But it wouldn't look like a game running at HD resolutions... it would look like a game running 800x600 blown up to HD resolution. Even with the best processing, there's no comparison to native HD.


I wonder what's better standalone DVD SDI to the H3D or PC DVD DVI to the H3D II. Is this the video guts of assimilator on a PCI card or the evolution of the H3D card? Maybe a bit of both?

 

[Marc D Carra]

With the H3D-II card and a MyHD card, could you record the component HD from ,say, a dish 6000 reciever?


EDIT: upon further reading, I think I may have misunderstood. It sounds as though the output of the MYHD card can be rescaled.


Would the H3D-II card allow for any type of recording from a component HD source?


Marc.

 

[adaseng]

Can I use the Hipix Card instead of MYHD card?

thanks



Seng

 

[shokunin]

Quote:

Originally posted by Marc D Carra With the H3D-II card and a MyHD card, could you record the component HD from ,say, a dish 6000 reciever? EDIT: upon further reading, I think I may have misunderstood. It sounds as though the output of the MYHD card can be rescaled. Would the H3D-II card allow for any type of recording from a component HD source? Marc.

From my understanding the card and the data never hits the PCI bus, therefore, won't be able to send any HD data to your drives. Since it wouldn't be able to handle the UNCOMPRESSED HD video it's being fed. HD video gets fed into the card, processed and fed back out of the card through it's OWN video connections (VGA/DVI) without going through the PCI bus and without going through your Radeon video card.

 

[jcthomas]

Given what is stated in the first post of this thread, what minimal (bare bones) PC configuration would the members recommend to take advantage of the new H3D II card and the Aux card?

 

[ianken]

More importantly(for me): will the HD card alos take 480i/p? I have one cable comeing from my system to the display. One. If I can run it into a black box and have that black box spew wahtever I want resolution wise then cool.


Also, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for this considering the asimilator has yet to ship.

 

[kromkamp]

Interesting...


Just out of curiousity, why does this even need to be in a PC at this point? The PC is not supplying any software horsepower, or making use of the video card...


The PC is basically supplying 12V and some PCI config cycles!


Why not a standalone box for $1200US?


Andy K.

 

[Warren_G]

There is one Andy, take a look at www.immersiveinc.com its called the assimilator I believe. The advantage to putting it into a computer is the upgrade path, new software features are only a download away. Plus, the PC is the most configurable tool there is. I can use a pronto remote and my HTPC to control every aspect of my HT system, as well as setting up memory profiles, adding filters or software enhancements. The standalone box is great, but as in the world of console video games, once you buy it, thats what you have forever. With the H3D, it is evolving and improving all the time.

 

[laric]

Andy,


I bet the reason have something to do with Faroudja don't wanting third parties to build competitors products with their ships/technologie


But may be the board can fit on a really really cheap PC, and thats it


--Patrice

 

[Tom Strade]

Quote:

Originally posted by kromkamp Interesting... Just out of curiousity, why does this even need to be in a PC at this point? The PC is not supplying any software horsepower, or making use of the video card... The PC is basically supplying 12V and some PCI config cycles! Why not a standalone box for $1200US? Andy K.

Because you can feed an XCard digital bt656 stream directly into the card, and a future HD Tuner card that will have a 24-bit digital output header that could be fed directly into the card, and you can still use your software DVD player, MP3 player, etc. and enjoy the flexibility of an HTPC if you'd like. So the user interface is still there AND most importantly, the HD Aux card is NOT required - the H3D-II can be used for SD processing just like the old card could, which means we need DirectX and XP if the card is used standalone.


Also, FWIW - this card is NOT and has nothing to do with aSimilator. I will post pictures of the board in aSim someday to prove this. Different...very different, products.