[bkwong73]

Hi All,


I just posted this thread in the Video processor forum but I thought I would get my HTPC enthusiasts here.


I currently have an NEC Xg75 crt projector paired with Quadscan scaler with a 4x3 stewart screen and a Sony Dvp-S7000 player.


I am contemplating getting an HTPC and use the VGA passthrough.


I was wondering for the people who have had the Quadscan scaler or similar scaler, like the Crystal Image, setup. How much does the HTPC improve on the dvd picture.


Does it rival a higherend scaler like a Faroudja NR? How much better could I expect from an HTPC.


Thanks in advance for any input or advice.


Sincerely, Brian

 

[Yvonus]

Hi there and welcome to the htpc scene.


I would suggest to start with the meta-FAQ in my signature. This is a "repository" thread with links to a couple selected htpc-related threads. I'm sure you'll learn some here.


But to answer your question. I'm quite confident in saying that you'll be able, at least, to get the same PQ with an htpc or even better. New vga cards like the Radeon based ones have an excellent scaling engine and they are believed to be top notch quality.


This is for dvd/dvd-rom playback. If you want to try and scale external analog sources (laserdisc, vcr etc...), this is not as easy as with dvd-rom, but yes, you can obtain a more than watcheable result. The one to look for is DScaler. Read the FAQ here http://www.dscaler.org/FAQ.htm


See you later


Yvonus

 

[flavioleoni]

As for the DVD playback, the advantage of using a HTPC is that you will skip one D/A convertion. With the HTPC the scaling will be done within the digital domain, so the only D/A convertion you will have is the one for feeding your projector.


With your current setup, you have one D/A convertion from the DVD player to feed the Quadscan, one A/D in the Quadscan for scaling, and then another D/A convertion for feeding your projector.


You want to avoid as many convertions as possible in order to achieve the best image quality. The HTPC has others advantages such as region-free playback and the ability to use it for many other applications (such as mp3 jukebox, scaler for external sources, HD recording, web surfing on a big screen...).


The drawback of the HTPC is that you will have to do all that in a Windows interface, which sometimes is not "friendly" to others who use the HTPC. Another thing is that HTPC don't performance as good as dvd players in de-interlacing tasks, so if you watch a lot of video-based dvds, maybe the standalone dvd player will be better for you.

 

[Paul_Seng]

If you are going to watch from any other source, dScaler will do the job. all you need is a video capture card based on a conexant chip(I forgot but you will find it in this forum). I have used it for my laserdiscs and it works wonders. Also remeber that dScaler is free and the updates are free. I don't think you can get that with an outboard right now (I could be wrong)

 

[leckian]

I bought a Quadscan Elite with the latest software to see if it might be good enough to replace a GeForce powered HTPC. My primary motivation was to make my system more family friendly. The Quadscan is an excellent product at its price point relative to other scalers/line doublers and while it produces an excellent picture the HTPC produced a richer picture with more depth and with the GeForce's excellent Video overlay controls substantially more range of control over the picture. I can easily recommend the Quadscan to someone who wants a scaler but the HTPC renders noticeably superior picture quality.


Lenny Eckian