[Health Nut]

Please take into consideration I have never gone the HTPC route before and I am unfamiliar with the hardware and software.


I basically have it figured out what would be best for me if I go the HTPC route, but need to find out how to deal with the MyHD card and a Radeon Card. For software I was going to go the Theatertek route and Cinemar products such as DVDLobby, CDLobby, Main Lobby: I feel this combo after previous opinions would give me basic functionality out of the box without having to invest the time necessary for zoomplayer, and netremote.


Then there is the Mike Parker MP-1 modification, which I'm wondering if it is worthwhile. I know there are some people here who know whether it is worth it or it is not and I'd love private email [email protected]


It is a simple modification that seems like nothing much more than a line driver by adding op amps and perhaps optimizing the output resistance/impedance to 75 ohms. Hard to believe it would make any visible difference unless you had a 50+ foot run of RGBHV cable in which case it would be mostly due to adding gain. On that note I will be using 40-50 feet of cable.


So you have a Radeon Card output and then there is the MyHD card output. I only have one RGBHV input for the Dwin HD700 with a 13M (about 40 feet) run of RGBHV cable possibly 50 feet if I need to extend further.


While you could take the output of the Radeon and loop it thru the MyHD card, it would have been much more appealing to loop the MyHD card output thru the Radeon. I'm concerned about taking the Radeon output and using the pass-thru on the MyHD card. I'm also assuming there is no problem connecting my monitor to one RGBHV output and then connecting the second to the pass-thru on the MYHD card that goes to the projector...??


Apparently there is a 1.3 Mike Parker modification which is on the website which describes essentially the MP-1 mod which can be done to any card with an RGBHV output. Likely that means they could perform the MP-1 modification to the MyHD card. Mike Parker is almost impossible to get a hold of and I have not yet been able to contact him for over 6 days now.


Has anybody done an MP-1 mod of their MyHD card? It is quite possible I could modify both the Radeon and the MyHD card and just use the pass-thru on the MyHD card. Again, I only have one RGBHV input on my Dwin HD700 CRT projector.


One could say: "Well just buy a high quality switcher, like an EXTRON" Sure, but they are like $1,000... and maybe the pass thru on the MyHD card is just as good?


I would also assume that Mike Parker takes the high frequency filters off the Radeon card while he is in there... ???


The other big question is that I assume I can use both my monitor as well as my projector from the Radeon card. I need to know that I can use my PC and work on it normally and still use it as an ideal HTPC.


I could easily live within the capabilities of a HTPC for the next couple years because I have too many trees to care about sattelite, so all I need is DVD, CD, OTA-HD and I'm fine. I could always add a capture card or Sage TV if I wanted to display/record my cable correct??


Then I would just rely on Theatertek, Powerstrip, and Mario's Cinemar Suite with Main Lobby, DVD Lobby, and Music Lobby and use a pocket PC for control, waiting for the Main Lobby version of Pocket PC to come out in beta in a month or two. J Rivers Media Center and Music Lobby will take care of the music.


The trickiest part would be how to control MyHD, which would likely require main lobby and guirt. I heard MyHD can be controlled by IR, but I'd be out of range and would likely just wait for main lobby pocket PC version. The who plan is to have the HTPC in the bedroom 40 feet away and one/two walls separation from the HT doing everything.


Anyway, off to get this figured out on whether to pull the trigger, or simply do a music server only and live with a Zenith STB, and Cinematrix for another 2-2.5 years. I would really appreciate advice from anyone who has insight into this. Right now I'm already not in an ideal situation because I have a zenith STB as well as the moddified Sony 7700 Cinematrix player which both have 5 BNC outs on the back... so I have to manually disconnect the cable going to the projector.


I would really appreciate opinions, answers, corrections, or better ways to accomplish what I'm trying to do, etc.


Thanks,


Chris

 

[Bob Sorel]

Quote:

One could say: "Well just buy a high quality switcher, like an EXTRON" Sure, but they are like $1,000... and maybe the pass thru on the MyHD card is just as good?

Or you could buy a Kramer VP-211DS switcher for about $125.00 instead. It has something like a 400 mhz bandwidth and is an auto switcher. The "DS" (Default Select) version allows the user to select which input is the default input, and then switches automatically when the other source becomes active. You can find details here:

http://www.kramerelectronics.com/ind...asp?p=VP-211ds

 

[Health Nut]

I just picked up an EXTRON box from a friend recently for the purpose of sync inversion. It has two pieces and I'm not sure if both are necessary. The reason I got it was to change the sync on the Zenith STB to negative. The Extron box is called the RGB 120 and has a horizontal, vertical, level (small potentiometer)and a peak switch 50 - 0 - 100. There is a second smaller box attached called an RGB buffer. To use the Zenith HDTV STB, I take the output of the STB and plug the breakout cable into the 5 BNC of the smaller RGB buffer box. The buffer box has five BNC outputs in front which say monitor and are unused. This EXTRON RGB buffer box is attached to the RGB 120 box by a 1M DSUB-DSUB connection that came with it apparently. The output of the RGB 120 5 BNC goes to my projector.


(Needless to say, currently I have to manually unhook that to watch DVD's on the Cinematrix Sony 7700 DVD player with 5 BNC connectors.)


It doesn't have the ability to switch, but was wondering if anyone knew more about this box and how it might be useful?? Is there any problem using the pass-thru on the MyHD card or is this not desireable for some reason?


Also, I heard people remove the high frequency filters from the Radeon cards... is this hard to do myself? Or is there somebody who can do that? Or is that no longer recommended? I plan on getting the Radeon 9800 Pro.


As a non HTPC person, am I going to have problems with overscan/underscan or whatever you can think of using TheaterTek, Radeon, MyHD? I guess I'll have to set up various geometries and input settings for different HD resolutions? Am I in for a fight or can I get this going in a day? How hard is it to use powerstrip, theatertek, and the MyHD software to get this going with my Dwin HD700 CRT projector?

 

[Health Nut]

Aslo, does the Kramer provide gain like an Extron 120 or 202 box? Or would I need both a switcher with the output of the switcher going to the Extron 120/202? Then comes the question of simply using the pass thru on the MyHD card... what do you think? This is agin assuming I'm using the second output on the Radeon card to feed my computer monitor.

 

[Bob Sorel]

Quote:

As a non HTPC person, am I going to have problems with overscan/underscan or whatever you can think of using TheaterTek, Radeon, MyHD?

No, this is not an issue with CRT front projectors, assuming you have a number of "memory" slots. Your Dwin's controls can take care of any and all underscan/overscan problems you may encounter. As far as I know, these issues only exist with rear projectors, where the software is nowhere near as extensive as with front PJs.


On my Marquee 9500LC, I use 4 memories for everything in my system:


1. DTC 100 (1080i)

2. MyHD (720P)

3. HTPC ([email protected])

4. HTPC ([email protected] - I used to use this for my H3D card)


and I am setting up 2 more for WM9 in the near future:


5. WM9 (720P)

6. WM9 (1080P)


and if they offer other formats, I can add as many as 94 more presets.

 

[Health Nut]

It is my understanding after talking with ATI that the 9800 all in wonder is the same is the 9800 XT, that the XT version is simply overclocked, overcooled, and has different resistor quality for the increased heat. The 9800 all in wonder offers S-video output and recording capability. While I may never get into recording or PVR due to lack of time, it would be nice to have. I'd like to know about Sage TV or at least have that potential. I definitely would like an S-video output because I also have a regular 36 inch NTSC TV I can play regular resolution DVD on... may as well swing an S-video cable to it!


I need to run a monitor and my projector: both RGBHV. I assume I'll use the DVI breakout cable for my monitor in my bedroom (there is also an NTSC TV in there)


That being said, do you recommend the All in wonder 9800 or the 9800 XT? If I wanted to get SAGE TV, does that work equally well with any capture card, assuming the All in Wonder is a good capture card... Or is the ATI software really good?


So to sum it up: ATI 9800 XT or All in wonder 9800 and a separate video capture card?


Do people still take off the high frequency filters? Who here has modified their card and does it make a visible difference? If so, can I do the mod or should I have someone else do it (who does it?)


Thanks,


Chris

 

[Briands]

Quote:

Originally posted by Health Nut Do people still take off the high frequency filters? Who here has modified their card and does it make a visible difference? If so, can I do the mod or should I have someone else do it (who does it?) Thanks, Chris

Good question? I have done several searches and have come up empty on how to do this. Unfortuantely "filter" has two different meanings especially with regard to video (software AND hardware). Can anyone post a link to a "How to" for high drequency filter removal/ bypass?

 

[Briands]

Bump...

 

[Cliff Watson]

Quote:

Originally posted by Briands Good question? I have done several searches and have come up empty on how to do this. Unfortuantely "filter" has two different meanings especially with regard to video (software AND hardware). Can anyone post a link to a "How to" for high drequency filter removal/ bypass?

Search for MP1 Mod (Mike Parker Mod).

 

[Health Nut]

I was looking for a way to remove high freq filters from the Radeon card... not add a line driver (MP mod). I have an extron 202 rxi for that...

 

[Briands]

I was looking for a cheaper improvement to the Radeon 8500 card that I have until the debate over Radeon/Nvidea works itself out.

 

[MALB75]

Go with 9600-9800 pro or xt. Do not get the all in wonder version. If you want pvr capabilities, go with wintv 250 card. The 9600-9800 have dvi-vga and s-video out. You can also get a wintv 350 card that has s-video out just for the tv though. I have a 8500 all in wonder card and a 9600 pro and sage will only work with the wintv 250 card. The all in wonder cards have a lot of sync issues. So buy your video card and tv/capture card seperatly. You will save yourself a lot of time and trouble.