Just when I thought I couldn't be any happier with my Xcard....

[dbfresh23]

After suffering through the slowness and 256 color menu of the xcard plugin for a few weeks, I decided to try out the Digital Video Out port on it. So I "upgraded" my Radeon 9700 Pro to a GeForce3 TI200 w/ VIP, DVI and Svideo. Let me just say that I cannot believe that more Xcard owners don't do this! Picture quality is the same, but now no more suffering with the menu system as it works perfectly and in FULL COLOR with no slowness as found in the plugin.

I just got it hooked up this morning, but I've watched a DVD and a couple TV shows and not a single problem. I'm getting ready to order another xcard and video card for another client!

[heffe2001]

So that's the interface that connects it to your video card, and you output from there to the TV correct? I have an old DXR3 card that did that (I think it was the DXR3, can't exactly remember the model number). Worked great for DVD's way back when...

Might have to check out finding a Xcard sometime soon .

[Opus4]

How are you connecting to the TV? From SHS's results doing the same thing (here), I got the impression that the video quality would suffer a bit by going through the video card out to the TV. I never did get around to trying it out myself... something about never getting the right cable & then my old video card dying.

- Andy

[dbfresh23]

Right now I'm using Svideo out on the video card and it looks the same as it did on the xcard. TV source is DirecTV, no HD though . The main difference was that I didn't have to adjust the overscan on the xcards output as I did with the video card's. I'll be getting an LCD tv soon and then the output will be the DVI.

Just for the heck of it, I downloaded a few HD trailers from the divx site and played them through it and those looked absolutely amazing.

I tried both the nvdvd and sonic decoders before buying the xcard and they just can't compare. With the software decoders my cpu and ram were always at high usage, with the xcard I can watch full screen tv and the cpu stays at 2-6%! Athlon XP2000+ 1gb ddr400

Also keep in mind that that thread is over a year old now and SHS was using much older drivers for both the video card and the xcard, which back then didn't support divx either. Actually, I read that whole thread and he indicated that it didn't work with DVDs either, which it also does now.

I'd say that the only way the plugin would be better then the vip method is if component is an absolute must. I'm actually not even using the right cable yet, my vip cable is scheduled for delivery tomorrow, but I couldn't wait so I just tossed a single drive 40pin IDE cable on there and crossed my fingers.

I guess the only painful part of the process was having to cut off a small piece of the video cards heatsink, MSI put it too close to the vip header.

Oh and I actually owe my working vip status to SHS, I found the info from the review of it on his forum and he was kind enough to email me the dll file that for some reason isn't included and cannot even be found any more, the dll is needed to activate the digital out header on the xcard.

I'm not using the spdif output on the xcard yet, but once i get the spdif cable run from the dvd drive to the xcard i'll give that a try. I think people forget sometimes that the xcard does audio too.


Actually, I guess I'll add that my main reason for getting vip working was actually to eventually get it working on a via epia system. There are a bunch of mini itx motherboards that have VIP connectors on them.

And even if there was any PQ loss (which i can't notice any), the trade off for faster and full color menu would easily be worth it.

[Opus4]

Thanks for the extra info. BTW: could you post where you got your VIP cable?

- Andy

[dbfresh23]

http://www.pccables.com/01510.htm

[insomniac]

Thats cool stuff. So if the xcard has a spdif(which I never looked into and am now starting to regret not looking into), im assuming that you can have it act as a passthrough and get true digital 5.1 (dolby, DTS, etc)??

If so, the xcard definately smokes the PVR350 route that I went!

I.

[dbfresh23]

Well I'm pretty sure that sage doesn't record DD at this point, but DVDs should still be able to take advantage of it.

I don't have a receiver yet, but I'll be getting one soon so I'll know if it makes a difference then. Right now I'm just using the mini jack on the xcard to output the audio.

I had considered the 350, but I saw a lot of complaints about lockups and stuff so instead I got 2 150s and an xcard for the price of 1 350

[something fishy]

A couple of questions (as I have an xcard in a draw and a couple of second hand computer parts suppliers in my local computer mall)
1) Does this enable you to play DVDs in Sage using the xcard's hardware decoding.
2) How do you set it up, I presume that you are selecting Xcard as the preferred decoder (and using the overlay mixer) rather than using ersatztoms xcard plugin.
3) could I use a floppy disk cable or old ide cable cut to size if I can't get hold of a pukka VIP cable?

[dbfresh23]

Originally Posted by something fishy

1) Does this enable you to play DVDs in Sage using the xcard's hardware decoding.

Yes

2) How do you set it up, I presume that you are selecting Xcard as the preferred decoder (and using the overlay mixer) rather than using ersatztoms xcard plugin.

I just selected the xcard as the DVD decoder filter in the DVD setup and MPEG2 Decoder filter in the video setup. The config in the Sage GUI is actually the same as using ersatztoms plugin, you're just not adding the extra files or making the changes to the sage properties files.

3) could I use a floppy disk cable or old ide cable cut to size if I can't get hold of a pukka VIP cable?

Floppy cable wont work because of the twist at the end. I am currently using a regular 40pin IDE cable, though I took it out of one of those micro towers so it's a single drive cable, I'd suggest one of those if you're not going to get the 26pin cable. Also I'm not sure if a newer 80 conductor cable (ATA133) will work, I'd steer clear of those. I also didn't cut the cable, there was no need to because it fit fine with the rest just hanging off the side.

On thing I should mention is that I'm not sure if this will work for xcards that don't have all 26pins. My video seems to be missing 1 pin(25) so I guess at least 1 pin on the xcard isn't required/used.

[ErsatzTom]

This sounds very cool. Any tips on where to pick up the right video card?

tom

[aoehlke]

I am having a bit of trouble following this thread.
I have a pvr150 hauppauge, and a Xcard.
currently, I DONT use the xcard plug in for sage. but I had intended to someday. In fact, I only really use the xcard for dvd viewing.(but i do want to use it for regular sage tv viweing).
I have an MSI geforce 6600GT AGP version video card. I dont know if it has this header you mention to connect the xcard to.

i also noticed that in sage, i dont seem to have an option to choose the xcard as the decoder. do i have to reinstall sage? I added the xcard to the pc long after sagte was installed. My sage is setup to use vmr9, and it looks decent enough, but I have yet to figure out how to take advantage of the xcard with sage. I don't quite understand what the original poster did with this modified floppy cable, and how he set up sage to use the xcard. plus all the various connections... can anyone elaborate for a dummy like me?

[dbfresh23]

Originally Posted by ErsatzTom

This sounds very cool. Any tips on where to pick up the right video card?

tom

I got mine used off ebay for ~$30. I just searched for GF3 and GF2 cards and looked at actual pics of them to make sure the VIP headers where on there. Looking there quickly, there is a PNY GeForce3 Ti200 ending in ~4 hours that has the VIP header.

[SHS]

Quote:
Originally Posted by something fishy
1) Does this enable you to play DVDs in Sage using the xcard's hardware decoding.

Yes

Should not be ture dbfresh23 unless they are RIP non encrypted DVD disk or Home Made disk.

All nVidia GeForce 2 up to 3 TI500
ATI Rage 128 4x very hard to find
There older ATI, nVidia card but keep in mind that thoses older card will not always work in newer motherbaord so PCI is the next best thing
See this page on what look for
http://support.intel.com/support/mot.../CS-009010.htm

MSI GeForce 3 TI200 64MB
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...190088438&rd=1

Asus GeForce 3 TI500 64MB
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...189569966&rd=1

ATI Rage 128 Pro 16mb
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...189713516&rd=1

[mikejaner]

Yeah, if a normal DVD plays with this setup, I'd be very intrested in hooking this up for my bedroom PC.

[SHS]

Oh and before I forget the new Xcards don't have the header for this ribbon cable connection any more so that one thing to watch out for all becuases of the BS $$movie industry$$ requested not to output digital data for the encrypted movies.

[Opus4]

I just found that I _do_ have a functioning GeForce 2 MX. I'm going to be tempted to try it out at some point... <sigh> ... I hate opening up the case & changing video cards.

- Andy

[SHS]

Now as for Xcard SPDIF output the best option is the Creative Lab Sound Blaster Audigy 1, 2, Extigy and Creative Decoder DDTS-100
http://www.shspvr.com/reviews/xcard/dd51.html

[dbfresh23]

Originally Posted by SHS

Quote:
Originally Posted by something fishy
1) Does this enable you to play DVDs in Sage using the xcard's hardware decoding.

Yes

Should not be ture dbfresh23 unless they are RIP non encrypted DVD disk or Home Made disk.

I watched 3 DVDs over the weekend, 1 DVD Backup made w/ DVD Xcopy and 2 brand new retail bought fresh off the shelf dvds.

Meet the Folkers and Matrix Revolutions worked perfectly fine through Sage using the Xcard.

PS Thanks a lot SHS for your help and info to get this going!

[ErsatzTom]

Do you use the sage dvd player or the xcard software to watch dvds?

tom