Video Quality

[nigfink]

I just got a MVP and I also have a Client connected to a 50 Inch TV via SVIDEO with a FX5200. My MVP is connected to a 20 Inch TV via RCA. The thing that confuses me is the MVP has better video quality. I'm running the NVIDIA codecs and almost everything looks good on the 50 inch tv, but sports and the ESPN bottom line seem a little blurry, (it doesn't seem to matter what quality I record in either). But in the lowest quality the MVP looks flawless. Any ideas how I can get clearer output from my computer?

[gplasky]

Your MVP is decoding in hardware. That's why the picture looks so good. Your client uses a software decoder. Many things will affect that. Your decoder, video card, processor speed, etc. For instance your FX5200 is a good card but there are better. Your nVidia 6600 GTs are better compared to the 5200. And outputting svideo to a 50 inch TV will magnify any flaws in the picture.

Gerry

[nigfink]

Do you think it would be worth getting a 6600GT to improve the quality?

[jphhughes]

I have my PC (SageTV) and TV hooked though my receiver. Using the receiver I can switch back and forth between Video one (PC) and Cable TV. This allow me to see almost real time the differences in picture quality. Then I used the color correction features in the nvidia drivers to better adjust the Picture quality. I also had the 5200 and although I did get the picture to a decent quality when I switched to my current 6600 the picture quality is much better. However the 6600 will cost you at least $120-$150 so its an expensive upgrade. By the way I have a SD 55" RPTV.

[xxilikedirtxx]

"And outputting svideo to a 50 inch TV will magnify any flaws in the picture" AMEN.

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by gplasky

Your MVP is decoding in hardware. That's why the picture looks so good. Your client uses a software decoder.

I just want to be very clear about this, because the there's a lot of hardware/software decoder myth out there.

It's not that the MVP (or PVR350, or Xcard) have hardware decoders, it's that they output the video in it's raw interlaced form, without any processing. Video cards (software decoding) are unable to do this, they deinterlace/scale/scale/interlace the video which degrades quality.

Do you think it would be worth getting a 6600GT to improve the quality?

Is your TV an HDTV? Does it have a DVI/HDMI or RGB/VGA input. If so you really need to be using that. Running S/Video from an HD source (the PC) to an HD display is just wrong. Upgrading to DVI/HDMI/RGB/VGA will improve the picture greatly, probably surpassing the MVP. If you don't have said connections, then upgrading to a 6600 with Component output would (provided you use the component output).

[nigfink]

Heck, rather then spending $150 on a new video card I'm just going to get another MVP since my TV does not have DVI or anything, just SVIDEO. I moved my pvr pc to the basement next to my e-mail server and redid some coax connections. The MVP will be quiter, smaller, and for $100 you can't beat it.

[banmj]

Not trying to go off topic, but is there much difference between the 6600 and 6600gt. I have an MSI 6600 with 256 mb. I connect to a projector with DVI. I just use this PC for Sage. Would I see a big difference in picture quality using the 6600gt?

[blade]

Originally Posted by banmj

Not trying to go off topic, but is there much difference between the 6600 and 6600gt. I have an MSI 6600 with 256 mb. I connect to a projector with DVI. I just use this PC for Sage. Would I see a big difference in picture quality using the 6600gt?

No, they both have the same deinterlacing capabilities.