MPEG Decoding & Video Card Suggestions?

[Necro]

I'm looking for a video card suggestion for a card that has the ability to decode/etc. HD video via the GPU (i.e. like that done with the Nvidia PureVideo decoder).

I have this page: http://www.nvidia.com/page/purevideo_support.html that I'm using to compare the Nvidia cards - does anyone know which of the ATi cards can do what in comparison to these cards and what the level of the ATi cards is (support, driver, etc.) compared to the nvidia cards?

Thanks in advance...

[Lucas]

A suggestion would depend on your existing hardware and what types of videos you would like to play. ie (SDTV, DVD, Mpeg2 HD, h.264 HD , Bluray, HD-DVD etc).

The general consensus(someone correct me if I'm wrong) is that to play all of the above you need an Nvidia 7600GT and one of the latest (>2GHz)dual core processors.

If h.264/Bluray/HDDVD is not required then lesser cards will do just fine.

[phenixdragon]

I run an ATi 1600XT and it works flawlessy, I also was running an AMD64 3200+ and had no issues at all. I am now running a Core 2 Duo for other reasons but dual core doesn't matter. However, Id do dual core since it's cheap enough now.

But as for video cards, I personally have always liked the quality that ATi offers over nVidia.

[blade]

Originally Posted by Lucas

If h.264/Bluray/HDDVD is not required then lesser cards will do just fine.

I disagree with that statement. Anything below the 7600gt supposedly doesn't have IVTC or bad edit correction for HD. I say supposedly because Nvidia's chart isn't always accurate and some features are just done in software instead of hardware. Nvidia hasn't done a good job of providing info on exactly what each card can actually do.

If you go below the 7600gs or 7300gt you definitely lose adaptive deinterlacing in addition to IVTC and bad edit correction.

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by blade

I disagree with that statement. Anything below the 7600gt supposedly doesn't have IVTC or bad edit correction for HD. I say supposedly because Nvidia's chart isn't always accurate and some features are just done in software instead of hardware. Nvidia hasn't done a good job of providing info on exactly what each card can actually do.

If you go below the 7600gs or 7300gt you definitely lose adaptive deinterlacing in addition to IVTC and bad edit correction.

A valid disagreement!

I think that necro has to state what he/she wishes to play before we can be more specific.

Up to a month ago I was running an ATI9600XT which was working very well for DVD and SD. When it came to HD (Mpeg2), with some content there were some very obvious problems in motion, which after reading up could be attributed to bad edit correction issues.

The switch to an Nvidia 7600GS has reduced severity of the problem frame sequences to barely visible and now they are definetely not annoying.

[blade]

Originally Posted by Lucas

I think that necro has to state what he/she wishes to play before we can be more specific.

I agree.

The switch to an Nvidia 7600GS has reduced severity of the problem frame sequences to barely visible and now they are definetely not annoying.

Are you using the card with HD material. I ask because it is not supposed to be able to do IVTC or bad edit detection for HD. I have a 6200 which isn't supposed to do either with SD, but it does and so does my 6150. I assume it is doing it in software instead of hardware. Just curious if the same is true with your card and HD.

[phenixdragon]

Originally Posted by Lucas

A valid disagreement!
Up to a month ago I was running an ATI9600XT which was working very well for DVD and SD. When it came to HD (Mpeg2), with some content there were some very obvious problems in motion, which after reading up could be attributed to bad edit correction issues.

I think you must have also had something else not running/setup correctly or a bottleneck in your system. My 9600XT did not, and still hasn't had even 1 hiccup. I couldn't ask for anything better. HD works perfectly in my system.

[Necro]

HD content - particularly that coming either in ATSC/OTA format or QAM (eventually) given that when I finally get FIOStv, a QAM card will exist for a reasonable price I can use.

I currently have a PCI version of the 6200 - which unfortunately is seeming to have some serious issues when I play high def content through it of any type (including regular DVDs). I believe the hardware decoding for SD isn't working at all.

If you look at the link in my original post, I'm wanting something like that matrix for ATi cards so I can make an educated decision based on price/features on what to get. I'd like to 'future proof' myself for HD content for the forseable future...if possible

As another note, my HTPC has an AGP card slot, so PCI-E is out of the question for the moment.

As of now, I'm leaning towards a AGP-7300 (it's under 100$) or a 7600. Neither do inverse telecine or bad edit correction, but the 7600 does spatial temporal deinterlacing.

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by blade

IAre you using the card with HD material. I ask because it is not supposed to be able to do IVTC or bad edit detection for HD. I have a 6200 which isn't supposed to do either with SD, but it does and so does my 6150. I assume it is doing it in software instead of hardware. Just curious if the same is true with your card and HD.

I am using it with HD content (.ts MPeg2 1080i). I also believe that it is done in software but with CPU utilisation of only 20% I couldn't careless.

The big trick would be to get h.264 to play well on my system....

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by Necro

HD content - particularly that coming either in ATSC/OTA format or QAM (eventually) given that when I finally get FIOStv, a QAM card will exist for a reasonable price I can use.

I currently have a PCI version of the 6200 - which unfortunately is seeming to have some serious issues when I play high def content through it of any type (including regular DVDs). I believe the hardware decoding for SD isn't working at all.

If you look at the link in my original post, I'm wanting something like that matrix for ATi cards so I can make an educated decision based on price/features on what to get. I'd like to 'future proof' myself for HD content for the forseable future...if possible

As another note, my HTPC has an AGP card slot, so PCI-E is out of the question for the moment.

As of now, I'm leaning towards a AGP-7300 (it's under 100$) or a 7600. Neither do inverse telecine or bad edit correction, but the 7600 does spatial temporal deinterlacing.

With AGP you have the same restrictions as I did.

I felt that the difference in price between the Nvidia 7300/7600 and ATI 1300/1600 was not that high.

I went for the Gigabyte 7600GS because of its factory overclocked core and its passive cooling.

I didn't have many options in my country for the x1600.

ATI is not at all descriptive when it comes to the "video" related features of its cards.

[blade]

Originally Posted by Lucas

I am using it with HD content (.ts MPeg2 1080i). I also believe that it is done in software but with CPU utilisation of only 20% I couldn't careless.

Yeah, I wouldn't mind if it was done in software.

Have you actually tested it to verify that IVTC and bad edit detection is in fact working on HD content with your card?

Everyone recommends higher end cards because they have those two features, but if they're done in software on lower end models and consume very few resources it makes the cheaper cards a lot more appealing.

[Necro]

Main issue for me being AGP cards are all within 20-30 dollars of each other (7300 is $100, 7600 is $130 or so). The gamer in me says get the better 3d card, but it may be overkill since both the 7300 and 7600 do the same thing - movie wise.

[Necro]

Hrm...interesting. 6600 for $85, 7300 for $99, and 7600 for $135. In-tah-resting...and a hard decision.