Current Advice on Video Card Purchase Jan 07?

[Crunch]

I have read many Sage searches till my eyes dropped out. Still lost as to what video card I should get. Things were fine on my system with standard TV (used the built in). But moving to HDTV seems to be a whole new ball game.

It seems to me that HDTV is so different it should have its own place in the forum as it has taken me days to realize that what worked in SDTV is not necessary going to work in HDTV.

I have $200 to buy a video card. Not worried about games just want something to be able to run my Samsung HL-S5687W. Manual says use the 15p D-Sub to the TV connection. There is a note not to use the PC to the TV via the HDMI/DVI.

The TV in the PC mode seems very adjustable to frame the image correctly. Problem is currently on HD my cpu runs up to 100% and things go downhill from there. This is with HDHomeRun or Hauppauge 950 USB. I am assuming having no dedicated video card is the problem.

My System
MB is INFINITY RS482
*AMD Athlon 64 4000, 3G memory (Socket 939) Windows XP 2 Home
*Integrated ATI Radeon X300 GPU
*FSB 2000MTps & Dual-Channels DDR400 memory
*TV-out (HDTV supports)/ VGA/ DVI-D output device,
*8channels High definition Audio
*Hauppauge PVR 500
*Hauppauge HVR 950 (to be retired for the HDHR)
*HDHomeRun
*2 x SATA 1.5 HD

I read the forums and there are all sorts of timings and settings out there. Topics start on HDTV then move to gaming which make it a bit difficult for an old codger like me to just pick a decent video card.

So $200 bucks, more than likely from NewEgg … what would you buy/recommend or even better use and find works?

How about this?
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16814150209

Thanks

[stanger89]

Originally Posted by Crunch

I have $200 to buy a video card. Not worried about games just want something to be able to run my Samsung HL-S5687W. Manual says use the 15p D-Sub to the TV connection. There is a note not to use the PC to the TV via the HDMI/DVI.

Well first, that's a load of crap, DVI or HDMI will work just fine, they just say that so they don't have to support it.

The TV in the PC mode seems very adjustable to frame the image correctly.

Video card drivers will do that for DVI/HDMI.

Problem is currently on HD my cpu runs up to 100% and things go downhill from there. This is with HDHomeRun or Hauppauge 950 USB. I am assuming having no dedicated video card is the problem.

Depending on the decoders you're using, that doesn't help, but even then I'd think a 4000 would be enough for HD.

So $200 bucks, more than likely from NewEgg … what would you buy/recommend or even better use and find works?

How about this?
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16814150209

Thanks

If you're going to go that far (money and performance) I'd seriously consider going a bit further and getting the 7950 GT the big difference being those (some at least) offer HDCP which will become very important should you want to dable in HD DVD or Blu-ray, they would also server you for a very, very long time.

XFX has a passive one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150189
eVGA makes a fanned one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130074