Cheap video card w/ Tv-out comparable to PVR350

[GrayGh0st]

I really like the PVR350's tv-out. The quality is excellent in my opinion. However, because of all the bugs with it at the moment, I'm thinking about getting a new video card with tv-out (since I don't have a monitor connected to it) so I can also use the computer for other things besides just a pvr.

What's a good, cheap card where the tv-out is as good or better than the pvr350? Getting a card w/ dvi isn't really high on the priority list since the tv I'm using isn't hdtv ready, nor does it have component. It does have s-video though.

Justin

[JUC]

I just ordered a 9600XT from newegg for around $150 retail. You can get the same cards OEM for around $120ish. It supposedly has good S-video out and should work well with sage. I should be getting in tomorrow and will post results back. I originally had a really really old (pre 7500) video card and the output was horrible. 9800Pros are a little more but need external power
JUC

[rjsimmons]

I have red a number of posts on the AVS Forum HTPC area that give the highest marks to the Nvidia 5200, 5700, etc., chipset based cards implementation of TV-Out. Since I do not use the function on either my ATI or Nvidia cards I cannot give you any personal experience. I am using the MediaMVP for TV out in the bedroom and the component output from an ATI card in the home theater.

[GrayGh0st]

Any particular vendor people are partial to w/ respect to these Nvidia chipsets?
Any difference in the tv-out quality of the 5200 vs. 5700+?

Justin

[ErsatzTom]

Also, what is the probability of a 5700LE being able to properly support VMR9? Since I have an Antec Minuet case I can only use low profile cards. I have an ATI 9600SE in it but with VMR9 I get a pretty discernible "jerkiness" on playback. It isn't stuttering... but movement is also not smooth. Anyway, I've been looking around for alternatives and the 9600SE still seems to be the fastest ATI chipset based card you can get in low profile and 5700LE for Nvidia. Maybe I should just stick with overlay. *sigh*

t

ps. I'm away from home and my Sage system until the end of August so I can actually test anything out now. Maybe by then some new low profile cards will be on the market.

[stanger89]

I'd say save your money and see what cards come out and what happens with XP SP2 and DX9.0c.

[rjsimmons]

GrayGh0st

If you need a low profile card the ati 9600 is one of the few options out there. I do not recall seeing a 9600xt or pro version in the low profile format, however. When I was looking for one a couple of months ago that was the only option available in "late" model cards.

If you can avoid the low profile cases you do not have to worry about the height of card. I have a radeon 8500 and a 9600 as well as a nvida 5700. All perform well and support sage / client software for recording or playback. Although I am partial to the ati based cards, I really cannot argue for or against either. If you want to get a flavor of the arguments from both perspectives, try the HTPC forum under the AVSForums. I think that if you are using a late model card you will be fine wither way you go.

[stanger89]

Although the AVS Forum is quite heavily biased toward ATI, but it's getting better.

[thatdude90210]

The S3 DeltaChrome S4 (not out yet) looks interesting. It comes with a component output dongle - allowing a little more versatility in tv selection, and the S3 Chromotion engine for video playback looks to be pretty good, performance wise. Some preview links (Xbit lab, tech report)

[ErsatzTom]

Actually, it was just me (but not justme) who was talking about low profile cards. Unfortunately, I don't really think that a bigger case is an option for me at this point.

t

[GrayGh0st]

Yeah, I wasn't concerned w/ the size of the card, but the tv-out performance, quality-wise, compared to the PVR 350.