PVR-350 or PVR-250/250MCE and good video card?

[Brent94Z]

Actually if you want to game, I'd consider a Geforce 6800, the extra horsepower will be handy for gaming

With the gaming thing I mentioned above... let me put it this way... some of the last games I played were Wolfenstein and Doom version I and a little bit of Quake version I. Since then (like 6 years ago or so) I haven't bought a game or played one on my computer. However, my reference to gaming was inspired by some guys at work talking about Doom 3. I'm far from a gamer but, if possible, don't want to discount the idea that I might want to play a game or two. My top concern is having a nice HTPC... playing games is at the bottom of the bucket

Thanks for clearing up the thing about the chipsets and such. That does help me to understand why everything seems kinda the same but is different. hahahaa

Well since I'm poor and don't have the stuff, I spend my time figuring out what stuff I'd get if I had money

hahahaa Yep... I'm working like 80 hours a week sometimes making some extra money so I can afford to play with all these cool toys. But, that means I have no time to learn how to use the toys. I'm going to have to chill out and take a break so I can start learning this stuff now that I actually have some of the toys

I'll try and make this quick. Basically there are two ways to connect your setup analog 7.1 like you said or digital, like a DVD player. If you want to go analog, I'd strongly recommend the M-Audio Revolution 7.1, it's got a great analog output, plus Bass Management and time alignment, something your DTR probably doesn't do on that input. If you want multichannel audio for your gaming you'll want to go analog.

The other option is to go digital, where you just hook up a single coax (or optical) cable and let the DTR do it's thing.

Here's the tricky part, if you want to do music well, you want a card that doesn't resample CD audio, all the Soundblasters do this, so that eliminates them. But if you want to game, no card can match the low CPU usage of an Audigy.

I guess, if music is important to you, and you call yourself a casual gamer, I'd go the Revo 7.1, if you don't care much about music, and are more of a hardcore gamer, go the Audigy 2.

Or you could just get an Xbox and not worry about the PC gaming thing

Guess what... I've got an XBox that I bought used... still in the box and I haven't had a chance to even plug it in LOL!

Basically, music is way more important to me than gaming. I do have available digital audio inputs and the 7.1 multi channel input back of DTR-7.4. You'll see on the back left side there is the multi channel audio input. Sounds like it's the Revo 7.1 for me. Time to go read some about that now too. LOL!

Thanks a ton!

[Brent94Z]

Actually most (I'd venture to say all) DVI ports on video cards are DVI-I, meaning that with an adapter (that they usually come with), they can be used as a VGA port.

Ahh... cool! So, I could use the actual VGA on the card to output to the computer monitor and the DVI-I output with connector to go up to the projector via my installed VGA cable. This is getting better and better. LOL!

Also, that link you provided with the DVI/Component adapter cleared up that confusion. Excellent!

Man... with all the info you guys have provided me in the last day, I can already feel my wallet getting lighter. hahahaha

[stanger89]

Originally posted by Brent94Z
With the gaming thing I mentioned above... let me put it this way... some of the last games I played were Wolfenstein and Doom version I and a little bit of Quake version I. Since then (like 6 years ago or so) I haven't bought a game or played one on my computer. However, my reference to gaming was inspired by some guys at work talking about Doom 3. I'm far from a gamer but, if possible, don't want to discount the idea that I might want to play a game or two. My top concern is having a nice HTPC... playing games is at the bottom of the bucket

Well if Doom 3 is in your future, you'll definitely want something on the order of the 6800.

Of course you could just get Doom 3 for your Xbox.

Thanks for clearing up the thing about the chipsets and such. That does help me to understand why everything seems kinda the same but is different. hahahaa

hahahaa Yep... I'm working like 80 hours a week sometimes making some extra money so I can afford to play with all these cool toys. But, that means I have no time to learn how to use the toys. I'm going to have to chill out and take a break so I can start learning this stuff now that I actually have some of the toys

Guess what... I've got an XBox that I bought used... still in the box and I haven't had a chance to even plug it in LOL!

OK, go out and buy:
Project Gotham Racing 2
Ninja Gaiden
Halo (can't have an Xbox w/o Halo)
Doom 3 (since you mentioned it)
and if you're into fighting games:
Dead or Alive Ultimate when it comes out in October

Basically, music is way more important to me than gaming. I do have available digital audio inputs and the 7.1 multi channel input back of DTR-7.4. You'll see on the back left side there is the multi channel audio input. Sounds like it's the Revo 7.1 for me. Time to go read some about that now too. LOL!

Some threads that might be interesting then:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...rnel+streaming
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...ht=htpc+prepro
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...ht=htpc+prepro
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...ht=htpc+prepro

Thanks a ton!

Not a prob, you're helping out my post count

[kny3twalker]

Man
I am behind just trying to read all the posts here

ok DXVA is also assisted deinterlacing as well as assisted decoding

it normally cannot be used with ffdshow which is a post processor

a post processor like ffdshow uses a lot of CPU power but can greatly improve picture quality

Yeah for gmaing the best three cards are the x800XT plat, 6800Ultra, 6800GT

a 9800 PRO I think is still faster than a base line 6800(non GT/Ultra)

the 9800PRO I would recommend is
this one from Fry's
http://shop4.outpost.com/product/3628345
179.99

also the Geforce FX5900XT that you posted was made by apollo
and the second of course was made by XFX

oh and while I was out looking for the ATI link
I found this a pvr 250 for 90dollars
http://www.circuitcity.com/detail.js...il&c=1&b=g&u=c

and here is the specs of the card from ATI
and they sell it for much more than most places
as you can see the Fry's price is 70 dollars cheaper

http://shop.ati.com/product.asp?sku=2336416

and with a 9800 PRO
you should be able to game at 800x600 with any game

but the PIII may be an issue

and in fact both of these video cards seem overboard with that processor

since it will be such a bottle neck

for either of these video cards

the minimum would be a 2.4 and recommend would be 2.8 or 3.0 Ghz

[Brent94Z]

Well if Doom 3 is in your future, you'll definitely want something on the order of the 6800.

Of course you could just get Doom 3 for your Xbox.

I think getting Doom 3 for the XBox is the way to go. I'm primarily interested in the HTPC aspect over gaming and you two were recommending the 5900 or 9800 cards for that so that's the way I'll go

OK, go out and buy:
Project Gotham Racing 2
Ninja Gaiden
Halo (can't have an Xbox w/o Halo)
Doom 3 (since you mentioned it)
and if you're into fighting games:
Dead or Alive Ultimate when it comes out in October

LOL! It came with 10 games... Halo being one of them. Probably get everything in working order with my HTPC and then might get a couple of those

Some threads that might be interesting then:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/show...ernel+streaming
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/show...ght=htpc+prepro
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/show...ght=htpc+prepro
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/show...ght=htpc+prepro

I think my head is going to explode

Looked at the first one, got a headache, will return to those later.

Not a prob, you're helping out my post count

Well, I'm sure I'm not done helping your cause yet. I've been reading about multi tuner stuff on here too... sounds interesting. But, I think I need to concentrate on first getting something basic to work then move on to the server side and multiple card setups. LOL! Right now the closest thing I have to the PVR-250 is the print screen button when looking at a picture of one

[Brent94Z]

Man
I am behind just trying to read all the posts here

ok DXVA is also assisted deinterlacing as well as assisted decoding

it normally cannot be used with ffdshow which is a post processor

a post processor like ffdshow uses a lot of CPU power but can greatly improve picture quality

Gotcha. Sounds like a bit much for me right now. Once I get to you guys' level and figure out more some of this stuff, I can look into upgrading.

I have a feeling this is kinda like building a tree fort when you were a kid. You are never really "done" with the fort because you will always be adding on to it. Well, here, I presume I'll never really be "done" with my HTPC because I'll always be upgrading and making it better

a 9800 PRO I think is still faster than a base line 6800(non GT/Ultra)

the 9800PRO I would recommend is
this one from Fry's
http://shop4.outpost.com/product/3628345
179.99

Cool. Like I mentioned above, I primarily want this to be a HTPC and might play an every so often game on it so I'll probably skip the 6800 card.

Oh, with gaming not being considered, is there an advantage to getting a 256mb card over the 128mb card when considering ONLY the HTPC side???

and with a 9800 PRO
you should be able to game at 800x600 with any game

but the PIII may be an issue

and in fact both of these video cards seem overboard with that processor

since it will be such a bottle neck

for either of these video cards

the minimum would be a 2.4 and recommend would be 2.8 or 3.0 Ghz

Cool! Oh, the PIII I mentioned before is my current system. I'm building an entirely new HTPC and would like to also build a new main computer. The PIII 750 I have now will be put in the garage or something maybe for streaming music

Thanks a bunch!

[kny3twalker]

Oh, with gaming not being considered, is there an advantage to getting a 256mb card over the 128mb card when considering ONLY the HTPC side???

only if you plabn on use high reoslutions
higher than 1024x768 or so.. 1280x1024 should be fine too

[Brent94Z]

Originally posted by stanger89
I'll try and make this quick. Basically there are two ways to connect your setup analog 7.1 like you said or digital, like a DVD player. If you want to go analog, I'd strongly recommend the M-Audio Revolution 7.1, it's got a great analog output, plus Bass Management and time alignment, something your DTR probably doesn't do on that input. If you want multichannel audio for your gaming you'll want to go analog.

The other option is to go digital, where you just hook up a single coax (or optical) cable and let the DTR do it's thing.

Here's the tricky part, if you want to do music well, you want a card that doesn't resample CD audio, all the Soundblasters do this, so that eliminates them. But if you want to game, no card can match the low CPU usage of an Audigy.

I guess, if music is important to you, and you call yourself a casual gamer, I'd go the Revo 7.1, if you don't care much about music, and are more of a hardcore gamer, go the Audigy 2.

Hey guys, me again

Have another question for you based on sounds cards for my HTPC.

Is there a card out there (reasonably priced and not too overboard!) that has the features you like of the Revo 7.1 but also has a TOSLink digital input? I'd like to be able to use the digital output of one of my devices and record to my hard drive. Any recommendations for that?

Thanks!!!

[kny3twalker]

Is there a card out there (reasonably priced and not too overboard!) that has the features you like of the Revo 7.1 but also has a TOSLink digital input? I'd like to be able to use the digital output of one of my devices and record to my hard drive. Any recommendations for that?

what are you planning to record?

because the pvr 250/pvr 250 MCE capture both the video and audio

the audio is not looped into the sound card like on old TV cards

suppose you could capture Music but there would be better options like making one to one copies of CDs(not MP3 ripping)

I think you are going to be stuck with stereo(or mono) sound with SageTV for input but outputting should be less limiting

[Brent94Z]

Originally posted by kny3twalker
what are you planning to record?

because the pvr 250/pvr 250 MCE capture both the video and audio

the audio is not looped into the sound card like on old TV cards

suppose you could capture Music but there would be better options like making one to one copies of CDs(not MP3 ripping)

I think you are going to be stuck with stereo(or mono) sound with SageTV for input but outputting should be less limiting

Ahh... sorry about that. My post wasn't very clear.

I want a soundcard that works great for Sage for OUTPUT to my receiver. That Revolution 7.1 card was recommended and I was going to get that. However, I have a gizmo that outputs digital sound via a TOSLink and I'd like to be able to record that output on my PC's hard drive. So, the TOSLink thing is completely separate from SageTV. I was just wondering if you guys could recommend a good card for outputting SageTV in 7.1 which also has a TOSLink input.

Thanks and sorry for the confusion!

[stanger89]

You know, I can't really think of anything, at least nothing that isn't "overboard".

Here's the basic situation, if you want to use the analog 7.1 connection to your DTR, then you'll need (IMO) something with good bass management. That means M-Audio, and the Revo's are the best value there.

If you need a digital input and 7.1 analog, your only option is the 1010LT.

Your other option would be to use the digital out from the PC to the DTR, in which case you won't need bass management openning you up to a broader range of cards. This is probably the way I'd go actually, you've got a nice reciever, might as well use it for the surround decoding and bass management

You might want to look at this thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...ight=envy24hts

[Brent94Z]

Thanks guys for the suggestions!

The 1010LT card doesn't appear to have TOSLink. The TOSLink input is needed

In some hunting, I did find a good link that has a comparison of several cards. I only recognize a few sound card names (like Sound Blaster. LOL!) but it does look like there are some nice cards here for the money... I just have never heard of the brand. hahahhaa

http://www.cdrecordingsoftware.com/card_compare.html

Going back to an original recommendation of the Audigy. It does have the TOSLink. Even though it isn't specifically mentioned at that link, it has it based on some other pages I've read. But, this one isn't the best for PLAYING music via my decent receiver

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...102-163&depa=0

And, stanger89, to throw something else in there to mess things up ( ) it is not a MUST that I use the analong input on the back of my receiver. I do have some digital TOSLink and I believe RCA/coax open for audio that I could use. So, I could just get a good card that has the TOSLink input for my gizmo and also has the TOSLink output that I would use to hook up to my Integra receiver. That would probably be my best solution since this way I'd be able to keep all my audio and home theater stuff in the same room and better utilize the good receiver.

Also, that link you provided has a TON of info on it. Holy cow! I started reading and reading and reading and then when still just browsing over the 1st page I noticed there were over 30 pages. LOL! That'll take me a while to go through all that!

So, if you or anybody has a card in mind that might have been considered a little overboard (around $300 or less) I can probably get that now with the extra overtime I'm working

As always, THANKS very much for all the assistance. Can't wait to put all this stuff together then come back tell you guys how cool it is

[stanger89]

FWIW, I'm having a really hard time finding anything with toslink on it, all the pro cards use coax S/PDIF.

Well, you could get a coax-toslink adapter:
http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...t%5Fid=15-1228

The one card I did find was the Terratek Aureon 7.1 Space, however I've read the drivers for that card are dreadful.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...18#post3768518

What might be a better choice, would be to go with the M-Audio Audiophile 2496:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...121-103&depa=0

It's much less than others (including the Soundblaster since you need to get the Platinum to get the toslink connections), plus it's a pretty popular card.

Of course I'd love to hear another person's opinion about the 1010

[stanger89]

Oh, and don't forget to rip your CDs in Secure Mode. EAC is the de facto standard for CD ripping, with it, you will get perfect rips, of course J River Media Center also features secure mode, and has very advanced management functions.

And don't let your nice HT equipment go to waste, don't ruin your music with lossy compression (mp3), go Lossless (another)

Good luck

[kny3twalker]

why go lossless?
save just a little space???

why not just copy the CD to the drive and mount the image?

[stanger89]

Because you waste half your HDD space, no tagging, you have to mount images, I like to play groups of stuff, random order, JRMC has awesome smartlists, etc.

[kny3twalker]

good points

[Brent94Z]

Thanks, Guys!

I just got power back at my house (live in Central Florida and got a "glancing blow" by the hurricane) and will check those links out!

Thanks again!