video card for tv out?

[Vaughn]

Ok i have reviewed some of the threads already posted here including the Nvidia vs ATI one but for some reason no one really looks at cards with strictly viewing divx movies in mind.

Presently i am using a Nvidia GForce4 ti4200 64mb that is connected to a 19" flatscreen RCA (and monitor) on the "clone" setting. I experience constant flickering which is not noticable on my monitor and lots of green blocks (visible on night scenes)which i believe are partially to blame on the card as well.

What i am curious is which video card is the best for watching movies on? It seems that more people agree that ATI has an edge on 2d graphics so ATI seems like a good choice. However which model? Is newest the best? I heard that the 8500 was one of the best models with the some of the 9000 series being refered to as "crippled" Do you believe that the newer the card the more advanced the display is regarding the reduction of blocks and artifacts on divx rips?

[Enchanter]

Re: video card for tv out?

However which model?

I am at the same path with you.

I have the Radeon 8500 and as far as I can tell, satisfactory would be an understatement for its TV-out quality. I am looking to upgrade to a higher Radeon series, but also with the TV-out quality in mind. I have asked a few people in another forum, but apparently noone has had any first-hand experience on the TV-out quality between the different Radeon cards. Noone could even comment how the integrated TV-out chip on most Radeon cards compare to the stand-alone Rage Theatre chip on the Radeon 8500.

From what I have read though (quite some time ago, so this might be outdated), the AVS forum prefers the older Radeon 7500 to the Radeon 8500 for its (slightly) more superior DVD and 2D quality. The Radeon 9700 should offer the best 2D quality for all Radeon cards, but they come at a price of course (which makes it an unworthy option if all you are looking for is TV-out).

Personally, I would go for either Radeon 9000 or Radeon 7500 for the sole purpose of TV-out. They come at a low price point and should satisfy. Just make sure you go for a reputable brand (Built-by-ATI is the best, followed by Hercules and Gigabyte).

...with the some of the 9000 series being refered to as "crippled"

This is only in regards to the pipelines for 3D rendering.

[Vaughn]

I am not sure i understand your position Enchanter, it seems that you are very happy with your 8500, so why are you searching out a new one?

Also does your card have a "stand-alone Rage Theatre chip"?

[Enchanter]

Originally posted by Vaughn
I am not sure i understand your position Enchanter, it seems that you are very happy with your 8500, so why are you searching out a new one?

I am simply looking for a faster card, but with TV-out quality in mind. I am happy with my current card and I need to make sure I am happy with the next one as well.

Originally posted by Vaughn

Also does your card have a "stand-alone Rage Theatre chip"?

As far as I know, all Radeon 8500 cards come with a stand-alone Rage Theatre chip.

Happy hunting.

[Vaughn]

Well i made my choice and purchased the ATI Radeon 9200 card and so far it is exactly what i expected, improved performane on 2d but lacking in 3d.

First i noticed that the glitches i had with my Nvidia cards were gone. No more static on red & blue colors (geforce 3) and no more flickering (geforce 4). Also there are more options for adjusting the quality and performance for 2d on the ATI card.

When i played back some of my rips the blocking (mostly in black or sky blue scenes) was greatly reduced/gone. However it seems that ATI does that by making the playback slightly grainy. I cannot be certain yet but the geforce 4 may have been sharper.

When i started Quake III i was very dissapointed. The card might keep up to the gforce 3 but i doubt it. I had to turn all the settings down to a minimum just for a resonable smooth playback.

So in conclusion if you want a card that can game and play back good divx you may have to spend $700.00 on a new ATI 9800 pro or whatever they are up to now with the high end cards. However if you just want to spend $150 - $200 there is no card that does both properly in my opinion so you will have to decide what is more important:

2d>movies = ATI
3d>gaming = Nvidia

[Enchanter]

The Radeon 9200 is a budget model and is of lower performance than even the (also budget) Radeon 9000 Pro. 2D quality will always be excellent with all ATI cards, but you get what you pay in 3D. If you are looking for speed (and the brilliant 2D that is trademark of ATI), go for the 9500, 9600 or the 9700.

Hence, please do not make this generalised assumption:
2d>movies = ATI
3d>gaming = Nvidia

This is simply so wrong.

[Vaughn]

"Hence, please do not make this generalised assumption:
2d>movies = ATI
3d>gaming = Nvidia

This is simply so wrong."

Enchanter are you aware of a video card that is capable of performing very well in both 2d and 3d that is a budget model, ($150.00 to $200.00 is budget in my opinion...)? The 9500, 9600 & 9700 are not under $200.00 where i live. I consider those mid range cards and the statement i made was referring to hardware between $150.00 - $200.00.

"The Radeon 9200 is a budget model and is of lower performance than even the (also budget) Radeon 9000 Pro."

What precisely is lower in performance? The word "Pro" in the series of card you refer to simply refers to a DVI out connection (please correct me if i am wrong) which is irrevalant with a standard VGA monitor. Besides that i was unable to tell the difference between the 9000 & 9200. Please advise.

[Enchanter]

I don't know if I should be suggesting any new cards to you since you already have bought one. Anyway, I'll just continue.

If you can find it, the Radeon 8500 / 8500LE (same as 8500, just lower core/memory speed) / 9100 (a rebranded 8500LE) will offer the best performance/price ratio. It is cheaper than the Radeon 9000 Pro and is slightly faster. The next step down would be the Radeon 9000 Pro, followed by the even slower Radeon 9000. I wouldn't consider anything lower than this (where games and 3D speed are concerned).

Take a look at the review on the Gigabyte Radeon 9200 by X-bit Labs. You will see that the Radeon 8500 is clearly the fastest amongst the cards tested and for your information, the Radeon 8500 lies on around the same performance class as a Geforce 3. Hence, getting anything slower is obviously downgrading your 3D performance.

[Vaughn]

I highly agree that the 8500 (not le) is the best choice amoung the cheaper cards we have been speaking about, the problem was i could not find them in retail shops any longer and places like ebay are very expsenive, between $200 & $300 to get it into Canada and i did not even trust the source.

I really do not know what they retailed for on the shelves here but i am guessing that they were more a mid range card but probally worth the money. I thought of making you an offer however i believe you are in Europe and that would be costly for me to bring it in

I will content myself with the 9200 since it displays my rips quite well, i was playing too much Quake anyway.