[mythtv-users] GeForce FX 5200 vs Matrox G450

[Brian Foddy]

On Sunday 28 March 2004 10:09 pm, Mitko Haralanov wrote:
> On Sun, 28 Mar 2004 22:17:36 -0500
>
> "Karl Rautenstrauch" <krautenstrauch at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > I have been very disappointed by the blurry output of my GeForce FX
> > 5200.  In all fairness, I am using a little s-video to composite
> > adapter from Radio Shack because my TV does not have s-video in
>
> For what it's worth, all the attempts that I have made to get some
> output to any of my TVs was using such s-video to composite adapters.
> The results were the same as yours - blurry picture. I am starting to
> think that it is the adapters...

I don't think the 450 supports TVout mode in Linux, even 
with the adapter.  I have tried also, failed...
The 400 does from what I've heard, but not the 450.

I know there are differing opinions on this subject, but I have
always found the best video quality by using the std VGA/DVI output
and convert that signal.  I my case, convert that into a 720p
component signal to a HDTV.  Don't have a HDTV?  Then try a
converter to std NTSC signals, either way I feel you get what
you pay for.  A signal converter may run $50-150.  In the
highly competitive world of video cards, an increase
of even a fraction of that amount may be hard to 
justify from a business point-of-view for a $70 card when a tiny
fraction of users will actualy use the tvout port, and
almost no reviews will evaluate it for comparison.
And frankly, NVidia cards have been blamed
many times for poor tvout quality on this forum; check
the archives.  In my case, yes I use the cheap $70 FX-5200
card, but use it for the good quality VGA/DVI outputs and
decent Linux support, not the TVout which I've not tried
for some time.