[mythtv-users] Best graphics card choice? (HDTV and regular)

[Jim Chandler]

I have put two of the Mad Dog Predator MX4408X GeForce4 64 MB AGP cards in
Shuttle XPCs for Myth boxes.  They work great.  OfficeMax has them for $30
after rebate this week.

Jim

On Tue, 9 Dec 2003 14:05:59 -0700 (MST)
"John P. Poet" <john at BlueSkyTours.com> wrote:

> 
> On Mon, 8 Dec 2003, Preston Crow wrote:
> 
> > I'm selecting a video card for my new system, and my research is
> > telling me that I want a GeForce 4 MX 440 SE.  Here's how I reached
> > that conclusion, followed by several questions:
> >
> > The card has MPEG-2 support, so I won't need a terribly fast processor
> > once I buy an HDTV.
> >
> > I'm told that the SE version doesn't require a fan on the GPU, making
> > it the quieter option.
> >
> > I'll need the SVideo-out for my existing TV in the short run and
> > DVI-out for HDTV later on.  Unfortunately, most of the cards that I've
> > found don't have the DVI output.  Am I missing something here?
> >
> > What really is the best card for both regular and HDTV output?
> >
> > --PC
> 
> 
> I have the 64MB version of the Aopen Geforce4 MX440 8X with S-Video and
> DVI, which I don't think they make anymore.  NewEgg is now selling a
> 128MB version:
> 
> http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-135-127&catalog=48&manufactory=BROWSE&depa=1
> 
> My 64MB version of the card has overheating problems (I don't know about
> the 128MB version).  The ambient temprature in my case never gets over
> 35C, but the video card will occationally lock solid.  I have to turn
> off the computer and wait about 5 minutes for it to cool down, before my
> computer will function again.
> 
> I also have one of the pcHDTV cards.  This is all in a 2.6 GHz Pentium
> IV system.  Using mplayer with the xv output driver, it can BARELY keep
> up when displaying a 1080i HD stream -- and that is only if the "raw"
> audio is going out the SPDIF connector.  If I have the machine decode
> the AC3 stream as well, then it cannot keep up.
> 
> Because of all this, I am also in the market for a new video card.
> 
> Reading some the of mplayer documentation, I get the impression that one
> of the developers uses a Matrox card.  This kinda makes me tempted to
> give a Matrox card a shot....
> 
> John
> 
>