[mythtv-users] MythTV / HDTV: DVI vs S-Video Interface Sugges tions

Boyd II, Willy wboyd at fulbright.com
Fri Oct 31 15:59:15 EST 2003



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jeff Noxon [mailto:jeff-mythtv at planetfall.com] 
> Sent: Friday, October 31, 2003 2:47 PM
> To: george at msworldnet.com; Discussion about mythtv
> Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] MythTV / HDTV: DVI vs S-Video 
> Interface Suggestions
> 
> 
> I've been playing with it less than a week, and you're right, 
> Myth is amazing.
> 
> You'll get better color fidelity and resolution using DVI, 
> followed by component, followed by S-video from the PVR350.  
> But overall the picture will look best coming from the 
> PVR350's S-Video out.
> 
> The reason is that the PVR350 can output interlaced video.  
> If you use component or DVI, regardless of whether it's 
> progressive or interlaced on the output, it will have to be 
> _deinterlaced_ by mythtv first.  

But why does it have to be deinterlaced?  I remember seeing a checkbox in
the setup to turn on/off deinterlacing -- does this mean turning off
deinterlacing will 'cause problems if one wants VGA->Component?  (I don't
have such a setup so please forgive my ignorance... right now I'm using
svideo out from a gf4mx, with deinterlacing on)

- Willy

>And you gain some peculiar 
> artifacts when that happens.  MythTV's deinterlacing is 
> relatively simple, and if you can bypass it you'll be better 
> off. I wish I'd spent the extra $50 and got the 350 instead 
> of the 250.
> 
> I have the Audio Authority VGA to Component adapter, which I 
> have used with my old Windows-based HTPC & HDTV.  It does a 
> great job (much cheaper than the one at digital connection 
> too!) but until MythTV has deinterlacing capabilities on par 
> with dscaler, save your money. Since dscaler is open source 
> (GPL), I suspect it will happen sooner or later -- maybe you can help.
> 
> Most modern HDTV's have pretty good deinterlacing built in, 
> with inverse telecine, bob/weave, etc.  So: use S-Video and 
> take advantage of that.
> 
> Also, who knows if the DVI on your TV will even work with the 
> DVI output from a PC...
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Jeff
> 
> On Fri, Oct 31, 2003 at 02:27:50PM -0600, George Heeres wrote:
> > Been following the list for a couple weeks drooling to get 
> started... 
> > but had to wait for the money tree to drop some new leaves...the 
> > leaves have dropped...and I'm ready to buy the hardware for 
> my HTPC! 
> > YEAH!!! :)
> > 
> > Even though I don't have any first-hand experience with MythTV, 
> > what've
> > I read and seen for screenshots absolutely BLOWS my mind. 
> MythTV Looks 
> > to be an awesome product....my hats off to the developers and other 
> > people working hard to make this happen. I hope to be able to 
> > contribute back once I'm educated...
> > That said...
> > 
> > My question to everyone, is what's the best way to interface with a 
> > HDTV.  The TV in question is a Sony KV34HS510 Widescreen 
> HDTV, which 
> > I'll be picking up this weekend (Saturday).
> > 
> > The TV has tons of inputs, including DVI and Component 
> Video (YPrPb),
> > along with the standard composite and S-Video inputs. My 
> question is 
> > what's the best route to take for maximum picture 
> quality/resolution:
> > 
> > Obviously there are the S-Video options:
> > 
> >   - TV-Out via NForce2 Chipset
> >   - TV-Out via Some Other VGA Card (Recommendations?)
> >   - TV-Out via PVR-350
> >     From what I understand, this is the BEST S-Video option out
> >     there using the alpha ivtv drivers.
> > 
> > Then there are straight VGA output options:
> > 
> >   - Use VGA to Component (Y-Pb-Pr) Output
> >     Something like the one listed here:
> >     
> >     http://www.digitalconnection.com/products/video/kdvtca3.asp
> > 
> >     Anyone work with something like this? Quality? Resolutions?
> >     Know of a comparable or similar product that might be cheaper
> >     but just as good?
> > 
> >   - Use DVI to DVI cable 
> >     I could be wrong, but my guess is this will yield the BEST
> >     results possible but I've read conflicting things 
> regarding this. 
> >     Some say yes, others say no. There's also the questions of 
> >     DVI-I vs DVI-D cabling, etc. Anyone have direct experience with
> >     this? Pointers? References? Links? Anything?
> > 
> > Or am I missing something? Any other suggestions or advice is
> > appreciated. Positives, negatives? Anything...  I'm not new to
> > computers and hardware, but I have 0 to no experience with 
> > interfacing with TVs.
> >   
> > If this has already been addressed in a FAQ or other email hidden 
> > somewhere in the archives, please send a link/reference.
> > 
> > Thanks!
> > George
> 



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