[mythtv-users] TV-out: video card vs. PVR 350

[Franco]

> Personally, my VCR is now a doorstop.  I don't think that if you
> plan on occasionally archiving to videotape that the extra
> expense of the 350 would be worth it (over an nVidia solution,
> which you CAN get on a mATX mobo), but it is up to you.

Uhmmm... it would be sad to use my VCR as a doorstop, it is a gift
they made me in the past and which has a "value" for me ... :-)

However, are you suggesting that instead of this combination:

1)	("pure" Nvidia)  AND  (PVR 350)

this could be better:

2)	(Nvidia + TV-out) AND (PVR 250)

or did you mean:

3)	("pure" Nvidia) AND (PVR 250)  ?


If you are suggesting case 3), that would mean a system
without TV-out.

In the comparison between 1) and 2), as to the postings 
I read these days, it seems that solution 2) would give
a worse quality TV-out (from slightly worse to much worse,
depending on the Nvidia card) than solution 1), and also
it would have no FM tuner (which I hope one day will be
supported) and no hardware MPEG decoder (and also no SCART
connector, I live in Europe).

Solution 2) seems to just have less extras, but it is not
necessarily cheaper (can I buy a good Nvidia with 
the price difference between a 350 and a 250 ? ).

I'd classify the solutions like this:

1) good TV-out, lots of extras
2) worse TV-out, no extras
3) no TV-out, no extras

and given the system I have in my mind,
I'd surely discard solution 2) and only consider 1) and 3).

Please correct me if I have misunderstood something.
I'm not sure if you were suggesting me 2) or 3);
honestly 3) seems a bit reductive to me... 

what are the possible usages of a TV-out? Is "displaying on a TV"
the ONLY usage that people on this list make of it?
Are we sure that I'll never need a TV-out all my life long?
Is it reasonable to design a system without it?
e.g. what about if my DLP breaks and I don't have money
for buying another one? Or if I want/need to temporarily 
connect something else in its place? 
I believe that a little over-sizing of a system doesn't hurt,
and leaves more flexibility and options for the future...

Franco