[mythtv-users] Recommended graphics card with tv-out?

[Joe V]

Mark,

In my quest to find the best TV Out picture, as I'm
sure you know, I'm exploring different options (I
know, I'm beating a dead horse here).  My goal is to
have the picture scale on my TV set, as close to as
well as my TV displays the incoming cable signal (I
hate borders).  If a GeForce4 card will do that, I'd
be willing to get one (as either a little treat, or
once I get myself a job, depending on the price).

Anyway, I was wondering how small you can shrink the
borders to without losing any of the picture (it seems
that the binary nVidia drivers are half-decent for
that, so I'm hearing on the list).  Here's what I've
measured with a ruler (yeah, I know, not quite
scientific):
Normal TV: 1/4" border left, right, bottom, 1/8" top
G400 TV Out:: 1 1/4" left, 1/2" right, 1/2" top, 1/8"
bottom.

I think that the normal TV borders are a restriction
of the TV, where's the G400 borders are a restriction
of both the TV and the video card.  Up close, the G400
border matches the color of the TV border, or so it
seems.

I was wondering, could you tell me the best you've
managed to get with your card (should be similar
across most nVidia cards, assuming they use the same
TV Out chip)?  Muchly appreciated.

Anybody else with scan converters or other setups that
they have working properly are more than invitied to
chip in.

Thanks,
Joe

--- Mark <fairlane at voyager.net> wrote:
> I put a disclaimer in the first sentence.  "If your
> time is worth 
> something to you.... "
> If you are unemployed, your time is worth something
> less than it was, no?
> 
> Joe V wrote:
> 
> >Mark,
> >
> >Like I said, at the moment, I'm currently
> unemployed,
> >and have been so for the last two months.  Spending
> an
> >extra $45 to get a MythTV box working is not an
> option
> >for me right now, considering that I live in
> >California, and $45 is about 5% of my monthly rent.
> >
> >At the moment, I'm trying to build a MythTV box out
> of
> >parts that I have lying around my apartment.  I
> tend
> >to upgrade a fair amount, so I typically have parts
> >lying around.
> >
> >In addition, should I get this working (which I
> think
> >I might be able to), it might save some people $45
> (if
> >they, like me, have an older Radeon card lying
> >around), which they can use to offset the cost of a
> >hardware MPEG encoder or something.
> >
> >I figure there'e no harm in trying.  I'll be buying
> a
> >new box to run MythTV on anyway (since I'm finding
> my
> >Athlon 1.4 to be a bit sluggish), but I figure that
> if
> >I can reuse some of the other hardware, then I
> don't
> >have to spend as much money.  Worst case scenario,
> I
> >shell out the money for a scan converter (I'd
> rather
> >do that than buy yet another video card, as I have
> two
> >perfectly good video cards here).  And heck, it's
> fun,
> >I get a kick out of solving problems.
> >
> >Maybe I lose some time, maybe I don't.  It's quite
> >simple to get TV Out working at an older ATI
> Radeon,
> >and most of the time spent is the computer
> compiling
> >stuff.  I start the compile, walk away, and check
> on
> >it inbetween innings of the baseball game.  I was
> >thinking about it, and it might be as simple as
> >recompiling the X server and Qt, which for me is
> easy.
> >
> >On the other hand, if I was employed right now, I
> >probably wouldn't be messing with any of this.
> >
> >Now then, for the rest of you, if I actually get
> this
> >working, without it being completely convoluted
> (which
> >I think is possible), I'll post instructions to the
> >list, and later on, get them on my website.
> >
> >-- Joe
> >
> >--- Mark <fairlane at voyager.net> wrote:
> >  
> >
> >>I don't know what your time is worth to you, but
> >>mine is fairly precious.
> >>With that said, go out and buy a Geforce4 MX440SE
> >>card w/TVout.
> >>I got mine from newegg.com, it cost like $45. 
> >>Install nvidia driver.
> >>flawless TVout in less than 30 minutes.  Mines' an
> >>Albatron. Unless you 
> >>are the type
> >>that needs to bang your head on a wall to feel
> like
> >>you did something,
> >>then get an ATI or something.
> >>
> >>Joe V wrote:
> >>
> >>    
> >>
> >>>Myself, I've tried with both a G400 and an
> >>>All-In-Wonder Radeon (the original R100 series),
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>and
> >>    
> >>
> >>>have had trouble with both.  There is a kind soul
> >>>(thanks, Matt) who is assisting me with the G400
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>right
> >>    
> >>
> >>>now, and there's a possibility that I'll actually
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>get
> >>    
> >>
> >>>it working.  Hopefully.  :)
> >>>
> >>>Somebody else on the list once said, "the Radeons
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>will
> >>    
> >>
> >>>work, but if you spend more time than $30-$45, go
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>out
> >>    
> >>
> >>>and buy a GeForce card".  I'd have to agree with
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>this
> >>    
> >>
> >>>sentiment, even though at the moment I'm
> unemployed
> >>>(so my time isn't worth much right now).  I don't
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>have
> >>    
> >>
> >>>a GeForce card kicking around here, and I'm not
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>going
> >>    
> >>
> >>>to buy one, but I do have the G400 and Radeon
> here.
> >>>
> >>>As for the Radeon, you can get TV Out to work -
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>it's
> >>    
> >>
> >>>quite the complicated procedure, and probably
> won't
> >>>work too well with many Linux distributions.  You
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>have
> >>    
> >>
> >>>to install an older distro that has XFree86 4.2,
> >>>recompile the X Server with the Gatos "devel"
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>branch,
> >>    
> >>
> >>>and then TV Out will work.  Unfortunately for me,
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>in
> >>    
> >>
> >>>doing that, and building MythTV, well, MythTV
> >>>segfaulted right away, definitely because of the
> >>>rebuilding of the X Server.  (If anybody wants
> >>>detailed instructions on how I built it, let me
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>know,
> >>    
> >>
> >>>and I can post them.  After getting TV Out
> booting
> >>>with X though, I don't think I can help).
> >>>
> >>>If you're going to use a Radeon, expect to have
> to
> >>>build everything from source.  I know how to do
> it,
> >>>it's just not worth my time.
> >>>
> >>>At this point I'm looking at trying to get the
> G400
> 
=== message truncated ===


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