Can a Video card output to component video??

[jamesbender]

My projector has a standard VGA D-Connector on the rear that allows for either YprPb signal, or VGA signal.

Right now I use the XBox in Hi-Def and use a cable to convert the component video to the SVGA input.

I also want to use my PC to that same input, however the PC signal is SVGA- so to do so I need to manually set my projector to SVGA rather than YPrPb.

What I'd like to do is leave the projector to YPrPb, and use a Switch box to switch the input of XBox or PC, thus minimizing the configuration on the projector.

Any ideas??

Thanks!!!

-James

Oh yea! And will this reduce image quality in anyway?

[PBMax]

http://mirror.ati.com/buy/promotions/hdtv.html

ATI has a HDTV adapter for some of its RADEON cards.

[jamesbender]

Would this degrade quality at all?

Thanks!

-JB

[Daniel Broad]

You can just get a box to convert VGA to component - i've been thinking about getting one of these to get the best quality on my projector.

[jamesbender]

Daniel,

I had a very crappy experience with one of those so called converters I bought from Circuit City.

-JB

[fje00]

I've had my ATI AIW VE (what is that? 7500 I think?) connected via s-video to my Toshiba hi-def TV for a while now. Decent enough for std-def TV I guess, but kind of disappointing for PC stuff.

I've been reading about vga-to-component transcoders over in avsforum.com. Just ordered the Audio Authority Model 9A60 from smarthome.com for $120 on a whim. Hope I'm not sorry.

http://www.audioauthority.com/aaccon.../9a60detc.html

Off Topic: Getting ready for an upgrade this weekend. 2.4 Ghz P4 and PC3200 in one of those cool Coolmaster cases!! Still debating about what to do for video & capture cards. Stick with the AIW VE for now I guess untill I sort it out.

[RobertH]

one problem you will run into if recording in mpeg2 when attempting to run the tv using either the vga or a component source is that if you run the tv in a progressive mode the picture coming out of snapstream will have deinterlacing issues unless you get an mpeg decoder that can actually deinterlace properly

[fje00]

Any recommendations on what decoder to use to solve the interlacing problems with VGA to component transcoders?

Side Note: Over on htpcnews.com there's a pretty glowing review of Snapstream 3.2. The review quotes some CPU performance numbers for different mpeg2 decoders.

http://htpcnews.com/snapstream1.html

Nvidia DVD Codec 15-25%
Hauppauge MPEG Decoder 35-45%
Default Snapstream Decoder 75-95%

[viguera]

Originally posted by fje00
Any recommendations on what decoder to use to solve the interlacing problems with VGA to component transcoders?

I'd be interested in this as well... right now I'm running s-video out of my GeForce 4 card to my HDTV-friendly Sony TV and I'd like to run component instead.

I guess that another catch is that if you don't have a card with component out "in the slot" (or through a daughterboard) you need yet another piece of hardware hanging out of the back of your PC...

[fje00]

I getting so confused. Calgon ... take me away!

I've been reading up on the Xcard. Should I have just bought one of those things? Component output and rave reviews.

I guess I'm getting confused about the different video functions that need to take place, and where they can be accomplished.

I understand why the tuner/capture card needs to be supported by SS. But I've read where it looks like the display card needs to be supported too? In particular I'm talking about a thread I saw that said Xcard is not supported by SS. I don't get it. Why wouldn't a PVR-250 for capture and an Xcard for display be a resonable combo for an HDTV owner that wants componet-video output from his HTPC and SS?

[Ultrix]

There are two pieces of the puzzle in order for your PC's vga to be converted to component. First off, you need to get a VGA-Component transcoder. Secondly, you are going to want to use a piece of software called PowerStrip to install custom resolutions into windows. Popular custom resolutions are 1920x1080i, or 1280x720p. Idealy, the custom resolution should reflect the maximum resolution of your display. If you have an ATI Radeon, you are able to run interlaced resolutions as well as progressive, but AFAIK, GeForce cards can only do progressive. Also, if you have a Radeon 9500/9600/9700/9800 you can use the ATI HDTV adapter instead of using a transcoder. There are plenty of discussions in the Home Theater Computer forum at www.avsforum.com regarding this topic. Also, a good FAQ can be found here:

http://www.digitalconnection.com/FAQ/HDTV_4.htm

[whiteriver]

Originally posted by jamesbender
My projector has a standard VGA D-Connector on the rear that allows for either YprPb signal, or VGA signal.

Right now I use the XBox in Hi-Def and use a cable to convert the component video to the SVGA input.

I also want to use my PC to that same input, however the PC signal is SVGA- so to do so I need to manually set my projector to SVGA rather than YPrPb.

What I'd like to do is leave the projector to YPrPb, and use a Switch box to switch the input of XBox or PC, thus minimizing the configuration on the projector.

Any ideas??

Thanks!!!

-James

Oh yea! And will this reduce image quality in anyway?

If you look at my signiture portion of this post you can see my configuration is ATI 8500 128mb with a DVI connector to component out to a Sony Hi Def TV. The video is great, much better than S-Video digital but of course not as good as DVI 1080i.