Best graphics card for BluRay playback with 7.1 audio?

[Marky67]

Just putting the finishing touches to my PC, I am looking to wire the pc up to my amp and projector, I would like to add a decent graphics card that can playback 1080p and DTD HD Master Audio, what do you guys recommmend?


Gaming would also be an advantage.

 

[CinderzFTW]

anything like a 5450 or above

 

[Marky67]

anything like a 5450 or above

Is there much in the way off quality off video playback the higher spec card you go?

 

[james.miller]

Is there much in the way off quality off video playback the higher spec card you go?

no but if you need 3d then get a 6 series card (ie, 6450) as the 5 series cards dont support it. tbh for the difference in cost between the 5450 and the 6450, i would go with the 6450 anyway.

 

[Marky67]

no but if you need 3d then get a 6 series card (ie, 6450) as the 5 series cards dont support it. tbh for the difference in cost between the 5450 and the 6450, i would go with the 6450 anyway.

Can you tell me if al64500 series pass 7.1 DTS Master audio?
this is important to me, I ma not sure if I should bite the bullet and buy a second hand 6950, a lot off cash and I am not sure if I need that kind of spec!

I should have said, i am running an OPPO 93 for BluRay playback, I am really just looking to see if I can beet the OPPO for video and audio duties from my pc!

Thoughts welcome.

Mark

 

[james.miller]

Yep, all 5 series ati cards and newer support all hdmi audio formats including dts master audio.

this is important to me, I ma not sure if I should bite the bullet and buy a second hand 6950, a lot off cash and I am not sure if I need that kind of spec!

unless you are buying that card for gaming, it's a complete waste. bluray playback will be identical

I am really just looking to see if I can beet the OPPO for video and audio duties from my pc!

Doubt it will. It'll be virtually identical. If anything the oppo may edge it with the more oddball material (deinterlacing of 1080i/50 for example)

 

[Marky67]

Yep, all 5 series ati cards and newer support all hdmi audio formats including dts master audio.



unless you are buying that card for gaming, it's a complete waste. bluray playback will be identical



Doubt it will. It'll be virtually identical. If anything the oppo may edge it with the more oddball material (deinterlacing of 1080i/50 for example)

OK, many thank's, you have been very helpfull

 

[Marky67]

Just one question that I am curious about, why does the higher end card improve graphics if not improve video playback?

I am looking at some off the cards for games and they look like monsters, I can not imagine getting the same kind off technology inside my BluRay player, although I might be wrong.

 

[james.miller]

well, decoding hd video, and generating a 3d world, are two entirely different kettle of fish with two entirely different set of requirements. games, at least on the pc, are made with many different gpu's in mind and therefore they are made to scale with those different gpus (ie, turning down the detail for those less powerful gpus and allowing extra effects for the more powerful variants). This is why better graphics cards improve the visuals in games - better (more) effects, faster rendering ect. in contrast, decoding video is a very straight forward affair and there's very little a gpu can do to improve it. anything more than the most basic of gpu's that can decode hd video is simply a waste - there's no difference in the video quality between a 5450 and my 5850, for example.