Low profile card suitable for HTPC for 3D BD-ISO to TV

[Midnight Tboy]

Hi all,

ok so I last built an HTPC a couple of years ago, well it wasn't a specific build, but basically a Dell Optiplex 760 with a low profile Radeon HD4550 card for HDMI out.

While it worked really well, at the time, suing MediaPortal (despite a few teething issues) it was too big for the shelf it was on, and so bought a popcorn player for convenience, which has been ideal until now. That PC was then used as my main pc for web browsing etc until now.

Anyways, I'm about to purchase a 3DTV, and so want to replace my Popcorn with a 3d compatable setup for playing 3d ISOs.

I've seen the Himedia 900b/c boxes though they're very early stages and buggy at the moment.

I was wondering if I could replace this gfx card with something that can cope with outputting 3d well enough.....but wonder if you guys think the PC spec is suitable? Possibly trying this MyMovies out which looks quite good

The spec is a dual core E5200 @ 2.50ghz, and with 4gb Ram, currently running Windows 7 64bit, though plan on a fresh format. Current card is a 512MB Asus HD 4550, which I believe cannot do 3d. The motherboard has a single PCI Xpress slot (x16 I think).

The first problem being the case needs a low profile card. The card I bought only just fit in, and to do so I had to remove the metal plate altogether, can't remember exactly why, I think it was a fixed 2 slot low profile with unneeded vga on the 2nd slot so disconnected that.

As you can see in the pics theres very little room between the HDD and the gfx card fan in that setup. I'm thinking a passive cooled card may be better, though a fan based card would be fine

I have no intention of gaming whatsoever on this, just used for media playback, mostly HD MKV and 3d BD-ISO.

Can anyone recommend what card would be best for me that would allow 3D BD-ISO playback without any speed problems? (If you think the CPU is up to the job - I think it should be)

I'm thinking this card may work well for around £35-40, presuming PSU is ok with it? Which I've read comes with a low profile bracket I think.

Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 6450 1024MB http://overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-265-SP

or

Asus ATI Radeon HD 6450 SILENT EDITION 1024MB http://overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-259-AS

My second issue.....the sound will be sent to an Onkyo 607 receiver. This does not officially support 3D/HDMI 1.4. I've heard that you can set the PC to force the output so it just passes through regardless tho unsure if this is true (or if would cause problems switching between 2d and 3d video). I'd rather not use optical to the sound, as would then lose HD Audio options.

As an alternative, anyone know of a low profile card that could have 2 hdmi outputs, one for audio to the AV and one direct to PC?

thanks for the help,
Tuck

oh and excuse all the dust lol, just dug it all out from behind the unit...giving it a clear out now

 

[starkill3r]

A GT 430 will do 3D fine, you can use nvidias 3D vision player then, for your 3D mkv's etc, I wouldn't really go with ATI for 3D movie playback etc, you can get it to work with the IZ3D drivers etc, but I prefer nvidia cards as they just "work"

3D BD ISO's will work if you mount them in demon tools and watch in Cyberlink PowerDVD.

Looking about £30-£40

 

[Midnight Tboy]

thanks.

The links on OCs site don't look very low profile though for this card on the bracket etc? I can see elsewhere theres a 1GB Point of View (POV) GT430 SDDR3 Low Profile (never heard of that brnad before) card, which looks lower profile, though looking at pic of the bracket may have to remove the bracket to disconnect the VGA extension to fit again

For most part wouldn't be playing 3d MKVs for image loss, basically 2d MKVs (1080 and 720) and full lossless 3d bd-isos

Also, anyone used setups like this to a 1.3 AVR device and know if it can auto force the 3d mode when 3d movies are selected so that it still passes through TrueHD/DTS-HD etc audio to the amp? If not then may have to try a dual HDMI solution (presuming these cards can pass bitstreamed HD audio too?)

With the hdd being next to the gfx card, would I be better with a passive or fan solution? Thinking fans probably start to fail sooner due to little airflow...I know the current one makes quite a rattle for a while when first turned on til it settles in. The bracket being completely removed wont help, letting more dust into it

 

[starkill3r]

The POV GT 430 will be fine, it will come with a low profile bracket, and and full size one, you can remove the VGA port from the board as well.

I'm not sure about the HD audio passthrough as I just use s/pdif on my HTPC and use standard DTS, but the card can bitstream lossless HD audio.

 

[Midnight Tboy]

thanks, may get the POV card then unless any other suggestions come along.

Fan based, but thats no biggie, probably better anyway...and everything else will be louder.

Thanks for confirming it streams HD audio.....now to try to find out if I can get the card to force the set to 3d when a 3d movies is detected (without changing a load of options everytime I switch to 2d/3d movies). Pretty sure it can be done, though automating it between 2d and 3d may be another matter

 

[starkill3r]

If you are mainly using 3D BD ISOS then Cyberlink PowerDVD Will have a little option at the bottom of the screen saying "3D" you click it and changes the movie into 3D mode, vice versa.

 

[Midnight Tboy]

I've installed powerdvd onto my existing PC (non 3d) and when I press the 3d button (on a 3d iso) it goes into a fake 3d red/blue glasses type image....presuming thats simply because it knows I don't have 3d.

I wonder though, if it would do the same, even when do have a 3dtv connected, as it would communicate with the AVR before it reached the TV, and then say no.

Then comes the difficulty of managing to automatate it from a movie selection screen on the front end.....though worst case I guess I could keep the popcorn setup for 2D, and only use the HTPC for 3d content (and losing a bit of audio quality), though would be bit of a waste (and extra wires )

Have asked in some HTPC forums about that now and try to get the best answer specific for htpcs too.

Hmm come to think of it the PC does not have an optical out anyway, so would have to find a way. Forever complications lol

 

[starkill3r]

You need to go into the settings in PowerDVD and change the "Display Device" to something else, so when you install your GT 430, you can select "nvidia 3D Vision" and it will then output in proper 3D, and not the Red/Cyan 3D.

You could always use XBMC with the Aeon skin, it's beautiful for movie selection etc.

I'm doing the same with the popcorn for 2d mkv's etc, But I use Sumvisions MKV Adapter V2.

That's a shame about the optical out, they really are handy for HTPC's

 

[Midnight Tboy]

thinking sligtly out the box - worst case could send sound straight to the new Tv with HDMI , then I think most new TVs have an optical out now too - so could send it back from there.....though not sure if/what it would passthrough.

Maybe I should just dig deep and get a new AVR lol.....though a lot of money for such little an upgrade.

Still under its 5yr warranty....wonder if I knock it off the shelf, if a replacement might be hdmi 1.4 lol

The other option is the Himedia 900C model which is meant to be in UK on around 9th December.......bit like Popcorn etc, but has dual hdmi output...so 1 feed can go to TV, other to AVR for sound. And supports 3d isos. Just the interface will be a lot uglier

 

[Midnight Tboy]

just wonderiing if a GT520 may perhaps be better (and less of a draw on the Dell low rated (tho supposedly higher than quoted) psus)

http://overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-155-OK

Done a quick search, and while its a bit of a toss up between the 430 and 520 in terms of performance, less power consumption mean less pain on the psu and bit less heat.....so long as its more than capable for the 3d blurays that is Oh and its 4quid cheaper too though that aint the reason

I think the official rating on the PSU is something very low, like 250watts

 

[seekdestroy]

Did you purchase your GPU? I'm interested in which one you went for and how they are getting on. Making the same choice myself.

 

[Midnight Tboy]

hiya,

I first bought a Radion 6450 card.....and what a nightmare that was. Latest drivers caused nothing but problems, and it would not switch TV to 3d mode. After many hours (also trying linux - useless for bluray isos) trying to figure that out realised it was the drivers. Had to go back about 6 revisions of drivers to find ones that would enable 3d.....but even then 2 main problems.....1) the resolution would set itself to 1000p24 instead of 1080p24....resulting in a border around the TV set of which I couldnt seem to change overscan settings in that mode, 2) 3d mode would only work with HDMI cable, and not with DVI cable.

Another limitation to the radeon was that it CAN output audio over DVI, but only with a specific adapter not a generic one....and even then it won't do HD audio over the DVI port (I needed a dual output solution - 1 to TV, 1 to hdmi1.3 receiver)....so the radeon was useless.

Returned the 6450 for a refund, and got the GT430 for about £18 more. So much less hassle, wish I'd opted for that one in first place....only negative being it has a fan which I dont like as months down the line they tend to get noisy.

The 430 card can send full frame packed 3d no problems, no matter if its through DVI or HDMI to the TV....the resolution is set correctly at 1080p24, and even using a bog standard DVI-HDMI cable (or adapter), it can send full DTS-HD etc audio formats to the receiver.

That being said, there are other problems with HTPCs and 3d iso content, with PITA software and umpteen unfixed bugs in powerdvd and TMT, but thats not the cards fault.......but so much that I decided to stick to 1080 SBS file formats instead of 50gb ISOs as so much easier to manage, and the difference is negligible to my eyes anyway. Maybe in another year or so I'll try the 3d iso format again (or just get a Himedia 900c or equivalent)....but definately go for the Geforce card......not all nvidia cards support HD audio from the DVI port though. There's a thread on avsforums which has a chart showing which can do it, despite people on here telling me it was impossible.

GT430 and GT520 cards can definately do it, but not sure on which other ranges til find the old thread