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Noobish question about HDMI

Golden Ape

Golden Ape

Golden Ape

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Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
466
Right, so I'm looking for a replacement graphics card for my media PC. All it has to do it display TV, DVD, bluray etc (so I'm looking for something that will offload some of the processing from the CPU) It doesn't need to do any fancy 3D stuff. As such I'm thinking of a cheap ATI card from either the 4300 or 3400 range, ideally a quite one.

Crucially though it needs to drive the TV via HDMI (1080p tv). What I think I've figured out is that some cards kind of support HDMI by using a dongle to convert DVI to HDMI - is that true and does that mean there will be no sound over the HDMI connection? If so how do I get the sound into my tv? By the look of it I think there are a couple of cards with 'built in' HDMI ports (this Gigabyte one for example http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-042-GI&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=1274). Is one of these a safer bet? Actually I was trying to look at the picture of that card and couldn't see a HDMI port?

I'm really confused - someone help me, please! All I want to do is plug a computer into a TV, how hard can it be?
 
The ati cards have a built in sound chip so with ati cards dvi to hdmi is no problem, with nvidia card you need to connect a caple from the sound card to the gfx card to enable sound

so it doesn't matter if you go with an ati card with a built in hdmi port or not

I don't think the 4300 will be up to much hd decoding

go for a 4xxx over a 3xxx
 
user1453 said:
with nvidia card you need to connect a caple from the sound card to the gfx card to enable sound
Click to expand...

I had no luck with that. :(

Golden Ape - You don't need the HDMI connection, you just need the DVI/HDMI adapter, and the sound will work straight from the ATI graphics card.
 
Ah, great thanks for the fast answers - looks like I should concentrate on ATI 4xxx cards. Do all the cards actually come with a DVI to HDMI dongle (well other than the ones that have native HDMI) or are there some that don't?

@user1453: I'm curious as to why you don't think the 4300 could deal with hardware decoding? I was hoping to get one of the cheaper cards and didn't really want to go for a 46xx. By the way, thanks for the link to kmplayer setup, very handy.
 
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I foolishly assumed that the 4300 had to little grunt to hd decode on the gpu but if the 3400 is supported by kmplayer then I guess I am wrong
 
That's the big question. In order to get sound you need ATI's special DVI-HDMI dongle as they've co-opted a few extra pins to carry the sound (DVI is a video only connector as standard) so a standard DVI-HDMI dongle won't work.

Only some cards actually come with it and if yours doesn't then you'll have to procure one from somewhere. Only way to be sure is to contact the manufacturer I suppose.
 
@OP - I have the Gigabyte card you linked to and confirm it has a built in HDMI connector.

I can also confirm that it comes with back plates for both full height and low profile fitting.

Great little card and i've had no problems outputting to a 32" Panasonic with it.

I avoided the Sapphires as because of the number of SKUs they do you are never sure what is going to be in the box.
 
I highly reccomend a card with a native HDMI socket if your planning on doing anything that involves blu-ray/HDCP - the dongles invariably break HDCP.
 
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