which hdtv graphics card? £150

salami1212 · 25 Mar 2006 at 13:01

well, im getting a samsung 26inch hdtv.. and im thinking, i will need a hd gpu to see the things in the full.. so what should i get, a 7600 as it says it hd ready? or will there be new graphics card with hdmi on it or what... as hdmi is audio

fdxd · 26 Mar 2006 at 05:36

7600 sounds fine but i dont think its top for performance. But are you going to do 3d?

Wakinglimb · 26 Mar 2006 at 06:31

RE: 7600GT for 3d- at resolutions like 1280x1024 with 4xAA and 16xAF the card will perform fine, it outperforms a 6800Ultra, costs £140, doesn't generate much heat and uses up little power (doesn't even need an extra external power connector).

As the previous post says, it is HD capable too, via component output.

Spyhop · 26 Mar 2006 at 06:54

Forget about HDTV terminology - the screen is basically a 1360x768 monitor when it comes to PC usage. Using VGA for video and a normal audio lead to the TV's input will give the best results on that set.

Wakinglimb · 26 Mar 2006 at 07:05

wush said:
Forget about HDTV terminology - the screen is basically a 1360x768 monitor when it comes to PC usage. Using VGA for video and a normal audio lead to the TV's input will give the best results on that set.

You wont be able to use HD output modes unless you use component or hdmi though will you? (I could be wrong) and by HD output modes I mean 720/1080 stuff.

Spyhop · 26 Mar 2006 at 07:17

720p is just 1280x720@60Hz and the tv doesn't have the resolution to display 1080i/p properly (1920x1080).

1360x768 via VGA is displayed without being scaled (TV panel is 1366x768 native, tiny 6 line border) and gives the best quality by far on these Samsung sets. I have one myself.

PinkPig · 26 Mar 2006 at 09:51

Bear in mind that if you intend to play, in the future, content that needs HDCP support (e.g. Blu-Ray or HD-DVD movies), then no current graphics card will do the job. If you want to connect to an HDTV using a VGA connection (and you probably do), then every current graphics card will do fine.

The Running Man · 26 Mar 2006 at 11:34

Wakinglimb said:
You wont be able to use HD output modes unless you use component or hdmi though will you? (I could be wrong) and by HD output modes I mean 720/1080 stuff.

why ever not? what is it with this HD stuff that has everyone so confused?

if your outputting at VGA res then u are outputting at HD (780p) res effectively, ot better....

and atm the only hd content with protection is bluray and hd dvd.... as they are not just going to be ripped to the hdd and played without content protection etc... i wouldnt worry about hd ready and pc's tbh

salami1212 · 26 Mar 2006 at 14:12

wouldnt dvi be better on the samsung then vga?
cheers

PinkPig · 26 Mar 2006 at 14:38

Does that Samsung even have a DVI port? If it has a PC supporting DVI connection then it will basically look the same as using VGA, but some (many?) HDTVs have DVI connections that won't work with PCs. Better off sticking with VGA, it will look fantastic.

Wakinglimb · 26 Mar 2006 at 17:42

Nickg said:
why ever not? what is it with this HD stuff that has everyone so confused?

if your outputting at VGA res then u are outputting at HD (780p) res effectively, ot better....

and atm the only hd content with protection is bluray and hd dvd.... as they are not just going to be ripped to the hdd and played without content protection etc... i wouldnt worry about hd ready and pc's tbh

Okay, so the HDTV-ness of Purevideo cards is just it's ability to decode the files then? That make more sense, I get it now. lol, thanks.

Combat squirrel · 26 Mar 2006 at 17:46

careful, to playback HDTV 1080 files you will need gpu accel, my A64 2800mhz + 6800GT (No HDTV acl) wasnt powerful enough, it skipped.

same cpu and my x1800XT plays it fine, looks awesome and only 10% cpu usage playing 1080i files, as the card is doing the legwork

Wakinglimb · 26 Mar 2006 at 17:55

Combat squirrel said:
careful, to playback HDTV 1080 files you will need gpu accel, my A64 2800mhz + 6800GT (No HDTV acl) wasnt powerful enough, it skipped.

That's why we were saying the 7600GT as it has purevideo hdtv accl.

bbreezeuk · 26 Mar 2006 at 18:38

ive just bought a 7800gt anyone know if these support HDTV

Wakinglimb · 26 Mar 2006 at 18:42

bbreezeuk said:
ive just bought a 7800gt anyone know if these support HDTV

Yes, they do, through purevideo.

bbreezeuk · 26 Mar 2006 at 19:05

is that the same way the 7600GTs do

Wakinglimb · 26 Mar 2006 at 19:31

bbreezeuk said:
is that the same way the 7600GTs do

Yes.

mcmad · 26 Mar 2006 at 19:40

Combat squirrel said:
careful, to playback HDTV 1080 files you will need gpu accel, my A64 2800mhz + 6800GT (No HDTV acl) wasnt powerful enough, it skipped.

same cpu and my x1800XT plays it fine, looks awesome and only 10% cpu usage playing 1080i files, as the card is doing the legwork

the 6800gt would have been fine if you had used the NV purevideo codec

Spyhop · 26 Mar 2006 at 20:24

salami1212 said:
wouldnt dvi be better on the samsung then vga?
cheers

Nope. It doesn't have a DVI port and the HDMI port is not suitable for PC use (overscan). Trust me, VGA 1360x768 is all you need to know for these Samsung LCD HDTVs. The picture is stunning.

It's just a normal monitor as far as the PC is concerned. Don't get bogged down in "HDTV" modes and terminology, they apply more to TV, DVD and games consoles.

Sparky191 · 26 Mar 2006 at 21:36

Just out of curiosity. How does it work for Pal res? Does it look ok?