High-End Video Quality !! (Hardware/Software Recommendations in here) (1 Viewer)

[jcee]

Though there are lots of threads around dealing with "whats the best gfx card", I thought it would be time to summarize and share the experience.

To not compare apples and oranges, I just want to scope the following:
- High-End video playback (preferrable plasma/lcd connected via YUV or DVI)
- actual "upper/middle class" gfx boards (e.g. X1***, EN7***, range $80..$200)

I want to invite everybody to take part and give his/her experience and recommendation. Please provide meaningful reasons why something is better and compared to what (e.g. opinons like "TV is much better" does not really help).

--- To kick-off ...here my thoughts: ---------------------------------------

Having tested X1600 and EN7600GS via DVI=>HDMI on a Pio Plasma and used
the latest drivers. Codecs: Nvidia Purevideo.

Generell:
--------
Attention! BIOS/DOS support for DVI is not implemented on all boards. Especially my ATI card did display a picture on my digital panel in DOS (so I could configure the BIOS), where the Nvidia wont dispplay anything until windows drivers are loaded.
(Though you could plug out DVI and plug in svideo on boot, so you could get a display with Nvidia as a workaround)

Both cards did allow overscan compensation, Nvidia drivers seem to allow more costumization in regard to timings and calibration, but driver is missing a purevideo tab, so nothing to configure there.

(ATI drivers (CCC) seem to be overloaded in terms of funky buttons, like Nvidia more..)

Desktop quality:
--------
ATI looks somehow too sharp, readability of small fonts is worse than with Nvidia (though having enabled Cleartype, which helped alot). See rainbow colours at the edges of small details (like fonts)
Nvidia does look better, lot less rainbow effects, nevertheless not missing any sharpness.

Video quality
------------
Both seem to fine. Have read that AVIVO should have become better with actual drivers since reviews in October 2005, also it was mentioned that AVIVO scores much more points in HQV benchmark. I cannot understand why?!?!
For me the combination of Nvidia+Purevideo looks better: Small details do have a little more sharpening compared to AVIVO.

CPU load
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No data available. Some people report that ATI/AVIVO gives less CPU usage than Nividia/purevideo. Can someone comment?


others:
-------
Someone reported that using ffdsow will stop hardware acceleration from working. (Right? Any comments?)
If this is true, this might be an important point: For me no combination (ATI/Nvidia/codecs) does perform better than using ffdshow for post- sharpening: The picture gets much clearer and crispier.

Recommendation:
-----------------
No technical vote for ATI or Nivida, its up to your personal taste. But recommend to use ffdshow.
Personal opinion: Though AVIVO and Purevideo state that they give superior video quality they do not (yet) make ffdshow obsolet..

 

[Tech Geek]

This poll is pointless. People with ATi will say ATi and people with NVidia will say NVidia. And most of the people that will vote will never have seen both.

 

[jcee]

This poll is pointless. People with ATi will say ATi and people with NVidia will say NVidia. And most of the people that will vote will never have seen both.

Maybe. I know that there is only a minor group (incl. me) that has both cards directly compared, but I hope they will vote or/and leave a comment!

On the other hand, even people having (e.g.) ATI and no Nvidia have decided for ATI because of some reasons in the past and if they were going to buy Nvidia next, they might vote for Nvidia..
You are right, but it will present some opinions at least...

 

[ghanz]

I have something to say about that. I own a NVIDIA 8800gts640, which is a very good graphic card. It was given to me so I'm not complaining, however: The nvidia driver does not allow you to clone the screen on different resolutions, which is a bitch if you own a HTPC housing with a lcd screen. dual view means you have to manually drag MP to the lcd when shutting down your big screen. another advantage a 2600ATI card would have is the ability to map hdmi sound directly from a soundcard to the graphics card. I expect that HDMI 1.3 audiocards will come on the market soon (lossless audio!). this would enable you to send 1 signal to a hdmi 1.3 reciever and truly enjoy HD high end audio! Ati off course has the universal videodecoder which wouldnot hurt either. Purevideo is a NVIDIA feature which works very well, the picture is exelent. And if NVIDIA is finally giving out a driver with the ability to clone on different resolutions, ATI would not eat the whole HTPC market on its own!