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<blockquote data-quote="ajp8164" data-source="post: 413947" data-attributes="member: 64375">Excellent point!&nbsp; When I first bought the x1950 I paid something like $250; the price/performance certainly has come down!&nbsp; So, I'm looking at AGP cards now (as an alternative).&nbsp; This is definitely the least expensive and least invasive alternative.&nbsp; I have questions, though, about the hardware decoding of H264 video streams (specifically the HDPVR stream).The HDPVR specs state that the encoder produces &quot;H.264 AVCHD video&quot;.&nbsp; The cards I am looking at have the following specs:SAPPHIRE HD 3850 512MB GDDR3 AGP ($110 Newegg) -OR-SAPPHIRE HD 3650 512MB GDDR3 AGP ($70 Newegg)<ul>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Dedicated unified video decoder (UVD) for H.264/AVC and VC-1 video formats</li>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">High definition (HD) playback of both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats</li>
</ul>The only real difference between these cards is the number of stream processors (320 v. 120) and interface width (256 v. 128 bit).&nbsp; I don't believe these make a difference either way for video decoding; am I right?Now, just looking at these specs it appears that the HDPVR output (H.264 AVCHD) can be decoded by either of these cards (H.264/AVC).VisionTek - ATI RADEON HD2400 Pro 512MB DDR2 AGP Graphics Card ($110 BestBuy)<ul>
<li data-xf-list-type="ul">Video Format - MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264, VC1</li>
</ul>The specs on the VisionTek card are not as specific.I also play games with this PC; the most demanding game I play is MS Flight Sim X.&nbsp; My kids play Lego Star Wars.Either way, thanks for saving me at least $100 and a lot of technical hassle already!-Andy</blockquote>

[QUOTE="ajp8164, post: 413947, member: 64375"] Excellent point! When I first bought the x1950 I paid something like $250; the price/performance certainly has come down! So, I'm looking at AGP cards now (as an alternative). This is definitely the least expensive and least invasive alternative. I have questions, though, about the hardware decoding of H264 video streams (specifically the HDPVR stream). The HDPVR specs state that the encoder produces "H.264 AVCHD video". The cards I am looking at have the following specs: SAPPHIRE HD 3850 512MB GDDR3 AGP ($110 Newegg) -OR- SAPPHIRE HD 3650 512MB GDDR3 AGP ($70 Newegg) [LIST] [*]Dedicated unified video decoder (UVD) for H.264/AVC and VC-1 video formats [*]High definition (HD) playback of both Blu-ray and HD DVD formats [/LIST] The only real difference between these cards is the number of stream processors (320 v. 120) and interface width (256 v. 128 bit). I don't believe these make a difference either way for video decoding; am I right? Now, just looking at these specs it appears that the HDPVR output (H.264 AVCHD) can be decoded by either of these cards (H.264/AVC). VisionTek - ATI RADEON HD2400 Pro 512MB DDR2 AGP Graphics Card ($110 BestBuy) [LIST] [*]Video Format - MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264, VC1 [/LIST] The specs on the VisionTek card are not as specific. I also play games with this PC; the most demanding game I play is MS Flight Sim X. My kids play Lego Star Wars. Either way, thanks for saving me at least $100 and a lot of technical hassle already! -Andy [/QUOTE]

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