Re: Please review my proposed Shuttle Media Center PC spec

From: Stephen Neal (stephen.neal_at_nospam.please.as-directed.com)
Date: 11/26/04 

Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 14:06:17 -0000

Nigel Barker wrote:
> On Wed, 24 Nov 2004 22:55:27 -0700, "Leadfoot" <nospam@nospam.org>
> wrote:
>
>> I would avoid being cheap in the video card department. Check
>> around in the HTPC forums and see which cards have the best TV out.
>> Not every Tv-out chip is the same. If you can find a store with a
>> goood return policy then you cab try it before committing to it.
>
> I don't believe that there any cards on the MCE HCL that have good
> TV-out. Average or adequate would be a better description.

Yep - this seems to be my experience. I am quite surprised that such
expensive and high quality video cards have such low quality TV outputs -
especially when it is possible to get a decent quality output using a
VGA->RGB SCART cable, a suitable video card and Powerstrip. (I guess this
is why Powerstrip is so popular in the US, where it can be used to drive
HDTVs via a VGA->Component converter - or in some cases the video cards
themselves can switch to component output)

I am amazed at the difference in quality that I have got from Windows MCE
since I switched from S-video TV-out to a VGA->SCART RGB solution and
Powerstrip!

Steve

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