# HDMI Video Card



## Sonnie

Card: HDMI Video

What other HDMI Video Cards are available that you are aware of and which one would have the best overall performance in an HTPC build with an HD-DVD drive, a Blu-ray drive and an LCD display?










* XFX GeForce 7600GS 256MB DDR2 HDMI DVI TV PCI-E*

This one is available through the Shack Electronics Store for about $110.

• 128-bit Studio-Precision Computation 
• 90nm Process Technology 
• Adaptable Programmable Video Processor 
• Advanced Spatial Temporal De-interlacing 
• Built for Microsoft Windows Vista

*Product Description*
As a specialized processor dedicated to graphics, the NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GS graphics processing unit (GPU) offloads graphics processing from your CPU and increases overall system performance. In addition to improving performance, the GeForce 7600 GS also delivers advanced 3D graphics and video features to provide an incredible multimedia experience on the PC.


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## mechman

That's the first one I'm aware of Sonnie. There must be more of a demand now that someone's taking notice. :dontknow:

mech


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## Sonnie

Here's another one I found at the Shack Store for about the same price... $110. It's a 512MB HDMI video card.










*Diamond Viper ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO 512MB PCIE GDDR2 Video Card*

• PCI Express x-16 
• Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 600 MHz clock and 512 MB of 128 Bit-GDDR2 Memory 
• 800 MHz effective memory speed 
• Dual DVI and HDTV Support 
• Optimized for Windows Vista with Direct X 10 support

*Product Description*
The ATI Radeon HD 2600 delivers powerful graphics performance to enhance the stunning Windows Aero user interface. ATI Catalyst graphics management software is certified for Windows Vista and is designed for quick and easy setup of graphics, video, and multiple displays. The ATI Radeon HD 2600 features advanced hardware HD video processing and HDMI with built-in 5.1 surround sound for stunning big-screen entertainment. Home theater aficionados will be mesmerized by ATI Avivo HD technology that delivers sharp images and vibrant color fidelity from 1080p playback of Blu-ray and HD DVDs movies.


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## Hunter844

I need a card that will output to components, any suggestions?


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## Sonnie

There are adapters.


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## Hunter844

Sonnie said:


> There are adapters.


Yeah I see a lot of the video cards on newegg refer to something they call an HDTV cable and appears to be a DB15 female to Component females. I haven't found anywhere were it specifically says it's a component adapter. Thanks for the information...still don't know if I'm going to build or not.


Going through the numbers, looks like I'm going to have to be out about $800 if not more. It's been a while since I've built a computer but I've pretty well kept up with the latest technology just haven't had a lot of hands on experience in a while. Was looking at just using my existing Compaq but about the only thing worth using from it is the new SATA hard drive I got a while back. I could use it if it were just for standard def but I'm looking to be able to pick up OTA and HD DVD/BD playback/recording (in the future) so I'll need to build in more or less future proof it.


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## wbassett

Plus any DVI/VGA card will support an adapter to component, but keep in mind the card has to also be HDCP compliant in order to play BD or HD DVD (unless that has changed with the software players). 

I use a 26" LCD HDTV for my primary computer monitor and from what I am seeing it's not much more expensive to go that route than a LCD flat screen computer monitor. Actually it's cheaper and you get more screen real-estate!

I believe in a year or so HDMI will replace DVI as the premiere connection for computers. Convergence has been something talked about since back in the mid '80's but it's only now that we really have all the hardware to see it happen. The A1 is basically a Linux based computer dressed as a HD DVD player, the PS3 is a power house computing unit as well. I honestly believe that in a few short years our players will be just as interactive as our computers (hopefully won't crash as much as some people have problems with) and these HDMI cards are the first stages of a PC to HT true merger.


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## bobgpsr

wbassett said:


> I believe in a year or so HDMI will replace DVI as the premiere connection for computers.


Except for the audio transport HDMI is a pain with its flimsy & weak mechanical connection. Investigate those added brackets that give HDMI better support. DVI with HDCP can also transport all the new video with upconversion of SD DVD allowed.

But if the video card's HDMI connection is version 1.3 and it will transport raw bitstream audio for DD+, Dolby TrueHD, dts-HD HR and dts-HD MA to an AVR which has those advanced codecs built-in -- then IMO, HDMI is worthwhile. Have not yet seen such a card with matching playback software app and I will hold out till they exist. There are issues with this as the audio path must be protected per the new AACS rules. It may require just the right type of motherboard with a special internal digital audio connection (HD Audio link header) to the HDMI 1.3 video card.


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## eugovector

wbassett said:


> Plus any DVI/VGA card will support an adapter to component, but keep in mind the card has to also be HDCP compliant in order to play BD or HD DVD (unless that has changed with the software players).


Good thing the DVD companies spend millions to develop their copy protection, driving up the price of their tech and cutting into their profit margins, only to have it all crack by some highschooler before it even reaches mass adoption. Maybe they should just focus on offering a better product at a better price.

Don't get me started.


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## Hunter844

I think it would be cool to take it one step further and build a completely digital sound processor right there at the HTPC complete with five-way binding posts, lfe jack, etc etc and cut out the need for a separate receiver...of course there is a small matter of a an amp that would create a lot of heat...humm.


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## wbassett

bobgpsr said:


> Except for the audio transport HDMI is a pain with its flimsy & weak mechanical connection. Investigate those added brackets that give HDMI better support. DVI with HDCP can also transport all the new video with upconversion of SD DVD allowed.
> 
> But if the video card's HDMI connection is version 1.3 and it will transport raw bitstream audio for DD+, Dolby TrueHD, dts-HD HR and dts-HD MA to an AVR which has those advanced codecs built-in -- then IMO, HDMI is worthwhile. Have not yet seen such a card with matching playback software app and I will hold out till they exist. There are issues with this as the audio path must be protected per the new AACS rules. It may require just the right type of motherboard with a special internal digital audio connection (HD Audio link header) to the HDMI 1.3 video card.


Yeah we're not there yet but starting to get there. I know some studios were complaining and saying if PC manufacturers started using it they wanted to see them HDCP compliant.

My brother's HDTV uses DVI, remember the days before HDMI when that minor 'format skirmish' was between DVI and 1394?


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## wbassett

eugovector said:


> Good thing the DVD companies spend millions to develop their copy protection, driving up the price of their tech and cutting into their profit margins, only to have it all crack by some highschooler before it even reaches mass adoption. Maybe they should just focus on offering a better product at a better price.
> 
> Don't get me started.


Yeah I agree... don't get any of us started! 

My projector doesn't have an HDMI input and the Toshiba HD DVD player won't upconvert over component.


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## lcaillo

Anyone familiar with this notebook:

HP DV2500t with
Intel Core 2 Duo processor T5250 (1.5 GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 667MHz FSB) 
64MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS HDMI

An alternative is 

ASUS A8SC-A1 with
Intel Core 2 Duo T7100(1.80GHz) FSB 800MHz L2 Cache 2MB 
NVIDIA GeForce 8400M G 128MB DVI
for about $1300

I have been looking to upgrade my old Dell 5000 to something with HDMI to generate test patterns from and run calibrations. They have a deal for just under $1K for this one, which looks adequate. Any opinions or experience?


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## basementjack

There are a variety of motherboards that have HDMI video built in - I've seen them from Abit and asus for under $100 at newegg.com


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## lcaillo

I ended up geting the ASUS notebook with the nVidia 8400mG card. It has DVI which I like because it has a more durable connector, as well as s-video, and component output. So far I am very pleased with the machine. I will be getting it set up to do some testing and calibration next week, but so far it looks quite good.


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## Otto

Hi there, 

Does anyone have any direct experience with any of the video cards listed, or any other DVI/HDMI video cards for that matter? I'm looking for something to use with my new plasma. I currently have a Radeon x600, but it doesn't look that great with its DVI output. I don't know why. In the past, I used it with a Mitsubishi DLP and the VGA connection, and it looked fine. My new plasma doesn't have a VGA input, so I'm using the HDMI in on the TV, and the DVI out on the video card. It doesn't look that great, and I could never get it to work on my DLP either (well, it _worked_, it just didn't look very good). 

Anyway, any advice on video cards is appreciated, as well as comments on pecularities of how this stuff works from TV to TV.


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## yourgrandma

I have to bring this one back. I'm having problems with my sound card not outputting a digital bitstream (IOW I can't get any surround from my PC), it only sends PCM. I'm wondering if there's a way to bitstream audio through the HDMI on a video card. 

I'm going about this backwards. I'm posting first and researching second. I'll post back with my findings...


Findings: So there's an internal jumper you need to connect to get audio through the HDMI. What is that supposed to connect to? They say mother board or sound card, but where? Wouldn't it then only support whatever audio your soundcard or MoBo support? I'm hungry, I can't think right now. I'm going to make a sammich and do some reading.


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## eugovector

My mobo has a jumper for digital co-ax, and should pass through whatever digital audio is on your discs, though I don't know about next gen formats like DD+ (seems unlikely).


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## Guest

I would go for a:whistling:n ATI 3850


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## Aminbiz

Any Geforce 8000 or better 8600..8800..etc...etc graphics card would get you into the HiDef / Blu-ray ball park. HDMI/DVI are the same one just carries the audio and video in one cable, video quality wise they are the same. Nvidia pure video technology should be a priority when looking at buying any card.....


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## bobgpsr

Aminbiz said:


> Any Geforce 8000 or better 8600..8800..etc...etc graphics card would get you into the HiDef / Blu-ray ball park. HDMI/DVI are the same one just carries the audio and video in one cable, video quality wise they are the same. Nvidia pure video technology should be a priority when looking at buying any card.....


Ah, but a new motherboard with the built-in Intel G45 video (HDMI 1.3a) may hit the sweet spot -- if they can get the 1080p24 (23.976fps) frame rate made available. Does the right bitstream passthrough of the new advanced audio codecs. Low price, low power, low heat and low fan noise -- punches all the right HTPC buttons.

Does do hardware acceleration of H.264 and VC-1 video codec decoding.


But I'm still sitting on the fence waiting for it all....


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## Aminbiz

Sounds like a good choice for a client server!


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## dradius

I just picked up a Visiontek HD4850 at Bestbuy for $150 with a "free" $10 GC. These cards are still $200 and widely considered the best card in that price range. It has dual DVI ports but comes with a DVI/HDMI adapter. The kicker is that the card also comes with Realtek audio drivers and supposedly will carry audio over the DVI/HDMI adapter. I will find out tonight whether that is true or not. If so, it will make me a very happy person :bigsmile:


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## Aminbiz

most times when they say that it will carry audio over the DVI/HDMI what they mean is that you can run a lead from the motherboard SPDIF output to the SPDIF input on the video card. It will then carry audio but it will not carry the newer sound codecs associated with Blu-Ray and HD-DVD.


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## dradius

Well, the HD4850 is awesome. I played a couple games at max settings (8X AA, 1920x1080) with no issues at all. Played all my .mkv files flawlessly as well. But perhaps the best surprise is that the audio over hdmi worked as well. Gives me a 7.1 option and it works well. Didn't have to run any special cables or anything, just plugged in the hdmi cable into the dvi adapter, turned on the PC, and installed the drivers. Best $150 I've spent in a while.


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## Guest

lcaillo said:


> Anyone familiar with this notebook:
> 
> HP DV2500t with
> Intel Core 2 Duo processor T5250 (1.5 GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 667MHz FSB)
> 64MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS HDMI
> 
> An alternative is
> 
> ASUS A8SC-A1 with
> Intel Core 2 Duo T7100(1.80GHz) FSB 800MHz L2 Cache 2MB
> NVIDIA GeForce 8400M G 128MB DVI
> for about $1300
> 
> I have been looking to upgrade my old Dell 5000 to something with HDMI to generate test patterns from and run calibrations. They have a deal for just under $1K for this one, which looks adequate. Any opinions or experience?



The Dell XPS 1330 and 1530 both have DVI out. I think the 1730 does as well. 

Great machines my wife has the 1330.


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## blast8180

Be advised on the ATI cards offering multi-channel PCM via hdmi (through their proprietary dvi-hdmi adapter) that there are issues with EDID on some Yamaha receivers such as the RX-V663. It will not allow you use the HDMI audio on the graphics card. Basically, the any 3xxx and 4xxx series card connected to a rx-v663 will think that it is seeing a DVI device and will not output any audio. 

Yamaha and ATI are both aware of this problem and ATI has said that catalyst 8.11 is meant to address some of these HDMI issues...but that's what they said for 8.10. Only time will tell, but be careful if you were looking to use one of the new ATI cards with onboard LPCM and have an RX-v663. I know for a fact that this particular model is affected but there were a few threads somewhere on AVSforum that pointed out other models were affected.


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## Jaminschipper

lol I wish I could get that =P


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## David13067

DIAMOND/BEST DATA

MFR# AIWHD3650 
Diamond All-in-Wonder - Graphics adapter - Radeon HD 3650 - PCI Express 2.0 x16 - 512 MB GDDR2 - DVI, HDMI ( HDCP ) - HDTV out / HDTV in $160.00

MFR# AIWHD3650PM 
Diamond All-in-Wonder Premium - Graphics adapter - Radeon HD 3650 - PCI Express 2.0 x16 - 512 MB GDDR2 - DVI, HDMI ( HDCP ) - HDTV out / HDTV in - $190.00

I can sell these. Don't know much about them.

David


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