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View Full Version : X-card for sale in March

dragoman
25th February 2002, 08:35
Hi,

Anyone seen this?

http://www.sigmadesigns.com/products/xcard.htm

Anyone think it would be worth it? The output options seem nice, and the built-in remote is a nice feature also.

Seems to present a nice package for different types of tvs....

I get adequate results with my ATI Radeon AIW card though...

Would anyone buy the X-card?

dragoman
Bugs Bunny
25th February 2002, 10:00
Thanks for the link. I'm keeping an eye on it (and the other PC/TV protducts on the site) for when I build a TV-out box for my folks. At $99, it's a bit pricy for a fancy TV-out, especially w/o a remote. Remote is important, cause you're no longer next to the box when watching TV. I'll probably wait until it gets one.

The ATI AIW is fine for an all-around puter box, but I wouldn't get one just for TV viewing. This X-card thing and its H+ cousins are perfect for a cheap "set top" PC dedicated to AV output to the TV. I'm still in the hunt for a ultra-low profile case and motherboard (probably a Flex ATX, even the micro-ATX is too large), with good sound output for such a purpose. The Shuttle V24 is a good step in that direction.

In lieu of that, I'm thinking of "repurposing" an old laptop to do the job. The trade-off is that laptops have the size advantage, but versatility (w/ respect to AV quality) is limited. What with all the commotion about "digital hubs," I think there'll be more products coming out in this area, especially those with 802.11b functionality. I'm waiting until 802.11a matures a bit and gain downward (to .11b) compatibility, then I'll upgrade to it so I can stream DVD wirelessly.
dragoman
25th February 2002, 10:27
Hi,

This X-card comes with a remote....didn't I mention that?

dragoman
Bugs Bunny
25th February 2002, 11:29
Yes, right you are. I was reading the specs--which didn't mention the remote--and didn't look at the picture.
macdaddy
25th February 2002, 16:37
fwiw-I preodered one...

Hopefully the TVout will be equal (or superior to) the quality of the h+/dxr3 (which currently have the highest quality TVoutput). If this is the case, with added hardware MPEG-4 decoding, I will be a happy man.