minimum specs for a pc just for watching video?

[E-Male]

after thinking sometime what new dvd-player (divx, ...........-player) to get i decided to go for a 2nd pc instead, since dvd, vcd, avi, mkv, mp3 .... would be no problem, neither would be ethernet and i-net

no i wonder how cheap i can go
what cpu, how much ram, ..... do i need to watch video without problems (no greedy hdtv stuff that needs >2Ghz)?

please post what you'd recommand as minimum and as "save"

thx
E-Male

[avih]

i'd say anything with 128M ram and 700Mhz+ cpu would be good enough.

[Solo]

The minimum hardware I used which could play a DivX movie was 500 Mhz Celeron. But then I got a 700 Mhz Celeron which was better. I had 512 MB of RAM though.

[theReal]

My dad's computer is a 1GHz Athlon with 384MB RAM and it plays any video just fine, even it only has an old Matrox G200 16MB AGPx1 graphics adapter.

[Tuning]

Celeron 1Ghz, 256MBRam would be more than enough.

[TotalChaos]

@ e-male

It's true slower systems will play this type media. I used to get by with a 400MHz celeron notbook..heh.
HOWEVER!!!!
I wouldn't bother buying parts to build a system earlier then 1.3GHz-1.8GHz. I am a PC enthusiast. I build them like some build cars. I have 14 computers with 12 up and running on my network. I have both AMD and Intel. I love them all. Problem is, when looking for your next model, money becomes more of a deciding factor then other factors for me. I've found that the price curve for hardware is more u shaped then linear from top models to lower models. Of course, Top hardware being the MOST expensive, then older models around the 700MHz-1GHz range, finaly midrange models as the cheapest. If you throw price/performance into the mix nothing is going to beat the midrange parts. If I were you I would check out www.zipzoomfly.com , www.newegg.com for somthing in the 2.4GHz(intel) or 2400+(AMD) range!!!!

[easybeat]

Whats the most important factor for playing video, RAM, processor speed or the video card? I've just been given a Celeron @ 299Mhz, 128mb ram and a whopping 4mb graphics, will updating the ram or graphics card make DVD playable? I have my doubts but it's worth asking the question.

[avih]

in your case (cel-300Mhz, 128M ran, 4M graphics), replacing the cpu might be a good idea, then the graphics card. just make sure u have dma enabled for the dvd drive. i doubt cel 300 will play it though.

[communist]

Geexbox powered:
Duron 1.3 Ghz
64MB SD-RAM (PC100)
32MB Radeon VE with TV-Out
Plays just about everyhing fine :)

If you want to connect to a TV you should get a ATI card - IMO they got the best picture quality and smallest black boarders.

[E-Male]

with tv-tool and core media player black borders are no problem on nvidia cards, you can set everything as you like

[theReal]

If you want to connect to a TV you should get a ATI card - IMO they got the best picture quality and smallest black boarders.When you enable "overscan" in the drivers, there are no black borders at all!

[communist]

Originally posted by theReal
When you enable "overscan" in the drivers, there are no black borders at all!
How would I enable 'overscan' in Geexbox? :confused:
If it isnt possible there where exactly can I enable it in the drivers (dont have windows installed on that machine - but might try to put the card in a windows box).

[theReal]

I have no idea about Geexbox.

In the Windows drivers, on the panel where you see all the different output devices (monitor, tv) click on the tv settings button and you'll get to the tv settings window - there's a panel called something like "adjustments" (I only have the German version where it's called "Anpassungen") and there you see a big button that says "overscan".

However I'm not sure that this is some kind of hardware setting that will stay activated when you put the card in another box afterwards...

[ppera2]

Lot of answers, but few correct - I mean answering on question what is minimum...

I tried couple CPU's in range of PII 233 to Cel 400. PII 233 is definitely too slow. Cel 300 worked acceptable on default clock, but it's easy OC-able to 450 MHz, when playback was smooth with all DivX.

Of course much depends from video card and motherboard. Newer AGP card is very recommended. PCI cards have not enough bandwith.
Good choice can be some Voodoo 3, Nvidia TNT.

Software: there is possibility to playback DivX, VCD, DVD on PC without hard disk. GeexBox and Movix are special adapted Linux OS-s with Mplayer. They install from bootable CD into Ramdisk and work from RAM. I tried them on 5-6 PC, and they worked well in most cases.
Sound was OK always, while with video I experienced some problems.

GeexBox and MoviX require 64 MB RAM and about 5 and 10 MB on CD, while MoviX2 which uses GUI (installs X) requres 128 MB and some 50 MB on CD. Of course they can playback from hard disk too.

Unfortunatelly with some graphic cards GeexBox and Movix have choppy playback on CEL 500, probably because of not well optimized video driver. On same PC playback is smooth under Win 98 SE and BS Player.
It's case with Nvidia TNT Vanta, while GF MX 400 in same machine worked much better under GeexBox.

Summary: minimum is Cel 300-400 with OC. 64 MB RAM, MB, CD player, some AGP card (ATI, 3DFX, Nvidia), as newer so better. Soundcard (if no integrated).

[theReal]

ppera2, I've been playing back Divx 3.11 in the early times with my PII 400 (Intel BX chipset, 128MB RAM) and a Matrox G200 16MB AGP 1x graphics card. It was ok for lower resolutions, but when the resolution was 640xsomething or above, it wasn't possible without the video becoming jerky.
My dad still has this Matrox G200 graphics card but the box can play back any Divx I throw at it (because it's an Athlon 1Gig with 384MB SDRAM, FSB 100, Via KT133).

--> I'd strongly recommend a processor around 700MHz or above !!!

[ppera2]

I made some further tests with following config:

Cel 400 OC-ed to 500 MHz, 64 MB SDR, Nvidia TNT Vanta with 16 MB,
MB is VIA 693 (which is known as one of slower Slot 1), integrated AC 97 audio. TEAC 32x CD drive and old 1.5 GB Maxtor HD.

OS is Win98SE.

All DivX, XviD plays flawless, without jerkiness, including those with res of 640x480, B-frames etc. Postprocessing level is at middle in ffdshow.

DVD playback isn't so good, but it's close. Much depends from used software. Cyberlink's Power DVD works better than Win DVD. There is little choppines with full res. PAL 720x576, while NTSC 720x480 played without visible framedrops. In BS Player it was even better (it used Cyberlink's Mpeg2 decoder).

Conclusion: if DVD playback is required, 700 MHz is probably some minimum, (and need DVD drive, unless want watch only mini DVD's :) )

For DivX 500 Mhz is enough - of course if other components (including software) are apropriate.

[communist]

Originally posted by theReal
I have no idea about Geexbox.

In the Windows drivers, on the panel where you see all the different output devices (monitor, tv) click on the tv settings button and you'll get to the tv settings window - there's a panel called something like "adjustments" (I only have the German version where it's called "Anpassungen") and there you see a big button that says "overscan".

However I'm not sure that this is some kind of hardware setting that will stay activated when you put the card in another box afterwards...
Hehe... thanks for the info - though I'm in Germany I use an english Windows version :p

[Trahald]

as stated , it depends on the video.. i have a 2000xp and cant play the 1080 hdtv samples on microsofts website. (it struggles on most of the 720 stuff)

[ppera2]

Originally posted by Trahald
as stated , it depends on the video.. i have a 2000xp and cant play the 1080 hdtv samples on microsofts website. (it struggles on most of the 720 stuff)

Something is wrong, undoubtely by you. By me, on similar CPU 1080 hdtv plays fine. Weekest component is monitor.

[Soulhunter]

Link... (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=72918&perpage=20&pagenumber=1) ;)