booji
11th January 2002, 18:20
I've been intending to buy a new PC for ages now but with more powerfull processors/video cards comming out I decided to wait until an affordable PC was able to encode DIVX in realtime from a DVD. It looks like this has happened.
I have worked out what general system I want but I am still stuck on the graphics card. I am not a gamer but in my current system I have a pinnacle PCTV TV and capture card. I have had a good fun with this using vitualdub etc to capture things with but it is limited, especially with a run-of the-mill video card. In my next system I want a TV O/P to watch Divx, a TV capture device to capture in high quality for backing-up my VHS videos and for off air live TV recording in full frame high quality.
Do I buy a mid-range video card with a TV o/p. I'm thinking of something reasonably fast like a MX400, Kyro4500, ATI 7500. I would then need a video capture card. The trouble is there are too many out there for me to decide. I've looked at the pinnacle Dc10+ but i've heard that it cannot capture using the huffy codec since it will only support mjpeg capture.
I am also aware that ATI have the new 8500 with a built in TV tuner. It will be a bit expensive the the UK but It will combine the best of everything and will save money since I will only need one item intead of two. Is macrovision enabled on this item and can it be taken off.
The third type of mannufacture would be something from Dazzle, but I might find it difficult to perchase this card in the UK there may be problems using some of these cards with an athlon XP (the system I will be getting).
As you can tell I'm still floundering when it comes to making a decision. I am thinking on spending up to £300 ($420 USD) on this.
Any advise would be wellcome.
I have worked out what general system I want but I am still stuck on the graphics card. I am not a gamer but in my current system I have a pinnacle PCTV TV and capture card. I have had a good fun with this using vitualdub etc to capture things with but it is limited, especially with a run-of the-mill video card. In my next system I want a TV O/P to watch Divx, a TV capture device to capture in high quality for backing-up my VHS videos and for off air live TV recording in full frame high quality.
Do I buy a mid-range video card with a TV o/p. I'm thinking of something reasonably fast like a MX400, Kyro4500, ATI 7500. I would then need a video capture card. The trouble is there are too many out there for me to decide. I've looked at the pinnacle Dc10+ but i've heard that it cannot capture using the huffy codec since it will only support mjpeg capture.
I am also aware that ATI have the new 8500 with a built in TV tuner. It will be a bit expensive the the UK but It will combine the best of everything and will save money since I will only need one item intead of two. Is macrovision enabled on this item and can it be taken off.
The third type of mannufacture would be something from Dazzle, but I might find it difficult to perchase this card in the UK there may be problems using some of these cards with an athlon XP (the system I will be getting).
As you can tell I'm still floundering when it comes to making a decision. I am thinking on spending up to £300 ($420 USD) on this.
Any advise would be wellcome.