Are there any videocards that have decent video quality on regular TV's?

[TazExprez]

I am building a home theater PC and plan on using it with my Sony 36" XBR WEGA. It was the first model released, so it isn't HDTV compatible. It has a component video input. I just ordered an ATI AIW 9600 Pro. I wonder if this card will have a decent video output to my TV? I just tried my Visiontek GF3 Ti500's video out and it was horrific. Then I tried the video out on my mom's Compaq laptop and it was a lot better, but still not that great. What do you guys think? Thanks for your help in advance. Btw, I don't want to get one of the higher end ATI cards because I don't want to spend too much on a videocard.

 

[TerryMathews]

Use PowerStrip, set it for 640x480, 43Hz interlaced. Should make everything look better.

 

[Peter]

Going through standard RCA or SVideo always gives you the usual 480 lines interlaced display with barely enough bandwidth for 320 pixels vertical resolution. It's in the signal's properties, not the graphics card's fault.

Now ATi are offering a component video output dongle for their cards (see ATi web site), which makes a HDTV screen look A LOT better - simply because the signal properties are much better and because the resolution ACTUALLY is a lot higher.

 

[lchen66666]

What I found SVideo is also much better and regular RCA output, but it's still not good
enough to set non-HDTV resolution 600X800. Watching DVD on TV or REALONE is
defeinitely enough.

 

[Peter]

Once again:

On regular TV, there IS NO 800x600. The NTSC TV signal is 480 visible lines. Cast in concrete. If your graphics card lets you set the resolution higher, then what you actually see is going to be an interpolation. It's pretty obvious that this isn't going to add to the display quality.

 

[TazExprez]

I'll have to get an HDTV set soon, then. Thanks for your help guys.