Best card for DVD playback?

[SLPFirehawk]

I am looking at two different video cards for a new system. Which card would be the best for DVD playback? I've been looking at the Matrox G450 and ATI Radeon 64MB VIVO (or should I go with the Radeon All-In-Wonder). Which one would be more stable in Win98SE? Win2k?

Are there any other cards that would work well too? The only games I would play are NASCAR racing type games...

 

[jinglingxl]

I have the Radeom AIW, it got some great Dvd support.

 

[Taz4158]

The Radeon has what is usually accepted as the finest DVD playback in the industry.

 

[pidge]

If you can use PowerDVD software. It is the best software for DVD playback, even better than ATI's DVD player. With nice headphones, the newest PowerDVD 3.0 sounds great in surround sound mode.

 

[SweetMuffin]

Easy answer. Radeon.

 

[Oli]

Easy: Radeon
Pidge: With nice headphones, the newest PowerDVD 3.0 sounds great in surround sound mode.
Surround with headphones ??

 

[pidge]

Its a virtual surround sound mode. I only tried it once so i forgot how it was labled as. I just think PowerDVD is the best looking software DVD player I have ever seen with some really cool features.

 

[TravisBickle]

simulator games are not as demanding of frame power as first person shooters.
but also, DVD does not pose hardware problems for modern class cpus and graphics cards. your choice is wider than you believe!
the matrox has a nice dvd mode but for games it is too crippled and outdated a core.
ATi does not do the best DVD player (I saw it). Hercules are bundling power dvd with their prophet mx, and they also do a tvout model. this is the card I would look at.

I notice with racing games that 3d artefacts and jaggedness are unsightly, and fsaa works better on geforce cards (see anandtech news and reviews for lots of links)

 

[Taz4158]

Bickle he was not talking about the SOFTWARE, rather which card provides by HARDWARE means the best DVD playback. And you don't even OWN the Radeon, you changed your mind because of their REPUTATION for bad driver support. Your knocking a card you've never even owned! You really might want to refocus certain energies.

 

[Oli]

FYI I owned a Geforce (Prophet 3D) and in the package they say they bundled a soft DVD viewer (don't remember the name as I burned it with the card, in the CD there are a folder with the name of the DVD but no programs or files in that folder.
LOL

 

[pidge]

NVIDIA, ATI, doesn't matter to much unless you are using a Pentium II 400 or below or any AMD K6 processors. Both NVIDIA and ATI are both excellent for DVD, although ATI's use less of your CPU's resource. But I would highly recommend PowerDVD for DVD viewing over the ATI DVD player.

 

[BaTTo]

Pidge is right for a change.. :Q
Sorround sound through Dolby Headphone in PowerDVD 3.0 makes for an awesome sorround experience.

 

[TravisBickle]

oh Taz, you poor baby

 

[Taz4158]

<< Sorround sound through Dolby Headphone in PowerDVD 3.0 makes for an awesome sorround experience. >>


That it does.

 

[Comp10]

The Radeon will without question give you the best DVD playback. I've used my computer and monitor as the center of my home theatre for quite a while now and the Radeon's quality blows away every other software decoder i've used(which is all of them ). As for the AIW, you don't really need it unless you want a TV tuner, but even then I would suggest that you use a cheap VCR as your TV tuner and take advantage of the VIVO functions of the Radeon(i've found that you get much better picture quality this way vs a typical TV tuner).

 

[Techno]

Radeon 64 ViVo = Have it, Love it

 

[pigmode]

In what way exactly is the Radeon better for DVD playback?

 

[miniMUNCH]

Radeon DVD and nVIDIA DVD picture are equal??...and I though my eye sight was bad?!!

I haven't read a single article comparing DVD quality between cards that dosn't proclaim ATI the winner. Hell! A rage fury has better DVD quality than any nVIDIA card. I've watched DVD's on a visiontek ultra running winDVD and it didn't come close to my Radeon IMO. My friend, the ultra owner, felt the same way and dumped his ultra in favor of a Radeon 64 for DVD and generally superior image quality.

I going to have try Power DVD though... I've been using ATI DVD player and/or winDVD.

 

[TravisBickle]

I have seen several ATi cards because I do actually get out and know people! the dvd player isn't as good as the latest power DVD. also, you really don't want to pay for the DVD player separately, it works out uneconomical, like $40. basically what I am trying to say is that I don't think it's worth getting hung up on dvd performance as if few modern cards can really do the job.

(sorry, maybe the voodoo 5 isn't so great for it)

 

[Biggs]

ATI is king of DVD playback and that's all I have to say 'bout that.

 

[Bigdude]

I have used software dvd, with the voodoo3 and Viper2, both work great on a Thunderbird 800.