DVD-Rom - is a decoder card worth getting?

[Taric]

Just built my system, but I don't have a DVD drive yet. I have a Geforce2 GTS video card, which I believe has some DVD hardware decoding. I really don't know much about what the decoder cards do. I have heard that they can degrade the signal by having to do pass throughs, and I just don't know if it would really do anything more than my Geforce2 card is already doing.

Thanks

 

[BCYL]

What are your system specs? And are you planning to hook your PC up to a dolby digital surround sound system?

If you current video card already decodes DVD video for you, and you are not planning to get a home threater system, then there's really no point in getting the decoder card... However you will need the decoder card to decode the 5.1 digital sound for your home threater if you are planning to hook one up (provided that your sound card does not have this feature already)...

Even if your video card does not decode DVD video, you should still be fine with a software DVD decoder if your CPU is powerful enough... But software decoders does not give you digital audio, so you still need a decoder card for full digital sound...

 

[Taric]

Sorry, here is the rest of the information on my system

PIII 700 @ 933
90GB hard drive
128 MB pc133 ram
8x4x32 cdrw
geforce2 GTS
SB Live X-Gamer
DTT2500 Surround sound speakers
CUSL2

And that about sums it up.

 

[Workin']

<< But software decoders does not give you digital audio, so you still need a decoder card for full digital sound... >>


Not true - if your sound card has a digital output (which I believe the X-gamer has) you can most likely use that if you need a Dolby Digital signal or whatever.

You don't need a decoder card with your setup unless your vid card doesn't have TV-out and you want to watch DVD's on your TV instead of your monitor. Usually software decoding looks better on a monitor anyways.

 

[bolomite]

Your cpu is definitely fast enough.

 

[tigger80]

yea any computer lower than 500 mhz you should get a decoder, but with your cpu no. Just get a good software decoder like powerDVD then you should be set

 

[mangled]

you don't need a decoder card. even if your geforce only had software rendering for DVD playback you'd be fine. My geforce 256 DDR card is software only for DVD and I have no problems watching movies at all...and I have a PIII 650.

BTW, the only X-Gamer card that supports Dolby Digital 5.1 for digital audio is the X-Gamer 5.1 The regular X-Gamer does not have support for digital audio.

 

[AMB]

You will be perfectly fine with a software decoder, my personal preferance is Power DVD 2.55.

With the 6.18 drivers, Power DVD 2.55 will support hardware assistance,

and also Dolby Digital 5.1 pass-thru with your Sb! Live, it is not decoded by the Sb Live with the non-dd5.1 versions, and I belive that the Creative speakers has a DD5.1 decoder, so you will be OK

 

[Taric]

mangled- Are you sure it doesn't support digital audio output? My card has a yellow plug on the back labelled digital i/o. I just want to make sure that I am using the card right. I have my dtt2500 hooked up through that port, so I am fairly sure that it does, but if not, I want to hook it up right.

 

[AMB]

For Dolby Digital Connection, you want to use the yellow 3.5mm digital out

 

[Workin']

Yes, mangled is incorrect about the x-gamer. Unless you want 5.1 analog outputs from your sound card. But in your case you have what you need.