Integrated Video on Media Center

[tkistre]

I want to build a Media Center with extra parts I have laying around. I will only have to purchase a few things. We just have standard cable, not digital or any premium channels. We mainly want to use it as a TIVO type recorder and be able to browse the internet while at the sofa. I will only have to buy a motherboard, PVR Card and a wireless keyboard. This is what I'm curious about.

If I purchase a motherboard with integrated video (either nVidia or VIA), and I use a Video Card To S-Video And Tv Adapter Cable, will it work as well as a separate video card with S-Video out? I found this adapter at Cyberguys and thought it would allow me to not have to purchase a separate video card. I have no experience with Media Center building, so I was hoping someone could give me advice on this. Thanks!

 

[Peter]

No they won't. These adapter cables are specifically for (ATi) cards whose main chip supports switching the VGA plug to TV-out mode. This is not something any random graphics solution can do.

There are mainboards whose integrated graphics unit does have SVideo output natively, or let you add it through a special expansion riser card. Shop around!

 

[gwag]

look at some nvidia nforce 6150 based MBS like the one below they offer component and svideo out, plus dvi and vga and about the most powerful integrated graphics. they are all micro atx and should be good for this use.
if you have an hdtv you should be set with one of these, or non hd using svideo. but the web will be fuzzy without hdtv.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813130540

 

[tkistre]

Boy, I'm glad I asked about this before purchasing. I guess I should have mentioned that I'll have to get a Socket A motherboard. I already have a AthlonXP 2500+ processor that I was planning on using for the Media Center. I guess I'll have to get a video card with S-Video or RCA out.

I saw a video card at NewEgg I was going to use. It's a nVidia FX5200 AGP 128mb card with S-Video (w/RCA adapter). Do you think this would work well? Like I said previously, we have standard cable, not digital or any premium channels. We would like to use the Media Center as a TIVO device and be able to surf the internet from the sofa.

Parts I plan on using:
Micro Inwin Case
Socket A mATX motherboard (?- brand/model)
AGP Video Card (?-brand/model)
AthlonXP 2500+ CPU
512mb DDR 333 Memory
200GB Hard Drive
Multimedia Reader w/USB
DVD Burner
Wireless Keyboard w/built in mouse

 

[tkistre]

Bump for a good word!

 

[tuteja1986]

Just buy a Graphic card with DVI port
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814153003

Just buy a very good TV Tunner card : ) and also make sure that Media center machine has about 1GB of ram and i suggest 2x 200GB in raid 0 for speed , helps with the recording tv shows and all. My Media Center machines goes :

Intel P4 2.4Ghz oc 3.2Ghz
1GB DDR OCZ value
1x 80GB HDD IDE
2x 250GB HDD Sata raid 0
Hauppauge WinTV-PVR 500 MCE
ATI 9200

its connected to network but now i just keep the machine in the spare room as i don't have to listen to its noise because XBOX 360 has media Extender which makes my life easy. So the machine don't have to be next to my TV :!

 

[tkistre]

Let me ask you a question tuteja1986. I have a standard TV with RCA inputs, not sure if it has S-Video. If I get a video card like you suggested and plug it into the RCA input, will the display be fuzzy? Do I have to have a HDTV to get a clear display? A friend of mine said that all his pictures look as good as on his computer LCD monitor, but text is fuzzy. Text around desktop icons are practically unreadable.

 

[tkistre]

BUMP for anyone who may have experience with this.

 

[tomt4535]

Originally posted by: tkistre
Let me ask you a question tuteja1986. I have a standard TV with RCA inputs, not sure if it has S-Video. If I get a video card like you suggested and plug it into the RCA input, will the display be fuzzy? Do I have to have a HDTV to get a clear display? A friend of mine said that all his pictures look as good as on his computer LCD monitor, but text is fuzzy. Text around desktop icons are practically unreadable.

Yes. The text and icons will look fuzzy using S-Video or RCA Connections due to the interlacing. Normal TV's run a 30hz interlaced refresh rate. That is, they refresh half the screen 30 times every second. HDTV's and Computer monitors run at least a 60Hz progressive refresh rate, that is they refresh the entire screen 60 times every second. The text will look clear and crisp just as any computer monitor when using a Progressive scan HDTV.

Get a video card with DVI out as well as the TV out. For now, you can use the S-Video or Composite output, then later on if/when you get a HDTV, you can use the DVI port on it.