Re: Svideo / Graphics card help - again....

["Chris Deighton" <Chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Dean,

I once had a Matrox G400 which had two outputs. It was possible to set
up one output for VGA and one for composite. There was the option to
mirror the display between the two, or alternatively to use something
Matrox call 'DVDMAX'. Copying from the Matrox website:

"DVDMax allows independent full-screen playback of a DVD to a monitor
or TV leaving a fully accessible Windows=AE desktop on the primary
display, even when the DVD application window is minimized.
Additionally, it ensures the highest quality of playback on a TV by
maintaining the DVD's native resolution during full-screen
output=97no
quality-reducing scaling required."

As I recall, this produced a much better picture than is achievable
from a 'normal' graphics card composite output. I guess other
manufacturers than Matrox may also have features like this, but I've
never looked for them.

However, my current solution is slightly different (and produces a
better picture). I have installed a Sigma Designs X-Card
(http://www.sigmadesigns.com/products/xcard.htm)
and run TVedia
(http://www.8dim.com/products/).
This has the advantage that the
X-Card has a hardware MPEG 2 and 4 decoder with direct composite and
svideo output, much the same as any standard consumer DVD player. The
picture quality from this system is identical to a normal DVD player -
there's none of the fuzzy scaling or scan rate conversion problems
that seem to plague most PC to TV solutions. The other advantage is
that TVedia and the X-Card run completely separately from your normal
Windows desktop. It may even be possible (although I've never tried)
to play one video through TVedia and the X-Card, while simultaneously
playing a different video through Zoomplayer on your normal graphics
card.

I currently have the X-Card in a Mini-ITX box, so that the composite
output from the onboard graphics can display a 'status' screen (time,
weather, etc.) while the X-Card independently outputs the composite
video and analog audio for DVD/DivX playback from TVedia. Works a
treat! A possible downside in your case is that you won't be able to
display Mainlobby through the X-Card, although maybe this isn't
important to you?

So, not sure I've answered your questions directly, but hopefully I've
given you a few leads to follow up on!

Cheers,

Chris.