DVD/MPEG decoder versus regular video card

[meirman]

My friend gives me a lot of old hardware, but usually no explanation
to go with it.

When he upgraded many computers he gave me various "video cards".

One is labelled DVD/MPEG-2 decoder. Do I need this to play dvd's? I
thought if I had a DVD drive and the right software, that would do it.
Does this card eliminate the need for software?
(It's a REALmagic 8300. It has a lot of jacks. Line out,
digital out, tv out, and vga in (in addition to the 15 pin monitor
out. )

Another is labelled Murex 3DVD Rev. 2.0 but googling on "Murex
video" gave nothing related to computers. Will the drivers included
with win98 let such a card work? Will DVD software from some other
vendor work with this card -- I mean a best guess answer.

Another one is a Canopus PURE3D. It only has the monitor out jack and
vga in, but if I'm not going to use other jacks, I guess that's
enough.

Another was an AGP video card. My board has a slot for that. On
average, is AGP better? (The card is not here right now, and I don't
remember the make or model. I can get it.)

Any helpful comments are appreciated. Thanks for any help.


Meirman

 

[David Maynard]

My friend gives me a lot of old hardware, but usually no explanation
to go with it.

When he upgraded many computers he gave me various "video cards".

One is labelled DVD/MPEG-2 decoder. Do I need this to play dvd's?

No, if the computer is powerful enough.

I
thought if I had a DVD drive and the right software, that would do it.

It will, if the computer is powerful enough to decode the DVD video on the
fly with software. And anything resembling recent manufacture will.

Does this card eliminate the need for software?

Yes. It's purpose is to offload decoding from the CPU.

(It's a REALmagic 8300. It has a lot of jacks. Line out,
digital out, tv out, and vga in (in addition to the 15 pin monitor
out. )

Another is labelled Murex 3DVD Rev. 2.0 but googling on "Murex
video" gave nothing related to computers. Will the drivers included
with win98 let such a card work?

Unlikely Windows has built in drivers but who knows?

Will DVD software from some other
vendor work with this card -- I mean a best guess answer.

Throw a dart, toss a coin, or whatever means of guessing you prefer. With
no information at all one guess is as good as another.

Another one is a Canopus PURE3D. It only has the monitor out jack and
vga in, but if I'm not going to use other jacks, I guess that's
enough.

http://www.3dgw.com/review/pure3d/pure3dreview.htm
http://www.quake2.com/qw/Pure3D.htm

Probably too old to be of much use.

Another was an AGP video card. My board has a slot for that. On
average, is AGP better?

For 3D and gaming, yes. For 2D (office apps) is doesn't really matter (vs a
PCI card).

 

[Ruel Smith]

To keep things short and sweet, DVD hardware decoder cards were used back
when computers were slower (500 MHz P3's) and software decoding wasn't so
good. Now, computers are much faster and software decoding has come a very
long way. Basically, it's an obsolete piece of hardware.

 

[meirman]

In alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt on Wed, 16 Mar 2005 19:06:35 -0600

No, if the computer is powerful enough.


It will, if the computer is powerful enough to decode the DVD video on the
fly with software. And anything resembling recent manufacture will.

This new (to me) cpu is an Athlon 800 Mhz. Powerful enough?

Yes. It's purpose is to offload decoding from the CPU.

Thanks. I get it. Like a real modem instead of a winmodem. (Except
that real modems are still better than winmodems, but people don't use
these cards much anymore)

This one gave one long beep and three short ones, which I know you
know means bad video. I replaced the card with a simpler (older?)
one, and I've got video now. (When I get the rest working, I'll
revisit the video.)

Unlikely Windows has built in drivers but who knows?

I get it.

Throw a dart, toss a coin, or whatever means of guessing you prefer. With
no information at all one guess is as good as another.
OK.

http://www.3dgw.com/review/pure3d/pure3dreview.htm
http://www.quake2.com/qw/Pure3D.htm

Probably too old to be of much use.

OK. I'm looking at the webpages anyhow.

For 3D and gaming, yes. For 2D (office apps) is doesn't really matter (vs a
PCI card).

I really don't do gaming or 3D. I didn't think the guy who gave me
these cards did either. (There was this one plus I found another
he gave me a year ago. This stuff is mostly from 1998, but it's
better than what I have.)

Thanks a lot.


Meirman

 

[meirman]

In alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt on Wed, 16 Mar 2005 20:47:34 -0500

To keep things short and sweet, DVD hardware decoder cards were used back
when computers were slower (500 MHz P3's) and software decoding wasn't so
good. Now, computers are much faster and software decoding has come a very
long way. Basically, it's an obsolete piece of hardware.

Thanks a lot.

Well, what I am assembling now uses an Athlon 800 Mhz. Powerful
enough?

Meirman

 

[T Shadow]

In alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt on Wed, 16 Mar 2005 20:47:34 -0500


Thanks a lot.

Well, what I am assembling now uses an Athlon 800 Mhz. Powerful
enough?

Meirman

I have a 300MHZ P2 that came with a software decoder. It doesn't even have
Fast Forward so I'm guessing it's the practical minimum.
HTH

 

[David Maynard]

In alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt on Wed, 16 Mar 2005 19:06:35 -0600



This new (to me) cpu is an Athlon 800 Mhz. Powerful enough?
Sure



Thanks. I get it. Like a real modem instead of a winmodem. (Except
that real modems are still better than winmodems, but people don't use
these cards much anymore)

That's a fair analogy.

This one gave one long beep and three short ones, which I know you
know means bad video. I replaced the card with a simpler (older?)
one, and I've got video now. (When I get the rest working, I'll
revisit the video.)

REALMagic doesn't have an '8300' listed on their web site but if I am
guessing right that's not a display card to begin with so it isn't
surprising you'd get beep errors. The usual way add-on 'decoders' work is
in conjunction with a display card, which is what the "vga in" you
mentioned is for. The display card does it's normal stuff and is "pass
through" connected to the decoder card which can then inject it's decoded
stuff into the video that comes back out the VGA connector to your monitor.

I get it.

Google can't find *anything* hardware related in conjunction with the name
"murex", much less a "3DVD", and nobody on ebay is selling a "murex"
anything in computer hardware or consumer electronics either (plenty of
murex sea shells though). A "murex" search on Windrivers.com,
winguides.com, et all, gets huh? If it's that rare a beast it's unlikely
Windows comes bundled with drivers for it.

 

[meirman]

My friend doesn't do gaming, but he probably bought these cards so he
could connect his PC to the TV. That he does, up north and at his
mother's down South.

They are old, but I'm runing several years behind the times. I may be
able to use one or two of them.

What gets me is that he gives me the hardware, but never the CD that
came with them.

When I ask gently, that doesn't work, and it seems rude to be more
insistent.

Thanks again.

In alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt on Thu, 17 Mar 2005 11:46:11 -0600

That's a fair analogy.



REALMagic doesn't have an '8300' listed on their web site but if I am
guessing right that's not a display card to begin with so it isn't
surprising you'd get beep errors. The usual way add-on 'decoders' work is
in conjunction with a display card, which is what the "vga in" you
mentioned is for. The display card does it's normal stuff and is "pass
through" connected to the decoder card which can then inject it's decoded
stuff into the video that comes back out the VGA connector to your monitor.



Google can't find *anything* hardware related in conjunction with the name
"murex", much less a "3DVD", and nobody on ebay is selling a "murex"
anything in computer hardware or consumer electronics either (plenty of
murex sea shells though). A "murex" search on Windrivers.com,
winguides.com, et all, gets huh? If it's that rare a beast it's unlikely
Windows comes bundled with drivers for it.

Meirman

 

[John Doe]

To keep things short and sweet, DVD hardware decoder cards were
used back when computers were slower (500 MHz P3's) and software
decoding wasn't so good. Now, computers are much faster and
software decoding has come a very long way. Basically, it's an
obsolete piece of hardware.

On the Windows 95 CD there was a Rob Roy video. Back then I had a
386/486. I used that video as a benchmark while upgrading. I stopped
that years ago after more than about nine instances could be tiled
on the monitor all very smooth with audio going at the same time
(staggered to produce an echo). How sweet it is.

I wonder why Microsoft stopped allowing multiple instances of Media
Player.

 

[David Maynard]

My friend doesn't do gaming, but he probably bought these cards so he
could connect his PC to the TV. That he does, up north and at his
mother's down South.

Certainly makes sense.

 

[meirman]

In alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt on Thu, 17 Mar 2005 15:34:17 GMT "T

Ihave a 300MHZ P2 that came with a software decoder. It doesn't even have
Fast Forward so I'm guessing it's the practical minimum.
HTH

Yes, it helps too. I'm upgrading from a 200MHz processor so 800 seems
fast to me. Even 300 would be an improvement.



Meirman