Video Card with Hi-Def out support?

[Elaine]

Hi All,

I'm looking at buying a mini-pc to replace my current DVD player.

I've been eyeing the VIA EPIA boards, but I am unable to tell what would
give me the hi-def output that my current DVD player supports (component
video).

The stats say the board has:
+ 1 RCA port (SPDIF or TV out)
+ 1 S-Video port
+ 1 VGA port

Is this enough to somehow get hi-def out?
If not, can someone suggest a small form factor board with hi-def output?


Thanks,


-Elaine

 

[Digital Video Solutions]

Your current DVD player is not Hi-Def. Component output is not Hi-Def - just
a cleaner output signal.

 

[Elaine]

Your current DVD player is not Hi-Def. Component output is not Hi-Def
- just a cleaner output signal.

I guess I'm even more ignorant about this than I thought.

How do you get a hi-def signal source to an HDTV ready TV?

The TV manual (Sony Wega) implied that the component video was the key.

Is there some key words that imply Hi-Definition or does it have to
actually say so on the DVD/Video Card box?

- Elaine

 

[Mike Kujbida]

I guess I'm even more ignorant about this than I thought.

How do you get a hi-def signal source to an HDTV ready TV?

The TV manual (Sony Wega) implied that the component video was the
key.

Is there some key words that imply Hi-Definition or does it have to
actually say so on the DVD/Video Card box?

- Elaine

You're not ignorant Elaine, just a victim of a good sales pitch (store
and/or brochure). A friend of mine went through exactly what you're going
through when he bought (what sounds like) the same set for Christmas. I
went through hell convincing him that he wasn't seeing "true" hi-def from
his DVD player. The other bull sh** Sony has in the Wega brochure is that
S-video is better than component. Wrong again!!
As of this moment in time, the only hi-def signal that your Wegas is
capable of receiving is a TV signal, whether it be over the air, cable or
satellite. Even then, your Wega must have an HD tuner to be able to receive
and decode this signal.

Mike

 

[J. Clarke]

You're not ignorant Elaine, just a victim of a good sales pitch (store
and/or brochure). A friend of mine went through exactly what you're going
through when he bought (what sounds like) the same set for Christmas. I
went through hell convincing him that he wasn't seeing "true" hi-def from
his DVD player. The other bull sh** Sony has in the Wega brochure is that
S-video is better than component. Wrong again!!
As of this moment in time, the only hi-def signal that your Wegas is
capable of receiving is a TV signal, whether it be over the air, cable or
satellite. Even then, your Wega must have an HD tuner to be able to
receive and decode this signal.

A DVD does not have a "true Hi-Def" image recorded so no matter what output
it uses it's not going to get better than DVD quality.

Component, DVD, and HDMI can all carry "true Hi-Def" (i.e. 1080x1920 or one
of the other standard HD resolutions) if the source supports those
resolutions. This is how HD set top boxes, cable boxes, etc attach to HD
TV sets.

And I doubt that Sony claims that S-video is "better" than "component". I
think you may be confusing component and composite.

 

[Richard Crowley]

Hi All,

I'm looking at buying a mini-pc to replace my current DVD player.

I've been eyeing the VIA EPIA boards, but I am unable to tell what
would
give me the hi-def output that my current DVD player supports
(component
video).

The stats say the board has:
+ 1 RCA port (SPDIF or TV out)
+ 1 S-Video port
+ 1 VGA port

Is this enough to somehow get hi-def out?
If not, can someone suggest a small form factor board with hi-def
output?

Do you have "hi-def" DVDs to play?

 

[chrisv]

How do you get a hi-def signal source to an HDTV ready TV?

With component video cables, which easily handles analog HDTV signals.
Or DVI/HDMI if both ends of the connection support those.

 

[Da Choppa]

Do you have "hi-def" DVDs to play?

\


Isn't there a hi-def Terminator (1? 2?) on one of the terminator bonus
discs that's in true hi-def?

of course, it's not in DVD format, it's a dvd-rom



STRATEGY

 

[chrisv]

A DVD does not have a "true Hi-Def" image recorded so no matter what output
it uses it's not going to get better than DVD quality.

And it's getting even more muddy with these new DVD players that
up-sample to 1080i. It still ain't HD, folks!

Component, DVD, and HDMI can all carry "true Hi-Def" (i.e. 1080x1920 or one
of the other standard HD resolutions) if the source supports those
resolutions. This is how HD set top boxes, cable boxes, etc attach to HD
TV sets.

You meant to say "DVI", not "DVD", of course.

DVI is just like HDMI sans the audio signals. HDMI is an evolved from
of DVI, if you will. They use different connectors, but can play
together using an adaptor cable.

And I doubt that Sony claims that S-video is "better" than "component". I
think you may be confusing component and composite.

Agreed.

 

[chrisv]

With component video cables, which easily handles analog HDTV signals.
Or DVI/HDMI if both ends of the connection support those.

As a side note, component video cable is simply ordinary, dirt-cheap,
75 ohm coax with RCA connectors on the ends. Don't let yourself be
ripped-off by "Monster" cable.