Video cards with matrox-style video out?

[Paul Hutchings]

I currently run a Matrox G450 with twin analog outputs.

One goes to my TFT, the other goes to my TV via s-video.

I'm looking at getting a 19" TFT and figured it'd be a good time to get a
video card with DVI outputs - I know matrox have a good rep for 2D but I
think 1280x1024 would probably show some loss of quality vs a DVI?

Anyway, one of the things I like about the matrox is that you tell it the
second output is being used as a TV-output and if you play a video/DVD the
only thing that gets output to the TV is the video signal, no desktop or
any extra junk.

Any suggestions on a cheap AGP card that does this? There seem to be a load
of cheap ATI/Nvidia cards but I'm not sure how their video out works.. the
Matrox cards seem a little pricey in comparison.

Not into 3D games and if i do play them I tend to stick to 800x600 as
otherwise i seem to get motion sickness?!

TIA,
Paul

 

[Alien Zord]

I currently run a Matrox G450 with twin analog outputs.

One goes to my TFT, the other goes to my TV via s-video.

I'm looking at getting a 19" TFT and figured it'd be a good time to get a
video card with DVI outputs - I know matrox have a good rep for 2D but I
think 1280x1024 would probably show some loss of quality vs a DVI?

Anyway, one of the things I like about the matrox is that you tell it the
second output is being used as a TV-output and if you play a video/DVD the
only thing that gets output to the TV is the video signal, no desktop or
any extra junk.

Any suggestions on a cheap AGP card that does this? There seem to be a load
of cheap ATI/Nvidia cards but I'm not sure how their video out works.. the
Matrox cards seem a little pricey in comparison.

Not into 3D games and if i do play them I tend to stick to 800x600 as
otherwise i seem to get motion sickness?!

My 17" NEC LCD 1280 x 1024 pixels is fed by Matrox G450eTV's analogue
output. I tried a more up to date card with DVI interface but it would not
allow colour temperature calibration so I went back to analogue. There was
absolutely no difference in display sharpness and quality between DVI and
analogue modes.

 

[Paul Hutchings]

My 17" NEC LCD 1280 x 1024 pixels is fed by Matrox G450eTV's analogue
output. I tried a more up to date card with DVI interface but it would
not allow colour temperature calibration so I went back to analogue.
There was absolutely no difference in display sharpness and quality
between DVI and analogue modes.

That's interesting.. I know matrox have a bloody good reputation for
"clean" signal output versus some of the cheaper cards, I guess i just
figured it'd be visibly noticable at that resolution, maybe not then.

regards
Paul

 

[Alien Zord]

That's interesting.. I know matrox have a bloody good reputation for
"clean" signal output versus some of the cheaper cards, I guess i just
figured it'd be visibly noticable at that resolution, maybe not then.

The only negative side of the G450 is that at 1280 x 1024 scrolling in Adobe
Acrobat is a bit slow. Everything else is OK by me (I don't play games).

 

[Karl]

I had a G450, now a FX5800 and I'm not pleased with the DVD image quality at
all.