Hi!
Maybe not really PVR related but ....
As already mentioned, I bought an ATI Saphire 9250 GraphicsCard which is fast enough for video editing, silent cause passive cooled and it gots a nice TVout Quality configurable as Theatremode in the ATI settings panel. It delivers full TV output with or without overscan.
Now I was looking for the best way connecting my PC via wire from my PC Room to my Living Room where my TVset is. I got a recommedation that a good choice would be a Wireless Transmitter/Receiver Set as this avoids any "through the wall" wire installation.
So I decided to buy such a 49,90 Euros Wireless Transmitter/Receiver Set at Conrad electronics here in germany. I'm shure such devices are also available at any bigger electronic store all around the world.
The Transmitter and Receiver:
Both got 3 chich plugs (Video,Audio-R,Audio-L) and also an Infrared transmitting option (like used if you have a Satellite Settopbox with remotecontrol).
I connected the Transmitter to My ATI's Video Out and the Motherboards Line-Out. The position of the Transmitter was choosen that it points in direction to my TVset in the Living Room. The Receiver Device is hidden behind my TVset also directed to the PC Room where the Transmitter does send the signal.
It works very well! The VideoQuality is good. Well a tiny bit more unsharp as for instance the Resolution of a mpeg signal at 704x576 will be first resized within the ATI GraphicsCard-Hardware to a PAL 800x600 Signal which finally will be analogue downscaled by the TV itself to 625 Lines (768x576) ... that shurely is responsable for that "a little" unsharper Side-Effect. But thats due the ATI Hardware Specs. Optimal would be if the GraphicsCard would only scale to the final correct 768x576 in case of PAL)
The Soundquality also is nice. A DVB Viewer Application for example which internally uses the AC3decoder Dshow filter gives a nice 2CH Signal via the Wireless Devices to my DDdecoder and so "you feel inside", well as much as as a 2CH Ac3 Signal can offer
So again a nice option even to playback mpeg4 Movies on my TVset withou these compatibility Probles as known from the actual available DVD/Divx "capable" SAP devices.
Pro:
- No complicate wire setup/installation through your appartement/House
- nice Quality
- Everything which can be played back by your PC in Overlaymode can be shown on your TVset
- The Wireless devices Set gots the option of 4 separate Wireless Signal channels to choose (importand if you use more than one set in your House)
Contra:
- As said the quality related to sharpeness is about 90% in comparison to a direct playback from a SAP - but thats due to the ATI! internal scaling.
- Only 2CH Audio can be send but the AC3filters options are quite good for several downsampling matrixes.
Videos have to be send as a 0-255 Luma Range signal (Yep! The ATI compresses the VideoSignal to TV Luma Range no matter whats the input, so an Avs script which imports a TV-Luma Xvid and forces a TV->PC Range conversion is inevitable when played back via Overlay). But thats due the ATI Hardware NOT due the Wireless Devices Hardware!
So the luma range compensation can be solved via a avs template script (DVDs often com already i 0-255 Luma range! so then its not needed) and a well downmixed ac3 2ch is good enough seen in a compromise, cause otherwise you should have to install a multicore wire through your House/Appartement
Does anyone know about an ATI tool (not only overclocking!) incl. more options for change TVout Settings like Brightness/Contrast, TV-delivered Resoltution etc.
Thanks!