HTPC video card recommendations?

[Ronin]

I built a new PC for our living room as an HTPC.   I used a BFG GeForce 7300 (fanless) as the video card.  I must say I'm not happy with the video out.  I'm using the S-Video output and the picture has obvious vertical banding in it.

Can anyone recommend a better video card (also fanless) for use with an HTPC.  It has to be Windows MCE compatible.

Cheers all!

[MindlessOath]

http://www.mythtv.org/
thats a great place to look! its a linux distrabution for htpc spacifically.  but they have resources on the site that can help u with picking out hardware that may help..


... http://www.mythtv.org/docs/mythtv-HOWTO-3.html
and http://pvrhw.goldfish.org/tiki-view_articles.php

[DaSmerg]

Why does the card have to be fanless btw?

[Ronin]

It has to be fanless because it will sit next to my chair in the living room.  I don't want a loud machine and video card fans are notoriously loud.

I don't care at all about 3D performance.  I just want a card that will do a good video out image and can do MPEG video decoding/acceleration.  I don't even care about HD at this point since my TV is only a 27 inch analog unit.

[DaSmerg]

The 7600GS has a passive heat sink version.  I'm assuming you'd see something similiar from same ATI range card as well.

[MindlessOath]

ati ended the all in wonder cards, but the x1xxx version was the last if i remember correctly. it was a full gaming card with the all in wonder features... however i belive most of the aiw features require the use of propriatary software from ati, or expensive software from adobe (im not 100% sure on its support from other venders).

my AIW is really old, but it worked for what i did back in the day. it wasnt hdtv so the quality was poor. the new version i belive does have HDTV but im not sure cause i havent used it.

i think ati is going to get better drivers and software support, but im not so sure that will come to the windows realm... right now they amd/ati are releasing information for open sourcing there drivers for linux and im not sure if that translates to windows... so mabe 3rd party vendors may be able to use that info to make htcp software instead of ati's software (tho the aiw line is no longer, im not sure). most of the aiw features are retained in newer version of ati cards anyways (i belive?).

[Ronin]

I have a dual Hauppauge tuner card. So, I don't want a video card with a tuner.  I already have a superior tuner card.

The problem I'm having with the 7300 is the vertical banding in the S-Video signal.  It looks terrible.  It's awful in 800x600 mode and still quite noticable in 1024x768 mode (the only modes available for video out).

I need a card that someone here has seen the S-Video out and it's CLEAN.

Thanks!

[DaSmerg]

IMHO Ronin...I think the trouble might be the 7300.  When you look at Nvidia's line up, the 7300 is at the bottom of the newer cards.

The problem is going to be finding a decent performer that fits into your defined need to have a fanless setup...do you really find the fan on a mid-range vid card to be that noticable btw?  We aren't talking some overclocked or superclocked guy either here, just a decent vid card that will handle a few things and be relatively quiet for a HTPC?

Like a posted above, after a little seach, I saw a couple manufacturers offer the 7600 (next step up from 7300) with passive cooling solutions.  I'm thinking you should be able to find something similiar from the ATI side of the fence.

Maybe do some digging on specs and maybe you'll get (lucky) decibel or sone ratings for some vid cards?

[MindlessOath]

be carefull with the nvidia cards...
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=42430

they seem to be cheating and have less quality.

i know for a fact that ati has always had there newer gen cards with great video compaired to the nvidia flavor.

the lower end 2600 and or 2400 are great for video if thats what your looking for, but they are definatly not great gaming cards.

[Ronin]

Thanks, great video is all I'm looking for with this card.  I don't care at all about 3D performance.  It will be running Windows XP MCE and all I'm using the card for is video out.  Nothing else.

And, yes, it _must_ be fanless.  The box sits about two feet away from me and I can hear everything.  The only fan in the box right now is the CPU fan (Zalman CP9700) and it's _very_ quiet.  I can hear the hard drive seek a little.  And the optical drive when it runs.  but otherwise the machine is silent.  And that's important for an HTPC.  To me, anyway.

Thanks for the responses, guys.  It seems I should probably checkout an ATI card for the video out.

[MindlessOath]

ya i think for video out right now ati is great. i was thinking about doing dual monitors but i belive nvidia would be better for that because ati doesnt do any good software implimenation for dual monitors.

matrox used to be great for tv out, and i think it may still be the best (mabe ati has an edge right now with its hdtv output. matrox also great for 3 monitor support!

here is something new.

"Matrox TripleHead2Go Digital Edition",
http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTM5MywxLCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==

Multi-display gaming has never looked so good. We evaluate the new Matrox TrippleHead2Go Digital Edition which spreads your games across multiple-displays. We will look at features, show screenshots, test performance including SLI, and share our gameplay experiences.

and ya i know its off topic