MPEG-2 Decoder Cards...worth it?

Printable View

10-12-2001, 07:03 PM
retrofade

MPEG-2 Decoder Cards...worth it?

I'm looking into getting an MPEG-2 decoder card. Is it worth the extra money, or do you not gain that much quality out of them? If they are worth it, which one would you reccomend? Thanks.

------------------
God Bless America...thoughts and prayers are with everyone.

AMD Athlon T-Bird 1.2 GHz 266 FSB
256 MB PC2100 DDR
EpOX 8K7A+
Elsa Gladiac GeForce2 MX
NEC MultiSync FE700 17" monitor
2 Maxtor 40 GB 7200 ATA/100 HD's
TDK VeloCD 8/4/32
Pioneer 106S 16X Slot load DVD-ROM
SB Live! Value
3Com 3C905B-TX 10/100
Windows 2K/98SE Dual Boot
10-12-2001, 08:09 PM
retrofade

*bump*

Anyone??

------------------
God Bless America...thoughts and prayers are with everyone.

AMD Athlon T-Bird 1.2 GHz 266 FSB
256 MB PC2100 DDR
EpOX 8K7A+
Elsa Gladiac GeForce2 MX
NEC MultiSync FE700 17" monitor
2 Maxtor 40 GB 7200 ATA/100 HD's
TDK VeloCD 8/4/32
Pioneer 106S 16X Slot load DVD-ROM
SB Live! Value
3Com 3C905B-TX 10/100
Windows 2K/98SE Dual Boot
10-12-2001, 08:16 PM
jubjub

I'm using a software decoder with my GF2 MX. I can't see how the quality could be better. If you had an underpowered system, then you could consider it, but I wouldn't waste the money

------------------
He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice.
-Albert Einstein
10-12-2001, 08:19 PM
retrofade

That's kinda the direction I was leaning...

Thanks

------------------
God Bless America...thoughts and prayers are with everyone.

AMD Athlon T-Bird 1.2 GHz 266 FSB
256 MB PC2100 DDR
EpOX 8K7A+
Elsa Gladiac GeForce2 MX
NEC MultiSync FE700 17" monitor
2 Maxtor 40 GB 7200 ATA/100 HD's
TDK VeloCD 8/4/32
Pioneer 106S 16X Slot load DVD-ROM
SB Live! Value
3Com 3C905B-TX 10/100
Windows 2K/98SE Dual Boot
10-12-2001, 10:02 PM
LouIII

Hardware decoding would help if you're displaying the video on a large screen TV. For a regular monitor and a modern system like yours, software decoding is fine.

Then there's always the Radeon video card option with excellent hardware decoding built in.

------------------
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
--Arthur C. Clarke

PIII 800 | ASUS CUBX-E | 256MB CAS2 RAM | 30GB Quantum Fireball Plus AS | Leadtek WinFast GeForce256 32 MB DDR | Philips Rhythmic Edge | Pioneer 106S DVD-ROM | Acer Future Keyboard | MS Intellimouse Trackball | Windows 98 | ADSL