Nvidia 6600 HDTV Output Better than the 6800?

SupaFox asks: "I was reading through the specs of the soon to be released Nvidia GeForce 6600 and on the last line of the features and benefits page it reads: 'Integrated HDTV Encoder Provides world-class HDTV-out functionality up to and including 1920x1080i resolutions.' I don't see this listed explicitly on the features page for the potentially more expensive 6800. Does that mean using a 6600 is a better option for someone building a media center or HTPC or getting a fancy new LCD or Plasma display as a primary or secondary display option for a PC or is the 6800 just as good? Any thoughts?"

6800 has HDTV

[tao_of_biology]

According to this link [nvidia.com], the GEFORCE 6800 has DVD and HDTV-ready MPEG-2 decoding up to 1920x1080i resolutions. So, it looks like it has the same HDTV capabilities.

This doesn't mean it's not the better choice for a media center, but it looks like it has the HDTV stuff.

Re:6800 has HDTV

[recursiv]

One comment has completely answered the question!
I think this is a new record for ask slashdot.

Re:6800 has HDTV

[GoRK]

Except the poster completely misread the question and answered a one that was not asked.... Of course it can decode HDTV! It's just (basically) MPEG2. Most recent GPU's are capable of the feat (if there is support from drivers and software to do so, of course)

Re:6800 has HDTV

[krazed]

HDTV output, not hdtv-ready.

The 6600 "Provides world-class HDTV-out functionality up to and including 1920x1080i resolutions." [nvidia.com] The 6800 does not.

Better link for 6800 and HDTV output

[tao_of_biology]

Check out this link [extremetech.com]. It lists HDTV Output (720p, 1080i, 480p, CGMS) as a feature of the 6800.

Hopefully this more directly addresses the issue.

is it possible to get widescreen resoluitons?

[dcstimm]

is it possible to get widescreen resoluitons with current nvidia cards or ati cards? I work for compusa and I keep running into the problem where a manager wants to display a computer on a plasma but the resolution is streched. Any Ideas?

Re:is it possible to get widescreen resoluitons?

[Elwood P Dowd]

I assume you've tried opening the "Display Properties" screen, clicking the "Advanced" button on the settings tab, and then clicking on the "List All Modes..." button on the adapter tab, right?

That would be my first guess. Sometimes folks only try the slider...

Re:is it possible to get widescreen resoluitons?

[BoneMarrow]

http://tvtool.info/index_e.htm

Re:is it possible to get widescreen resoluitons?

[chriso11]

I don't think it is possible for someone who works at CompUSA to actually configure a video card.

Even if the person knows how to do it, once they enter CompUSA, all skillz fade away...

Re:is it possible to get widescreen resoluitons?

[Anonymous Coward]

Find and download a program called Powerstrip. It allows custom resolutions of any sort, and custom signal timing parameters as well. It's not free, but I think CompUSA can afford $30.

A 6800 for a HTPC?!

[Cthefuture]

Just curious. Why?

There are cheaper cards that can do media decoding. Plus all those high-end card have huge honking loud-ass fans on them.

Are you going to be running Doom3 on it or something?

I use low-end GeForce cards for my arcade machines (like the GF4-440; no fans!) and for my HTPC I use the PVR-350 output... wonderful card that. You see, all that stuff is just 2D output which isn't really that different from low to high-end.

Re:A 6800 for a HTPC?!

[Punboy]

They want the high-quality real-time hardware mpeg2 decoding for their HDTV. can you get the HUGE resolution they'er talking about from a lowend card? No...

Existing cards with DVI on DVI-capable TVs

[Gangis]

I'm interested in this as well. My Philips 34" widescreen HDTV supports DVI-D input, and I want to build a HTPC. I guess a better question for me would be, could I use any DVI-capable video card, as long as it can display the 1920x1080 interlaced resolution? I do know that most DVI capable cards are DVI-I, which can output in both DVI-A and DVI-D. Any thoughts?

Re:Existing cards with DVI on DVI-capable TVs

[acxr is wasted]

I find it very amusing that you're asking for advice concerning your 34" HDTV, and yet your sig says "Help out a poor college kid! [freeflatscreens.com]"

Just do 540P

[cs668]

Most video cards will do fine if you just think of 1080I as 540P. So both cards would do that just fine.

Re:Just do 540P

[Cloud 9]

Most video cards will do fine if you just think of 1080I as 540P. So both cards would do that just fine.

It usually doesn't work that way. Most TVs will down-convert any resolution under 1080i at 480p, including 540p.

Re:Just do 540P

[cs668]

The TV can not tell the difference between 1080I and 540P. 1080I is just sending odd scanlines in one frame and even in the next. That means 540P looks just like 1080I to the TV.

Sometimes the video drivers do not support interlaced modes and then you can set the resolution to 1920x540 and get the TV to sync at 1080I.

Re:Just do 540P

[Cloud 9]

Sometimes the video drivers do not support interlaced modes and then you can set the resolution to 1920x540 and get the TV to sync at 1080I.

I suggest you try it sometime.

Re:Just do 540P

[cs668]

I do!! 540P is detected as 1080I and works very well.

I just hooked up to the component inputs and presto. And no this is not some LCD that is adjusting for my mistake it is a rear projection Sony that is taking the signal on the component inputs.

Re:Just do 540P

[Cloud 9]

What's the model number?

Re:Just do 540P

[cs668]

KP 53 XBR300

I think I could not find the manual. It is a 4x3 rear projection set that does vertical compression of the 1080I input so that you end up seeing a letterboxed image.

AVS Forum has an HTPC sub forum

[angle_slam]

AVS Forum [avsforum.com] is a very large forum dedicated solely to audio video systems. They have a separate sub forum dedicated to HTPCs [avsforum.com]. While this particular question appears to have been answered elsewhere in this thread, in general, you'll get more helpful advice for A/V related questions from AVS forum than you will from slashdot.