Highest quality cheap widescreen SSA on a HDTV?

drfish · 06-19-2002, 12:37 PM

ATI finally relased the promised DVI/VGA -> Component adapter for the Radeon 8500. Check here
for more information. AnandTech has a short write up here . Sounds to me like the cheapest way to get a super high quality widescreen aquarium on you HDTV... Now if only I had one of those...

AnandTech said it's hard to find programs that run at widscreen resolution, but the Aquarium sounds like the perfect fit to me, I'd love to see it running at 1080i or 720p on a 63" screen!

The only problem I see is that the 8500 doesn't seen to like running the the widescreen version of the aquarium... When fish swim off the right side of the screen some of their colors stripe across the entire length of the screen. (I keep forgetting to post screen shots of the problem in the bugs thread... I'll do that tonight when i get home, someone remind me.

)

feldon34 · 06-19-2002, 01:04 PM

Ideally, you want an HDTV. But at $3k a pop for one with VGA inputs... Ouch!

drfish · 06-19-2002, 01:08 PM

That's what makes this so cool, only $30!

feldon34 · 06-19-2002, 03:17 PM

Now you just need a $5,000 HDTV with DVI.

Mitsubishi will have some of the first.

I'm not exactly rooting for DVI. The whole reason why HDTV is moving to DVI is to prevent us from recording shows, fast-forwarding through commercials, and sharing HDVD-Rs with friends.

Tiny Turtle · 06-19-2002, 03:34 PM

If I'm not mistaking myself, Doc's point is that you don't need a DVI input. This thing converts the DVI signal to regular Component Video. Couldn't this mean HDTVs in a lower price range?

/Tiny Guessing

feldon34 · 06-19-2002, 06:48 PM

Ok, I'm in politicize mode.

It would help if I actually read the posting instead of just reacting.

Yes, component video is the universal HDTV connection. Even the $1,800 Mitsubishis have a darn good picture and come with 2 component video sets of connectors.

SunKing · 06-20-2002, 09:19 AM

One downside to the new ATI adapters is that they suffer from 'overscan'. You can buy a VGA to component adapter that will work on any video card (costs around $100) - combine that with Powerstrip and you're in business. That's what I did - I've posted this before - but here's a really crappy picture of my HDTV acquarium. And yes - the widescreen version works perfect on the 16:9 ratio TV.

FYI - the picture above is a screen capture from a video tape. It does not do justice to the actual display on the TV (which is cristal clear).

drfish · 06-20-2002, 10:22 AM

Thanks Tiny, yeah, that was my point.

SunKing, I bet ATI fixes this in one of the next driver revisions, they're usually good about quality video out even if their drivers aren't the greatest otherwise. I'm hoping this will change though, they seem to be committed to it.

Ricordia · 06-28-2002, 03:27 PM

Originally posted by SunKing
You can buy a VGA to component adapter that will work on any video card (costs around $100)

    Can you provide more info on the VGA to Component adapter you're using?  I've looked around for one, but haven't found any useful information about them.  For example, do they come with monitor drivers that allow video cards to display 16:9 resolutions, or do you need to buy a video card that comes with 16:9 resolution out of the box?

Ricordia

SunKing · 06-29-2002, 06:23 PM

Check out these links:

http://www.digitalconnection.com/FAQ/HDTV_4.htm

http://www.digitalconnection.com/Sup...ffnotes_17.htm

There's also a good furum here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...threadid=33207

I've seen converters on Ebay for less than $100....if you've got an HDTV set - you might as well enjoy it to it's full potential. Believe me, Jim's screen saver looks beautiful at 51 inches. And winamp visulazaions take on a new meaning.

Ricordia · 07-04-2002, 01:47 PM

SunKing,
I've been trying to hit the first two links for days now with no luck. Are you sure the URLs are correct?
The third link is a great article, but it's old (October 2000). Do you have any newerm, more relevant links? Also, what brand of converter do you have? The one from Audio Authority looks good, but it's pricey for something that will be used as little as this will be. I'd love to have the SSA running on my 65" widescreen tv, but I don't want to spend $100 on just the converter. Are there any other options, or is this the bottom line for converters?

Thanks!

Ricordia

SunKing · 07-05-2002, 07:31 AM

It looks like the 'Digital Connection' site is gone - so yeah - those first two links won't work any more.

The info in the 3rd link is probably the best - even though it's a little old - the information is still correct.

I'm using an RCA - VGA to component converter. I got it brand new for $100. ....and yeah, that's probably the cheapest you'll find a new one. However, I've had a couple people tell me they've seen some on E-bay for around $50.

Ricordia · 07-10-2002, 09:35 AM

Looks like the Digital Connection site is back! Thanks for the link SunKing, I'll be looking through this site closely.

Ricordia

Ricordia · 07-10-2002, 09:50 AM

Looks like the Digital Connection site is back! Thanks for the link SunKing, I'll be looking through this site closely.

Ricordia

06-19-2002, 12:37 PM	#1
drfish the Doc Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Zeeland, MI Posts: 5,374	Highest quality cheap widescreen SSA on a HDTV? ATI finally relased the promised DVI/VGA -> Component adapter for the Radeon 8500. Check here for more information. AnandTech has a short write up here . Sounds to me like the cheapest way to get a super high quality widescreen aquarium on you HDTV... Now if only I had one of those... AnandTech said it's hard to find programs that run at widscreen resolution, but the Aquarium sounds like the perfect fit to me, I'd love to see it running at 1080i or 720p on a 63" screen! The only problem I see is that the 8500 doesn't seen to like running the the widescreen version of the aquarium... When fish swim off the right side of the screen some of their colors stripe across the entire length of the screen. (I keep forgetting to post screen shots of the problem in the bugs thread... I'll do that tonight when i get home, someone remind me. ) I don't watch commercials.

06-19-2002, 01:04 PM	#2
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,947	Ideally, you want an HDTV. But at $3k a pop for one with VGA inputs... Ouch! "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

06-19-2002, 01:08 PM	#3
drfish the Doc Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Zeeland, MI Posts: 5,374	That's what makes this so cool, only $30! I don't watch commercials.

06-19-2002, 03:17 PM	#4
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,947	Now you just need a $5,000 HDTV with DVI. Mitsubishi will have some of the first. I'm not exactly rooting for DVI. The whole reason why HDTV is moving to DVI is to prevent us from recording shows, fast-forwarding through commercials, and sharing HDVD-Rs with friends. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

06-19-2002, 03:34 PM	#5
Tiny Turtle is pleased Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 7,365	If I'm not mistaking myself, Doc's point is that you don't need a DVI input. This thing converts the DVI signal to regular Component Video. Couldn't this mean HDTVs in a lower price range? /Tiny Guessing Thanks to Morgan, Tiny Snapshots is up and running again with "Tiny Järvafält" as the latest addition – Go have a look and tell me what you think. "We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another." /Robert Oppenheimer on witnessing the first thermonuclear detonation in history.

06-19-2002, 06:48 PM	#6
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,947	Ok, I'm in politicize mode. It would help if I actually read the posting instead of just reacting. Yes, component video is the universal HDTV connection. Even the $1,800 Mitsubishis have a darn good picture and come with 2 component video sets of connectors. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

06-20-2002, 09:19 AM	#7
SunKing Registered Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 238	HDTV aquarium One downside to the new ATI adapters is that they suffer from 'overscan'. You can buy a VGA to component adapter that will work on any video card (costs around $100) - combine that with Powerstrip and you're in business. That's what I did - I've posted this before - but here's a really crappy picture of my HDTV acquarium. And yes - the widescreen version works perfect on the 16:9 ratio TV. FYI - the picture above is a screen capture from a video tape. It does not do justice to the actual display on the TV (which is cristal clear). My humble Homepage

06-20-2002, 10:22 AM	#8
drfish the Doc Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Zeeland, MI Posts: 5,374	Thanks Tiny, yeah, that was my point. SunKing, I bet ATI fixes this in one of the next driver revisions, they're usually good about quality video out even if their drivers aren't the greatest otherwise. I'm hoping this will change though, they seem to be committed to it. I don't watch commercials.

06-28-2002, 03:27 PM	#9
Ricordia Reef Keeper Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Utah Posts: 17	Re: HDTV aquarium Originally posted by SunKing You can buy a VGA to component adapter that will work on any video card (costs around $100)     Can you provide more info on the VGA to Component adapter you're using?  I've looked around for one, but haven't found any useful information about them.  For example, do they come with monitor drivers that allow video cards to display 16:9 resolutions, or do you need to buy a video card that comes with 16:9 resolution out of the box? Ricordia

06-29-2002, 06:23 PM	#10
SunKing Registered Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 238	HDTV PC Check out these links: http://www.digitalconnection.com/FAQ/HDTV_4.htm http://www.digitalconnection.com/Sup...ffnotes_17.htm There's also a good furum here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...threadid=33207 I've seen converters on Ebay for less than $100....if you've got an HDTV set - you might as well enjoy it to it's full potential. Believe me, Jim's screen saver looks beautiful at 51 inches. And winamp visulazaions take on a new meaning. My humble Homepage

07-04-2002, 01:47 PM	#11
Ricordia Reef Keeper Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Utah Posts: 17	SunKing, I've been trying to hit the first two links for days now with no luck. Are you sure the URLs are correct? The third link is a great article, but it's old (October 2000). Do you have any newerm, more relevant links? Also, what brand of converter do you have? The one from Audio Authority looks good, but it's pricey for something that will be used as little as this will be. I'd love to have the SSA running on my 65" widescreen tv, but I don't want to spend $100 on just the converter. Are there any other options, or is this the bottom line for converters? Thanks! Ricordia

07-05-2002, 07:31 AM	#12
SunKing Registered Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 238	It looks like the 'Digital Connection' site is gone - so yeah - those first two links won't work any more. The info in the 3rd link is probably the best - even though it's a little old - the information is still correct. I'm using an RCA - VGA to component converter. I got it brand new for $100. ....and yeah, that's probably the cheapest you'll find a new one. However, I've had a couple people tell me they've seen some on E-bay for around $50. My humble Homepage

07-10-2002, 09:35 AM	#13
Ricordia Reef Keeper Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Utah Posts: 17	Looks like the Digital Connection site is back! Thanks for the link SunKing, I'll be looking through this site closely. Ricordia

07-10-2002, 09:50 AM	#14
Ricordia Reef Keeper Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Utah Posts: 17	Looks like the Digital Connection site is back! Thanks for the link SunKing, I'll be looking through this site closely. Ricordia