Re: Playing HD/BD-DVD via a PC

phil-news-nospam@xxxxxxxx wrote (in part):
I'm mostly interested in the HD content, which as far as I know all has
pixel ratios at 1:1 (1280x720 and 1920x1080 at a 16:9 aspect ratio). The
SD content has other pixel aspect ratios, and somewhere between the media
holding the content, and the display screen that has 1:1 pixels, some kind
of scaling adjustment is needed. Since these non-1:1 formats can come in
via an ATSC tuner, I presume at least a TV can make the adjustment itself.
My LCD computer monitors can by means of adjusting the sampling clock on
the analog to digital conversion (no idea, yet, if they are that flexible
with DVI inputs). So I want to be able to just leave the video format as
it is when outputting it.

You might want to look at the MyHD MDP-130. It's an ATSC/clear QAM
tuner card with onboard MPEG2 decoding in hardware and its own video
output, separate from the computer's video output (although the
computer's video can be looped through it to appear when the MyHD's
output is inactive). The MyHD's output can be set to any of several
resolutions plus Native, which sounds like what you want, except that
I think a 480i source will be output as 480p in Native mode. You can
force 480i if you want.

I would like some kind of frame accurate timing. I don't know how many
video cards these days are genlock capable. That would also be a nice
plus. It would have to presume the locking source is the same intended
frame rate as the content.

The MyHD cannot be genlocked

The content I will be outputting will be my own content I create, and it
will be in several, possibly nearly all, "standard" video formats (or at
least the ATSC ones, plus 1920x1080p at each of the 6 standard frame rates).

1920x1080i is the highest settable output mode. Don't know what
happens with 1080p in Native mode. I normally force 1280x720p, the
resolution of my projector. I have some transport streams that are
1920x1080p. It plays them, but jerkily unless I shut down the overlay
(an optional low-res desktop image of what's playing on the card).

I'm also looking for a video card that can output directly in YPbPr via 3
coaxial RCA connectors ... or at least an external box that can convert to
that using the analog HDD-15 RGB output.

The MyHD comes with a multipin I/O connector and a breakout cable with
a 15-pin VGA-style connector. Software selects whether the output on
that connector is RGB (which can go directly to a VGA monitor or to a
separate 3- or 5-wire adapter cable to an RGB or RGBHV input) or
component (requiring the 3-wire cable). Those adapter cables are not
included, but (last I heard) Digital Connection will give you one of
your choice free when you order the card.

There's also an optional daughter card that adds DVI output. Both the
DVI and analog outputs are active at the same time, but for DVI to
work the analog output must be set to RGB. Of course, the analog
loop-through mentioned above won't work in component mode unless the
external source (usually the video card output) is component as well.
Life is easier if you leave component out of the mix.

There are drawbacks. The MyHD line is based on older technology and
is near the end of its life cycle. It doesn't play well with Vista or
some of the newer motherboards and CPUs. A plain-vanilla system with
single-core, single-threading CPU, about 1-2 GHz with Windows XP is
best. Also, although it will record NTSC analog from the tuner or
composite input, most who try that are dissatisfied with the results.

Del Mibbler
.

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