HTPC- DVD quality factors?

[jackson3]

I'm curious if there are other factors that lead to the HQV bench test score in a HTPC besides the video card. For instance the Vidabox review has a nvidia 7900 card (which is supposed to be a pretty decent card) and the bench test score was 56/130 (which is a solid player), but not when you compare to one of the better scores lately on a budget dvd player like the oppo 971 which scored 90/130. So is there a way to get a HTPC to have a better test score? stepping up to a nvidia 7950 card? different video codecs? other hardware in the computer that contributes? please let me know.

thanks

[Clint DeBoer]

Provided the video card's settings are correct, the card/integrated video is 100% responsible for the video quality (assuming the PC speed/RAM/etc isn't slowing anything down)

[VidaBox]

Hello,

The SLIM uses nVidia 6150 onboard graphics. It does provide a good HQV score but getting higher HQV scores of 90 require the use of a dedicated graphics card. The SLIM model can be upgraded to a nVidia 7600GS video card that provides an HQV score of 91. All our systems with dedicated cards have an HQV score of 90 or better.

Sergio DeAlbuquerque
Co-Founder

http://www.vidabox.com

[jackson3]

so as long as i step up to a 7600 or better, i'll be getting a very good looking picture on my display.

thanks

[RLA]

The software player used will have a significant impact on HQV test scores.
Proper set up and calibration is also a key factor. Theater Tek, Nvidia Pure and Zoom player all scored the highest on my HTPC with G-force based video card. For resolutions no higher than 720p the GS-7600 is fine for DVD applications. My HTPC bested all stand alone DVD players until my recent purchase of the Toshiba HD-A1 which is basically a HTPC in a large DVD chassis.

If you have the knowledge and time to tweak your HTPC you can achieve very high performance with 1:1 pixel mapping and correct refresh rates. An example for a 720p display would be running a resolution of 1280x720 @ 47.952 refresh for film to eliminate 3:2 judder. If you experience strobe or flicker then use 71.928. For video a refresh rate of 59.940 should be used. Custom timing can be set up in the G-force control panel. Careful calibration must be performed if you are using overlay.

I still have my HTPC installed in one of my systems and am achieving good results with Zoom player in VMR9 renderless exclusive full screen mode 1280x720 @ 47.952

[VidaBox]

so as long as i step up to a 7600 or better, i'll be getting a very good looking picture on my display.

thanksIn short, yes. Upgrading to the 7600 or better will get you much higher video performance.

RLA brought up an excellent point - VidaBox systems feature NVIDIA's PureVideo and PureVideo HD decoders for best video output. As Sergio said, you can easily achieve a score of 90 or better on the HQV tests with a dedicated video card on a VidaBox system.

Thank you for your interest!

Sincerely,
Steven W Cheung
VidaBox LLC