GF2 OR ATI7500 OR ATI8500? Please Help !

[Ravindran]

I have to buy a new video card in a day or two. I need some suggestions from lot of experts/guru's in the forum.
Basically I have to decide on the above three and this is what I am using my machine.
- Not much of gaming
- Make home movies using fire wire and digital video camera
- Watch lot of movies, dvd's/vcd's on my pc

I intend to do all the above things with new video card and over & above i love to explore following things
- Watch all the movies DVD's and VCD's on my 29"sony flat screen TV (it has s-video in)using tv-out of new card
- To have video in on my pc to watch and capture from TV / VHS

Please give your suggestions/tips and help me to select a new card. Price is not really a problem but i don't want to get disappointed later. Further please advice whether any need any other part to use the video-in function of the card to capture VHS?


My Rig:

AMD 1400/ 512 MB/ 40GB/SBLIVE/PLEX 16X/19"FLAT IIYAMA

 

[Ravindran]

Awaiting comments from experts.

 

[rbV5]

Take a look at the Radeon 8500dv. None of the three cards you mention have a video input of any kind, except some GF2 models do have VIVO support. I use a first generation AIW radeon, and currently a Radeon VIVO, either of these models would do you as well, but don't have firewire for your digi cam.

My recommendation:

AIW Radeon around $150. Great feature set, analog capture only. Mature drivers. Very good gaming. 32mb ram
AIW Radeon 8500dv $300. Unmatched feature set, digital and analog capture, remote control. New Technology. Excellent gaming. 64 mb ram.

both cards IMHO offer quite a value if you use the features.

 

[Killrose]

Go with the Ati product for any DVD/TV type needs. Ati wins hands down. rbV5's sugestion for the 8500DV is valid for someone like yourself who's into video/video editing, though it's pricey.

 

[Ravindran]

Thanks rbv5/kill rose

<<None of the three cards you mention have a video input of any kind, except some GF2 models do have VIVO support>>

What do u mean by VIVO support? Do you mean to say that ...say Asus V7700 or ATI 7500 or ATI 8500 doesn't have a video in function...I saw that they provide a S-Video option.... It doesn't help to capture to VHS/Analog input? Please Clarify. Further I already have a firewire installed and infact has made lot of home videos out of my digital camcorder. I am from netherlands and I enquired about ATI 8500 DV here...the dealers said that it will take some 3 weeks before it reaches the shop !!!

Thanks

 

[AA0]

All ATI cards now have dual monitor and video out as a standard. But Video in isn't standard, and only the 64meg original VIVO card, and the AIWs have it for ATI. It'd be hard to find those cards now, as the 7500 and 8500 are so much faster.

nvidia cards suck with video out, and shouldn't be considered.

 

[rbV5]

<< But Video in isn't standard, and only the 64meg original VIVO card, and the AIWs have it for ATI >>



The ATI TV-Wonder and DV Wonder add-in cards also have video-in.

Another point also to consider:

Radeon VIVO: only composite video-in (lessor quality, still very good)
AIW and TV-Wonder: S-video,composite and coax for the tuner video-inputs (8500dv also has firewire in/out)
DV Wonder: firewire in/out