How much video card for a laptop to be used as a HTPC

[wetech]

I'm looking to buy a laptop in the immediate future. Main use will be for the wife to watch DVD's, surf web, and to watch TV via slingbox. It won't be used much for gaming, since I'll be using my main PC for that. I'm planning to hook it into my 50 plasma in the living room to watch slingbox (slingbox is in US, I'm in Tokyo).

My question is, what's the minimum video card I need to get good quality video on the plasma. The options from the different builds i'm considering are the Geforce go 7900gs, or an ati mobility x1400. The 7900 comes at a $200 premium over the 1400.

 

[Fraggable]

Powering a 50" plasma will take less power than the laptop screen itself, considering the low resolution on plasmas. You could probably use a GMA 950 integrated video chip and be fine.

I'd worry more about getting high quality video cables and maybe a big hard drive and a fast wireless network card.

 

[Peter]

I'm running a 2D media client with an integrated SiS 741 (DirectX 7) graphics unit and a measly Duron 1200 ... at never any more than 50 percent CPU load when viewing live TV, receiving a TV stream over WLAN or viewing a DVD.

Keep it minimal, you don't even need to have a discrete graphics chip in that thing. The 2D video capabilities and speed of today's integrated solutions are all above and beyond what you need for TV applications.

Just keep an eye on resolution support and the right kind of output jack for your TV.