Question about the Theater200 chip (Radeon9700 video in quality)

[Chu]

Hello all. Right now i'm looking for a new video card, and the 9700 Pro AIW @ $300 looks like a pretty sweet deal since I plan to use the TV-In. I have two questions about how good the video in quality is.

1. What is the max resolution that you can display a SVideo feed? I have an original radeon, which I believe scaled it all the way down to 320x240, which looks like CRAP. I can't find a spec sheet on the Theater200 chip ANYWHERE to get a hard number.

2. How good is the SVideo in quality? Essentially, how accurate is the video quality, and how badly does that unshileded breakout box effect the signal? (knowing the rats nest behind my computer, I really wish they at least included some ferrite rings for this box)

-Chu

 

[rbV5]

1. What is the max resolution that you can display a SVideo feed?

For analog input, it captures up to full resolution (720x480 NTSC) same as the original Radeon AIW, (which I've owned a few btw) Fact is, the AIW Radeon and AIW Radeon 9700 pro are nearly identical in that respect, with the 9700 model edging the original, probably because of its superior ADC's in theater 200, but not by much. I don't know what you're talking about with the original AIW Radeon, mine definately did not drop a field for analog capture, and looks very good with Rage theater, (its the superior input on the card) and the Radeon scales up to 2048x1536 on the desktop. The analog output of s-video/composite is always 480i, and it supports up to 1024x768 resolutions via analog TV-out and 1080i for the native component output.

2. How good is the SVideo in quality?

It's excellent (dependant on source of course). I've not noticed any affect to the signal from the breakout box,

 

[Peter]

Even the original Radeon (with the original RageTheater chip on) did video-in at full resolution. (Full meaning 480 lines NTSC, 576 lines PAL. Horizontal resolution then is 640 and 768 respectively, to give correct aspect ratio on computer screens w/ square pixels, although the original production resolution is 720 in either standard.)

 

[Chu]

Originally posted by: rbV5

1. What is the max resolution that you can display a SVideo feed?

For analog input, it captures up to full resolution (720x480 NTSC) same as the original Radeon AIW, (which I've owned a few btw) Fact is, the AIW Radeon and AIW Radeon 9700 pro are nearly identical in that respect, with the 9700 model edging the original, probably because of its superior ADC's in theater 200, but not by much. I don't know what you're talking about with the original AIW Radeon, mine definately did not drop a field for analog capture, and looks very good with Rage theater, (its the superior input on the card) and the Radeon scales up to 2048x1536 on the desktop. The analog output of s-video/composite is always 480i, and it supports up to 1024x768 resolutions via analog TV-out and 1080i for the native component output.

2. How good is the SVideo in quality?

It's excellent (dependant on source of course). I've not noticed any affect to the signal from the breakout box,

If it matters (I doubt it), I am comparing with the Radeon 64 DDR VIVO, not the RadeonAIW, which means I'm an idiot cause I just realized why I have the res problems (RCA input, not SVideo) Thanks for the nfo though.

 

[rbV5]

If it matters (I doubt it), I am comparing with the Radeon 64 DDR VIVO, not the RadeonAIW,

It matters in respect to the s-video input, which is not supported by the 64 VIVO (I have an SE model of the 64 DDR VIVO also) but it is also fully capable of full resolution analog capture through the composite input as well, just like the other Radeon cards. I used my VIVO extensively for capture, and it worked very well also, and is ~equall in capture quality to any of the AIW cards using the same composite input.