XFX Geforce 6800,LE

[mdahc]

Link:
XFX Geforce 6800 LE

Is it possible that a 6800 GPU has an HDTV output dongle, with, dare I say, a working onboard video processor? What's up with this sh*t?

 

[amheck]

Interesting. I thought the initial word on these was that they were OEM only. Curious as to what you guys have to say about this one. Although it seems you can get a BFG 6800OC for around $250 every once in a while, so I don't know about that price.

 

[mdahc]

Well, I guess I'd be willing to pay a little extra for a 6800 series GPU with HDTV output support (i.e. an included dongle), which is the only reason I'm even looking at it. What's also surprising is the mention of HDCP and HDMI support. I hope Monarch and XFX aren't blowing smoke up my arse (assuming those are really the specs).

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: mdahc
Well, I guess I'd be willing to pay a little extra for a 6800 series GPU with HDTV output support (i.e. an included dongle), which is the only reason I'm even looking at it. What's also surprising is the mention of HDCP and HDMI support. I hope Monarch and XFX aren't blowing smoke up my arse (assuming those are really the specs).

"HDMI support" is pretty meaningless; DVI-D and HDMI are electrically compatible. You just need an adapter plug/cable to go between them. And I don't know why you would need or even want HDCP, as the output from your PC does not need to be copy-protected, and an HDCP-compatible input should accept a regular unprotected DVI connection without a problem.

 

[mdahc]

Originally posted by: Matthias99

Originally posted by: mdahc
Well, I guess I'd be willing to pay a little extra for a 6800 series GPU with HDTV output support (i.e. an included dongle), which is the only reason I'm even looking at it. What's also surprising is the mention of HDCP and HDMI support. I hope Monarch and XFX aren't blowing smoke up my arse (assuming those are really the specs).

"HDMI support" is pretty meaningless; DVI-D and HDMI are electrically compatible. You just need an adapter plug/cable to go between them. And I don't know why you would need or even want HDCP, as the output from your PC does not need to be copy-protected, and an HDCP-compatible input should accept a regular unprotected DVI connection without a problem.

No sh*t? So I could buy a 6800 non-ultra, non-GT and hook it up to my HDTV (that has DVI with HDCP) and export video to watch DVD's in progressive scan or higher? Would I get the overscan/underscan solutions that nVIDIA provides with their drivers (i.e. the resolutions and timings that nVIDIA normally offers with its cards that come with HDTV component dongles), or would I have to use Powerstrip? BTW, I didn't care about the HDMI feature. I'd prefer a card with an HDTV dongle (i.e. HD component output) since I have my Comcast cable box hooked up via DVI already (I watch TV more than I watch DVD's, so why not have the best connection for it).

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: mdahc

Originally posted by: Matthias99

Originally posted by: mdahc
Well, I guess I'd be willing to pay a little extra for a 6800 series GPU with HDTV output support (i.e. an included dongle), which is the only reason I'm even looking at it. What's also surprising is the mention of HDCP and HDMI support. I hope Monarch and XFX aren't blowing smoke up my arse (assuming those are really the specs).

"HDMI support" is pretty meaningless; DVI-D and HDMI are electrically compatible. You just need an adapter plug/cable to go between them. And I don't know why you would need or even want HDCP, as the output from your PC does not need to be copy-protected, and an HDCP-compatible input should accept a regular unprotected DVI connection without a problem.

No sh*t? So I could buy a 6800 non-ultra and hook it up to my HDTV (that has DVI with HDCP) and export video to watch DVD's in progressive scan or higher? Would I get the overscan/underscan solutions that nVIDIA provides with their drivers (i.e. the resolutions and timings that nVIDIA normally offers with its cards that come with HDTV component dongles), or would I have to use Powerstrip?

It should work, assuming you have, uh, "appropriate" DVD playing software that will let you output at HD resolutions (some players will not let you upsample past 480p when reading CSS-encrypted content). As I have not used an NVIDIA card in such a configuration, I have no idea what their drivers would do. You might need PowerStrip to fix over/underscan, or timing issues with your particular display, or to force custom resolutions that the drivers don't have. You might try at an audio-video site like AVS forum or Home Theater Spot for more specific computer->HDTV advice.

 

[mdahc]

For now, let's assume I wanted 852x480p (forget the higher resolutions). Would an HDTV that's hooked up to a 6800 standard be recognized? Here's how nVIDIA's drivers handle overscan

Link:
http://www.anandtech.com/multimedia/showdoc.aspx?i=2181

I guess what I'm really asking is will DVI hookup really work with 66.xx drivers like nVIDIA and Anandtech say? Has anyone ever tried? I don't want to use Powerstrip (I've already tried it with custom timings, much to no avail, and I'm worried I'll f*ck up my HDTV), and I'm sick of my 9700 Pro and the $50 HDTV adapter I got for it ($29 + $20 shipping). To be honest, I wouldn't even care about overscan/underscan as long as the nVIDIA drivers recognize my HDTV and provide 852x480p resolution like ATI's drivers do. My computer is my DVD player, so this really matters to me.

 

[Matthias99]

Sorry, don't know the details about the GF6s with DVI out and hooking 'em up to HDTVs. Like I said, one of the audio-video specialist forums I listed above would probably have more detailed information on what works, what doesn't, and what settings to use.

 

[mdahc]

Thanks. Yes, I've been to both sites, and I can't ever remember seeing a post where someone has hooked up an 6800 series card to an HDTV via DVI (and got it to work). I think I'll just email nVIDIA.

 

[mdahc]

Apparently the XFX 6800 LE does not include an HDTV dongle, and the rep who emailed me gave no indication of what they meant by HDCP and HDMI support (although I think it's a meaningless claim like Matthias99 was saying). Here's an interesting tidbit that he did reveal. After I asked if XFX will be putting out an HDTV dongle for at least their 6600 GT's, the rep said they will be making one available for purchase, although he didn't say if XFX would be selling it directly or if it would be available through online resellers.