Video computer questions

"JF" wrote in message
news5kQa.53806$N7.4815@sccrnsc03...
AGP data transfers are also piplined making them more efficient, and it
doesn't have to share the bus with multiple devices.

12x next? No. Actually late this year or early 2004, PCI-Express will
begin
being introduced as the new bus standard. It has better bandwidth than
AGP,
and is scaleable for the future.

It also uses a much lower pin count, and therefore will change our ideas
about pc case design.

PCI-Express is cool...

Of course, it totally makes everything obsolete again...

Sigh...

Don't buy anything with intergrated video if it doesn't have an AGP slot
to stick a better video card into

Danny Deger wrote:

I am seriously thinking about buying a Sony desktop from Tiger Direct for
$899. It is marketed as an entry video machine.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...ls.asp?sku=S16
7-3152%20P

I couldn't come close to buying the components and putting a machine
together for this price. But, I am concern about its video "card" which is:
"64MB Intel 845G Integrated Graphics [shared]" and its DVD-RW burner.

First, it doesn't have a DVI output. I have a DVI monitor and a DVI cable
that I plan to use. If I go to analog VGA, will I loose much?

Second, is the built in "shared" video OK in the long run. I have been told
to watch for built in video, it typically doesn't have anywhere close to the
power of a dedicated card.

Third, the machine doesn't have an AGP slot for a video card is I don't like
the lack of DVI and current video performance. It only has PCI slots. I
current have a Radeon 7000 PCI on an older machine, that works OK. But I
don't do video processing and games? Will PCI only video card be a problem
for video and games? I don't plan on doing sophisticated video processing.
Taking my digital camcorder video to a DVD is about all I need to do. I
don't need superb video performance, but don't want to be stuck with a dog
if PCI is a dog.

Fourth, I have an Emerson DVD player. Is there anyway to check
compatibility of the DVD writer to my player (the computer comes with a
DVD-RW, which isn't as good as DVD+RW for compatibility). Compatibility
with DVD players is important to me, but how can I spec a computer to burn
compatible DVDs? Should I insist on DVD+RW?

Danny Deger

Shadow wrote:

Don't buy anything with intergrated video if it doesn't have an AGP slot
to stick a better video card into

I agree with Shadow. PCI graphics are the pits. Avoid that Sony machine like the
plague. My experience with embedded video has been even when the board did have
AGP, getting an add-in AGP card to work was very problematic. We ended up
replacing the motherboard. This was a couple of years ago, but the experience was
so bad that I'd never even consider a motherboard with embedded video controller
today.

If you want a good pre-built PC, take a look at a Dell Dimension 8300. For a
little over a hundred bucks more, you'll see that the standard default
configuration is a lot better than the Sony you were looking at - it comes with an
Nvidia AGP card, dual channel DDR, 800 MHz FSB, supports hyperthreading
processors, an 80 GB hard drive...

By the way, the graphics card that comes stock in the Dimension 8300 (FX 5200) has
support for two monitors. Believe me, editing video with two monitors is almost a
necessity. Even if you don't plan to use two monitors right now, it's nice to know
the capability is there.

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/prod...=19&l=en&s=dhs

That hardware should work well in Linux too, should you decide to explore the
future of computing.

Oh, and no, I don't have any connection with Dell, I prefer to build my own
systems, but I've seen a lot of Dell's and they hold up well. They seem to be
pretty decent value for the money.

Good luck,
--Keith


Danny Deger wrote:

I am seriously thinking about buying a Sony desktop from Tiger Direct for
$899. It is marketed as an entry video machine.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...ls.asp?sku=S16
7-3152%20P

I couldn't come close to buying the components and putting a machine
together for this price. But, I am concern about its video "card" which is:
"64MB Intel 845G Integrated Graphics [shared]" and its DVD-RW burner.

First, it doesn't have a DVI output. I have a DVI monitor and a DVI cable
that I plan to use. If I go to analog VGA, will I loose much?

Second, is the built in "shared" video OK in the long run. I have been told
to watch for built in video, it typically doesn't have anywhere close to the
power of a dedicated card.

Third, the machine doesn't have an AGP slot for a video card is I don't like
the lack of DVI and current video performance. It only has PCI slots. I
current have a Radeon 7000 PCI on an older machine, that works OK. But I
don't do video processing and games? Will PCI only video card be a problem
for video and games? I don't plan on doing sophisticated video processing.
Taking my digital camcorder video to a DVD is about all I need to do. I
don't need superb video performance, but don't want to be stuck with a dog
if PCI is a dog.

Fourth, I have an Emerson DVD player. Is there anyway to check
compatibility of the DVD writer to my player (the computer comes with a
DVD-RW, which isn't as good as DVD+RW for compatibility). Compatibility
with DVD players is important to me, but how can I spec a computer to burn
compatible DVDs? Should I insist on DVD+RW?

Danny Deger

Keith Clark wrote:

Shadow wrote:

Don't buy anything with intergrated video if it doesn't have an AGP slot
to stick a better video card into

I agree with Shadow. PCI graphics are the pits. Avoid that Sony machine like the
plague. My experience with embedded video has been even when the board did have
AGP, getting an add-in AGP card to work was very problematic. We ended up
replacing the motherboard. This was a couple of years ago, but the experience was
so bad that I'd never even consider a motherboard with embedded video controller
today.

If you want a good pre-built PC, take a look at a Dell Dimension 8300. For a
little over a hundred bucks more, you'll see that the standard default
configuration is a lot better than the Sony you were looking at - it comes with an
Nvidia AGP card, dual channel DDR, 800 MHz FSB, supports hyperthreading
processors, an 80 GB hard drive...

By the way, the graphics card that comes stock in the Dimension 8300 (FX 5200) has
support for two monitors. Believe me, editing video with two monitors is almost a
necessity. Even if you don't plan to use two monitors right now, it's nice to know
the capability is there.

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/prod...=19&l=en&s=dhs

That hardware should work well in Linux too, should you decide to explore the
future of computing.

Oh, and no, I don't have any connection with Dell, I prefer to build my own
systems, but I've seen a lot of Dell's and they hold up well. They seem to be
pretty decent value for the money.

Good luck,
--Keith


PS - the FX 5200 card in the Dell supports DVI monitors.




Danny Deger wrote:

I am seriously thinking about buying a Sony desktop from Tiger Direct for
$899. It is marketed as an entry video machine.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...ls.asp?sku=S16
7-3152%20P

I couldn't come close to buying the components and putting a machine
together for this price. But, I am concern about its video "card" which is:
"64MB Intel 845G Integrated Graphics [shared]" and its DVD-RW burner.

First, it doesn't have a DVI output. I have a DVI monitor and a DVI cable
that I plan to use. If I go to analog VGA, will I loose much?

Second, is the built in "shared" video OK in the long run. I have been told
to watch for built in video, it typically doesn't have anywhere close to the
power of a dedicated card.

Third, the machine doesn't have an AGP slot for a video card is I don't like
the lack of DVI and current video performance. It only has PCI slots. I
current have a Radeon 7000 PCI on an older machine, that works OK. But I
don't do video processing and games? Will PCI only video card be a problem
for video and games? I don't plan on doing sophisticated video processing.
Taking my digital camcorder video to a DVD is about all I need to do. I
don't need superb video performance, but don't want to be stuck with a dog
if PCI is a dog.

Fourth, I have an Emerson DVD player. Is there anyway to check
compatibility of the DVD writer to my player (the computer comes with a
DVD-RW, which isn't as good as DVD+RW for compatibility). Compatibility
with DVD players is important to me, but how can I spec a computer to burn
compatible DVDs? Should I insist on DVD+RW?

Danny Deger