[linux-dvb] TV-Out card recommendation

[Rodd Snook]

Simon Baxter wrote:
> Hi.
>  
> I'm looking for a really generic, well supported TV-out card.
>  
> Must have  composite out, be really cheap, and give reasonable quality 
> to your average family TV.
>  
>  
> any suggestions??

I use a Matrox G400 32MB Dual Head. I have a home-made VGA to SCART 
component cable for better picture quality, but it does fine with the 
provided Composite/S-Video dongle. You should be able to pick one up for 
next to nothing second-hand, just make sure you get the video-out 
dongle. In Linux, at least, the 2D and video overlay performance is 
great. Plays 720i DVB using MythTV or equivalent MPEG4 using MPlayer 
smoothly on a P3-800 machine. I do, however, get some combing in the 
720i DVB picture, even with BOB deinterlacer. Price-performance wise I'd 
say this one is a winner, but for a few more £ you might get something 
with more features.

Note that the G450 and G500 are quite different beasts, and not so well 
supported by Linux AFAIK.

For instructions on getting TV-Out working on a G400, read here:

http://davedina.apestaart.org/download/doc/Matrox-TVOUT-HOWTO-0.1.txt

Otherwise, ask me and I'll mail you my configurations.

Rodd