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Q about OEM Personal Cinema

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  • OEM
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Anonymous
a b B Homebuilt system
May 6, 2005 10:57:16 PM

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Sorry if this seems like a dumb question:
I want the MSI FX5600 Personal Cinema video card. A cheap OEM (excluding
the remote, infrared adapter, and an “external AV breakout box”) is
available. Does the box have anything to do with watching/recording TV?

More about : oem personal cinema

Anonymous
a b B Homebuilt system
May 6, 2005 11:08:03 PM

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Jonathan Appleseed wrote:
> Sorry if this seems like a dumb question:
> I want the MSI FX5600 Personal Cinema video card. A cheap OEM (excluding
> the remote, infrared adapter, and an “external AV breakout box”) is
> available. Does the box have anything to do with watching/recording TV?

All of the AV connections, except for the monitor, come out a high density
40 pin connector, which the breakout box then converts to usable connectors
(RCA, S-video, etc.). Without it you don't have compatible connections for
the TV.
Anonymous
a b B Homebuilt system
May 7, 2005 11:57:21 PM

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

David Maynard wrote:
> Jonathan Appleseed wrote:
>
>> Sorry if this seems like a dumb question:
>> I want the MSI FX5600 Personal Cinema video card. A cheap OEM
>> (excluding the remote, infrared adapter, and an “external AV breakout
>> box”) is available. Does the box have anything to do with
>> watching/recording TV?
>
>
> All of the AV connections, except for the monitor, come out a high
> density 40 pin connector, which the breakout box then converts to usable
> connectors (RCA, S-video, etc.). Without it you don't have compatible
> connections for the TV.
>
Is there a generic replacement box? If so, what is another name for it?
I called Radio Shack and several computer stores and most of them acted
like they had no clue what a "AV breakout box" is/does.
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Anonymous
a b B Homebuilt system
May 8, 2005 4:13:00 AM

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Jonathan Appleseed wrote:

> David Maynard wrote:
>
>> Jonathan Appleseed wrote:
>>
>>> Sorry if this seems like a dumb question:
>>> I want the MSI FX5600 Personal Cinema video card. A cheap OEM
>>> (excluding the remote, infrared adapter, and an “external AV breakout
>>> box”) is available. Does the box have anything to do with
>>> watching/recording TV?
>>
>>
>>
>> All of the AV connections, except for the monitor, come out a high
>> density 40 pin connector, which the breakout box then converts to
>> usable connectors (RCA, S-video, etc.). Without it you don't have
>> compatible connections for the TV.
>>

> Is there a generic replacement box?

I doubt it. Those kinds of things are almost always made for the specific card.

> If so, what is another name for it?
> I called Radio Shack and several computer stores and most of them acted
> like they had no clue what a "AV breakout box" is/does.

Not surprising.

"Breakout box" is a generic term for making signals conveniently available,
often for test purposes as in an RS-232 breakout box that gives one a means
for connecting test probes to the wires normally enclosed inside the
connector and serial cable.

AV, in this context, is "audio/video."

A/V breakout box: It takes the audio/video signals on the card's rear
connector and brings them out (breakout) to connectors convenient for
plugging into the TV, VCR, camcorder, and/or any other S-video/RCA jack
compatible device.

In the case of a video card it's done that way because there isn't enough
room on the rear edge plate for all the connectors to fit so they use a
small, multi-pin, connector that will fit and then use an external breakout
box to provide the 'common' type of connectors the external devices expect.
Anonymous
a b B Homebuilt system
May 8, 2005 5:08:37 AM

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

On Sat, 07 May 2005 19:57:21 -0500, Jonathan Appleseed
<apple@mud.net> wrote:

>David Maynard wrote:
>> Jonathan Appleseed wrote:
>>
>>> Sorry if this seems like a dumb question:
>>> I want the MSI FX5600 Personal Cinema video card. A cheap OEM
>>> (excluding the remote, infrared adapter, and an “external AV breakout
>>> box”) is available. Does the box have anything to do with
>>> watching/recording TV?
>>
>>
>> All of the AV connections, except for the monitor, come out a high
>> density 40 pin connector, which the breakout box then converts to usable
>> connectors (RCA, S-video, etc.). Without it you don't have compatible
>> connections for the TV.
>>
>Is there a generic replacement box? If so, what is another name for it?
>I called Radio Shack and several computer stores and most of them acted
>like they had no clue what a "AV breakout box" is/does.

No, one could wire it up but it'd be a hack-job without the
right cables and (proprietary?) connect. that's WAY
overkill to get a FX5600 Cinema working. MIght I ask what
it costs?
FX5600 isn't all that fast these days, you might be better
off buying any-old PCI tuner card then the video card you
really want instead.

On the other hand, from a picture I saw it appears to have
the coax in for the tuner, so the remaining quesitons are
whether you need aux. video (S-Video) input or output
(outside of your system). If you merely wanted to watch TV
on your computer that card without the BOB (break-out box)
may suffice, except I'm uncertain about the audio- I presume
it uses an audio input to the sound card rather than
digitizing audio itself, in which case the card would need
have the internal (onboard) audio header out (to the sound
card input). Check the card for this.

If you're adept at reverse-engineering circuits you might be
able to figure out the outputs of that proprietary jack and
improvise for any connectors you need, but it's a lot of
unnecessary work since the typical PCI cards can be had for
under $50.
Anonymous
a b B Homebuilt system
May 8, 2005 5:54:01 AM

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

kony wrote:
> On Sat, 07 May 2005 19:57:21 -0500, Jonathan Appleseed
> <apple@mud.net> wrote:
>
>
>>David Maynard wrote:
>>
>>>Jonathan Appleseed wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Sorry if this seems like a dumb question:
>>>>I want the MSI FX5600 Personal Cinema video card. A cheap OEM
>>>>(excluding the remote, infrared adapter, and an “external AV breakout
>>>>box”) is available. Does the box have anything to do with
>>>>watching/recording TV?
>>>
>>>
>>>All of the AV connections, except for the monitor, come out a high
>>>density 40 pin connector, which the breakout box then converts to usable
>>>connectors (RCA, S-video, etc.). Without it you don't have compatible
>>>connections for the TV.
>>>
>>
>>Is there a generic replacement box? If so, what is another name for it?
>>I called Radio Shack and several computer stores and most of them acted
>>like they had no clue what a "AV breakout box" is/does.
>
>
> No, one could wire it up but it'd be a hack-job without the
> right cables and (proprietary?) connect. that's WAY
> overkill to get a FX5600 Cinema working. MIght I ask what
> it costs?
> FX5600 isn't all that fast these days, you might be better
> off buying any-old PCI tuner card then the video card you
> really want instead.
>
> On the other hand, from a picture I saw it appears to have
> the coax in for the tuner, so the remaining quesitons are
> whether you need aux. video (S-Video) input or output
> (outside of your system). If you merely wanted to watch TV
> on your computer that card without the BOB (break-out box)
> may suffice, except I'm uncertain about the audio- I presume
> it uses an audio input to the sound card rather than
> digitizing audio itself, in which case the card would need
> have the internal (onboard) audio header out (to the sound
> card input). Check the card for this.
>
> If you're adept at reverse-engineering circuits you might be
> able to figure out the outputs of that proprietary jack and
> improvise for any connectors you need, but it's a lot of
> unnecessary work since the typical PCI cards can be had for
> under $50.

I just want to something better than integrated video and I figured it
would be nice to have a TV for occasional recordings.
http://www.arsenalpc.com/Details.asp?ItemID=3115&Res=2

Newegg is selling a FX5200 Personal Cinema with the box and remote for a
little more, but I read that the FX5600 is better for games and
comparable to a gf-4 ti4?00. Maybe this should be an entirely different
post, but does anyone know from experience if the fx-5200/5600 worthy of
replacing a gf3-ti200? I've read mixed opinions and the benchmark data
conflict.
Anonymous
a b B Homebuilt system
May 8, 2005 11:51:16 AM

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

On Sun, 08 May 2005 01:54:01 -0500, Jonathan Appleseed
<apple@mud.net> wrote:


>I just want to something better than integrated video and I figured it
>would be nice to have a TV for occasional recordings.
>http://www.arsenalpc.com/Details.asp?ItemID=3115&Res=2

That is a very good price, if it had cost what I had
expected (over $100) I'd have sooner recommended the PCI TV
card in addition to a video card. Still that might be the
better option if you were to later want more features than
merely "watching" the TV.

The card's picture is poor but another picture i saw
"appeared" to have an audio header on it, but my advise was
to check the card- do more research to figure out whether
this header is the audio out to the sound card (in).

For only watching TV on your computer monitor you only need:
Coax cable in, sound card analog out, analog monitor out
(presuming you've an analog monitor). Since the first and
last are present the remaining issue is the sound.


>
>Newegg is selling a FX5200 Personal Cinema with the box and remote for a
>little more, but I read that the FX5600 is better for games and
>comparable to a gf-4 ti4?00.

yes, it's faster than a FX5200, but I don't know if that's a
full-speed FX5600 either, as that series was relatively
hot-running but the card pictured doesn't even have a fan on
it- it could be that they downclocked it below the typical
FX5600 speed and thus it creates less heat (but is also
slower of course). I don't know, you'll need to research
the core and memory clocks of a (typical) FX5600 to have a
basis for comparison on this.

>Maybe this should be an entirely different
>post, but does anyone know from experience if the fx-5200/5600 worthy of
>replacing a gf3-ti200? I've read mixed opinions and the benchmark data
>conflict.

I wouldn't spend $60 to upgrade a TI200 to a FX5200. j
Performance difference will vary per game, rest of system,
how much memory the TI200 has, etc, etc.

The card is a good deal for $60, and yet an FX5600 is now
looking a bit too slow for the newest modern games. Even
so, you can't get much faster for $60 even without the TV
feature so if that's what you want the remaining issue is
still whether it has the audio out socket on it.
!