HDTV video card vs old x1900

[moltar512]

Hello

I was thinking of buying a new HD tv, probably a Samsung 46A650

I was thinking of using it as a computer monitor, and was wondering if i needed to buy a new graphics card.
Right now i have a radeon x1900, with a vga port and a dvi port.

the samsung tv has a vga port.
I was wondering, however, if i needed one of the newer video cards that have an HDMI port. Will that be a better solution than using my current video card?

If so, can I purchase a video card that has an HDMI port for around 100 bucks, and if so, will it be better than the X1900 I have now?

Thanks everyone

 

[astrotrain1000]

The advantage to HDMI is the you could do sound and video through one cable. Also to use vga your digital signal gets converted to analog and then converted back to digital to be displayed on the tv, conversions always lead to quality reduction. An hd3870 can be had for around $150 on newegg.com and would give you some pretty good gains overs the x1900. All in all just depends on if you want to spend the money. Some would be satisfied with x1900 and others would want the optimal solution.

 

[cyborg28]

Yes, sound is a major advantage of a newer "true" HDMI solution. Video signals over DVI and HDMI are essentialy identical and can be converted back and forth with a passive cable/dongle. The x1900 can use an HDMI dongle to talk to the HDMI port of the tv just fine, with out sound. You may want to update your drivers as they will give you better picture tweaking options for use with a TV.

For DRM protected HD content (blu-ray) you will need a Video Card that supports HDCP DRM. The advantage of a HD 2xxx, 3xxx or 4xxx series ATI card is that it can decode HD content in hadware, carry HDCP signals and send audio over HDMI. If you are not a gamer, even a basic ~$55-60 Ati HD2600Pro card will be fine. The 2400 is a bit wimpy even for hd decode or caual gaming.

Hope this helps.