Introduction
Something previously restricted to professionals has now become available to the average home user. The first mainstream graphic board manufacturers are adding functionality to their 3D boards with a series of additional features which make it possible to record and process videos. In this report, we will compare the functionality and video performance of the Voodoo3 3500TV, the Marvel G400TV, ATI's All-in-Wonder 128, Elsa's Erazor III Video and Asus' AGP-V3800 Ultra Deluxe - all boards that cost less than 300 dollars. We will compare the products' video quality, their memory requirements and their ease-of-use. Those readers who are only interested in the 3D game performance should read the report 32 Graphic Card Meltdown - Part Two. As far as 3D performance is concerned, the five graphic boards that we tested are equal to their standard counterparts. For example, the 3D performance values for the Marvel G400TV are the same as for the Millennium G400. The same applies to the other boards. This shouldn't surprise you as the graphics chip, clock speeds and memory fitted are the same as for the standard versions.
This report concentrates exclusively on the video performance of the five test candidates. Tom's Hardware Guide is the first organization to test this new application field using new benchmarks. At the end of the report you will find important tips concerning copy protection. Last but not least, the table at the end of the report gives you a clear overview with which you can directly compare the functionality of the devices.
