HD Divx/Xvid playback on HDTV

R

rshri

Contributor
Hi,

I have gathered from posts here that some fellow forum members enjoy watching High Definition (720p) AVI files on their HDTVs (LCD/Plasma). How do you actually accomplish that?

It is not possible with stand-alone DVD payers. The reason being that Divx-capable DVD players are still unable to handle HD Divx/Xvid content. In fact, they are unable to handle AVI resolution greater than 720X480 or so.

The only option is playing AVI on a computer/laptop and connecting it with HDTV. Not only its cumbersome but quality is also affected since its not possible to achieve 1-to-1 pixel mapping between computer monitor and HDTV screen (At least I have not seen it ever done - there is always a black border surrounding computer screen being shown HDTV).

Please let me know the "tricks" that you use.
 
depends on the LCD screen you have . If you have a 16:9 screen then most of the HD movies you get would be shown without borders . if you have a 16:10 screen then you need to probably pan and scan till you get the complete picture on the screen . The part of the movie which is cut is negligible and usually does not affect the experience .

HDTV screen in my case is connected to my Computer thru VGA cable . they sav using an HDMi connector gives better quality but i am yet to try that out .
 
what i've done is to build a dedicated PC a.k.a home theater pc (HTPC), that is hooked up to my LCD TV via DVI/HDMI. the HTPC outputs a 1920x1080, 1:1 pixel mapping display to my 37" 1080p LCD TV. display fills up the screen nicely from edge to edge, with no border/overscan issue. you can see my HTPC rig specs below in my sig.

so far, it plays everything i've thrown at it beautifully e.g. 1080p x264, vc1, ts.. plus your run-of-the-mill divx, xvid etc etc..

previously i was using my Xbox360 as a media extender to stream divx, xvid, x264 files. but because the Xbox360 does not have native support for these codecs, you need to use transcoding solutions (e.g. Transcode360, Tversity etc) but these will choke at 720p and above. although the Xbox360 has native decoding for WMV9 and H.264 (AVC) media, and plays 1080p files encoded in these formats smoothly.

basically, if you want to enjoy high definition video in all kinds of codecs, your best bet is to use a PC and rig it up with a DVI/HDMI connection to your LCD TV
 
Yep, same here. Using a DVI -> HDMI cable from my 7800GT to the display, 1:1 pixel map, 1080p output resolution.

Watching HD has just turned total bliss :D
 
hey there is no samsung 37inch 1080p tv in india .so where did u get it.
or is its just a normal 37inch tv which accepts 1080p signal.
 
Yeah, the 37" is not listed on their site. They show the 40" for 1.2L If the 37" is available for around 1L, it would be just awesome! :D A 37" 1080p display would also be much better as a PC monitor than a 32" @ 720p :D
 
zhopudey said:
Yeah, the 37" is not listed on their site. They show the 40" for 1.2L If the 37" is available for around 1L, it would be just awesome! :D A 37" 1080p display would also be much better as a PC monitor than a 32" @ 720p :D
Click to expand...

The 40" is down to 1.09L right now.. special festive price.
Damn good screen.
 
No reason to get senti :P For a PC monitor, more resolution is always better :D Also, text appear smaller, thus making it easier to use from closer.
 
^^ for how much? and when was this? it aint listed on the Samsung Singapore site too..

btw how do u carry all the stuff on the plane evrytime? i see ur getting all ur comp stuff from s'pore.. wats the check-in limit?
 
^^ got it for just over S$3k from my parallel importer recently.. coz samsung distros there don't bring in the 37" model, smallest they have is 40".. the whole package weight comes up to ard 25kg for the 37" i think..

check-in limit for most airlines should be around 30-35kg for biz class, 20-25kg for economy, give or take a few kg.. smile and compliment the lady at the check-in counter and she might just give you a few extra kilos :) i usually have no problems bringing back ard 40kg of stuff, frequent flyer benefits..
 
Guys, Sorry for bumping this old thread!

As per your general advice, I am thinking of making my PC 'HTPC-capable' to enable myself to play HD Divx on my 720p Sony RPTV.

I have an AMD rig which already has a DVI-out (unused as of now). There is also option to attach a bracket for S/PDIF (coaxial) for sound (I already have the bracket with me, I just need to install it).

I plan to use a DVI-HDMI cable to attach my PC to my TV. I will attach PC's S/PDIF to my Onkyo HT receiver (Currently my TV's HDMI and my HT's S/PDIF are connected to my Philips Upscaling DVD player)

The problem is my PC is situated at opposite corner of room from TV. I will need around 10m cables to connect my PC to HDTV.

I am in US these days and I am willing to buy a long DVI-to-HDMI cable. Not only its expensive, But I have also heard that reception at TV's end may be unreliable for such long DVI-HDMI cable. Worst thing is I will only be able to test it when I come back to India on January (I have no plans of making any more trips to US). So what do you guys suggest?

I explored alternative of buying a HD-Divx capable DVD player but it seems that its not easily available (and no reliable brands).
 
Rshri.. you must be looking at monster cables and likes (they are just a rip off) if you're in the US, try www.monoprice.com for best quality (I got all my cables from there) and cheap cables - you can get a 35 ft gold plated connector cable for about 30 $.
 
If you happen to have a ps3, you can install the codecs and play from Linux in PS3, works fine for me and has hdmi output..... of course this will be a moot point as soon as Divx codec is released for ps3 game console.
 
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