OK. You guys talked me into the SB Live! Now for a decoder.

[Pack'nHeat]

Hello. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif
I now have a DVD, SB Live, and some digital surround sound speakers that support 5.1 and THX sound. Now I need a decoder. I'm looking at - PowerDVD [software], Hollywood plus [PCI card], or Creative Dxr3 decoder [PCI card and same brand as my sound card].

Software cards sound easier but card decoders claim less CPU use.

So. I'm asking you. I want the best out there for my DVD watching. Any thoughts or experiences please. Thank you. Larry

[Mntsnow]

I have systems going both ways...If you have the horsepower and a good vid card that supports dvd playback then no need to go to the expense of a decoder card IMHO. But in a system that is lower on power or has a vid card that is marginal then you will be very pleased with a decoder card (it will also give you more options for video out) than most standard vid cards.

[jmorrell]

Until last week I had a Creative Labs TNT 16mb video card with a Hollywood Plus decoder card on a K6-2/450. It worked fine. The advantages of a decoder card are better sound output (usually support Dolby Digital 5.1), excellent TV output, and less CPU utilization. The disadvantages are somewhat reduced image quality (due to the pass-through cable). By the way, the DXR3 is basically the same card as the Hollywood+. They both use the Sigma Designs chipset. In fact, you can use the Hollywood+ software with the DXR3. As MNTSNOW said, if you have a good video card, you don't need a separate decoder card. I recently swapped my TNT and Hollywood+ for an ATI Rage Fury Pro 32mb, which has built-in DVD hardware decoding. I got it because it is rated as having the absolute best DVD playback quality. DVD playback is the most important aspect of a video card for me. I don't play 3D games very often, so 3D performance is secondary. The image quality is definitely superior to my old TNT/Hollywood+ combination (my son, who is a DVD fanatic, even noticed the improved DVD quality). And, I saved a PCI slot and an IRQ. I am extremely happy with the solution.