I need all your opinions on drivers/codecs/hardware etc.

[Torque]

I was using the driver dated: 11/2004 all this time, but last year started to use the above. I say about a year now...

Great, thanks Tipstir

[nia]

if your want to spend money on new HD, i would recommend you samsung, either IDE or SATA, have one of each (both 160GB)

I concur on the Samsung recommendation. I have a lot of HDD's in different machines, but am now converting to Samsung on new disks. They are more silent "in a silent way", meaning that even the sounds that do emerge seem less intrusive.

Another quite important point is, that they seem to run several degrees lower in temperature, which allows for slower cabinet fans and better passive cooling--> Silence, stability and longer life.

I have one 160GB and bought a second 400GB. The 400's are audibly more silent and vibration free than my two Hitachi 400's in the same cabinet.

[stefan]

Regarding the dx9c/b issue, I had to downgrade to dx9b on my new (fast?) computer (se specs below), so I suspect you will too.

Regarding purevideo, I think you can download a trial version and see for yourself if you think it's worth the money.

[Torque]

Thanks for the tip on the Samsung drives.

My system will be close to yours so it sounds like i probably will ahve to replace the quartz. Not a big deal. Thanks.

I have been trying the Purevideo trial on my current box (in sig) for about a week now. Although the picture is better, it's doing something wierd for a split second about every 10-20 seconds. Isn't really ghosting or stuttering, just some wierd opaque flash like another frame transposed on the current one. So I'll see if the same thing happens on the new box and if so, just go back to Intervideo.

[csy]

I have been trying the Purevideo trial on my current box (in sig) for about a week now. Although the picture is better, it's doing something wierd for a split second about every 10-20 seconds. Isn't really ghosting or stuttering, just some wierd opaque flash like another frame transposed on the current one.

That's a known issue on the Purevideo decoder if your using 'smart' deinterlacing control. The fix is to use 'automatic' deinterlacing control.

Note however that if you are using an Nvidia video card with pre-90 series Foreceware driver then 3:2 pulldown is disabled when you don't use 'smart' deinterlacing control. Also note if your using pre-90 series Forceware with non-Purevideo decoder (eg Intervideo and Cyberlink) then there is no 3:2 pulldown at all unless you upgrade to the 90 series Forceware drivers.

[Torque]

Ahh okay, i'll try using "automatic" and see how she fairs. Thanks for the tip!

So if I am currently using driver 91.31, 3:2 should be enabled regardless if I use either Purevideo decoder or Intervideo, correct?

[csy]

So if I am currently using driver 91.31, 3:2 should be enabled regardless if I use either Purevideo decoder or Intervideo, correct?

Correct, but the Nvidia release notes are vague about any Forceware driver settings that need to be configured to enable 3:2 pulldown detection????

Quoting the Purevideo Decoder 1.02-223 release notes: "Use the NVIDIA Control Panel to control driver cadence"

I no longer own an Nvidia video card so I can't offer any Forceware configuration guidance.