video output card?

[glgeek]

Greetings,

I apologize for my first post being a request for help, but I was directed to this site by someone who said this is where the answers are.

I am trying to help out the media centers in 7 of our buildings to display computer generated content over our internal cable system. They are already delivering DVD/VCR based content. Now they would like to provide digital media such as PowerPoint presentations.
I have a computer and assume that I need a video card with video/audio out. It also looks like (from reading through this forum) that a PCI card might do what I need without purchasing a high end (expensive) scan converter.

It appears that our modulator has one video (coax) and one audio (mono) input and is being fed from a DVD/VCR player. I would connect the computer to the DVD/VCR player via composite video and use the player as a switcher. There is no s-video in on the player.

So, my question is, what would you recommend as a video output card/device to connect the computer to the DVD/VCR ? I was hoping to keep it under $200.

Thank you for any advice you can offer.
bruce

[elite]

If only delivering powerpoint, pretty much any video card with a tv out I would think

I assume the current DVD is fed in to a modulator which is tuned to a specific channel

I would purchase an extra rf modulator (tuned to a different channel), therefore allowing people view either the Powerpoint presentation or switch over to the DVD if the presentation is really boring (most are:p)

[glgeek]

If only delivering powerpoint, pretty much any video card with a tv out I would think

would you happen to know of one that works OK?

I assume the current DVD is fed in to a modulator which is tuned to a specific channel

yes

I would purchase an extra rf modulator (tuned to a different channel), therefore allowing people view either the Powerpoint presentation or switch over to the DVD if the presentation is really boring (most are:p)

yes, but they ALWAYS pay attention to the lunch menu.

thanx
bruce

[Ted the Penguin]

would you happen to know of one that works OK?

yes... basically ANY card, but if you are going for inexpensive, get an old ATI card... they have a very simple TV-out implementation, all you have to do it click "video mode" and it will set the output format as close to the NTSC/PAL spec as possible. if you have an old ATI card sitting around, just give it a shot. my 9600 works fine, but I am pretty sure you could even go as low as 7000.

do you have any extra vid cards sitting around?

[glgeek]

i found an nVIDIA Geforce4 MX 440 w/
agp8x. has s-video and DVI.

going to give this a try.


thank you all for your help
bruce

[elite]

i found an nVIDIA Geforce4 MX 440 w/
agp8x. has s-video and DVI.

going to give this a try.


thank you all for your help
bruce

He he - you'll be fine, same card as in my PVR box delivering GBPVR

[prouton]

I use a ATI Radeon 7000 based board to play back MPEG-2 streams, so that card would be plenty for Powerpoint.

If you can't find one of those old boards (or a 9000), you might be just as well off going with a Radeon 9250 -- it's a current product available in either PCI or AGP form factors. Price should be under $50 per card.

[glgeek]

now that i have the staff excited about presentations on the cable, i am wondering if anyone is using a bulletin board software to maybe spiff this up a bit.
PowerPoint works, but it looks like, well, PowerPoint.
just a wondering if there are any alternatives.

thanks again,
bruce

[elite]

now that i have the staff excited about presentations on the cable, i am wondering if anyone is using a bulletin board software to maybe spiff this up a bit.
PowerPoint works, but it looks like, well, PowerPoint.
just a wondering if there are any alternatives.

thanks again,
bruce

When I was delivering presentations a few years ago I looked at using Flash... However, the industry standard is Powerpoint...

One cool thing we've started doing at work, is we pull upcoming events from the website database these are then displayed on screens in public areas