Remove DVD Hardware Decoder Card?

Question

From earlier threads, I think I know the answer to this, but I'd rather be sure than sorry.

I recently upgraded my original STB TNT NVidia video card in my XPS T500 to a Hercules 3D Prophet 4500. I had to pull out the DVD hardware card connection cable (no capacity for it on the Prophet), which leaves the decoder card leading a pretty aimless life in its PCI slot.

Surely I can just the out the entire decoder card? I mean, there's no use for it now, right?

Alex

Daddyjaxx · Answer

You do not need a hardware decoder card witha 500 MHz system. Why did you have it anyway? WinDVD or PowerDVD will work fine.

"Inspiration is the Mother of Invention. Desperation is its Father."

System 1:

Inspiron 4100
1.2 GHz-M
14.1 SXGA+
512 MB Crucial RAM
30 GB ATA 100 HD
8x Combo CD-RW/DVD
16 MB ATI Radeon
10/100 Ethernet
Compaq IPaq 11MPS Wireless Ethernet

Windows ME (Yuck) Windows XP now!

Bright Yellow Palm Rests
Office XP Professional

System 2:

Dimension 8200
2.4 GHz
768 MB RDRAM
40 + 100 + 60 GB HD's
Promise ATA 100 Controller
80 GB Firewire
16x DVD
HP DVD+RW
32x Que! USB 2.0 CDRW Drive
128 MB Geforce4 TI4400
SB Live!
17" Samsung TFT LCD Monitor
10/100 USB Ethernet
ATI TV Wonder Card
WinXP
Office XP Professional

Steve Anderson · Answer

Hi,

The reason for the Hardware Decoder cards is quite simple. During the early days of DVD-ROMs there was no Video Cards offered by Dell that had TV out, so to use the drive to play DVDs on anything except the monitor required a Decoder card.

I set this system up with a Decoder card but removed it last year when I upgraded the Video card. I can honestly say that the card produced a better quality picture than the WinDVD software that I currently use.

Steve

achvandenbergh · Answer

Thanx, guys. Out goes the card... alex

Locked Topics – Desktops General

Remove DVD Hardware Decoder Card?

Was this post helpful?