Where does DVD decoding happen?

[Malpine Walis]

I am down to the home stretch before I start buying the parts for my new computer. Before I commit to a few parts, I have to ask the last few questions on a couple of things.

If I want hardware DVD decoding, what do I need to buy?

Is that built into some drives or do I need a decoder card?

Will I still need to buy DVD playback software (I am going for Win/2000)?

Is there anything else I need to know?

[BigRed]

Originally posted by Malpine Walis
I am down to the home stretch before I start buying the parts for my new computer. Before I commit to a few parts, I have to ask the last few questions on a couple of things.

If I want hardware DVD decoding, what do I need to buy?

Is that built into some drives or do I need a decoder card?

Will I still need to buy DVD playback software (I am going for Win/2000)?

Is there anything else I need to know?
Just buy a radeon 7500 or a radeon 8500, they have excellent dvd decoding built in :)

[lonewolf1983]

if you want hardware decoding you will have to buy a seperate card to do so,i recommend the Realmagic Hollywood plus

however if your pc is 500Mhz or faster,software will do the job just as well as any hardware decoder
i recommend powerdvd,or windvd 2000

[Malpine Walis]

Originally posted by lonewolf1983
if you want hardware decoding you will have to buy a seperate card to do so,i recommend the Realmagic Hollywood plus

however if your pc is 500Mhz or faster,software will do the job just as well as any hardware decoder
i recommend powerdvd,or windvd 2000

So hardware decoding comes from the graphics card and I still need the software?

[CrystalMethod]

Originally posted by Malpine Walis


So hardware decoding comes from the graphics card and I still need the software?

It depends on the card. My Voodoo3 2000 doesn't support DVD decoding, and I have to run a decoder card. Most newer cards have it built in, and all you need is the software to play DVD's.