2018-03-11, 08:03
There has been way too much heated debate about video card choices. Some posters will comment their experiences were terrible while others are 100% satisfied. Each uses something different and each is passionate for their choice. It really boils down to what each unique user demands or doesn't demand. Personally, I demand that I can play every single audio and video there is at the highest quality launched from the official builds of KODI and I do mean everything audio and video I've ever encountered. I will not settle for less and I will not deviate by making any adjustments to original 1:1 quality exact disc backups although I have lots of crap too and I want that perfected as well. I also refuse to use any offshoot builds of KODI, only the official versions. Nothing against DSPlayer here and I understand I'm just a guest. It's just not for me but obviously is for many. I demand every audio and video you and I encounter is also playable to their fullest extent with no excuses. I will not tolerate any errors of any kind although the one and only I live with has been pointed out numerous times - a single dropped frame every 5 minutes that I never notice. I demand everything work perfectly behind the scenes and be completely automated so all I have to do is push play on a title in KODI. Period. When finished, I demand KODI be in focus ready for the next title press of play. I demand my one and only remote handle everything from turning on my HTPC from a cold start and shutting it completely off to navigating all players for every function like subtitles choices and everything else. And I demand I never leave my seat. No single player fills these demands. Not one. So, at this time, 4 are required. The KODI videoplayer, MPC with components, and PowerDVD and DVDFab which cost money. I found them on Ebay currently .99 cents and 10.95 for the versions I use. The 10.95 was 2.99 last week. YMMV.
I myself have to filter through video cards to find 'the one' that meets all my demands as new formats get introduced through the years. Many times after experimenting for hours/days, I'm forced to make returns learning subtle nuances I won't accept. I don't think anyone in the A/V world has higher demands for what we discuss here. I consider it 'the holy grail' for what I do and what I use. After extensive testing and acceptance, I pass on my findings. Sometimes others are quick to interrupt and interject false claims based on their experiences because they feel their passion has been slighted or maybe they did have genuine problems. I run into problems too but in the end I figure out why and just don't give up and say the thing doesn't work. 99% of the time, whatever that thing is works fine and something upstream unrelated is usually the culprit. It's like racing engines were for me. You can buy plenty of fast parts but until you find a winning combination of them, you're just spinning your wheels. This is where hardware versions plus software versions and their drivers count, and I do mean count. Not to mention precise settings. Imo, without providing EVERY last stinking detail for others to mimic, simply saying a few words about your perfect setup, like which video card you use, means zip.
That said, very few are going to have identical everything but many, while not exact, are in the ballpark. So, many times some of us will try to lend a hand and try to adapt to another persons environment offering advice when we are perhaps somewhat familiar with specific scenarios. Sadly, this often erupts into a knowledge war and most often never finds common ground. To make matters worse, these advices are based on internet distances and not hands on which becomes a guessing game at times. Sometimes I remote in to strangers rigs and straighten them out discovering mountains of basic errors before ever tackling the detailed little thing I was anticipating. The last time took 4 hours and it's a thankless unrewarded extension of kindness. Not even a rep point. LoL. I can only imagine how talented developers of KODI, madVR, LAV Filters, MPC flavors, etc. feel.
So I have no comments at this time which video card or anything else is the wisest choice. You may not demand what I do and therefor your corridor of video cards might not be as narrow. You already know my card preference. I've already written why. You might enquire what experts have to say elsewhere and not just here. Since this is the DSPlayer forum and it incorporates madVR, LAV Filters, and MPC-HC, I would suggest doom9 where highly technical conversations are held on a fast moving threads covering all these software by very knowledgeable folks. The official forums for those software are established there. After a few pages of reading backwards, you should be able to get a feel for what most of these experts use including the developers of the software in the threads being discussed. You might take a look at stock prices for the GPU companies and compare success. Perhaps some of the official driver support forums. ETC. Lastly, I spent the day updating all the codes in my guide fwiw. Don't forget to turn the clocks forward an hour. Nighty night.
I myself have to filter through video cards to find 'the one' that meets all my demands as new formats get introduced through the years. Many times after experimenting for hours/days, I'm forced to make returns learning subtle nuances I won't accept. I don't think anyone in the A/V world has higher demands for what we discuss here. I consider it 'the holy grail' for what I do and what I use. After extensive testing and acceptance, I pass on my findings. Sometimes others are quick to interrupt and interject false claims based on their experiences because they feel their passion has been slighted or maybe they did have genuine problems. I run into problems too but in the end I figure out why and just don't give up and say the thing doesn't work. 99% of the time, whatever that thing is works fine and something upstream unrelated is usually the culprit. It's like racing engines were for me. You can buy plenty of fast parts but until you find a winning combination of them, you're just spinning your wheels. This is where hardware versions plus software versions and their drivers count, and I do mean count. Not to mention precise settings. Imo, without providing EVERY last stinking detail for others to mimic, simply saying a few words about your perfect setup, like which video card you use, means zip.
That said, very few are going to have identical everything but many, while not exact, are in the ballpark. So, many times some of us will try to lend a hand and try to adapt to another persons environment offering advice when we are perhaps somewhat familiar with specific scenarios. Sadly, this often erupts into a knowledge war and most often never finds common ground. To make matters worse, these advices are based on internet distances and not hands on which becomes a guessing game at times. Sometimes I remote in to strangers rigs and straighten them out discovering mountains of basic errors before ever tackling the detailed little thing I was anticipating. The last time took 4 hours and it's a thankless unrewarded extension of kindness. Not even a rep point. LoL. I can only imagine how talented developers of KODI, madVR, LAV Filters, MPC flavors, etc. feel.
So I have no comments at this time which video card or anything else is the wisest choice. You may not demand what I do and therefor your corridor of video cards might not be as narrow. You already know my card preference. I've already written why. You might enquire what experts have to say elsewhere and not just here. Since this is the DSPlayer forum and it incorporates madVR, LAV Filters, and MPC-HC, I would suggest doom9 where highly technical conversations are held on a fast moving threads covering all these software by very knowledgeable folks. The official forums for those software are established there. After a few pages of reading backwards, you should be able to get a feel for what most of these experts use including the developers of the software in the threads being discussed. You might take a look at stock prices for the GPU companies and compare success. Perhaps some of the official driver support forums. ETC. Lastly, I spent the day updating all the codes in my guide fwiw. Don't forget to turn the clocks forward an hour. Nighty night.
