Sony trinitron

[SithMaster]

I got it free but it only has composite connections on the back.  My pc -also free has an agp slot and is a p266 with 64mb.  What graphics card should i get.

Otherwise what tv and card should i get that will work with the pc.  Keep in mind that im really cheap.  thanks.

[Harry Potter]

If all you're doing is composite, ANY card with composite output (ie the yellow connector) will do the trick.

[SithMaster]

I was going to get a card for composite but was worried about the resolution and quality.  I plan on playing mostly 80s stuff but also some shumps from the 90s.

[D5A1AC]

I suggest you go for a Radeon 9250. It comes with a D-sub connection, svideo (composite with adaptor that's usually included) and DVI in case you decide to upgrade your monitor. It's a budget card but considering the speed of your PC and the fact that you want to play older games it should do the job well. Keep in mind it has passive cooling (no fan) so it will be quiet, but it needs a fair amount of airflow or it may overheat. I have this card in my arcade and it gets pretty damn hot - I'm going to mount an extra fan on the heatsink. I got my 128MB version for $40 AUD.

[SithMaster]

which connector do use the svid or the adapter to composite?  i would like to know what the quality of the picture will be before buying.  thanks

[D5A1AC]

I was going to say composite because I am pretty sure I saw another thread here comparing the maze on pac-man with s-video and composite and I think that the pictures suggested composite was better. I looked it up on wikipedia which said the opposite:

"S-Video will appear better than composite video since the television does not have to split the brightness and color information that are found together on composite video."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-Video

It would seem more logical for s-video to be better as it sends signals for varios aspects of the picture over seperate wires, rather than combining and sending them through one active wire.

Edit: I just found another article saying S-video provided a better image:
http://www.evga.com/articles/public.asp?AID=52
I would go with S-video.

[Abomination]

No, me and another member here have tried both with the same setup and after extensive testing component is better by a large margin.  The catch is an annoying flicker while in windows (not really noticable in mame games)  But the trade off is worth it, svideo is dimmer and blurry almost while the component is more vibrant and much much sharper images.  Thats using a 27" JVC TV with component in and a radeon 9600 card with the dvi-i to component adapter.

[D5A1AC]

Okay. That may have been the thread I was referring to.

Edit: I really have a tough time beleiving that composite is better. Did you take any photos of the two for comparison? I don't doubt what youre saying, its just that it's going against most of the theory that I have seen such as what was written in the above two articles.

[Abomination]

Well, I don't have any pictures.

[D5A1AC]

Hey that is pretty noticeable. Alright, you (and Skadar) have convinced me despite what those other sites say. I'd go with composite component, Sithmaster 

Edit: Stupid mistake   

[SithMaster]

You mean go with component.  This is how i think the order goes from least to greatest
coaxil
composite
svid
component
cept my tv only has the composite which i know is lower on the list so to speak.  i plan on eventually upgrading the tv but in the meantime want a vid card that can support both composite and component.   thanks for the info on the types.  thanks

[Harry Potter]

Well, I don't have any pictures.  But search skadar's posts, there is one with a dvi-i to component adapter write up and it has side by side pictures in different games and you can tell the difference but the appearance in living color is MUCH more noticeable.  I really can't see how anyone who compared it would say S-Video is better unless its something to do with the setup me and skadar share (we have basically the exact same setup, JVC 27" TV, radeon 9600's with dvi-i to component adapters etc).  Its such a noticeable difference that I truly couldn't play with S-Video now after seeing the component and skadar is the same according to my conversations with him.

EDIT:

Found that post of his, its under Topic: Component Video Working with ATI Adapter (pics), its in the Monitor/Video Forum.  As you can see from the pictures huge difference and like I said its quite a bit more dramatic in real life.

Funny thing, I used to have a 9250 and the s-video on it completely sucked. Composite was way better. First time I ever came across something like that. 

[SithMaster]

do you have a pic of you using the composite that you would post?  I really need to see how good it is.

also i tried playing 1945k on my p266 and it lags a little but the sound is terrible.  what i might do is build two cabs.  one for the newer and one for oldies like pac man and such.

[Harry Potter]

Sorry can't. I took the card out of the PC a month ago. I can tell you though the composite was excellent. Even the VGA had problems (i was getting a bad ghosting effect, which went away as soon as I got the new card) and the DVI was the worst.

[SithMaster]

And you were using a 9250 right?
was it an ati manufactured or a third party?

definitely considering getting one.  thanks

[Harry Potter]

And you were using a 9250 right?
was it an ati manufactured or a third party?

definitely considering getting one.  thanks

Yeah, I was using it and it is an ATI, not 3rd party (which is why I was so surprised at the lack of quality on VGA).