VisionTek Xtasy Everything — A DVD Player at a Reasonable Price — THG.RU

The Graphics Card

The Xtasy Everything kit includes a graphics card with GeForce2 MX-400 processing and 64 MB SDRAM-memory. The graphics processor runs at 200 MHz and the memory at 183 MHz, common for most GeForce2 MX-400 processors. Remember, this graphics processor is a Direct3D 7.0 accelerator, which first came out in May 2001. This chip is a lighter version of the GeForce2 processor with two pixels pipelines (four in the GeForce2 GTS). The SDRAM performs well, even though this chip has half the fill rate of the original GeForce2.

A specialized Philips SAA7108E processor (Philips Semiconductors; SAA7108E; SAA7109E; PC-CODEC) handles video input and output, as well as the many video encoding and decoding functions. It enables TV output at a resolution of 800 x 600, and features an anti-flicker filter.

With the video decoder, you can select analog sources at 50 or 60 Hz.

This chip offers a much better display than the eternal Chrontel 7007 or Conexant CX25871-13 or Bt868/869. It can be found on many top-of-the-line, multi-function GeForce3 Titaniums. But this is the first time it has been integrated in a GeForce2 MX-400. Note that multi-function cards with a classic GeForce2 MX processor are also offered by ASUSTek (V7100 Deluxe Combo).

The Graphics Card, Continued

The card has a CRT output port and an output with a proprietary connector connecting it to a separate translucent green box.

The box has the following video connections:

• Composite out
• S-Video out
• Audio stereo mini-jack out (for Line-In of your audio card)
• Composite in
• S-Video in
• Audio stereo mini-jack in

This box also contains a multi-standard analog tuner from Philips. According to NVIDIA, putting the tuner in a separate box helped prevent interference from other PC components.

Accessories and Software Bundle

The Xtasy Everything package also includes an infrared remote, which controls DVD playback, TV and DVR software functions. There are no problems to report about the remote control. Quality and design are actually quite good. However, the remote cannot be used to control other PC functions.

The software bundle is as follows:

• Intervideo WinDVD 3.1 software for watching DVD on a PC
• WinDVR software, a TV Tuner/ PVR application
• MPEG MGI VideoWave 4 SE, video editing and DVD authoring software

Installation of the card is very straightforward. We used the reference drivers Versions 23.11 and WDM 1.08, available on the NVIDIA website.

3D Tests

All tests were executed in the Windows XP environment. We compared the Xtasy Everything with the Radeon All-In-Wonder (its direct competitor). You will also find the results for the latest graphics chips currently available.

Test Configuration

Benchmarks — 3DMark 2001

Naturally, the GeForce2 MX-4000 competes in the same market segment as the Radeon All-In-Wonder. However, these graphics cards are outmoded for use above a resolution of 1024 x 768. Moreover, they do not take advantage of any DirectX 8.0 function, and as soon as new graphics motors come out, interest in them will diminish. At resolutions higher than 1024 x 768, the Radeon All-In-Wonder performs better than the GeForce2 MX-400. This comes from the increased bandwidth delivered by the DDR memory.

Quake 3

Observations for OpenGL performance in Quake 3 are much the same: Xtasy Everything and Radeon All-In-Wonder are side by side.

Analog Capture

Analog capture is completely software-based. Video encoding quality depends mostly on your various PC components (CPU, memory, hard disk).

Encoding can take place within the WinDVR software, which lets you select the video source. You can also use the MGI VideoWave 4.0 SE editing software for capturing. However, the only encoding format possible with the software provided is MPEG. PAL, NTSC and Secam sources can be recorded.

UYVY 4:2:2 is the native format for recording. The following capturing formats are available:

As far as encoding in WinDVR, the results obtained with MPEG-2 codec are quite good, despite the strong increase of CPU utilization. It appears that the codec MGEG-2 being used is Intervideo’s own product. The codec does not take advantage of all the SSE optimizations found in the latest processors. This is unlike the one in Ligos (Go Motion), which is used in many other applications.

And so, during our encoding tests on Athlon XP 1800+, the results speak for themselves:

It is almost impossible to record in full resolution DVD format with this codec, even on an Athlon XP 1800 +! However, video quality is very decent and your MPEG files can be used with other video editing programs like Ulead Media Studio Pro.

Analog Capture, Continued

In addition to some predefined encoding settings (DVD and VCD, still no SVCD), WinDVR allows you to choose your own various settings for MPEG capture:

• size
• bit rate
• number of P and B pictures in the GOP architecture
• ratio

Audio capture is done by the sound card in MPEG Layer II format with data rates between 192 Kbits/s and 384 Kbits/s.

Unfortunately, encoding in AVI format is not available with WinDVR. You need to use a program like VirtualDub (http://www.virtualdub.org/index) to take advantage of the WDM drivers offered by NVIDIA. With this type of tool, you can use other codecs available in the market.

Analog Capture, Continued

TV Tuner and TV-on-Demand

The TV tuner is controlled through the WinDVR software. The quality is good, the search for the channels goes fast, and storing them to memory is simple.

As far as functionalities go, a channels mosaic mode is available, but results in an increased use of resources. Also, you can do captures in BMP format at 720×576.

You can also program the date and time of recording, just like on a regular VCR. However, teletext display is not yet supported.

The TV-on-demand functions (Timeshifting) are executed through the MPEG encoding techniques of WinDVR. With timeshifting, a TV program is played with a slight delay, while it is still being recorded. This technique works well with WinDVR and is fun to use. However, you need more than a five-second delay to activate timeshifting.

DVD and Video CD Playback

DVD, Video CD and SVCD are handled by InterVideo WinDVD. The GeForce2 MX processor uses motion compensation for DVD decoding. DVD playback uses 35% to 40% of the processor’s resources with an audio flow transferred into AC3 (Dolby Digital).

TV Output and Multi-Display

The GeForce2 MX features multi-display support. Your TV can serve as a second monitor, without having to use a 60 Hz frequency on your PC monitor. This technique, called TwinView, offers different possibilities:

DVD and Video CD Playback, Continued

• The clone mode allows you to display the same image on your monitor and on your TV. The resolution, however, is limited to 800 x 600. You can reroute a video stream (DVD or others) only to your TV. Using WinDVR in this mode creates strange video lags on the TV, however.
• The extended desktop mode (horizontal or vertical) offers a resolution of 1600 x 1600 and extends your desktop to your TV. In this mode, you can reroute all video streams to the TV.

A utility driver lets you define the settings of each application window (screen, position, etc.). However, this function is only available with 21.83 drivers and above. The function disappears with 23.11 drivers.

Conclusion

For the price of $199.99, Xtasy Everything arrives a bit late on the market. Indeed, its 3D performance is not up to date anymore and is in danger of becoming obsolete once the next batch of products using the latest 3D functions are introduced. Compared to the Radeon All-In-Wonder $199, the Xtasy Everything’s multimedia functions are a notch down. This comes mostly from the MPEG-2 decoding abilities of ATI processors. One big advantage for VisionTek is definitely the remote control. Moreover, Xtasy Everything’s dual monitor, even with its difficult adjustments, has the advantage of using two different frequencies, unlike the Radeon AIW. Radeon AIW 8500 DV features this function, but, because of its price and its 3D, it does not belong to the same market segment.

TV output quality is way above the average among standard video cards, but still does not stack up with ATI’s AIW cards. On the other hand, the tuner is very good quality, nothing bad to report about it. The design decision to put the tuner and its connections in a separate box, outside of the PC case, does not seem to improve quality to beyond that of the integrated ATI products. And the software bundle they offer means less comfort and freedom than the ATI integrated suites.

VisionTek tells us that their next generation of the Xtasy Everything will be based on Nvidia’s new chipsets — this is a smart strategy, as the NV17 processor is coming out in the next few weeks. However, the external tuner and the remote control will be able to be used easily with future graphics processors.