video cards and mixer

[VeryBlue]

hello all! i?ve two questions:

i need a new videocard featuring dualhead output and am leaning toward a matrox g450, but i was thinking of purchasing the 16 meg model (which is significantly cheaper than the 32 meg one); so my question is whether only 16meg video ram will suffice for live video output.

the other question has to do with videomixers: being on a budget i was thinking of something as modest as 2 inputs/1 output (svideo preferably) and capable of crossfading from A to B, rather than switching, since switchers tend to glitch when switching channels. i do not need either chroma or luma keying, do not need any effects or transitions, just plain simple crossfading from A to B on a modest price tag. any ideas?

any help would be much, much, much appreciated. thanks!

[littlecatalyst]

if you have limited funds the best mixer for your buck would be the ave5(or the hamma)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...&category=3319

theres one now... one word fo advide is that it is pretty much worth the asking price (150 pounds) so if i were you i wouldn't bid on it until about 4 minutes before the auction closes....

well thats one less question....

[komart663]

well, i'm no sure 16 megs may be enough, but it depends the footage you use, what's the rez, codecs, etc ..

[sleepytom]

Originally posted by komart663
well, i'm no sure

why answer then?

actually it makes (almost) no diffrence what res footage you use (nor do codecs make any diffrence) it depends on what software you are using - if you are using software that is working only in 2d directdraw mode (eg resolume, flowmotion etc etc) then 16meg is plenty if you are using a modern software that uses some kind of 3d (eg VJamm 2, Pilgrim etc) then 16meg is too small (also matrox is crap for 3d get a geforce or ati card if you want to use 3d programs)

[VeryBlue]

right... i was actually thinking of outputting stuff compressed with indeo, cinepak or mjpeg, which do not seem to have that much of a bitrate, however i have never felt comfortable with lo-res clips, most of them are 640*480 minimum, and there?s always the odd occasion when one feels tempted to use dv clips which are bandwidth monsters...
but i always thought video ram was used to store textures and similar 3d info, and video output issues would have something to do the systems overall bus speeds. am i right? am i wrong?...

[VeryBlue]

right sleepytom! i was still writing the message before you posted your reply. thanks! and indeed, the software i use relies on directdraw 2d exclusively.

[komart663]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by sleepytom
[B]why answer then?

Cause i knew i wasn't 100 % wrong but i didn't wanted to say something full wrong,
Tak it easy Tom

[sondz]

I would go with the matrox g450, i'm using it for my stuff and it works fine.

I only use FloMo, so i don't need any 3D stuff at all, which is good because the g450 really isn't designed for 3D, but does 2D brilliantly.

I've had the card since it came out, and never had any trouble with it what so ever.

[sleepytom]

sorry komart - i just accedently deleted my entire phone book and consiquently am not in the best of moods - didn't mean to be an ass.....

[komart663]

i knew you were cool Tom and that you should have a good reason to be so angry, i apologize for my yes/no answer