External Graphics Card?

I would recommend GTX275/285 video card or an ATI equal. That should give you what you want plus HDMI out if needed.

+1 to that. The USB slot will be way too slow to handle major graphics. They can be pretty expensive as well.

http://optimitza.cat/news/2009/07/01/vidock-2-are-external-graphics-cards-finally-here/

That'll run you about $400. That can go a long way in funding a new HTPC

Cpyder wrote: »

Hopefully not, but maybe the only way to do this (keeping full quality) is to burn all my movies to DVD and use a DVD player... I hope not as I have well over 200 "discs" on my computer and that would dig a hole pretty deep shelling out for DL DVDs.

http://www.amazon.com/Memorex-240min-spindle-storage-media/dp/B000UWX70S/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1250005173&sr=8-3

$160 for the discs, but then you can play them anywhere, anytime, instead of having to stream them from your laptop. And that's cheaper than a lot of graphics cards...

Cpyder wrote: »

Thanks! That seems to be pretty much what I'm looking for. My only concern is that if my laptop, through VGA, picture doesn't look all that great, will this change anything? I'm assuming my computer is just poor at converting the video file to analogue and interlaced to progressive, etc, etc. Will this change anything? Is the problem how I'm connecting my computer or is it the computer's conversion process?
Thanks everyone!

It depends on several things but I suspect it's the VGA output and/or the internal graphics chip. The current wave of media steamers (like the WD mentioned by JohnLocke88) use a Realtek or Sigma chip versus say the Intel Graphics chip built into some laptops. That and VGA is an entirely different animal than HDMI. Specifically (to answer your question), it's probably the connection not the conversion (unless you are trying to up-convert with the laptop?).

By the way, USB 2.0 connections handle STD DVD's fine. Blu-ray is not handled very well at all. My WD box uses an external drive as do a lot of media streamers & there are no issues with STD. I mention this only because of the USB eVGA add-on box mentioned above.

Cpyder wrote: »

Hopefully not, but maybe the only way to do this (keeping full quality) is to burn all my movies to DVD and use a DVD player... I hope not as I have well over 200 "discs" on my computer and that would dig a hole pretty deep shelling out for DL DVDs.

There is something to be said for storing all of your movies on a hard drive, and quite frankly it probably is the wave of the future. That is the reason for the rise in popularity of media servers, NAS boxes, and HTPC's. DVD sales (retail boxes) are falling, movie downloads are rising. Having said that, I have 700 DVD's and will continue to collect them as most people still do. Still, I have a had drive loaded with favorites and it is nice to just call up a menu of movies, pick one, and hit play. My way of doing both scenarios I guess.

As for Memorex dual-layer quality, I don't really know about the current Memorex products. Back in the early days the quality was terrible so I started using Maxell & Verbatim and have never had a problem. I did purchase a 50 pack of TDK dual-layer a few months ago and have used about 30 so far. They have all worked just fine.

tcrossma wrote: »

I don't know, to me a disc is a disc. With some brands you get a few more bad discs than others, but just toss 'em and move on. I'm sure as with anything, everybody has brands that have treated them well or treated them badly.

How about this then?

http://www.amazon.com/Verbatim-95310-Double-Layer-2-4X-6X/dp/B000T9XE46/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1250029773&sr=8-15

Agree. I guess brand sensitivity dies hard. Back in the day (really, not that long ago) a blank DVD could cost a couple bucks and burned at 2X. I remember blank CD's at $1+ each and my first burner was a 1X. Do a little bit of that and you quickly learn that tossing them and moving on can get expensive. Times have changed a lot quality-wise and at 25 cents a disk (80 cents for dual-layer) I don't worry about it too much. Still, I don't like taking a ripped movie off the shelf and having it freeze or go unreadable halfway through a movie.

Cpyder wrote: »

If one were to use this:
http://gizmodo.com/5141876/grand-hd-cinema-converts-usb-to-hdmi

(Grand HD Cinema USB to HDMI converter) Would this allow the receiver you send the signal to to convert the video into progressive?

That would most likely do a better job than my laptop.

It appears from the description that the box converts to 720p so it will already be progressive. Whether your receiver can convert (up-convert) it higher to 1080p depends on your receiver. Most receivers I believe do not up-convert HDMI to HDMI but rather just pass it through. The Harmon Kardon 254/354 do but I believe they are the exception.