using ATI CCC Pixel Format, FFDshow RGB HQ still needed?

[THX-UltraII]

A few months ago I had some question about the black levels and enhanced/normal setting on my projector. I solved everything (with the help of you guys!) by changing the ATI CCC Pixel Format option to RGB:Full and putting my projector on ENHANCED. What I also did (on the advise of someone users here) was installing FFdshow and ONLY checked the 'RGB32' and 'HIGH QUALITY YV12 to RGB conversion' boxes in the 'Output' setting of ffdshow. In the upper 'Codecs' setting of ffdshow I only check 'Raw video' and set this to 'all supported'.

So I had to do a full HD format of my PC last night (had some other, non-related video, problems with my PC) and while installing everything it got my thinking about something:

Isn t my setup I used the last months (which seems ok by the way!) a 'double' setting and isn t it so that one of the two things I do (OR the ffdshow settings OR the ATI CCC pixel format setting) can be skipped? If so I would like to skip FFdshow HQ RGB because this eats some CPU.

So I tried playing some content last night WITHOUT ffdshow and with only the correct ATI CCC setting (also not use any shader or something like that in MPC-HC). Everything seems ok but I would like to know if I m correct in all things I ve put here.

IS it not needed to use FFdshow in my case and DOES it have no benefits (for my setup) at all to use it.

I ask this because I would like to have a HTPC as simple as possible and skipping ffdshow also saves CPU.

But maybe you guys have other suggestions to set it up different.


My hardware:
- Core2Quad Q6600
- 4GB internal mem
- Asus P5B-V motherboard
- Asus 4350 ati card with a native HDMI output going directly to my JVC HD100 projector (projector set to ENHANCED video)

And software:
- XP SP3 with .NET Framework 1.1, 2.0 and 3.0 installed
- MPC-HC latest version with EVR Custom as output
- Reclock
- CoreAVC 1.9.5 (only comes in when running .mkv files, not with my .wmv files)
- Haali Media Splitter
- ATI display driver and CCC 9.6
- march2009 release of DirectX 9


Thanks for all help and sorry for the clumsy English.

Cheers.