Venus AUEB Forum

Is your PC HD ready?

Wolfgang Gruener

September 8, 2006 12:03



Chicago (IL) - Ever wondered, if your current PC has enough horsepower to handle the next generation of multimedia? No, we are not talking about a Vista ready PC, but simply a system that is capable of displaying HD movies. Cyberlink has a surprise for you - get ready for a major overhaul or to throw out your PC, if you don't own a dual-core processor.

With Windows Vista scheduled to launch in less than five months, its time again for computer users to assess their current computer system. Just like Windows 95 required foremost an investment in system memory and XP called for a processor with at least 300 MHz, Vista once again will make you rethink whether a system upgrade or a fresh and completely new system is the way to go - at least, if you plan to upgrade within the next year.

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The same goes for other technologies that are currently being introduced, especially high-definition multimedia. Cyberlink published a free "advisor" tool that provides some details on system details and if they are powerful enough to run HD-DVD or Blu-ray movies on a computer. Don't be surprised, if watching a video will exceed your current system specs.

Cyberlink's HD DVD playback software

According to Cyberlink, HD video playback from HD DVD and Blu-ray media, requires the following hardware:

* Processor: Pentium D 840 EE or higher, Core Duo T2500 or higher, AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ or higher, Turion 64 X2 TL-60 or higher
* System memory: 1 GB
* Operating system: Windows XP SP2
* Graphics card: HDMI and HDCP support, Nvidia 7600GT or higher, ATI X1600 or higher
* HD player: Third party software is required, as the Windows Media Player 10/11 will not support Blu-ray- and HD DVD playback
* Display: HDMI and HDCP support required

The specifications appear to be largely in line with what hardware manufacturers are recommending. Nvidia recently demonstrated HD DVD and Blu-ray playback on a Pentium D 830 / 7600 GT HDCP system, which required the firm's PureVideo HD acceleration to show a movie in acceptable quality. For the first time in several years, it is quite obvious that it is not only video gaming that will promote the purchase of an enthusiast computer system. At least in the short term, a high-performance system will be required to take advantage of the features that will be arriving over the next months.

rapadder wrote: Πιστεύω ότι τελικά το HD - DVD θα επικρατήσει και η Sony (όπως και στην περίπτωση του betamax) θα την πατήσει, καθότι κανένας δεν θα θέλει να μην μπορεί να παίζουν τα νέα DVD στον (παλιό) του DVD player, ούτε το να μην παίζουν τα παλιά του DVD στον νέο του DVD player. Επίσης τα HD-DVD player θα είναι πιο φθηνά.

BD-R Write: 2x
BD-RE Write: 2x
BD-R DL Write: 1x
BD-RE DL Write: 1x
BD-R/RE/ROM/SL/DL Read: 2x
DVD+R/-R Schreiben: 12x
DVD+RW/-RW Write: 8x
DVD+/-R9 DL Write: 4x
DVD ROM/+R/-R Read: 12x
DVD+RW/-RW/DL Read: 8x
CD-R Write: 32x
CD-RW Write: 24x
CD-R/RW Read: 32x

Apple Computer Inc., Dell, HP, Hitachi, LG, Mitsubishi Electric, Panasonic Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Sun Microsystems, TDK, Thomson, Twentieth Century Fox, Walt Disney, Warner Bros.

Toshiba, NEC, Sanyo, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Intel,Universal Studios,
Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Studio Canal, The Weinstein Company.
+Samsung για τους υπολογιστές

* Adobe Systems * Almedio Inc. * Alticast * Aplix Corporation * ArcSoft, Inc. * ATI Technologies Inc. * Atmel Corporation * AudioDev AB * Broadcom Corporation * Canon Inc. * CMC Magnetics Corporation * Coding Technologies GmbH * Cryptography Research Inc. * CyberLink Corp. * DATARIUS Technologies GmbH * DCA Inc. * Deluxe Media Services Inc. * Dolby Laboratories Inc. * DTS, Inc. * Electronic Arts Inc. * Esmertec * Fuji Photo Film Co. Ltd. * Fujitsu Ltd. * Horizon Semiconductor * Imation Corp. * InterVideo Inc. * Kenwood Corporation * Lionsgate Entertainment * LITE-ON IT Corporation * LSI Logic * MediaTek Inc. * Meridian Audio Ltd. * Metta Technology * Mitsubishi Kagaku Media Co.Ltd. * Mitsui Chemicals Inc. * Moser Baer India Limited * Nero * Optodisc Technology Corporation * Paramount Pictures Corporation * Pixela Corporation * Prodisc Technology Inc. * Ricoh Co., Ltd. * Ritek Corporation * ShibaSoku Co. Ltd. * Sigma Designs Inc. * Sonic Solutions * Sonopress * Sony BMG Music Entertainment * ST Microelectronics * Sunext * Sun Microsystems, Inc. * Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd., * Universal Music Group * Victor Company of Japan, Ltd. * Visionare Corporation * Zentek Technology Japan, Inc. * ZOOtech Ltd. * Zoran Corporation * Alpine Electronics Inc. * Asahi Kasei Microsystems Co., Ltd. * ashampoo GmbH & Co. KG * Bandai Visual Co. Ltd. * BASF AG * Basler Vision Technologies * BenQ Corporation * B.H.A. Corporation * Bose Corporation * B&W Group * The Cannery * Cheertek Inc. * Cinram Manufacturing Inc. * D&M holdings, Inc. * Daewoo Electronics Corporation * Daikin Industries, Ltd. * Daxon Technology Inc. * Degussa * Eclipse Data Technologies * Elpida Memory, Inc. * ESS Technology Inc. * Expert Magnetics Corp. * Fujitsu Ten Ltd. * Funai Electric Co., Ltd. * GalleryPlayer Media Networks * Gear Software * Hie Electronics, Inc. * Hoei Sangyo Co., Ltd. * IMAGICA Corp. * INFODISC Technology Co., Ltd. * Infomedia Inc. * Intersil Corporation * Kadokawa Holdings Inc. * Kaleidescape, Inc. * Kitano Co., Ltd. * Konica Minolta Opto Inc. * Laser Pacific Media Corp. * Lauda Co. Ltd. * Lead Data Inc. * LEADER ELECTRONICS CORP * Lenovo * LG2S * Linn Products Ltd. * LINTEC Corporation * M2 Engineering AB * MainConcept AG * Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd. * Must Technology Co., Ltd. * MX Entertainment * Netflix Inc. * Newtech Infosystems Inc. * NEXAPM Systems Technology Inc. * Nikkatsu Corporation * NTT Electronics Corporation * nVidia Corporation * Omnibus Japan Inc. * OnkyoOnkyo Corporation * Online Media Technologies Ltd. * Ono Sokki Co., Ltd. * OPT Corporation * Origin Electric Co., Ltd. * Osmosys SA * Pinnacle Systems * PoINT Software & Systems GmbH * PowerFile * Primera Technology, Inc. * Quanta Storage Inc. * Realtek Semiconductor Corp. * Rimage Corporation * Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. * Dr. Schwab Inspection Technology GmbH * Shinano Kenshi Co. Ltd. * Singulus Technologies * STEAG ETA-OPTIK GmbH * Sumitomo Bakelite * Tao Group Limited * Targray Technology International Inc. * TEAC Corporation * Teijin Chemicals Ltd. * THX Ltd. * Toei Video Company Ltd. * Toho Company, Ltd. * Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. * TOPTICA Photonics AG * Trailer Park * UmeDisc Ltd. * Universal Music Group * Unaxis Balzer AG * Vivendi Universal Games * Yamaha Corporation * Yokogawa Electric Corporation * 1K Studios, LLC

rapadder wrote:Πιστεύω ότι τελικά το HD - DVD θα επικρατήσει και η Sony (όπως και στην περίπτωση του betamax) θα την πατήσει, καθότι κανένας δεν θα θέλει να μην μπορεί να παίζουν τα νέα DVD στον (παλιό) του DVD player, ούτε το να μην παίζουν τα παλιά του DVD στον νέο του DVD player.

Babedacus wrote:Εμένα μου λείπουν όλα εκτός απ'το SP2

mikem4600 wrote:Πάντως τα νέα drives (HD-DVD & BD) συνήθως θα παίζουν τα κλασικά DVD. Άρα τέτοιο ζήτημα δεν υπάρχει.

rapadder wrote: καθότι κανένας δεν θα θέλει να μην μπορεί να παίζουν τα νέα DVD στον (παλιό) του DVD player.

καθότι κανένας δεν θα θέλει να μην μπορεί να παίζουν τα νέα DVD στον (παλιό) του DVD player