Upgrading or Replacing Your Video Card

With today's video cards offering sophisticated 3D graphics supporting DirectX 8.x and 9.x, multiple-monitor support at most price points, and massive amounts of display memory (up to 512MB!), it makes little sense to add most upgrades to an existing video card. The component-level upgrades that can be added generally include

• TV tuners, permitting you to watch cable or broadcast TV on your monitor

• Video capture devices, allowing you to capture still or moving video to a file

In many cases, a single device provides both features. However, if you need better 3D performance or features, more memory, or support for DVI digital displays, you need to replace your video card.

TV Tuner and Video Capture Upgrades

With a few notable exceptions, such as ATI's Radeon All-in-Wonder and NVIDIA's Personal Cinema series or cards with VIVO (video-in/video-out ports), most video cards don't have TV tuner or video capture upgrade features built in. New cards with these features tend to be either in the middle to high range of their manufacturers' price structures or less expensive but of poor quality.

These features are exciting if you are already into video editing, want to add video to your website, or are trying to create CD- or DVD-based archives of your home video. If you have an up-to-date video card with acceptable 2D and 3D performance and at least 128MB of video RAM, compare the price of the addons to the price of a new card with these features. You'll probably find the add-ons to be less expensive. If your card has less than 128MB of video RAM and you play 3D games, I recommend replacing it with a new card with these features. Look at sample video captures before making your decision because all video capture solutions require image compression with at least some loss of quality. If you have a digital camcorder with IEEE 1394 (also called FireWire or i.LINK) ports, you should purchase an IEEE 1394 interface board to use high-quality pure digital video that needs no conversion.

Note

Although ATI's All-in-Wonder Radeon 8500 DV includes an IEEE 1394a (FireWire 400) port, more recent All-in-Wonder boards don't include this port. However, a wide variety of multifunction PCI cards include IEEE 1394a ports, including high-end sound cards from Hercules and Creative Labs and combination Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0)/IEEE 1394a cards from many vendors. Many recent systems also include a 1394a or 1394b port.

The USB port can be used to connect TV tuner and video-capture options compatible with any manufacturer's video card from vendors such as Dazzle, Hauppauge, and others. Because the wide variety of TV and computer hardware on the market can cause compatibility problems with USB TV/capture devices, be sure to check review sites such as http://reviews.cnet.com and http://www.epinions.com. For best image capture quality, look for products designed for Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0) and connect them to a Hi-Speed USB port.

If HDTV is in your future, look for products compatible with HDTV, such as an HDTV tuner (some plug in to an empty PCI slot, and others plug in to a USB 2.0 port). HDTV tuners enable you to watch HDTV broadcasts on any monitor connected to your PC, including large-screen monitors and projectors. Some of the major vendors of HDTV cards include ATI Technologies, Hauppauge Computer Works, and Sasem Co, Ltd.

Warranty and Support

Because a video card can go through several driver changes during its effective lifetime (about three years or two operating-system revisions), buying a video card from a major manufacturer usually assures you of better support during the card's lifetime. If you buy a card that uses widely available chipsets (such as NVIDIA's or ATI's), you might be able to try a different vendor's version of drivers or use the chipset vendor's "generic" drivers if you don't get satisfactory support from your card vendor.

Keep in mind that using generic drivers (chipset level) or a different brand of drivers can cause problems if your original card's design was tweaked from the chipset maker's reference design. Look at the vendor's technical support forums or third-party discussions on newsgroups, computer information websites such as ZDNet, or magazine websites to get a feel for the stability, reliability, and usefulness of a vendor's support and driver services. These sources generally also provide alternatives in case of difficulties with a specific brand or chipset. If you use Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows XP, make sure you use WHQL-certified drivers for best results. These drivers have been passed by Microsoft's Windows Hardware Quality Labs and might be available through Windows Update or from the vendor's own website.

Note

With the rise in popularity of Linux, many graphics card and GPU vendors now provide downloadable Linux drivers. Be sure to check compatibility carefully because some vendors customize drivers for different Linux distributions or might provide drivers that work with only certain Linux kernels or XFree86 drivers.

Comparing Video Cards with the Same Chipset

Many manufacturers create a line of video cards with the same chipset to sell at different pricing points. Why not save some dollars and get the cheapest model? Why not say "price is no object" and get the most expensive one? When you're faced with various cards in the "chipsetX" family, look for differences such as those shown in Table 13.24.

Table 13.24. Comparing Video Cards with the Same Chipset

Feature	Effect on You
RAMDAC speed	Most current high-end 3D GPUs integrate 400MHz or faster RAMDACs to provide flicker-free resolutions beyond 1280x1024. However, less-expensive cards and older designs often incorporate a slower RAMDAC, which reduces maximum and flicker-free resolutions. If you use a 17" or larger monitor, this could be an eye-straining problem.
Amount of RAM	Although AGP video cards can use AGP memory (a section of main memory borrowed for texturing), performing as much work as possible on the card's own memory is still faster. PCI and PCI Express cards must perform all functions within their own memory. Less expensive cards in a chipset family often have lower amounts of memory onboard, and graphics cards haven't featured expandable memory for several years. Buy a card with enough memory for your games or applicationstoday and tomorrow; at least 64MB or more for business and 128MB or more for gaming, 3D graphics, and video-related work. If you plan to upgrade to Windows Vista (introduced in late 2006), consider a video card with 256MB or more and DirectX 9 hardware support to enable you to use the optional Aero Glass GUI feature.
Memory type	Virtually all video cards on the market today use SDRAM or its faster variants (SGRAM, DDR SDRAM, GDDR2, or GDDR3 SDRAM). Any of these provide you with high performance in business applications, although DDR, GDDR2, or GDDR3 SDRAM is preferable when running high-resolution, high-quality 3D games faster.
Core clock speed	Many suppliers adjust the recommended speed of graphics controllers in an effort to provide users with maximum performance. Sometimes the supplier can choose to exceed the rated specification of the graphics chip. Be cautious: Current controller chips are large and can overheat. An overclocked device in an open system with great airflow might work, or it might fail in a period of months from overstress of the circuitry. If you have questions about the rated speed of a controller, check the chip supplier's website. Many reputable companies do use overclocked parts, but the best vendors supply large heatsinks or powered fans to avoid overheating. Some vendors even provide on-card temperature monitoring.
RAM speed (MHz rating)	Just as faster system RAM improves overall computer performance, faster video card RAM improves video card performance. The higher the MHz rating, the faster the memory.
TV-out	Once a rare feature, most video cards at all price points now feature TV-out, enabling you to display DVD movies or video games on a big-screen TV. Most use the S-video port, which can be adapted to composite video if your TV or VCR does not have an S-video port. Some of the latest models have hardware-based MPEG-2 compression for higher video quality in less disk space. Some of the latest video cards are now using a VIVO port to support either RCA or S-video inputs on VCRs and TVs.
Multimedia features	The ATI All-in-Wonder series provides TV-in, TV-out, and full-power graphics support in a single slot. An adapter for component video is available from ATI for interfacing with bigscreen televisions. If you prefer NVIDIA graphics, look for GeForce FXbased cards that include the Personal Cinema breakout box and software bundle. Even though All-in-Wonder versions of ATI's most recent GPUs are available, NVIDIA's Personal Cinema products are not currently available in the GeForce 6 or 7 series.
The speed of the RAMDAC is not the same as the core clock speed of a given graphics card. Even though most current GPUs incorporate the RAMDAC in the GPU, the RAMDAC and the GPU core run at different speeds.

Video Output Devices

When video technology first was introduced, it was based on television. However, a difference exists between the signals used by a television and those used by a computer. In the United States, the National Television System Committee (NTSC) established color TV standards in 1953. Some other countries, such as Japan, followed this standard. Many countries in Europe, though, developed more sophisticated standards, including Phase Alternate Line (PAL) and Sequential Couleur Avec Mémoire (SECAM). Table 13.25 shows the differences among these standards.

Table 13.25. Television Versus Computer Monitors

Standard	Year Est.	Country	Lines	Rate
Television
NTSC	1953 (color) 1941 (b&w)	U.S., Japan	525	60 fields/sec
PAL	1941	Europe[1]	625	50 fields/sec
SECAM	1962	France	625	25 fields/sec
HDTV[2]		Various countries	1080i 720p	25 fields/sec 60 frames/sec
Computer
VGA	1987	U.S.	640x480[3]	72Hz
Field = 1/2 (.5 frame)

^[1] England, Holland, and West Germany.

^[2] Various analog and digital HDTV standards have been introduced around the world, starting in France in 1948 (SECAM 755i, a now-discontinued analog version); Japan's analog MUSE 1035i is the oldest system (1979present) in use. The U.S. standards (both digital) are listed above; other countries use various analog and digital standards.

^[3] VGA is based on more lines and uses pixels (480) versus lines; genlocking is used to lock pixels into lines and synchronize computers with TV standards.

A video-output (or VGA-to-NTSC) adapter enables you to display computer screens on a TV set or record them onto videotape for easy distribution. These products fall into two categories: those with genlocking (which enables the board to synchronize signals from multiple video sources or video with PC graphics) and those without. Genlocking provides the signal stability necessary to obtain adequate results when recording to tape, but it isn't necessary for using a television as a video display.

VGA-to-NTSC converters are available as internal expansion boards, external boxes that are portable enough to use with a laptop for presentations on the road, and TV-out ports on the rear of most video cards using chipsets from NVIDIA, ATI, and others. Indeed, many laptop and notebook systems these days come equipped with a built-in VGA-to-NTSC converter.

The converter does not replace your existing video adapter but instead connects to the adapter using an external cable. In addition to VGA input and output ports, a video output board has a video output interface for S-video and composite video (via an adapter).

Most VGA-to-TV converters support the standard NTSC television format and might also support the European PAL format. The resolution these devices display on a TV set or record on videotape often is limited to straight VGA at 640x480 pixels, although some TV-out ports on recent video cards can also display 800x600 resolution. The converter also might contain an antiflicker circuit to help stabilize the picture because VGA-to-TV products, as well as TV-to-VGA solutions, often suffer from a case of the jitters.

To connect your PC to an HDTV monitor, use a DVI-D cable for best picture quality, or use the VGA port if your system lacks DVI support.

Video Capture Devices

You can capture individual screen images or full-motion video for reuse in several ways, including

• 3D accelerator cards with TV-in ports

• TV tuner cards

• USB-based devices such as TV tuner/capture devices

• Webcams with video input ports

These units capture still or moving images from NTSC video sources, such as camcorders and VCRs. Although image quality is limited by the input signal, the results are still good enough for presentations and desktop publishing applications. These devices work with VGA cards set for 24-bit or 32-bit color and usually accept video input from VHS, Super VHS, and Hi-8 devices. As you might expect, however, Super VHS and Hi-8 video sources give better results, as do configurations using more than 256 colors. For the best results, use DV camcorders equipped with IEEE 1394 (i.LINK/FireWire) connectors; these can output high-quality digital video direct to your computer without the need to perform an analog-to-digital conversion. If your computer doesn't include an IEEE 1394a or 1394b port, you must install an IEEE 1394 add-in card if you want to capture output from a DV camcorder.

Tip

If you need to convert existing analog video tape to digital format and you also have a DV camcorder (which interfaces via the IEEE 1394 port), check the documentation for your camcorder to see whether it can be used as a passthrough device for analog video. DV camcorders that support passthrough enable you to capture analog video via the 1394 port for better image quality than if you used a USB-based capture device.

Desktop Video Boards

You can also capture NTSC (television) signals to your computer system for display or editing. In other words, you can literally watch TV in a window on your computer. When capturing video, you should think in terms of digital versus analog. The biggest convenience of an analog TV signal is efficiency; it is a compact way to transmit video information through a low-bandwidth pipeline. The disadvantage is that although you can control how the video is displayed, you can't edit it.

Actually capturing and recording video from external sources and saving the files onto your PC requires special technology. To do this, you need a device called a video capture board (also called a TV tuner, video digitizer, or video grabber).

Note

In this context, the technical nomenclature again becomes confusing because the term video here has its usual connotation; that is, it refers to the display of full-motion photography on the PC monitor. When evaluating video hardware, be sure to distinguish between devices that capture still images from a video source and those that capture full-motion video streams.

Today, video sources come in two forms:

• Analog

• Digital

Analog video can be captured from traditional sources such as broadcast or cable TV, VCRs, and camcorders using VHS or similar tape standards. This process is much more demanding of storage space and system performance than still images are. Here's why:

The typical computer screen was designed to display mainly static images. The storing and retrieving of these images requires managing huge files. Consider this: A single, full-screen color image in an uncompressed format can require as much as 2MB of disk space; a 1-second video would therefore require 45MB. Likewise, any video transmission you want to capture for use on your PC must be converted from an analog NTSC signal to a digital signal your computer can use. On top of that, the video signal must be moved inside your computer at 10 times the speed of the conventional ISA bus structure. You need not only a superior video card and monitor, but also an excellent expansion bus, such as PCI or AGP.

Considering that full-motion video can consume massive quantities of disk space, it becomes apparent that data compression is all but essential. Compression and decompression apply to both video and audio. Not only does a compressed file take up less space, it also performs better simply because less data must be processed. When you are ready to replay the video/audio, the application decompresses the file during playback. In any case, if you are going to work with video, be sure that your hard drive is large enough and fast enough to handle the huge files that can result.

Compression/decompression programs and devices are called codecs. Two types of codecs exist: hardware-dependent codecs and software (or hardware-independent) codecs. Hardware codecs typically perform better; however, they require additional hardwareeither an add-on card or a high-end video card with hardware codecs built in. Software codes do not require hardware for compression or playback, but they typically do not deliver the same quality or compression ratio. Following are two of the major codec algorithms:

• JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group). Originally developed for still images, JPEG can compress and decompress at rates acceptable for nearly full-motion video (30fps). JPEG still uses a series of still images, which makes editing easier. JPEG is typically lossy (meaning that a small amount of the data is lost during the compression process, slightly diminishing the quality of the image), but it can also be lossless. JPEG compression functions by eliminating redundant data for each individual image (intraframe). Compression efficiency is approximately 30:1 (20:140:1).

• MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group). MPEG by itself compresses video at approximately a 30:1 ratio, but with precompression through oversampling, the ratio can climb to 100:1 and higher, while retaining high quality. Thus, MPEG compression results in better, faster videos that require less storage space. MPEG is an interframe compressor. Because MPEG stores only incremental changes, it is not used during editing phases.

If you will be capturing or compressing video on your computer, you'll need software based on standards such as Microsoft's DirectShow (the successor to Video for Windows and ActiveMovie), Real Network's Real Producer series, or Apple's QuickTime Pro. Players for files produced with these technologies can be downloaded free from the vendors' websites.

To play or record video on your multimedia PC (MPC), you need some extra hardware and software:

• Video system software, such as Apple's QuickTime for Windows or Microsoft's Windows Media Player.

• A compression/digitization video adapter that enables you to digitize and play large video files.

• An NTSC-to-VGA adapter that combines TV signals with computer video signals for output to a VCR. Video can come from a variety of sources: TV, VCR, video camera, laserdisc player, or DVD player. When you record an animation file, you can save it in a variety of file formats: AVI (Audio Video Interleave), MOV (Apple QuickTime format), or MPG (MPEG format).

Depending on the video-capture product you use, you have several choices for capturing analog video. The best option is to use component video. Component video uses three RCA-type jacks to carry the luminance (Y) and two chrominance (PR and PB) signals; this type of connector commonly is found on DVD players and high-end conventional and HDTV television sets. However, home-market video capture devices usually don't support component video. A typical professional capture device designed for component video, such as Pinnacle Systems' DC2000DV, retails for about $2,000.

The next best choice, and one that is supported by many home-market video-capture devices, is the S-video (S-VHS) connector. This cable transmits separate signals for color (chroma) and brightness (luma). Otherwise, you must use composite video, which mixes luma and chroma. This results in a lower-quality signal, and the better your signal, the better your video quality will be.

You also can purchase devices that display only NTSC (TV) signals on your computer. The built-in digital movie editing features found in Windows XP and Windows Vista, the increasing popularity of computer/TV solutions, and broadband Internet connections make onscreen full-motion video an increasingly common part of the computing experience. Because of the growing importance of onscreen full-motion video, more and more recent CPUs have added features to enhance playbackincluding SSE, SSE2, and SSE3 instructions in the most recent processors from AMD and Intel. Computers that use Windows XP Media Center Edition are ready out of the box to capture and digitally record video from TV for playback later, functioning as a personal video recorder (PVR). In addition, many graphics cards with TV-in, such as ATI's Radeon-based All-in-Wonder series and NVIDIA's Personal Cinema FX, also include PVR software. A remote control and onscreen program guide is often included to make TV viewing and recording even easier.

Table 13.26 provides a breakdown of some common video cards and capture devices supporting key features. This table is not inclusive and is meant to serve only as a reference example.

Table 13.26. Video Capture Devices

Device Type	Example
Video card with TV tuner and PVR	ATI All-in-Wonder series, NVIDIA Personal Cinema FX
PCI TV-tuner and PVR	ATI-TV Wonder VE, HDTV Wonder
USB TV-tuner and PVR	Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-USB2
USB port video capture	Dazzle Digital Video Creator series
PCI video capture card	Broadway Pro DVD
IEEE 1394 (FireWire)	AVerMedia DVD EzMaker

Figure 13.18 shows a typical video adapter incorporating TV tuner and video-in and video-out features: the ATI All-in-Wonder X800 XT. This example features an AGP 8x interface, but other All-in-Wonder cards also support PCI Express x16.

Figure 13.18. ATI's All-in-Wonder X800 XT is a mid-range video accelerator with integrated TV and FM tuners, dual-display capabilities, and video-capture/PVR features. A multihead AV output cable, AV input breakout box, and remote control are also included. Photos courtesy of ATI Technologies.

Each type of device has advantages and potential disadvantages. Table 13.27 provides a summary that will help you decide which solution is best for you.

Table 13.27. Multimedia Device Comparison

Device Type	Pros	Cons
Graphics card with built-in TV tuner and capture	Convenience; single-slot solution	Upgrading requires card replacement.
TV-tuner card	Allows upgrade to existing graphics cards; might be movable to newer models	Might not work with all current chipsets.
USB port attachment	Easy installation and transfer between different computers; USB 2.0-compatible devices fast enough for high-quality video	Must use USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed (USB) port for adequate
Dedicated PCI interface card	Fast frame rate for realistic video; works any graphics card	High resource requirements (IRQ and so on) on some models; requires internal installation.
IEEE 1394 (FireWire) connection to digital video	No conversion from analog to digital needed; all-digital image is very high quality without compressions artifacts (blocky areas) in video; fast throughput	Requires IEEE 1394 port, IEEE 1394 digital video source; card requires internal installation; some cards don't include capture/editing software purchased separately works with card.

Troubleshooting Video Capture Devices

Table 13.28 provides some advice for troubleshooting problems with video capture devices. Note that IRQ conflicts can be an issue with both parallel port and add-on card devices and that low-bandwidth devices such as parallel port or USB devices might not be capable of supporting full-motion video capture except in a small window.

Table 13.28. Troubleshooting Video Capture Devices

Device Type	Problem	Solutions
TV tuners (built-in graphics card or add-on)	No picture.	Check cabling; set signal source correctly in software; update software.
All devices	Video capture is jerky.	Frame rate is too low. Increasing it might require capturing video in a smaller window; use fastest parallel port setting you can; use faster CPU and increase RAM to improve results.
All devices	Video playback has pauses, dropped frames.	Hard disk might be pausing for thermal recalibration; use AV-rated SCSI hard drives, UDMA EIDE drives, or SATA drives; install correct busmastering EIDE drivers for motherboard chipset and make sure UDMA mode is enabled for ATA/IDE ports to improve speed. Reinstall video playback software. Update device drivers.
USB devices	Device can't be detected or doesn't work properly.	Use Windows 98/Me/2000/XP; if you use a USB hub, be use a USB hub, be sure it's self-powered; make sure USB 2.0 port is configured to operate in Hi-Speed mode; use USB 2.0-compatible devices; update drivers.
Interface cards (all types)	Card can't be detected or doesn't work.	Check for IRQ conflicts in Windows Device Manager; move doesn't work. card to different slot if possible. Make sure additional power is provided for card if card requires it.
IEEE 1394 cards	Card can't be detected or doesn't work.	Make sure power connector is attached to card if card has 4-pin power jack. Make sure correct drivers are installed.
All devices	Capture or installation problems.	Use the newest drivers available; check manufacturers' website website for updates, FAQs, and so on. Check cables.