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STReport's NEWS.STREPORT.COM
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Computer
Evolution Revolution |
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by Ralph F. Mariano
Many should remember the
"fabulous" four color and eight color "killer" VGA
and the "minimal" SVGA cards that were in use for a number of years long ago and very
far away from today's technology. My, my how we've come
speeding along the Technology Highway. That was the humble beginning.
No History Lesson Please
There's no need for a history lesson we've all,
well ..almost all of us... have seen them. In the last six months, the
evolution of computers towards being the centralized source of
entertainment and a home
entertainment center has dramatically surged forward at a remarkably furious
pace. While the mainstay of computers is and has been productivity,
the alternate uses of computers have revealed a myriad of wonderful
and equally amazing opportunities for users.
Protect the Programmers
In the areas of graphics, gaming & entertainment we now have the
abilities to make studio perfect music and video. Of course, none of
this would be possible without programmers. So please, don't use
pirated software as this will only promote the premature demise of
newer and stronger programs to make your creation of entertainment
sources absolutely superb with your computer. In the course of
this article, we'll cover the software and hardware we've found to
be ideal in bringing about your own Home Theater Entertainment
System.
Computers for entertainment, now there's a
nifty idea...
Today's machines, when equipped with the right
hardware, ie., video cards, sound cards, cd burners, dvd burners,
audio/video inputs and outputs, can become a complete source,
control center and programming center for a home theater
entertainment system.
Home theater system? Yup! That's the ticket, the
name of the game. From a time when TV's were hooked up to a VCR and
HiFi receiver to today's setups of Satellite receivers, cable
receivers, video cassette recorders, dvd players, Big Screen TV "receivers", both
today's normal TV and tomorrow's HDTV, and any other video/audio
inputs one may desire from Pro Logic Surround Sound to Dolby 5.1,
DTS Surround Sound etc., to powerful outputs that give better than
theater/concert quality sound reproduction, you'll have it all.
The Marvel of it all
Imagine slipping a dvd disc into the player, it
comes up and the picture quality on the TV is almost photo-like,
unless of course you are using an HDTV then it is photo-quality. On
a computer monitor like the 21" Hitachi super scan we use, its
BETTER than HDTV! The Sound quality is superb... just as if you are
there, right in the middle of the music or action, you'll experience
a sense of total presence with a level of fidelity that literally
knocks your socks off. Not loud oppressive sound but sound
that's live and vibrant. The type of sound you listen to all day
long in everyday life. In other words, you are there. Life-like
video and sound. Surround Sound "only" ( Did I say only?)
enhances the full Home Theater Entertainment Center Experience. When
watching Jurassic Park 3, you are almost able to smell the jungle
and feel the mosquitoes bite! Fabulous, simply fabulous.
The "Nuts and Bolts" ... The Bottom
Line starts here
This is what computer entertainment is all about.
Now, let's get down to the "nuts and bolts" of setting up such a
system. In the course of this article each area will be covered and
the products used will be reviewed thus affording you, the reader,
an opportunity to gain the knowledge to not only "know the products"
but to be able to use and setup such a system.
You must begin with an adequate computer. No, not
the VGA PC we mentioned earlier, but a new or existing computer
meeting the basic requirements to accomplish the tasks we plan to
do. That computer should be of the latest genre, a Pentium type
(Intel or AMD) 1ghz or higher with at least 256mb of ram and a hard
disk of 20gb or higher. It must be capable of accepting an AGP video
card, PCI Sound Card and other hardware add-ons. That means the
motherboard must be of the type that you can add peripherals to..
some motherboards in use today, (mostly in cheap discount chain
garbage we find out there... the disposable computer lines whose
claims of performance hoodwink consumers into thinking they have a
real computer.) offer little or no expandability thus trapping the
user into a feeble configuration.
Our test machine is using a Jetway motherboard...
about $80.00 it is equipped with an AMD 1.6ghz Processor, 512mb ram,
ATI Radeon 8500DV, Audigy 5.1 Sound
and 190gb of hard drives ( 3, 1-40gb, 1-50gb and 1-100 gb), a
Plextor 12/10/32s CD/RW and a Panasonic LF-D325 DVD/RW . The power supply
is 400w. We strenuously recommend that no less than a 300w power
supply be used in any
computer. Some, if not most, of the "cheapie" units come with a 250w
supply and then there's the entry level, deep discounted junk like
E-Machines etc., that have anywhere from 75w to 125w "limp along,"
screaming for mercy power supplies.
Sorry if I offended some of the package deal
manufacturers or owners of such machines, but that's the truth. If
you have an "E-Machine" type unit keep it as a beginner's learning
tool for the kids and put together a real computer. Lose the "toys",
they're ersatz computers (junk). Far too minimal and incapable of
any "real" computing.
A real "Champion" in every sense of the word
We'll first look at the AGP Video card..
(make it
a good one) In our
test machine, we chose ATI's new All in Wonder 8500dv model AGP video
card with 64mb of "onboard" video ram. Its a
powerhouse.
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ATI has released an outstanding card with the 8500 All in
Wonder... below are its "Vital Statistics". STReport highly
recommends this card. |
overview
With 64MB of DDR memory, unbelievable graphics, TV and video
capture & editing features, the ALL-IN-WONDER® RADEON™ 8500DV is the
revolutionary all-in-one 3D graphics and multimedia experience.
At-a-glance
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- Powered by the RADEON™ 8500 GPU
- 64MB DDR memory
- Connect a digital camcorder to a PC
- Digital and analog video capture & editing
- Wireless radio-frequency remote control
- Stereo TV-tuner
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TV-ON-DEMAND™ Time shifting
- Integrated Interactive Program Guide
- DVD video playback with Dolby® AC-3 digital audio output*
- Reliable customer service from ATI
- Designed and manufactured by ATI
* Actual Dolby® 5.1 AC-3 decoding is done by the
external AC-3 decoder which is not included
features
Feature comparison between the ALL-IN-WONDER® RADEON™ 8500DV and
NVIDIA® Personal Cinema
- Get unparalleled TV features on your PC
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- Stereo TV tuner with 125 channels
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TV-ON-DEMAND™
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- Pause live TV or record live broadcasts and watch them
later
- Get instant replays of favorite programs
- Click through the transparent live TV window to access
your desktop - no more moving the TV window to get to your
work!
- Use the integrated
Gemstar GUIDE Plus+™ Interactive Program Guide1
to view and search TV listings by category, actor/performer, or
date. Schedule and record programs at the click of a mouse - all
the benefits of a Personal Video Recorder without the monthly
fees
- Amazing TV features including:
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- TV Magazine1 - images and text from TV
programs allowing you to read and archive TV programs
- Hot Words1 - real-time notification when
selected words are detected in programming
- Zoom & pan - zoom in on the action on-screen and choose
your own close-ups
- Intelligent Teletext on your PC2
1Available in
North America only 2Available in Europe only
- Experience home theater with DVD And digital audio on a PC
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- Industry-leading DVD playback with AC-3 Digital Audio output
to enable Dolby® 5.1 surround sound
- ATI's
VIDEO IMMERSION™ II technology integrates industry-leading
digital video features for unprecedented video quality
*Actual Dolby® 5.1 AC-3 decoding is done by the
external AC-3 decoder which is not included.
- Radio-frequency remote control
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- Control the TV, video, DVD and gaming features of the
ALL-IN-WONDER® RADEON™ 8500DV from another room in the house
using ATI's remote control*
- No need to point the remote control at the receiver -
connect your PC to your TV and watch DVDs, search channels, or
record TV shows from your couch
*Available USB port required
- Experience easy digital and analog video editing
-
- Connect a DV camcorder to your PC to view and edit true
digital video using the IEEE 1394 ports and cable included in
the box
- Capture still images and digital video at up to 720x480 30
frames-per-second resolution with no loss of quality
- Powerful video editing software allows you to add effects,
transitions, sounds, and more to digital video footage. Create
your own personal productions.
- Dual display technology
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- Connect to a TV and a monitor (VGA or DVI) simultaneously
- Hydravision™ software enables you to display information on
a TV and monitor at the same time
- Awesome 3D gaming and graphics
-
- Powered by the revolutionary RADEON™ 8500 GPU and 64MB DDR
memory for the most advanced 3D graphics in its class
- ATI's innovative
TRUFORM™,
SMARTSHADER™ and
SMOOTHVISION™ technologies make 3D characters and objects
more realistic
- ATI's HYPER Z™ II technology conserves memory bandwidth for
improved performance in demanding applications
- ATI's latest 3D rendering technologies,
CHARISMA ENGINE™ II and
PIXEL TAPESTRY™ II, power incredible 3D processing
capabilities leading to unbelievable graphics quality.
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Compatibility, Compatibility, Compatibility - Play
it again Sam.... Compatibility, Compatibility....
ATI has provided a set of drivers that absolutely
SINGS with precision in
Windows XP Professional.
Not the first hiccup. The drivers installed smoothly and
perform flawlessly. The bundled software is more than sufficient to
get the job done. From watching TV, to playing music and DVD's
the software delivered quite well. The only drawback we found
was in the DVD player software. We installed Cyberlink's
PowerDVD 4 XP and found a whole new world of DVD playing joy. The
features added by PowerDVD greatly enhanced the overall performance
of this Home Theater Entertainment Center. There were no
problems with compatibility with PowerDVD and the ATI Radeon 8500DV
CARD's software... if fact, they worked together so well you could
easily think PowerDVD was part of ATI's package. (Hint to ATI;
take a good look at PowerDVD as a possible bundled product. Its
great stuff!) You'll see coverage of this program later in this
article.
ATI's software recognized the PCI
Card Soundblaster Audigy immediately and proceeded to interface with
the Audigy's functionality completely.. we'll talk about the Audigy
later in the article. |
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Speaking of DVD'S |
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We installed a Panasonic internal DVD player/burner
model # LF-D321. A entirely new world of
playing/burning/copying/creating awaited us. Imagine making
your own movies! You can plug your video camera in the ATI
card's connector and feed your pictures to your computer. Then
with Cyberlink's Video authoring software, Power Director Pro 2.0
(also to be covered later in this article) you can create your own movies on
DVD. Additionally, you can copy your video tapes to your
computer and then burn them to dvd. You can even add many
visual treats, (titles, quips, graphics, etc.), to your video tapes with
Cyberlink's Video Director Pro 2.0.
The DVD Burner we have, the LF-D 321, from Panasonic
does it all; DVD-R, DVD RAM 4.7gb and DVD RAM 9.4gb with the DVD Ram
discs you can format them like you would any other disc. In other
words, once formatted you have a 4.7gb hard disk or a 9.4gb hard
disk. It works the same as a hard drive, you can erase,
add, move files at will. The DVD Ram disks will perform as if you installed
another hard disk. This internal DVD Burner/Player plays the
DVD movies you either purchase or rent perfectly. When coupled
with the array of software and hardware goodies covered in this
article, the Panasonic DVD Burner/Player performed flawlessly.
In fact, its overall performance was not only stunning, it was
highly reliable. |
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The leading producer
of DVD-RAM drives, Panasonic's third-generation 4.7GB single-sided
and 9.4GB double-sided rewritable industry standard drives record to
both DVD-RAM and General DVD-R media, and provide superior
performance and reliability. Fully compliant with the DVD Forum's
standards, the single-sided media is capable of storing a full
two-hours of MPEG2 video. Panasonic's new drives and media offer
unprecedented media interchangeability and seven times the capacity
of CD-R and CD-RW...all for less than $.005/MB. Offered with both
SCSI and ATAPI interfaces, the drive reads industry-standard
DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, DVD-R, CD-ROM, CD-R/RW, CD-DA, Photo CD, and
Video CD media. The random-access, drag-and-drop storage media
provides in excess of 100,000 write/rewrite cycles and data life in
excess of 30 years. |
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Model Number: LF-D321 |
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Capacity: |
4.7/9.4GB DVD-RAM (rewritable)
2.6/5.2GB DVD-RAM (rewritable)
4.7GB DVD-R General Use (write-once) |
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Data Transfer Rate (IF Interface): |
Ultra DMA Mode 2:
PIO Mode 4: |
max. 33.3MB/s
max. 16.6MB/s |
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Write Data Transfer Rate: |
4.7GB DVD-RAM
2.6GB DVD-RAM 9.7GB DVD-R |
1385KB with verifying
690KB with verifying
1385KB without verifying |
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Read Data Transfer Rate: |
DVD-RAM (4.7GB):
DVD-RAM (2.6GB):
DVD-ROM:
CD-ROM/CD-R:
CD-RW: |
2770KBps (2x)
1385KBps (1x)
8310KBps (6x)
3600KBps (24x)
1800KBps (12x) |
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Average Seek Time: |
DVD-RAM:
DVD-ROM/R, CD-ROM: |
75ms
65ms |
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Write Compatibility: |
4.7GB DVD-RAM
2.6GB DVD-RAM
4.7GB DVD-R (General) |
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Read Compatibility: |
CD-DA, CD-ROM/XA, Photo CD, Video
CD,
CD-Extra CD-R, CD-RW at max. 24x
DVD-ROM, DVD-R at max. 6x
DVD-RAM (4.7GB at 2x, 2.6GB at 1x) |
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Buffer Capacity: |
1MB |
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Power Supply: |
12V/5V, ±5% |
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Dimensions (WxHxD): |
146 x41.3x196 mm
5.75"x1.63"x7.72" |
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Weight: |
1.1 kg (2.4 lbs.) |
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High-Density DVD-RAM ... Ready
for the Evolution Revolution
Huge benefits... read on McDuff. We have a
double-sided DVD RAM disk formatted, using XP's format routine,
ready to go that will yield almost 10GB of fully "on
the fly" re-writable options. It behaves just like a hard
disk. For anything you'd care to do with a hard disk, this puppy
will do and its exceptionally strong for performing data backup
duties. The supplied software works well too. In Windows XP, the
drive was immediately recognized and we able to use the XP routines
flawlessly. |
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With system storage requirements
growing at a rate of 98 percent per year, everyone is looking for a
newer, faster removable data storage solution. Companies are
accumulating vast amounts of conventional structured data, and they
are developing centralized data warehouses with all types of
information that must be deployed, including graphics, sound, images
and even full motion videos.
In these knowledge-hungry times, it
is increasingly common for an IS or network manager to be
responsible for a Terabyte of data. This data isn't simply stored on
tape and filed in a vault, it's information that must be readily
available to applications, employees, customers and business
partners day-in and day-out.
Today's corporate knowledge is
critical to the growth and profits of the enterprise. If it isn't
stored and managed well, the results can be devastating. When
selecting a storage system, IS and network managers must consider
availability, reliability and scalability. Key requirements are:
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Information
sharing and the ability to move data among systems from
different vendors |
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Business
continuance, including round-the-clock support to ensure
virtually no downtime and fast, reliable disaster recovery |
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Seamless
system management and maximum data security |
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Network
connectivity and the ability to easily manage and store remote
data |
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Support of
application and database APIs which allow users to share data
directly with products like Oracle, SAP and others |
The challenge has been to choose a
removable technology that the company can rely on today...and
tomorrow. DVD-RAM meets that challenge. |
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