Save the console by clicking File ➪ Save. 16. To quit the console, click File ➪ Exit.

Part VII ✦ Adding to Your Home Network and bandwidth to diminish. Depending on how much you do with multimedia, you might need to use faster computers, a faster network, and a faster Internet connection. Looking at Multimedia Hardware Multimedia applications demand a powerful and stable computer. You need a computer with enough processor power and RAM, as well as a fast CD or DVD drive, to make any multimedia application work efficiently. Thus, you cannot simply add RAM to a computer with a slow pro- cessor and expect it to perform well with your multimedia applications. Following is a list of minimum requirements for using multimedia applications; naturally, you must check the device’s or application’s requirements to make sure that you have everything you need. For example, some programs may require a special sound card, a joystick, or other equipment. Considering processors You want to use a fast processor for your multimedia computer. Many types and many manu- facturers of processors exist, including Intel and AMD. The Intel Pentium III is a fast and efficient processor. Any Pentium III processor provides suffi- cient speed for most computer work and might work for some multimedia applications. However, multimedia requires more and more from your computer with each new game or program. You’ll need at least a Pentium 4 for the most satisfying multimedia experience. A Pentium 4 is designed for digital imaging, video, digital music, 3D gaming, and so on. Look for at least a 3.20 GHz processor. Many also add an advanced system bus to the processor, which gives you a boost in hyper-threading technology. This technology enables the processor to execute two threads in parallel, which simply means that the software runs more efficiently. If you purchase a Pentium 4 processor with 3.06 GHz, you’ll most likely get the 533 MHz sys- tem bus; if you go to a Pentium 4 3.20 GHz, you can get the 800 MHz system bus. The 800 MHz system bus is also available with lesser processors, such as the 2.40 GHz, 2.80 GHz, and so on. Any of these processors will work well for multimedia, considering, of course, the require- ments of your hardware and software. AMD’s Athlon MP processors are designed for digital professionals. The features boost per- formance, and the processor works for end-to-end digital production and multimedia sup- port. In addition, the AMD Opteron processor is designed to run 32-bit applications as well as transition to 64-bit technology. Generally, Opterons are targeted more to serverworkstation multimedia; however, depending on what you’re doing with your network and with multime- dia, you might want to check an Opteron www.amd.com. Examining RAM and cache RAM and cache are two types of temporary memory in your computer. Both significantly affect the way your computer runs multimedia applications. Random access memory RAM is the memory that applications, the operating system, and data use to keep information where it can easily be reached by the processor. RAM is faster to read and write than other kinds of storage; however, information stored in RAM stays there only as long as the computer is on. When you turn off the computer, RAM loses its data. Cache is another place for temporary storage. Naturally, the more RAM and cache a computer has, the faster it can process infor- mation, applications, games, and so on. Chapter 25 ✦ Understanding Multimedia RAM Most operating systems require at least 64MB and preferably 128MB RAM to operate effi- ciently. If you’re running multimedia programs, or any processor-intense program such as an accounting program, you should not settle for less than 256MB RAM. Check the require- ments of the program to see if 512MB of RAM is suggested. If it is, the program will run more quickly and efficiently with more RAM. Pay attention to the type of memory used in your computer. Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory SDRAM is the most common memory type. SDRAM supports burst access modes. Burst access mode is a method of transmitting data in which the data is collected first and then sent in one high-speed transmission instead of one character at a time. This process makes SDRAM faster than the other memory types. In addition, Double Data Rate-SDRAM DDR-SDRAM is synchronous dynamic RAM. Theoretically, DDR-SDRAM improves memory clock speed by potentially doubling it. Cache Another component that affects the speed of the computer is the cache pronounced “cash”. Cache is a special area of memory your computer uses on top of RAM. Cache helps boost the performance of the computer by making information even more available than that stored in RAM. Similar to RAM, the cache remembers frequently accessed information — such as the latest command — and temporarily stores it. When you enter that command again, for example, the processor first goes to the cache. If the command is there, the processor can work more quickly than if it had to go to RAM or to the hard disk. Cache enhances the memory and per- formance of your computer. There are two levels of cache in a computer, called, logically enough, level 1 L1 and level 2 L2 caches. Levels describe closeness and accessibility to the microprocessor. L1 cache, also known as internal cache, is a small amount of fast memory located on the same chip as the microprocessor. The L2 cache is a separate static RAM chip linked directly to the processor to make it react more quickly to processor requests. Cache speeds vary depending on the processor speed. Generally, the speed of the L1 cache is the same as the processor speed; the speed of the L2 cache is half the processor speed. When the computer searches the cache, it goes first to L1, then to L2, and then to RAM. A computer with two levels of caching offers faster processing than a computer offering only one caching level. Considering drives You need a hard drive, floppy drive, and CD or DVD drive in your computer for multimedia applications. The floppy drive is often necessary for startup disks, some software, and file storage. The hard drive is important for storing large multimedia files, program files, and oth- ers. And the CD or DVD drive is most important because so many multimedia programs and so much multimedia content come on CD-ROM or DVD. You might also want a CD-RW or DVD-RW or CDDVD burner, to back up files such as pic- tures, videos, music, and so on. Tip Part VII ✦ Adding to Your Home Network ✦ A CD-ROM drive should support — at the very least — a speed of 32×, and higher is bet- ter. Digital Versatile Disk DVD-ROM drives are just like CD-ROM drives except they have a higher capacity. A CD-ROM holds 640MB of data; a DVD-ROM holds 4.7GB of data. Therefore, DVD-ROMs are more expensive than CD-ROM drives. DVD-ROM drives can read a CD-ROM; however, a CD-ROM drive cannot read a DVD-ROM. If you want to run games or educational titles from a drive, then you should get a DVD drive. Since a DVD drive can read CDs as well as DVDs, you should go ahead and pay the extra money for a DVD drive, especially if you want to use games on your computer. ✦ Make sure that your hard drive is an adequate size for storing huge multimedia files. Multimedia files — including sound, moving pictures, animations, and so on — can be 150MB or 350MB in size. At the least, your hard drive should have 20GB of space. If you can get a larger drive — 80 or 120GB — you’ll be better off. ✦ The floppy drive is pretty standard in most PCs. A 1.44MB high-density floppy drive is all you need. Exploring expansion slots You also need a computer with the appropriate expansion slots for adding video and sound cards. When you purchase a multimedia application, make sure your computer has the slot and the cards necessary to run that application. Following are the common slots used in multimedia computers: ✦ Peripheral Component Interface PCI is the preferred bus slot for Pentium-class pro- cessors. PCI’s 64-bit data bus increases the amount of data that can be transferred at one time. PCI uses all active paths to transmit data. When using PCI devices, the first card you plug into your computer must be a PCI con- troller card. PCI is self-configuring, like Plug and Play, meaning the operating system usu- ally recognizes PCI devices. In addition, you can attach up to 10 devices to a PCI bus. PCI specifications define two card lengths: a full-size PCI is 312 millimeters long, and short PCIs range from 119 to 167 millimeters. Check your slots to see which you have before purchasing your card. ✦ Accelerated Graphics Port AGP is a technology built specifically for the demands of 3D graphical software. Many newer games and educational software, for example, use much more in the way of 3D graphics than previous programs; 3D graphics make the program appear more realistic — photos, scenery, and other images look more real. AGP also works for 2D software — like business, accounting, drawing programs, and so on. AGP provide quick and smooth transfer of 3D images for gaming, three-dimensional video, and even sophisticated scientificengineering graphics programs, such as AutoCad. An AGP card uses the computer’s RAM to refresh the monitor image and to support the blending required for 3D image display. AGP offers high-speed data trans- fer, optimizes the use of memory, and minimizes the amount of memory necessary. AGP runs many times the bus speed of PCI cards. AGP takes graphics off the PCI buses and gives them a bus all their own. AGP has some minimum requirements, such as SDRAM support and specific operating systems Windows, in particular, and it works only with certain brands of adapter cards. Your computer must have an AGP slot or AGP graphics integrated on the motherboard, which is becoming more common all the time. Tip Chapter 25 ✦ Understanding Multimedia ✦ FireWire is Apple’s version of a high-performance serial bus, developed to make use of audio and video applications more effectively. FireWire is extremely fast; the data trans- fer rates are up to 400 Mbps. Use FireWire if you want to use your PC mainly for games; its power would be wasted for general or common use, such as word processing. You can connect up to 63 devices in a chain to a FireWire bus. Scanning ports Many peripheral devices attach to either a serial or parallel port. For speed, however, you might want to consider a universal serial bus USB port. A USB is a Plug and Play interface between a computer and add-on devices, such as audio players, joysticks, keyboards, scan- ners, printers, and so on. USB ports connect high-speed peripheral devices. The USB port has an industry-standard connector that enables you to install a variety of devices; and because of the design of USB, you don’t have to turn the computer off when installing new devices, as you would with other ports, and you don’t need an additional adapter card. If you connect a modem to a port on your computer, for example, you have to turn the computer off and then on again so that the operating system can see you’ve added hardware. With USB, you don’t have to turn it off. Nearly all new computers come with six to eight USB ports now, and you can add more when you configure it. There are also USB hubs you can buy to extend the use of your USB devices. USB supports data speed rates of 12 Mbps, which accommodates MPEG video devices, data gloves, digitizers, and plug-in telephones. Small Computer System Interface SCSI is another bus that enables PCs to communicate with peripherals, such as disk drives, CD and DVD drives, printers, scanners, and so on. SCSI pro- nounced “skuzzy” allows for faster data transfer and more flexibility than previous inter- faces. The latest SCSI is the Ultra-2, which is a 16-bit bus that can transfer data at up to 80 Mbps. SCSI also allow up to 15 devices to be connected to a single SCSI port. So rather than having a separate card for each device, a single host adapter can serve as an interface freeing up parallel and serial ports for other purposes. Windows Support for Multimedia Windows supplies a wide variety of support for multimedia hardware. You can use DVD players, joysticks, digital audio speakers, and more with your multimedia applications and games. Following are some of the multimedia support features included with Windows: ✦ DVD-ROM and DVD-RAM devices, as well as DVD software and music CDs ✦ AGP for 3D support ✦ USB for adding serial devices to the computer ✦ WebTV support, including enhanced television, video playback, and support for hardware ✦ DirectX, a utility that supplies better 3D graphics and video playback than before Microsoft added DirectX Part VII ✦ Adding to Your Home Network Exploring monitors The monitor you choose should display a good-quality image and match your video card for the best performance. See the section “Buying a video card” later in this chapter. You can buy a traditional monitor or a flat-panel LCD display if you prefer. Both are excellent displays; the cost is the separating factor. Super Video Graphics Array SVGA is the most common screen specification today and can support a palette of up to 16 million colors. However, depending on the amount of video memory, some computers might display fewer of the colors. Also, the larger the diagonal screen measurement of an SVGA monitor, the more pixels it can display horizontally and vertically. New specifications have improved upon higher resolutions as well as increased colors. Super Extended Graphics Array SXGA and Ultra Extended Graphics Array UXGA reference screens with 1,280×1,024 and 1,600×1,200 resolutions, respectively. Use a 17-inch or larger monitor for multimedia, especially games. On a smaller monitor, it is too difficult to see the multimedia details and animations. If you do get a large monitor — say, a 17- or 21-inch — you should purchase a high-quality video card to match the image quality of the large screen display. Image quality is influenced by the connection between the moni- tor and the video card. A high-quality video card results in better image quality on screen. Every object and character on the screen is made up of dots. The distance between the cen- ters of the dots is called dot pitch. Dot pitch ranges from .25 to .52 mm. Look for a monitor with .26 mm dot pitch. Anything larger than .28 mm will look fuzzy or grainy. Refresh rate describes how many times per second the image is refreshed, or redrawn, on the screen. The faster the refresh rate, the less flicker you see on-screen. The default refresh set- ting for most monitors is 60 Hz, but you should use 75 to 85 Hz to reduce flicker and eye strain. In addition to the monitor refresh rate, the video card must support that refresh rate. Make sure that the monitor and video card match, or you will see plenty of screen flicker. Look for a monitor that is noninterlaced. Interlacing refers to how a monitor refreshes, or redraws, the screen. Interlacing monitors skip every other line during the redraw process, thus producing a flicker or jitter on the screen. Noninterlaced monitors scan every line and thus provide the best screen quality. Considering CD drives The CD drive might be the most important part of your multimedia computer. You use the CD drive to install applications; run applications; and record sounds, videos, and other multimedia. Check access time on the CD drive. Access time describes how fast the drive can move data around. At the very least, a multimedia CD drive should be 48×; 52× is even better. You can get a variety of CD drives, including drives with which you can record CDs as well as play CDs. You can create your own multimedia sounds, music, videos, and so on, and record them on your own CD. Streaming is a method for delivering video and audio data to your computer in a continuous flow. Streaming enables you to start viewing content as it’s being downloaded or transmitted. Note Chapter 25 ✦ Understanding Multimedia CD-ROM, CD-RW, and CD-R drives Compact disc–read-only memory CD-ROM drives aren’t used for storage of your files; rather, you use CD-ROMs for accessing music, program files, encyclopedias, games, and other files that you can use on your computer. Most software is distributed on CD-ROMs, so if you plan to install any software at all, you need a CD-ROM drive. You can buy external CD-ROM drives, as well; however, if you plan to buy an external CD drive, look into an external CD-RW. Prices are very inexpensive and the benefits are endless. Compact disc–rewritable CD-RW or compact disc–recordable CD-R drives can record information onto a CD as well as read information. CD-RW drives can overwrite data on a CD so that you can use the CD over and over again. You must purchase special CD-RW discs for Networking CDs and Multimedia You know you can share CD drives over the network for installing programs and so on. With mul- timedia, you might run into some speed problems. Even 48× CD drives depend on the com- puter’s processor, hard disk speed, and graphics card to get the data from the CD to the computer screen. If your CD drive seems too slow to transfer multimedia files, other options are available. For one thing, you can copy the CD to the server’s hard disk, and then move data over the net- work. If you don’t have a clientserver network, you can copy the CD to your most powerful workstation. The computer reads the material more quickly from a hard drive than from a CD drive. From the hard disk, the network routes the information before it’s displayed on the user’s screen. With multiple users accessing the data, the server has to be fast to display multimedia files correctly. After info is transferred to the server, the problem becomes the type and quantity of data that the program contains. Networks are designed with data integrity as top priority; the server sends the requested data from the server through the network in small packets. When the correct packet arrives at the requesting computer, that computer sends back an OK to the server, and then the server sends the next packet. The timing of sending the packets and receiving the packets isn’t too important, as long as it all gets there eventually. The packets may not arrive at the destination in the order in which they were sent. Multimedia applications with sound and video are time-sensitive. They require that a large amount of data be sent — in order. Data that’s not sent in order briefly freezes the picture or pro- duces sounds that aren’t high quality. Too many pauses in the data or too many packets out of sequence can cause errors on the network and halt transmissions. Multimedia files require huge amounts of bandwidth wide pathways on which to travel — but only periodically. In between bursts of multimedia, other networking processes take place, which can interrupt the flow of multimedia data. Each time the program requests more video or audio information from the multimedia program, it has to wait in line for other requests to be pro- cessed first. What you need to display multimedia data on a network is an unbroken stream of data from the server with a large bandwidth. Part VII ✦ Adding to Your Home Network recording over, however; CD-RW discs are more expensive than CD-R discs — about twice as much. A CD-R drive can record to a particular CD only one time, because CD-R discs are made to record material only once. Most CD-RW drives can use both media types. Discs created with a CD-R usually can be read by older CD-ROM drives, but CD-RW discs can be read only with newer MultiRead drives. Additionally, most CD-RWs can record in CD-R mode. In short, get the CD-RW drive. The added cost is usually minimal. Most CD-RW and CD-R drives can write at 24× speeds. Write speed doesn’t affect playback; it just takes longer to record. DVD drives Digital versatile disk–read only memory DVD-ROM drives are just like CD-ROM drives, but they have a higher storage capacity. A CD-ROM holds 640MB of data; a DVD-ROM holds 4.7GB of data. DVD-ROM drives are more expensive than CD-ROM drives. DVD-ROM drives can read a CD-ROM; however, a CD-ROM drive cannot read a DVD-ROM. In addition to DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM and DVD-R drives are available, which can read and write to the disc. DVD-RAM offers faster access and readwrite times than CD-RW. DVD-R drives record to a DVD disc only one time, and the disc holds only 4.7GB of data. You can write to a DVD-RAM disc over and over; DVD-RAM discs hold 4.7 GB of data as well. DVD-ROM drives can cost as little as 140; the cost for DVD-RAM drives ranges from 300 to 1,000 to even more for professional features. Manufacturers include Panasonic, Samsung, and Compaq, among others. Buying a video card You want to pay attention to your computer’s video card, especially if you’re interested in playing complex games, using encyclopedias, or running other sound- and graphics-intense applications. Many multimedia programs require more expensive and involved video cards than typical software does. Multimedia programs are any that take advantage of color, 3D graphics, music, and other sounds. Common features A common video card is fine, for example, when viewing your word processor documents or surfing the Internet. When you want to use multimedia applications, however, you need hard- ware that accommodates the special requirements of the software. One feature you want to look for in graphics and video cards is fast screen redraw. Moving pic- tures, games, animations, and other multimedia applications feed information to the monitor very quickly. In order for the display to be smooth and without pauses, fast screen redraw is a necessity. You also want smooth, full-screen video when playing any moving animations or pictures. A dedicated Moving Pictures Experts Group MPEG adapter card can supply this effect, as can DirectX and other technologies. The MPEG standard is for digital video and audio compres- sion. MPEG cards support minimum communications, color, and sound standards. DirectX is Microsoft’s technology for offering enhanced video and graphics to Windows appli- cations. DirectX makes an application, such as a game, accessible to a wide variety of hard- ware features. Some hardware may not be fully compatible with DirectX. Note Chapter 25 ✦ Understanding Multimedia A computer with 3D video and graphics provides a more realistic look to your multimedia applications, and 3D accelerator graphics cards accelerate the display for better quality and speed. Also, 3D cards add functions such as texture enhancement, which makes the objects’ surfaces look more real. The result of using 3D cards is a more realistic picture. Finally, your graphics card needs to make multiplayer interaction over a network — LAN or Internet — fast, efficient, and realistic. The cards, therefore, must be able to integrate different mode connections and hardware technologies. Requirements You also should consider the video bus and video memory when looking at video cards. Bus, of course, refers to the type of slot the card fits into. Memory refers to video RAM, or the memory built into the card. Memory determines how fast the graphics appear on the screen. As a minimum, 64MB of DDR Double Data Rate memory provides enough memory to play games, create drawings, and work with photographs, videos, and so on. For the best perfor- mance with new and intense games or with educational software such as encyclopedias, how- ever, you should get 128MB of DDR memory. If you’re playing specific games or have multimedia programs in mind, make sure that the video card is certified for those games, especially if the card is for 3D video. Otherwise, the program may not run or will cause problems with your computer. Check the program’s documentation. Also, check the following when buying a video card for multimedia applications: ✦ Check the video processor on the video card. The video card’s processor handles incoming video-related data, just as the computer’s processor handles digital data. You can alternatively purchase a video processor to use with your TV, PC, or multimedia entertainment center. A good video processor provides you with multiple video con- nections for your DVD player, digital camera, VCR, HDTV, or for a game console such as the PS2, GameCube, or Xbox. ✦ Check the RAM digital-to-analog converter RAMDAC for the video card. The RAMDAC is the electronic component that changes the digital video signal of the card to a signal the monitor can read. RAMDAC speed affects the speed of images appearing on the screen. The standard RAMDAC is 350 MHz, although some cards are faster. The faster the RAMDAC, the better. ✦ The speed at which normal programs use the video card is 2D. A speed of 3D, however, is important for games and other multimedia programs. Most cards combine 2D and 3D features, but make sure the one you purchase does too. Buying a sound card Like video cards, sound cards usually are targeted to games, encyclopedias, and other multi- media programs. The sound card plays the music and other sounds that some programs include. An encyclopedia, for example, might include the sound of a steam engine with a description of trains or a portion of a Bach concerto with Bach’s biography. The sound card determines how good the sound quality is. Note