Wednesday, August 26, 2009

How Video Adapters Work

By Jim Samposzi

When someone is checking out a video clip or feature, he/she are usually unaware of the forces at work behind the cover to bring that video to their screen. There is much more than just reading, playing, and displaying the images to the screen. Whether it appears as a simple text animation or a complex 3-D rendering, video cards make it possible to see a video of any kind.

A computer video card is sometimes called: display adapter, graphics card, or graphics accelerator card. In short, the machine picks up the input from the tray and sends it to the video chip card, in the tiny slot, to calculate the information and return the desired video. This process happens seamlessly and the person watching the screen has no idea of the many parts that are processing and translating this data.

With the functionality of computer video cards comes an output method, or, way to get the video into the computer. These inputs basically connect the device to the computer so that it can send video to it for processing and display. Some of the more common methods for output are:

* Video Graphics Array (VGA) - A video graphics array and is not seen on machines today. It looks like a rectangle or square slot with holes in the inside. This is the ancient of this technology and is rarely used nowadays because the quality is not as good.

* Video In / Video Out (VIVO) and S-Video - This type of ports generate 3-D rendering by transcribing this information into computer language. These types are more widely used today and support high definition, LCD, and plasma. The plug hole is round and has dots in the middle. Most desktops label this as S video.

* High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) - HDMI is a bit newer and supports streaming video. This type of input allows for security over intellectual properties.

* Display Port - This is the newest technology for video capability and is known to be on the cusp of taking over all other connections. It supports streaming video rendering that is clear and smooth.

Whatever connection is being put to use, computers all analyze and generate video from a microchip. The chip set of the card includes components that make it do what it does. These components can be: video bios, video memory, and RAMDAC (Random Access Memory Digital to Analog Converter). The video bios is a simple outline of how the machine is to translate and display video. The video memory then begins to aid the video clip so that it is uninterrupted and without any blips. Finally, the RAMDAC converts an analog signal to digital so the screen can play the video. Although some computers no longer need RAMDAC, due to the creation of monitors with this capability already included, though all computers still need it to run the video clip.

Not all individuals that play videos know what is happening behind the scenes. Most take advantage of being able to see a video at the click of a button. The processes mentioned previously take place so quickly that the viewer never notices them. However, many gadgets and pieces are hard at work to bring the clarity of video. - 22787

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