Path: csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!usenet.pasdenom.info!aioe.org!news.glorb.com!tr22g12.aset.psu.edu!newsflash.concordia.ca!canopus.cc.umanitoba.ca!utnut!news.uwaterloo.ca!not-for-mail From: Ross Ridge Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg Subject: Re: Witcher 2 and Nvidia cards Date: Wed, 25 May 2011 03:42:30 -0400 Organization: University of Waterloo Lines: 43 Message-ID: References: NNTP-Posting-Host: caffeine.csclub.uwaterloo.ca X-Trace: rumours.uwaterloo.ca 1306309350 13974 129.97.134.17 (25 May 2011 07:42:30 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@uwaterloo.ca NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 25 May 2011 07:42:30 +0000 (UTC) Xref: x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg:447 Zaghadka wrote: >HQ audio streams through HDMI output to a television and/or audio decoder. >Since HDMI-out must have audio pins by spec, video cards now need to be able to >handle DRM schemes that might limit sound quality through HDMI (The protocol is >called HDCP, IIRC). A video card with an HDMI output isn't required by the HDMI spec to carry audio. Strictly speaking I don't think it needs to support HDCP either, although such a video card couldn't be used to play Blu-Ray discs. However, any current ATI or NVIDIA card should support both HDMI audio and HDCP. The "HD audio" in the driver name actually refers to Intel High Definition Audio, a standardized audio controller interface like those that exist for USB, Firewire and SATA controllers. Chances are the built-in soundcard on your motherboard uses the same controller interface. Windows includes a generic HD audio driver, but it's probably an NVIDIA specific driver that's being refered to here.. HDMI audio isn't necessary any higher quality than a standard digital or even analogue audio connection. In a normal non-surround setup it's just going to be 44.1/48 kHz 16-bit stereo audio, the same as an optical or coaxial SPDIF connection. With surround sound though it can make a difference, as HDMI is capable of transmiting 8 channel uncompressed audio. With SPDIF you're limitted to a lossy compressed Dolby Digital or DTS stream. For games HDMI can have a bigger advantage than just higher-quality surround. HDMI lets you have 3D positional audio through a single digital connection with having to use a real-time Dobly Digital or DTS encoder. (You can also use analogue audio, but that means running 3 or 4 cables just for the audio.) Well more information that anyone asked for or needed to know, but there you go. Ross Ridge -- l/ // Ross Ridge -- The Great HTMU [oo][oo] rridge@csclub.uwaterloo.ca -()-/()/ http://www.csclub.uwaterloo.ca/~rridge/ db //