Chapter 1

118 Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About DVD
Hardware decoder cards and DVD-ROM upgrade kits for Microsoft Windows
PCs:
• Creative Technology: PC-DVD Encore Dxr3, Sigma EM8300 chip (no
DirectShow yet); PC-DVD Encore Dxr2, C-Cube chip (DirectShow,
Win2000)
• Digital Connection: 3DFusion, Mpact2 chip (DirectShow)
• Digital Voodoo: D1 Desktop 64, Digital Voodoo chip (professional,
QuickTime)
• E4 (Elecede): Cool DVD, C-Cube chip (E4 has gone out of business)
• IBM: ThinkPad laptops, IBM chip (DirectShow)
• LeadTek: WinFast 3D S800, Mpact2 chip (DirectShow)
• Margi: DVD-to-Go, ZV PC card for laptops (DirectShow, Win2000)
• Ravisent: Hardware Cinemaster, C-Cube chip (DirectShow)
• Philips Electronics: PCDV632, PCVD104 (K series come with Sigma
Hollywood card, R series come with software decoder) (DirectShow)
• Samsung: Revolution, Samsung SD 606 6x, Sigma Hollywood Plus
card (DirectShow)
• Sigma Designs: Hollywood series, Sigma EM8300 chip (no Direct-
Show yet)
• STB: DVD Theater, Mpact2 chip (DirectShow)
• Stradis: Stradis Professional MPEG-2 Decoder, IBM chip (professional,
no DirectShow)
• Toshiba: Tecra laptops, C-Cube chip (DirectShow)
• Vela Research: CineView Pro (professional, no DirectShow)
All but the Sigma Designs decoder (including Creative Dxr3) have WDM
drivers for DirectShow. The Sigma Designs decoder card is used in hardware
upgrade kits from Hitachi, HiVal, Panasonic, Phillips, Sony, Toshiba,
and VideoLogic. The advantage of hardware decoders is that they don’t eat
up CPU processing power, and they often produce better quality video than
software decoders. The Chromatic Mpact2 chip does 3-field analysis to
produce exceptional progressive-scan video from DVDs (unfortunately,
Chromatic was bought by ATI and the chip is no longer supported, although
some of the technology is now in ATI’s Radeon). Hardware decoders use
video overlay to insert the video into the computer display. Some use ana-