What is a Hollywood decoder card?

[Kev3x]

Wanna hear something funny. I was eating pistachio nuts kicking back and reading over the hot deals. Wow! Look! Toshiba 12x DVD/CD at buy.com. Might come with a Hollywood decoder card and soft. What is that? Hell if I know. Everyone seems to want it so go for it. Ha. I ordered one that didn't get here yet. I'm a nut all right. Now, what the hell is it? To my limited peanut power I would assume a decoder is for older boxes that need the boost in computing power to watch DVD's. I'm already getting the Radeon 32 DDR, and I hear DVD's look good. But hey, it seems I'm wrong. I have to be, why would they want it so bad? Maybe the playback with a decoder card is actually better? Maybe I was deluded? About as deluded as I was ordering the thing for fun because I was bored. Please tell. Thanks!

P.S. I know I probably won't get the card bundle but I still want to know what's the attraction.

 

[BCYL]

Well some older PCs do not have the CPU power to decode DVD video, so they need the Hollywood DVD decoder card to do it for them... also using the decoder card frees your CPU when u watch DVD, and also provides full 5.1 digital sound decoding...

I think Sigma has a kit that hooks up to the decoder for a full remote control too...

Bottom line the decoder card decodes video and digital audio for you instead of using your CPU... some ppl need it, some ppl don't...

 

[Lalakai]

dvd decoding is done either through software or hardware. As BCYL said, the decoder card really helps out the older units (which may only be 18 months eh! ). When you decode dvd info, it puts quite a strain on the cpu; the Hollywood is kind'a an industry standard for decoding and does a very good job, freeing up the cpu and reducing a bottle neck from the v-card to the cpu.

if you got it free, use it. If you had to buy it, consider dl'g some softward decoding and see if your cpu and go it alone.

hope this helps.

 

[Kev3x]

Hey, thanks guys!!!