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ASUS Splendid HD1 video enhance card  (Source: ASUS)

ASUS HD1 Software  (Source: ASUS)
ASUS introduces an odd video enhancement card for VGA equipped computers

ASUS made a few very interesting products over the last year. Its Eee PC helped to set the low cost, high-portability computer market on fire. The company also announced a line of low-cost, high-performance sound cards. 

Now, ASUS sends word another new product recently called the ASUS Splendid HD1 Video Enhance card. The release announcement claims the card is able to upgrade generic VGA to true HDMI output. The card appears to use a PCI Express x1 slot and has dual DVI outputs, one of which could be changed to HDMI with an adapter.

The card is capable of outputting full 1080p resolution movies and has onboard sound and full HDCP compliance. The card has several display modes to optimize the visual appearance for different uses. A photo mode tailored for viewing photos or for normal daily computing. This mode increases the color performance and dynamic contrast according to ASUS.

The second mode is a video mode optimized for watching movies. This mode helps to reduce blurring caused by LCD monitors and increases color depth and contrast. The final mode for the card is a game mode. This mode allows gamers using ASUS branded video cards to run a Demo mode that allows comparison of processing provided by the card in several ways.

ASUS declined to comment on pricing or availability of the ASUS Splendid HD1 Video Enhance Card at this time.


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beating around the bush?
By bobloadmire on 3/25/2008 3:18:01 PM , Rating: 2
why not just buy a cheap video card with native dvi?




RE: beating around the bush?
By Flunk on 3/25/2008 3:26:19 PM , Rating: 3
I am willing to bet that is what this actually is.


RE: beating around the bush?
By FITCamaro on 3/25/2008 3:26:23 PM , Rating: 2
Depending on the cost of this card, I agree.

Although it could be useful in small form factor PCs.


RE: beating around the bush?
By ImSpartacus on 3/25/2008 6:31:59 PM , Rating: 2
How small do you actually need? There are plenty of excellent video cards for HTPC-like needs.


RE: beating around the bush?
By Gravemind123 on 3/25/2008 9:55:00 PM , Rating: 2
The only reason I think this may sell is that video cards on the PCI-E x1 interface are few and overpriced. If they can keep this in the $50 range for price they may have found a niche for it.


RE: beating around the bush?
By daftrok on 3/25/2008 10:42:12 PM , Rating: 2
The main reason is if you want 1080p but don't feel like buying a new video card and would rather buy this HDCP compliant device instead.


Not a video adapter
By Lonyo on 3/25/2008 3:29:53 PM , Rating: 2
It doesn't just take VGA and make it HDMI, it also has onboard audio, so you can't just buy a new graphics card.
Buy this and you get a sound card + HDCP compliance, quite handy.

Obviously this all depends on the price though. It needs to be inexpensive.




RE: Not a video adapter
By Assimilator87 on 3/25/2008 3:40:20 PM , Rating: 3
You can already buy Radeon HD 2400s for about $25 AR and they come with onboard sound as well.


RE: Not a video adapter
By Lightning III on 3/25/2008 3:41:05 PM , Rating: 2
all the 3000 line of ati/amd cards have this already including the sound

looks like a 3450 with a cover


RE: Not a video adapter
By ChronoReverse on 3/25/2008 5:48:30 PM , Rating: 2
Incidentally, how might one extract the sound from the HDMI output of a 3850 and play it using analog stereo or 5.1 speakers? Is there a cheap solution?


RE: Not a video adapter
By Captain Orgazmo on 3/25/2008 8:09:43 PM , Rating: 2
Nothing besides a receiver/amplifier with digital inputs.


ExpressCard version
By thestereotype on 3/25/2008 3:18:12 PM , Rating: 2
I would consider a product like this if it were available in ExpressCard form.

As it stands, I don't really see a need for this product when you can simply buy a low end video card that can perform similarly.




Maybe they should....
By acejj26 on 3/25/2008 6:27:11 PM , Rating: 2
make this an external box, taking the inputs from a computer (vga + spdif or coax or discrete 5.1) and converting the signals to HDMI. This could be a boon for people who have older computers that can play media just fine but have been retired. Those who already own computers with a PCI-E slot probably have a PCI-E x16 slot and they can just buy a Radeon HD card that does the same thing this does.




Hmm
By AToZKillin on 3/25/2008 7:20:04 PM , Rating: 2
My dad's comp actually needs DVI out. DVI-HDMI adapter = lossless, right?

Not that I'd necessarily get this for him, but it does remind me that it needs to be done. 8600GT? Cheapest card w/PureVideo or ATI equivalent? I think the comp is running integrated graphics, and only spits out VGA.




what this really is
By johnsonx on 3/25/2008 11:59:55 PM , Rating: 2
I think everyone is getting this card wrong (admittedly, ASUS' press release is rather vague).

First, I think the Yellow DVI port accepts the OUTPUT of your existing video card (presumably onboard video) - either a DVI signal or a VGA signal through a VGA-DVI adapter. Then the card does it's magic, and outputs to the white DVI port, which in turn can be adapted to HDMI.

Second, the card does not actually use the PCIe-x1 slot interface - note there don't appear to be any contacts there (though it is a bit dark). That's just there to physically support the card in the slot. I'll bet it will fit in a PCI slot just fine as well.

There's probably more to this, but I do NOT think it's just video card with a fancy cover and a funny name.

That all said, I could be completely wrong.




By somedude1234 on 3/26/2008 2:28:18 PM , Rating: 2
This supposedly converts your existing video card's VGA output to DVI with HDCP compliance. So you go from VGA -> asus box -> monitor/TV via DVI or HDMI (with adapter cable).

The only use for a HDCP compliant output on a PC is to play blu-ray movies at their full 1080p resolution. For now, this means you have to be running Vista and a video card that Vista agrees is 'hdcp compliant' AND have it hooked up to a HDCP-compliant monitor.

So the question is... does having this card in my system tell Vista that my non-HDCP compliant video card is now compliant? How would this work?

I would think that the OS would see that the video output path is a non-hdcp vga output... and would downsample the output regardless of what you have down-stream between the video card and the monitor.

Furthermore, if it DOES indeed tell vista that you have an HDCP-compliant output, then what's to stop you from ripping the video output between the vga output on your existing video card and the asus box? Outside of the fact that the hardware is crazy-expensive... wouldn't this completely defeat the purpose of HDCP?




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