PC Multimedia Hardware

Configurations | Multimedia
Overview | Home playback | Multimedia developer | Standards

Overview

The hardware for multimedia is usually one of the heaviest in terms of power requirements.

The current standard should always be checked against up to date brochures.

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Home playback

(Encarta, Web Access, games)
- CPU: Pentium II 233-266
  Note (Pentium 100+ minimum for full motion video)
- RAM: 32MB
- CD-ROM 24x (4x minimum)
- Sound: 16 bit sound card, speakers
- keyboard, mouse, joystick (optional)
- Printer: Colour Inkjet

Multimedia developer

CPU: Pentium II 300
- Hard Disk: 6GB (to cope with video, graphics, sound files)
- VDU: 16Million colour capable (1024x 768)
- Video Adaptor card with Advanced graphics port, Direct3D and OpenGL support.
- CD-ROM: Writable preferably SCSI (recommend at least 700MB free contiguous space on a hard drive for holding CD image)
- Backup: Tape or removable hard drive (zip/jazz)
- Video capture: Specialised card. To capture video will also need to reserve contiguous hard disk space.
- Sound: 32bit Sound Card, stereo microphones, speakers
- keyboard, mouse
- Printer: Colour Inkjet
- Peripherals: Scanner, Digital camera, Video camera

Multimedia Developer	Specifications: CD-ROM or Internet: Able to develop presentations for CD-ROM and the Internet
Component	In-use	Buying new
Hardware	Keyboard, Mouse VDU: sVGA (800x600), 17" CPU: Pentium 100-166 RAM: 32MB FDD: 1.44MB 3.5" HDD: 2GB CD-ROM: 4x - 24x Sound: 16/32 bit, speakers, mic Modem: 28.8- 33.6Kbps Backup: 100MB Zip Drive Printer: Inkjet-600dpi (colour) Scanner:	Keyboard, Mouse VDU: sVGA (800x600), 17" CPU: Pentium II 300 RAM: 32-64MB FDD: 1.44MB 3.5" HDD: 2.1 -5GB CD-ROM: 16x, CD-R drive Sound: 32bit, speakers, mic Modem: 33.6 - 56Kbps Backup: 1GB Jaz Drive Printer: Inkjet-600dpi (colour) Scanner, Digital camera, Video camera:
Software (Typical)	Macromedia Authorware, Director. Asymetrix Toolbook	Macromedia Authorware, Director. Asymetrix Toolbook Microsoft Frontpage

Standards

MPC I 386SX, 2MB RAM, single speed CD-ROM (150kB per sec), 16 colour VGA, 30MB HD, 8 bit sound card
MPC II (May 1993), 486SX 25MHz, 4MB RAM, Double speed CD ROM (300kB per sec), 65,000 colour VGA graphics, 160MB HD, 16 bit sound card

[Rev 24/3/98] 23/12/97 © 1997-98 V/2-Com (Verhaart), P O Box 8415, Havelock North, New Zealand.