AUDIO AND VIDEO SUBSYSTEMS

Audio and Video Subsystems

April Bennett

AUDIO AND VIDEO SUBSYSTEMS

Audio Subsystems and Video Subsystems
The term audio subsystems refers to the hardware, drivers, and software that work
together to allow the output of sound from a computer. This primary components of an audio
subsystem are the sound card and speakers or headphones. The sound card is an expansion card
that attaches to the motherboard inside your system unit. A sound card enables the computer to
drive the speaker system, (Evans, A., Martin, K., & Poatsy, M.A., 2014, p.250). Depending on
an individuals' computing needs, it may suffice to use the factory-standard sound card. If daily
use is limited to checking e-mail and horoscope, sharing photos of an adorable pet, and
commenting on Facebook statuses, a pre-installed sound card will be satisfactory. Alternatively,
if the computer user is an audiophile or requires a specific standard of sound quality, purchasing
a more suitable sound card along with a speaker system may be necessary.
Upgrading your audio subsystem can be as simple as finding a set of speakers that deliver
the quality of sound you desire. For people who watch movies at home and want the in-a-theater
experience, surround sound speakers may be the best option. Surround sound is defined as a
type of audio processing that makes the listener experience sound as if it was coming from all
directions by using multiple speakers (Evans, A., Martin, K., & Poatsy, M.A). Soundbars, like
those sold by Bose and Samsung, offer a more personalized and clear sound for your television.
Sound recording on a personal computer may necessitate an upgrade to the audio subsystem.
Depending on the genre of music, producers in a home studio who are not getting the low, bass
sound may opt for sub-woofers that are made to play the low frequency sounds clearly.
Similar to audio subsystems, video subsystems include all the hardware, software, and
drivers needed to display graphics. The primary components of a video subsystem are the

AUDIO AND VIDEO SUBSYSTEMS

graphics card and monitor. The graphics card is an expansion card installed inside the system
unit that translates binary data (Evans, A, Martin, K., & Poatsy, M.A., 2014, p.246). At times, a
basic graphics card, also called a video card, may not have enough video memory or processing
capabilities to handle all of the users' tasks. Other times, the graphics card may not be equipped
to support multiple monitors which are useful for multitasking.
Gamers who want to get the full experience of a game and editors who need high
resolution for photos or high definition for videos, are examples of people who are likely to
customize their video subsystems. When considering a video subsystem update, it is important to
know the capabilities and limitations of your machine. For example, you should know where the
graphics card is housed. Some video cards are installed in a place that requires the computer case
be removed in order to get to the card slot. It is a relatively simple task for desktop owners, but
more difficult for those with laptop computers. If you have a preference for multiple video cards,
be sure that your computer is equipped with more than one card slot. Likewise, after planning
the upgrade for the video subsystem and making sure that you are able to disassemble and
reassemble your computer, be sure that if your upgrade includes multiple monitors, your
graphics card is able to support all of the ones you plan to use.
What is widely considered to be the precursor to today's graphics card was introduced by
IBM in 1981. It was called the Monochrome Display Adapter (MDA) and displayed green or
white text on a black screen (Tyson, J., Wilson, T.V.,2001). Think back to the game Pong.
Since then, video cards with ever-expanding capabilities have been created. Released in 1996,
the Voodoo1 by 3dFC was considered revolutionary for its time, according to Goble's list of
important graphics cards(2013). It included four megabytes of RAM and a 50MHz core (Goble,

AUDIO AND VIDEO SUBSYSTEMS

2013) whereas modern graphics cards like the Nvidia GeForce GTX 760 has a 980 MHz core
and 2 gigabytes of graphics double data rate 5 or GDDR5 for short (Evans A., Martin, K.,
Poatsy, M.A., 2014, p. 246). These cards are able to keep the system well-balanced while
maintaining a high standard of speed and video quality.

AUDIO AND VIDEO SUBSYSTEMS

References
Evans, A., Martin, K., & Poatsy, M. A. (2014). Technology in action. (10th ed., pp. 246-251).
New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Goble, G.The 10 most important graphics cards in history.(2013) Retrieved:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2034487/the-10-most-important-graphics-cards-in-pchistory.html
Singer, G. (2013) History of the Modern Graphics Processor. Retrieved:
www.techspot.com/article/659-history-of-the-gpu-part-4/
Tyson, J., Wilson, T.V. (2001).How graphics cards works. Retrieved:
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/graphics-card.htm