MSI announces world's first "HDMI certified" graphics card

To be honest, we weren't really aware of the existence of such certification, or that it was lacking in most graphics cards, but MSI is parading around their new shiny gold star they just received from the HDMI Authorized Testing Center (ATC) in regards to their new NVIDIA-based NX7600GT Diamond Plus. They're claiming to have received the first such certification for an HDMI graphics card, which means their card matches certain standards for compatibility and stability that will allow it to play nice with all the other HDMI kids. Apparently HDCP is in full effect here as well, so there shouldn't be any problems with that end of standard support. MSI's card also offers some D.O.T. II overclocking performance along with all that compatibility, but we're not sure on price or availability of the new card.

[dextro @ Aug 16th 2006 9:47AM]

So this time is real? :P

[Jonathan Graft @ Aug 16th 2006 9:52AM]

Wow...this is worth looking into...if I had a desktop, not a laptop. I wonder how much money it is? I wonder how much more money it will cost just because it is HD Certified? LOL

[chris leigh @ Aug 16th 2006 10:00AM]

Around £120 im guessing...

That card is utter crap... wait till gainward release 7950's with them on Golden Sample SLI 1Gb cards :D

[Jimbo Jones @ Aug 16th 2006 10:01AM]

HDMI usualy also has audio, I wonder if the video card has an input from the sound card. Or maybe they could make a Video-Audio card.

[optix @ Aug 16th 2006 10:12AM]

Considering HDMI video signals are the same as DVI video signals, this is pretty trivial. It may carry the TDMS video data, but what about the sound data? What about AV Link?

This card has a lot more that anyone expects from a Video card, and if the news is correct, we might see more "multimedia cards" (no, not that thing you plugged your 286's CD-Rom drive into) in the future, combination video, sound, and all other goodness.

[delerious @ Aug 16th 2006 10:15AM]

I want one on AGP bus.

[Tull @ Aug 16th 2006 10:30AM]

AGP is dead. :P

[marvel62 @ Aug 16th 2006 10:50AM]

tell that to the 7800GS...

[TippyTurtle @ Aug 16th 2006 10:53AM]

This is all about DRM. HDMI is required to get encrypted info to a TV. I doubt you will see open source drivers any time soon...or I should say, open source drivers than can play and HD movie.

[Charles @ Aug 16th 2006 10:53AM]

i want one on PCI bus :-p

[jebo @ Aug 16th 2006 10:54AM]

I feel like I've seen several HDMI/HDCP compliant video cards released in the past 6 months....and I have yet to see any of them reach retail availability in any significant manner.

[Jeff @ Aug 16th 2006 11:03AM]

"HDMI is required to get encrypted info to a TV."

DVI is perfectly capable of carrying the same HDCP signal. I have my PC hooked up through DVI to my HDTV and it works just fine with HDCP-protected material.

The only difference is HDMI carries sound (not "usually" - it's part of the spec). Not sure how that works with this card, if it's a combination video/sound card or if it somehow relies on your existing sound card via software or something, but it's gotta be carrying sound somehow.

[dextro @ Aug 16th 2006 11:05AM]

to TippyTurtle: Not much need, nvidia makes some damn fine linux drivers :P

[Eazy @ Aug 16th 2006 11:41AM]

This is old as hell. Dailytech reported this 1 1/2 weeks ago.

[hey4 @ Aug 16th 2006 12:55PM]

old as hell, mkay, a week and half ago is old as hell? ah well. Anyway, i will NEVER buy MSI again, that card was crap!

[Jim @ Aug 16th 2006 2:32PM]

This Saphire card has a HDMI and SPDIF. The SPDIF is for input from a motherboard SPDIF out to router through the HDMI cable. If you can get the multichannel sound ffrom the MSI HDMI connector that would be even better.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102032

[Tom @ Aug 16th 2006 5:57PM]

@Jim

I've been thinking about buying that Saphire card for a couple months now... it's just that it's not that big of an improvement over my current card, the 7800GS. I wish ATI and Nvidia would offer more cards with HDMI output. Oh well...

[Chris @ Aug 16th 2006 7:19PM]

Well, the card is HDMI/HDCP certified, but does this mean you will be able to play HD-DVD or Blu-Ray movies through it? I suspect not.

My understanding is that only pre-certified entire systems will be able to play HD movies. I'm not sure exactly what this means, but apparently the card, motherboard, hd-dvd drive etc all have to be spec'ed properly and maybe even hardware ID'd so they can only work together.

So this sounds like mainly more marketing hype for the moment, although prob. a step in the right direction.

[GhostDoggy @ Aug 19th 2006 8:32AM]

I'm sure they'll market this as a luxury feature you will have to pay through the nose to get, too. Amusing since this (HDMI) can be had on sub-$100 DVD players.

[dazza @ Oct 17th 2006 3:57AM]

But HDMI looks poor quality when your upscaling.