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I am writing this because numerous people have asked me if their video card, known as a graphics card, is adequate for what they want to do.  Some times that’s a hard question to answer because I very seldom get the full story.  Some times they just say that their game will not work.

The first thing to do is find out what the system requirement of the game or program is.  This is normally right on the box.  The manufacturer doesn’t always make it easy to figure out.  It is usually on the side panel in small print. You absolutely must pay attention to this.  If you don’t you will waste your money on a game that will not work.

Most of the video cards that come with computers these days are integrated right into the mother boards.  This is both good and bad.  It makes the computer less expensive to buy.  It doesn’t allow you to upgrade without having to spend quite a bit of money.  If you have a laptop your out of luck unless you have a high end video card already integrated on the motherboard.  If you have a desktop computer you will probably be able to upgrade.  However, the type of motherboard that you have will limit your ability to get what you want.  You MUST know what you mother board will accept if you do upgrade.  If it isn’t compatible it either will not fit the AGP (accelerated Graphics Port) or PCI express port or it will not bring up a screen.  Older card may work in the PCI slots.  Please verify the type of slot you are dealing with before buying anything.

I recommend to find somebody that can find out what you have in your computer.  It can get complex.  The reason it can be difficult is that video companies are having a hard time keeping up with the technology.  Some times a certain type of Video card goes obsolete before it even gets popular.

If your game or program doesn’t work it may be your graphics card.  If you have further question you may need to find a technician in your area that can help you.

Why am I writing this article?  As you probably know (unless your under a rock) Digital TV is coming in February 17, 2009.  You do not need any special antenna if you have cable or satellite.  DO NOTHING!!! if you have either of these. The Companies that provide those services will give you what you need automatically.  In fact if you use a converter box on a TV that already has cable or satellite it will block the signal and will not work.  You can’t convert a signal that is already converted.

If you have antenna and or the old type TVs:
You will need a converter box.  BUT! here’s the big one in my opinion.  You may be able to cancel your cable or satellite service.  You will be able to get more channels than when you had your old analog signal.  You may not be able to get all of the channels you received with cable or satellite but I feel it’s no big deal.  You can either go to a bar or place they have cable and take advantage of that service.  From the money you save you can buy a lot of food, drinks or whatever. You may be able to even pay for gasoline or heat for my home.  If you purchase a new digital TV it will work without the converter box  IF it has a digital tuner.  Most if not all new digital TVs not have this tuner. So before popping for a converter box at least test it to see if it already can pick up the digital channels.  Be sure you test everything before canceling any services.

You can purchase digital antennas on the web.  Here is how you can find the antenna that is right for your area.  antennaweb.org .  Some local store may offer these antennas as well.

It also is better if you use the proper coax cable (75 ohm) for digital signals.  The old two strand cable or the old 50 ohm coax cable may give you less ability to get the number of stations available or the quality that digital can provide. It will most likely not work.  Most hardware stores have all the things you need to get going.  You can also search the web of course.

What about store bought antennas?
Here you pretty much get what you pay for.  If you buy rabbit ears (very popular with older TVs) you probably will not get good reception unless your really close to the transmission towers. You need to know about how far you are from the towers.  That’s because the type of antennas vary quite a bit.  Look for the range of the antenna on the box or ask a store clerk.  If you don’t know don’t buy it. There are wall mounted and tower mounted types also.  The thing to remember is that you MUST point these in about the direction of the signal in order to get the best reception.  Get the Multi-direction type. This will allow you to get a station that isn’t exactly in the direction that you are pointing it.  If you get a Uni-direction antenna it is extremely important what direction you point it.  You may have to try several angles in order to get the best range and quality of stations you can get.

This stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface.  It is the first and only industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface.

I decided to give you a link that will save a lot of time and gives you plenty of information.

Here is a link that I feel explains it very good. HDMI Information

DTV converter box

You will not be able to watch your “old” TVs unless you have a converter box or buy a digital TV that has a tuner installed.

It may vary according to the brand name you buy. Mostly they work the same but there may be some differences. The type of remote I have is a Tivax STB-T9. You must be able to already receive the old analog channels. If you can not receive channels using an antenna you probably will not be able to receive any digital channels either. Next, disconnect your antenna (Coax) cable from a coupler. If the wire coming from your antenna still has the old two wire hook-up it will not work. You MUST have coax cable and preferably the kind you need for digital signals. You must be able to connect one side to incoming and the other to the outgoing connector of the converter box. If you do not understand this concept it would be better to get somebody that does. Once you connect the cables you need to select the channel you want to use for the digital signal. The switch is located on the back of the converter box. I selected channel 4. Now use your normal TV remote and change your station to channel 4 (or the one you selected). You will NOT be able to see any channels yet. Take the remote that came with the converter box and push the button that says menu. You should see a selection that says something like Auto Tune. Push the select button on the remote of the converter box. It will start searching for channels in your area. This may take quite a while. In my case I ended up with 4 channels more than I did have. It should be ready now. Use the remote that came with the converter box. The “new” remote will be used to select all channels from now on. The remote for the TV will only be used for turning the set on and off and to adjust the level of sound. The converter box sound should be all the way up at all times. If it isn’t it will be almost impossible to adjust the sound without loud hissing. I’m sure this is not all the answers for everybody. I can only hope somebody will ask me questions. If I don’t know I will find out.

If you buy a digital TV that has a tuner installed you will not need the converter box.  If you have cable or satellite you will NOT have to worry about any of this.

Here is an extremely good link that should help you out: DTV info
To see the type of antenna you need click here