Those of us that follow the latest in motherboard trends are well aware that onboard audio is improving. There may come a day when an add-in PCI card is not even but a faint memory in our minds. Speaking of which, this summer, we can expect a new high definition on board audio offering from Intel. The chip giant has come up with an eight-channel onboard audio spec, previously code-named Azalia with support for up to 96kz or 192kz in stereo mode and DVD-Audio support. It is no surprise I guess, that Microsoft have released a new High Definition audio driver that will dovetail nicely with Intels HD Audio specifications. This, along with Microsoft's United Audio Architecture initiative or UAA, should help to provide both manufacturers and us with a seamless audio experience for playing back our various optically stored creations.
|  Universal Audio Architecture is a Microsoft-led initiative to provide a transparent "it just works" consumer experience and to improve the quality of audio on Windows-based PCs. Announced first at WinHEC 2002, the UAA initiative was established by Microsoft not only to enhance consumer audio experiences, but also to lower support costs, improve the functionality and quality of PC audio for current and future operating systems, and save time and resources for manufacturers. The Microsoft UAA HD Audio Class Driver 1.0 is available as an out-of-band release for Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server(tm) 2003. For future operating system releases, Microsoft intends to ship the UAA class drivers as part of the operating system. The Microsoft UAA initiative proposes UAA class driver compliance from audio solutions on all PCs running Windows.
"As high-quality, reliable and feature-rich audio becomes increasingly important to PC owners and manufacturers, an audio specification is needed that will reduce the complications of compatibility, improve functionality and decrease high manufacturing costs," said Amir Majidimehr, corporate vice president of the Windows Digital Media Division at Microsoft. "Universal Audio Architecture and High Definition Audio solve these problems. Together with Intel and a growing list of industry partner companies, we're taking steps toward guaranteed device support, glitch-free audio and the best sound quality available."
Microsoft's collaboration around UAA with Intel and others will provide consumers with consistent audio functionality and enable a number of key benefits, including the following:
Simpler installation of audio peripherals
Higher performance: Minimum CPU time consumed when streaming, while taking advantage of increased bandwidth
Glitch-free audio
Ability to update the operating system while guaranteeing high-quality audio performance
More stable and secure audio for server applications
Fewer drivers and upgrades required, and less driver code to be developed, tested and supported
Reduction in support calls and returns
|
Eight channel audio, DVD-Audio, we have come along way from the Tie-Fighter days of struggling to get a simple midi file playing on our PC. Let's see, now what were those darned Soundblaster Autoexec.bat and Config.sys settings? I used to know.....
Source: Music Industry News
