Manufacturer: Sigma Designs

Available: Now

If you're interested in watching DVD movies, there are three available options: a set-top box, a hardware DVD decoder card, or a software DVD decoder. Since a set-top box will run you at least $200, computer-based DVD playback solutions are becoming more popular as DVD-ROM drives are quickly replacing CD-ROMs. Software DVD players originally solely used the CPU for DVD decoding, but with the latest 3D video cards we've seen an emergence of hardware-assisted DVD playback. This raises the question of the value in buying an extra hardware DVD decoder. After all, if a hardware-assisted decoder works, why bother with a DVD card?

Until I met with Sigma Designs at COMDEX, I felt the same way because, in my experience, software DVD performance seemed to be satisfactory. However, a hardware DVD decoder offers superior image quality and the luxury of an all-in-one DVD playback solution. The differences between hardware and software DVD decoders are very similar to the differences between 2D and 3D graphics. For example, no extra 3D video hardware is required to play 2D games, which can run acceptably and look just fine. But, 3D games offer smoother gameplay and superior image quality.