Asustek Computer plans to launch a PC motherboard in April with an interface that will allow users to watch high definition (HD) movies on either the Blu-ray Disc or HD-DVD formats.
The ASUS M2A-VM-HDMI comes with an HDMI (high definition multiple interface) slot, which is where users can plug in a high definition player and enjoy cinema-like films on their PC monitors – so long as the monitors are also high-end LCD (liquid crystal display) products. HDMI can also be used with other disc formats, such as DVD.
The board, which is aimed at home theater PC users, is priced at NT$3,190 (US$96.46)
Asusustek only makes this motherboard for Athlon64 and Sempron dual-core microprocessors from Advanced Micro Devices that fit into socket AM2. It also put on a graphics chip set built from the marriage of AMD and ATI Technology, the new AMD690G, which is designed for video. The motherboard boasts three TV slots, including AV output and S-video output.
The board is designed to hold dual-channel DDR2 (double data rate memory) that runs at 800MHz, according to Asustek. It also has over a dozen slots for peripherals, including USB (universal serial bus) as well as two slots for 1394a Firewire cables.