Should Nvidia enter the soundcard business?

[CrazyRyan]

The onboard sound on their nforce board is one of the if not the best, so why not dominate another market?

 

[CrazyRyan]

Even better why not create a multimedia card with sound and video in one

 

[minendo]

<< Even better why not create a multimedia card with sound and video in one >>


Heck we could through the ide controller on that and bring us back to the Packard Bell days.

 

[KevinMU1]

Companies should stick to what they're good at... branching out and trying to take over other things usually leads to disaster... not always, of course, but more often than not. So I would vote no, they should not try anything, at least not anything drastic.

 

[chiwawa626]

You mean like take over the roll of Dimond and other companies who try to make ..Everything?

 

[CrazyRyan]

I remember one of the first cards branded Nvidia was the diamond edge3d and it had built in sound
video and ports for sega saturn controllers

 

[sandorski]

Cards? No.

Chips? Sure, why not?

CL hasn't done much since the old ISA AWE cards. It's time for someone willing to innovate to take the soundchip lead. Aureal tried, CL lawyers killed it. CMedia has tried, but still hasn't quite succeeded. NVidia has the size and the experience in R&D to be the best bet yet.

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

How much longer before soundcards require a fan?

 

[d1abolic]

Yeah they should. Why not?

 

[Kadarin]

<< Yeah they should. Why not? >>



Can't think of a reason why not... more competition hopefully will lead to lower prices. (However, once you have a soundcard that does 5.1 pretty well, what need is there for more? Just wondering..)

 

[Smacksmackums]

I don't see why Nvidia doesn't sell their sound chip and technology to other motherboard manufacturers for use on boards other than Nforce. Their sound is much better than C-Media and those AC97 pieces of crap. They could dominate the onboard sound market easily, if something like that is easily done. I'm not sure how integrated the sound chip is into the architecture of Nforce.

 

[Bassyhead]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that the audio on the nForce is done with an Analog Devices chip (ADI, http://www.analog.com/). I think that the optional CNR card that puts out the other 4 channels for the nForce (actually by SoundMAX, a brand of ADI) also uses ADI audio processing.

 

[ElFenix]

nvidia licensed the DSP, thats why they don't enter. i suppose they could just negotiate for the ability to have nvidia branded DSPs sold, but i bet thats not part of it right now

 

[KevinMU1]

There's always a reason for more, an that reason is bragging rights.

 

[nightowl]

The nForce takes care of all the audio processing in the digital domain. The Analog devices chips are probably for the D/A conversion.

 

[StormRider]

Yes, because if they bring out their own soundcard/soundchips, this will be as if Aureal was still alive.

 

[crypticlogin]

<< The nForce takes care of all the audio processing in the digital domain. The Analog devices chips are probably for the D/A conversion. >>


If nVidia partnered/licensed from Analog Devices, it would probably be for more than some D/A converters considering AD has an entire line of programmable DSPs, AC97 compliant CODECs, and OEM partners for computer audio. From the nForce audio "technical brief" (in PDF), it looks like nVidia would've just taken and integrated, then customized what AD could offer.