ATI Technologies Radeon HD 3450 User manual

ATI Radeon™ HD 3450
High Definition HTPC for the masses

ATI Radeon™ HD 3450 - Video Review Guide 2
©2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., AMD, The AMD arrow, Athlon, ATI, the ATI logo, Avivo,
Catalyst, The Ultimate Visual Experience and Radeon are trademarks of Advanced Micro
Devices, Inc. Features, pricing, availability and specifications may vary by product model and
are subject to change without notice. Products may not be exactly as shown. Not all features
may be implemented by all manufacturers.
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................. 3
Video Benchmarking Checklist ..................................................................... 7
How To Evaluate Video Playback Performance............................................. 8
Video Playback Performance...................................................................... 13
Appendix A: ATI Radeon™ HD 3450 based HTPC........................................ 16

ATI Radeon™ HD 3450 - Video Review Guide 3
©2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., AMD, The AMD arrow, Athlon, ATI, the ATI logo, Avivo,
Catalyst, The Ultimate Visual Experience and Radeon are trademarks of Advanced Micro
Devices, Inc. Features, pricing, availability and specifications may vary by product model and
are subject to change without notice. Products may not be exactly as shown. Not all features
may be implemented by all manufacturers.
Introduction
High Definition (HD) content is gaining in popularity, driven by the increasing
availability and affordability of HD-capable televisions, new releases of movies on HD
media (Blu-rayTM & HD DVD) and a desire by consumers for a more immersive
entertainment experience.
It may be possible for consumers to upgrade their current PCs by adding new HD
DVD and/or Blu-rayTM optical drives; however, the remaining PC components might
lack the required processing capabilities for fully featured and smooth HD content
playback. HD content presents many challenges, including:
•Large quantities of data processing
oup to six times the rendering required of standard-definition content
oit is also memory bandwidth intensive
•Computational complexity of algorithms for decode (i.e. CABAC) and
processing (i.e. advanced de-interlacing)
•High power consumption levels as PC resources run intensively to decode HD
content, which can reduce battery life on notebooks and increase noise levels
caused by the fans of the system running to dissipate heat
oThis is not ideal in a home theater scenario
•HDCP and content protection mechanisms included on most HD media by
content providers (movies studios, cable providers…). If these requirements
are not supported properly, consumers may encounter issues to playback HD
protected content on their PCs.
In the past, the ATI Radeon™ X1000 series of graphics processors from AMD sought
to overcome these challenges by harnessing the GPU processing power hardware to
assist in the video decoding process. This innovation moved the major part of the
video decoding off the CPU, while taking advantage of the GPU graphics power for
post processing routines designed to enhance the image quality.
AMD continued its efforts to deliver an exceptional home entertainment experience
for consumers with the ATI Radeon™ HD 2000 series. These products leveraged
ATI’s Avivo™ HD technology to provide a comprehensive solution to the challenges of
HD playback.1These features have been further enhanced with the ATI Radeon™ HD
3000 series.
1Not all ATI Avivo HD features may be available on all models.

ATI Radeon™ HD 3450 - Video Review Guide 4
©2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., AMD, The AMD arrow, Athlon, ATI, the ATI logo, Avivo,
Catalyst, The Ultimate Visual Experience and Radeon are trademarks of Advanced Micro
Devices, Inc. Features, pricing, availability and specifications may vary by product model and
are subject to change without notice. Products may not be exactly as shown. Not all features
may be implemented by all manufacturers.
Unified Video Decoder (UVD)
To enable the largest number of consumers to playback HD content on their PCs,
from thin notebooks to entry-level PCs, AMD introduced the Unified Video Decoder,
or UVD. Initially featured on the ATI Radeon™ HD 2400 series, ATI Radeon™ HD
2600 series, ATI Mobility Radeon ™ HD 2300, ATI Mobility Radeon ™ HD 2400 and
the ATI Mobility Radeon ™ HD 2400 XT, UVD is a dedicated video decoding block that
facilitates the full, bit accurate, decoding process of VC-1 or H.264/AVC encoded
video. The entire range of ATI Radeon™ HD 3000 series desktop GPUs now feature
UVD with further processing improvements.
By utilizing dedicated hardware for the decoding of VC-1 and H.264 encoded video,
the CPU is alleviated from the decoding process and the graphics pipeline and CPU
cycles are freed up. The decreased drain on system power is particularly beneficial in
notebooks, where HD playback processing on the GPU places a lesser burden on the
battery life. Less overall heat is produced, resulting in a quieter system as fans are
not required to spin as fast and move as much air to dissipate the heat.
Processing of HD video requires large amounts of memory bandwidth. The initial
implementation of UVD on the ATI RadeonTM HD 2000 series had restrictions
dependant on the available memory bandwidth on a given board. The net result was,
at launch, the lowest bandwidth ATI RadeonTM HD 2400 PRO solutions targeted
playback of all HD content at 720p pixel resolutions. If the desktop resolution was
set any higher than 720p, then HD video decoding would fall-back to software in
order to save GPU bandwidth.
Subsequent Catalyst™ software updates have improved the situation such that VC-1
and H.264 content encoded in 1080p will play back using UVD at desktop resolutions
as high as 1920x1200 (higher than 1080p), however 1080i VC-1 and H.264/AVC as
well as HD MPEG-2 content still fall-back to fully software based decoding.
The ATI RadeonTM HD 3000 series of graphics processors features improvements to
the UVD engine that both reduce CPU utilization under HD decode and also improve
memory bandwidth utilization in order to maintain hardware HD decoding at higher
resolutions. The net result is that even the DDR2 equipped ATI Radeon™ HD 3450
will facilitate hardware decoding of 1080p and 1080i VC-1 and H.264/AVC encoded
content at 1920x1200 / 1080p desktop resolutions.
HDCP Support
The advent of new HD optical discs, such as Blu-rayTM and HD DVD, as well as digital
cable on PCs, mandates certain requirements to playback protected content at HD
resolutions. Certain technology licensing specifications mandate that these new
technologies comply with content protection mechanisms. In particular, when stored
on Blu-rayTM and HD-DVD discs, protected content may only be displayed at HD
resolutions if HDCP is supported on both the PC and the monitor.

ATI Radeon™ HD 3450 - Video Review Guide 5
©2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., AMD, The AMD arrow, Athlon, ATI, the ATI logo, Avivo,
Catalyst, The Ultimate Visual Experience and Radeon are trademarks of Advanced Micro
Devices, Inc. Features, pricing, availability and specifications may vary by product model and
are subject to change without notice. Products may not be exactly as shown. Not all features
may be implemented by all manufacturers.
The ATI RadeonTM HD 2000 series and ATI RadeonTM HD 3000 series are designed
with a comprehensive approach to provide exceptional quality video playback for HD
content and carefree HDCP support2for easy playback of protected HD content from
Blu-rayTM and HD DVD. The ATI RadeonTM HD 2000 series and ATI RadeonTM HD
3000 series supports HDCP on all DVI (single-link or dual-link), HDMI and
DisplayPort interfaces, up to the maximum desktop resolution supported by that
interface.
HDMI & Audio Support on the ATI RadeonTM HD 3000 Series
To be compliant with Windows Vista® Premium logo requirements, a system with
enabled HDMI output must include two distinct audio sources – one main system
source and one for HDMI output. Like the ATI Radeon™ HD 2000 series, the ATI
RadeonTM HD 3000 series provides a comprehensive approach to ensure audio
support for HDMI by including an HD-audio controller on the ASIC, creating a
protected audio path separate from the system’s audio, compliant with Windows
Vista Premium requirements and without any additional connection or cable.
Combined with the ATI Radeon™ DVI-to-HDMI adapter, ATI RadeonTM HD 2000
series and ATI RadeonTM HD 3000 series3solutions enable end users to get full video
and audio support via standard DVI for easy connectivity and a superior HD
experience. Current DVI-to-HDMI connectors do not carry audio, thus do not enable
HDMI. ATI Radeon™ adapters handshake with the board to enable audio via the DVI
port; when the adapter is connected to the output of an ATI RadeonTM HD 2000
series or ATI RadeonTM HD 3000 series solution, it can provide seamless HDMI
output.
ATI RadeonTM HD 2000 series and ATI RadeonTM HD 3000 series products support
home theater audio formats such as Dolby Digital and DTS enabling an immersive
multi-channel surround sound audio experience when playing back Blu-rayTM or HD
DVD discs (when connecting to an HDMI receiver).
ATI RadeonTM HD 2000 series and ATI RadeonTM HD 3000 series innovate with the
support of HDMI, bringing several benefits to the end user:
•‘Plug-n-play’ HDMI solution
•Full audio experience, preserving the system’s digital (S/PDIF or optical)
sound output while also providing full HDMI audio output
•Flexibility through seamless support of different interfaces using ATI Radeon™
DVI-to-HDMI adapter when needed
•Immersive home theater audio with multi-channel digital surround sound
support
2Playing HDCP content requires additional HDCP ready components, including but not limited to an HDCP
ready monitor, disc drive, multimedia application and computer operating system. While ATI RadeonTM HD
2000 series and ATI RadeonTM HD 3000 series ASICs have with HDCP keys integrated, AMD’s add-in board
manufacturers may choose not to enable HDCP on their specific ATI RadeonTM HD 2000 and ATI RadeonTM
HD 3000 based products.
3Not yet available on AGP

ATI Radeon™ HD 3450 - Video Review Guide 6
©2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., AMD, The AMD arrow, Athlon, ATI, the ATI logo, Avivo,
Catalyst, The Ultimate Visual Experience and Radeon are trademarks of Advanced Micro
Devices, Inc. Features, pricing, availability and specifications may vary by product model and
are subject to change without notice. Products may not be exactly as shown. Not all features
may be implemented by all manufacturers.
Summary
The emergence and popularity of HD has created high expectations from consumers
looking for a unique and immersive video experience, and this includes consumers
choosing to use a PC as the hub of their entertainment center. But as a relatively
new technology, HD brings new challenges related to the large quantity of data
needed to be processed in HD, as well as its computational complexity, power
consumption and need for content protection.
GPUs can play a critical role in providing consumers with a high quality and seamless
HD playback experience. Unfortunately, many of the current graphics solutions on
the market do not provide the performance for full-quality HD playback, and in some
cases, lack the proper support for HDCP, audio and HDMI output preventing end
users from fully enjoying the complete HD experience.
With ATI’s Avivo™ HD and its unique video playback technologies such as UVD and
advanced image post processing, a comprehensive approach to HDCP requirements
and seamless support for audio and HDMI interfaces, the ATI RadeonTM HD 3000
series address HD playback challenges for The Ultimate Visual Experience™ for HD.

ATI Radeon™ HD 3450 - Video Review Guide 7
©2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., AMD, The AMD arrow, Athlon, ATI, the ATI logo, Avivo,
Catalyst, The Ultimate Visual Experience and Radeon are trademarks of Advanced Micro
Devices, Inc. Features, pricing, availability and specifications may vary by product model and
are subject to change without notice. Products may not be exactly as shown. Not all features
may be implemented by all manufacturers.
Video Benchmarking Checklist
Here is a list of hardware and software tools AMD recommends you use to evaluate a
graphics card’s video playback capabilities:
9Test system with Windows® XP or Windows Vista® (32-bit or 64-bit)
operating system
9HDCP compliant monitor or HDTV with native resolution of at least 1920x1080
9DVD Optical Drive
9HD DVD Optical Drive
9Blu-rayTM Optical Drive
9System monitoring software such as Windows® Reliability and Performance
Monitor
9Playback software such as CyberLink PowerDVD
9Silicon Optix HQV and HD HQV Benchmarks
9HD DVD and Blu-rayTM discs
9Power Analyzer

How To Evaluate Video Playback Performance
While video image quality is paramount in choosing the right solution, playback
performance is of equal importance. This applies especially to PCs that are set up as
media centers where multi-tasking is a necessity.
Here are some guidelines on how to properly measure video playback performance:
Step 1: Make sure that there aren’t any unnecessary tasks running in the
background. End all unnecessary tasks using Windows Task Manager.
Step 2: Set the desktop resolution to 1080P (1920x1080) through Windows Display
Settings.
Step 3: Launch Window’s performance monitor by pressing
Window key + r and typing “perfmon” in box. Alternatively, you can create a
shortcut to this application located in the “C:\Windows\System32\perfmon.exe”
folder.
ATI Radeon™ HD 3450 - Video Review Guide 8
©2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., AMD, The AMD arrow, Athlon, ATI, the ATI logo, Avivo,
Catalyst, The Ultimate Visual Experience and Radeon are trademarks of Advanced Micro
Devices, Inc. Features, pricing, availability and specifications may vary by product model and
are subject to change without notice. Products may not be exactly as shown. Not all features
may be implemented by all manufacturers.

Step 4: Once Windows’ Reliability and Performance Monitor application launches,
configure it to record CPU activity for at least 120 seconds (2 minutes). You can do
so by first activating the Performance Monitor window:
Proceed to the Action ÆProperties menu where you can change the duration and
frequency of the CPU activity logger to the amount of time you plan to test each
scene/clip in a movie:
AMD believes that 120 seconds of playback is sufficient for obtaining an accurate
measurement of CPU utilization for video playback. AMD recommends that you test
ATI Radeon™ HD 3450 - Video Review Guide 9
©2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., AMD, The AMD arrow, Athlon, ATI, the ATI logo, Avivo,
Catalyst, The Ultimate Visual Experience and Radeon are trademarks of Advanced Micro
Devices, Inc. Features, pricing, availability and specifications may vary by product model and
are subject to change without notice. Products may not be exactly as shown. Not all features
may be implemented by all manufacturers.

scenes with high bit-rate to evaluate how the system will perform under heavy
workload from decoding video streams.
Step 5: Launch your software player of choice and make sure that hardware
acceleration is enabled for each test. You can enable and disable hardware
acceleration by going to the Configuration ÆVideo menu:
ATI Radeon™ HD 3450 - Video Review Guide 10
©2007 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., AMD, The AMD arrow, Athlon, ATI, the ATI logo, Avivo,
Catalyst, The Ultimate Visual Experience and Radeon are trademarks of Advanced Micro
Devices, Inc. Features, pricing, availability and specifications may vary by product model and
are subject to change without notice. Products may not be exactly as shown. Not all features
may be implemented by all manufacturers.