Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
The most popular compression standard is the Motion Pictures Experts Group (MPEG)
standard, which works with both audio and video. MPEG by itself provides a potential
compression ratio of 30:1. The popular MP3 sound compression scheme is an MPEG
format, and it can be played back on most versions of the Windows Media Player, as well
as by various other audio player programs and devices.
Sound Drivers
As with many PC components, a software driver provides a vital link between an audio
adapter and the application or OS that uses it. If you are using integrated audio, you can
get updated drivers for your system from the motherboard or computer vendor's website,
or via Windows Update. If you are using a discrete sound card, get updated drivers from
the card vendor's website or via Windows Update.
Note
Some sound card and motherboard vendors supply Linux drivers, but you might need to use
open-source drivers developed by third parties. The current standard audio API for Linux is
advanced Linux sound architecture (ALSA), which also supports the older open sound sys-
tem (OSS) API. To learn more, see the ALPA Project homepage at
www.alsa-project.org/
.
