Recommended System Specifications
Operating System
CPU
RAM
Graphics Hardware
Other Hardware

Recommended System Specifications
OS:	Windows XP/2000/ME/98
CPU:	Intel Pentium or AMD Athlon, 1.5 to 2 GHz
RAM:	512 MB
Graphics:	graphics card/display adapter with 64 MB VRAM (or 32 MB on each of two graphics cards)
Other:	quality sound card
	See important details below.

Operating System
MediaShout 2.x is supported for Windows XP Home and Professional, as well as Windows 2000, ME and 98. Though it may run on the following other operating systems, it is not supported for them: Windows XP Tablet, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP 64, Windows 2003 Server.

Although MediaShout 2.x may run in a Windows emulator for Linux or Mac OS, to our knowledge no such application can properly emulate the Windows extended desktop feature that’s required by MediaShout’s dual-screen mode. Which means you may be able to use the MediaShout control screen, but you won’t be able to play media to the audience on a second screen.

CPU
A computer’s central processing unit is the part that carries out instructions it receives from MediaShout and other applications. The highest-demand task the program performs is superimposing text over a video background, which is used to set the minimum CPU speed. (When this task isn’t demanded of it, it can perform decently with a CPU speed as low as 400 MHz.)

RAM
The amount of a computer’s random-access memory determines the volume of data it can work with at once. If tasks call for juggling more data than it has RAM to hold, it dumps some of the data to a “cache,” or temporary storage area on the hard drive, which takes longer to retrieve, thus slowing performance. In MediaShout, video playback is the biggest memory hog, but sounds, high-resolution graphics, and other media types demand lots of it too. An open application also consumes RAM, which explains why closing other applications while running MediaShout can improve performance: there’s less data to juggle.

We recommend getting as much RAM as you can afford, especially if you intend to play large video (e.g., AVI), sound (e.g., WAV), or Photoshop files, or need to keep multiple applications open while running MediaShout.

Graphics Hardware
Graphics cards, also called video cards, display cards or display adapters, contain a GPU (graphics processing unit) that generate what’s seen on the screen. As a multimedia application, MediaShout demands a lot from a graphics card. And as a dual-screen application, it demands either a dual-head card/display adapter, or two graphics cards. We recommend that you get the fastest, highest-memory graphics hardware you can afford. Additional details:

integrated graphics and shared memory: Some lower-end desktops and notebooks as well as some super-light notebooks come equipped with “integrated graphics” – the graphics hardware is integrated with the CPU rather than residing on a separate graphics card or display adapter. In such cases, the system relies on “shared memory”: With no VRAM of its own, it reserves a portion (e.g., 128 MB) of the computer’s RAM to use for graphics processing. While v2 is capable of running on such a system, you’ll generally see better performance on a computer equipped with separate graphics hardware and RAM.

dual-head: This term is generally used to describe a desktop graphics card that has two discrete display outputs. Typically, one is a VGA port and the other a DVI port – with a VGA adapter provided in case your display device doesn’t accept digital input. (But check the box: Not all dual-head cards come with the adapter, so you may need to pick one up at the computer store.) Some dual-head cards have a video output (composite or S-video) instead of, or in addition to, a second VGA or DVI port. If you’re displaying a video signal (as opposed to a VGA or DVI signal) to the audience, this alternative will work.

dual-display adapter: The graphics hardware in most notebook computers is called a display adapter – a graphics card that’s been miniaturized to fit in a very tight space. Most notebooks these days are equipped with a dual-display adapter: Like a desktop’s dualhead graphics card, this type of display adapter is capable of outputting two discrete display signals – one to the notebook’s own LCD monitor, and another to the display device attached to the external monitor port.

Some lower-priced notebooks as well as some super-light models don’t have dual-display adapters, so you need to check before purchasing. This is critical because, unlike a graphics card in a desktop, a low-end display adapter in a notebook can’t be swapped out with one capable of dual display. In some cases, you can purchase a PCMCIA graphics card that can serve as the second monitor’s graphics source, but such cards generally have limited VRAM, so we don’t recommend this unless you have no intention of displaying large video files or text over a video background.

graphics cards and slots: Most desktop computers are equipped with expansion slots in the back, to allow installation or replacement of graphics, sound, and other types of cards. The type and number of slots available differs from one computer to another: When shopping for a graphic card, you must first know which type of slot it’s going be placed in. The computer’s documentation will tell you.

Most desktops still have an AGP (advanced graphics port) slot for its primary graphics card. If you’re replacing the primary card and it’s in an AGP slot, get an AGP card. Many new computers now come equipped with a PCI Express (PCIe) slot instead of an AGP slot. If you’re replacing a PCIe graphics card, be sure the replacement is PCIe too. The remaining slots on your computer are probably standard PCI slots: If you’re adding a second graphics card rather than replacing the primary card, make sure you get a PCI card.

graphics hardware brands: We recommend graphics cards and display adapters manufactured by nVidia (GeForceFX series) and ATI (Radeon X series). Some users have experienced problems in video playback with Matrox cards, so we do not recommend them.

Other Hardware
sound card: If you intend to play sounds – music, sound effects, video soundtracks, etc. – you may want to consider upgrading the computer’s sound. If your desktop has integrated sound, we recommend purchase of a quality sound card. The integrated sound in most notebooks ranges from acceptable to awful: almost no notebook is equipped with sound components worthy of the images it can deliver. A USB or PCMCIA device (including models in Sound Blaster’s Audigy series) can make a big difference. Notebooks are also more susceptible to ground loop-induced hum, which can often be eliminated simply by feeding the audio through a direct box on its way to the room’s sound system.