Fiber optics or XDSL cables are the primary technologies being employed in connecting the digital home with the outside world. Inside the household, an internal network links together the computer, TV, audio & video (AV) system, refrigerator, air conditioner, telephone, washing machine and other electronic devices. However, to the average consumer, the connection between the PC and TV AV system underlines the most tangible aspect in the home networking environment.

Aside from the method of connecting the PC directly to a TV or projector in delivering the video content, the newer HDPC (High Definition PC) and HTPC (Home Theater PC) devices have also emerged as a viable choice for consumers. Sporting enhanced AV signal processing, the easy-to-use machines can also display Full HD (1080p) content.

In the following segment, an analysis is given on how the "high resolution" wave has fueled the memory growth in PC graphic cards and Monitors/TVs.

In the PC graphic card segment, the main suppliers are NVIDIA and AMD (ATI). AMD (ATI) recently unveiled the RV630 (HD2600) and RV610 (HD2400) graphic card series. On the surface, they are to compete with NVIDIA's G84 (GeForce8600) and G86 (GeForce8300/8400/8500) series in the mid to low-end graphic card market used in PC desktops. However, if looked deeper, it is seen that the RV630 and RV610 is capable of supporting the UVD (Universal Video Decoder) and HDMI interfaces, along with the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray formats. To users who purchase a HDPC or HTPC, the inclusion of such cards results in greater convenience, as AV signals can be digitally delivered, while the usual wiring hassles are avoided.

Current graphic cards not only handle the display of 2D/3D images, they must also perform a significant amount of video processing, where 128MB of graphic memory is a basic requirement. The memory speeds have also increased over time from DDR2 400MHz to GDDR4 1400MHz.

According to the table above, the newer-generation graphic cards mostly use GDDR for the built-in memory, where the minimal density has jumped from the initial 32MB to the current 128MB. For low to mid-end graphic cards, 128MB and 256MB are the respective mainstream memory size. For high end products, they are mostly equipped with 320MB of GDDR3 memory.

Given the increasing clock speed and density of a GDDR chip, the built-in memory of the graphic card has grown in proportion as well. On a different note, manufacturers have also reserved space in the graphic card circuit design, which allows for additional density upgrades. For example, card makers can lunch 1GB version use the same PCB and layout which same as current 512MB version.

In addition to the PC monitor, LCD TVs, PDP TVs or even projectors are another type of display that a digital home seeks to integrate into the network. However, in recent years, LCD TVs seemed to have gained the upper hand over the other two.

Before 2004, only the best LCD TVs supported 1080P. However, in 2005, manufacturers began to embrace Full HD. Coupled by the growing popularity of large-sized displays and digital TVs, along with next-generation HD-DVD and Blue-Ray optical disks, the demand for high resolution displays has picked up substantially.

The table below lists the varying memory densities of different LCD TV sizes. It can clearly be seen that the memory requirement is dependent on both the screen size and resolution of the display. For 32MB and below chips, SDRAM is mostly used. For 32MB above, two SDRAM chips or a DDR chip is employed. When more than 64MB are utilized, DDR or GDDR are the main choices.

Whether from the standpoint of a content provider (graphic card) or a content receiver (display/TV), the rising market demand for better resolution and picture quality will continue to prompt manufacturers to roll out more advanced products that entail even higher memory requirements.

Current mainstream graphic cards primarily employ 128MB-256MB of memory. As the GPU becomes increasingly powerful, which may also include video and audio decoding in the future, products with more than 512MB of memory will start to kick in. Amid the rising living standards of consumers and increasing popularity of digital TVs, large sized high resolution TVs are poised to become a dominant trend. Owning better processing speeds and efficiency, the GDDR should slowly mature in becoming the new memory standard in high resolution displays.