Lack of signal strength or voltage from PC video cards has long been the achilles heel of the HTPC when it is providing analogue RGB video to front projectors. A weak signal produces an image lacking in impact and often requires the user to compensate by increasing the projectors contrast, thereby obscuring some of the detail in the image. Expensive line amplifiers housed in their own external case are a less than perfect solution to this problem.

The MP-1 Video Mod is designed as an add-on for the ATI Radeon family of video cards. The mod consists of a 3"x2" PC board of about 70 components that is housed within a HTPC and is fed by its own power supply to isolate the circuit from RF noise. The circuit board is attached to the rear end of a Radeon video card (see photo) and is soldered to the card and RGB output connectors (5 x 75ohm BNC's). It boosts voltage to correct levels through its true 75ohm line driver circuit as well as filtering video noise prior to amplification. The circuit uses precision grade components, has a very high slew rate and a band with over 400mhz for the most demanding high resolution applications.