Q:
Do you know anything about the new program from Microsoft called HD View? If so, I’d really love to learn more about it. Thanks for all your help!
A:
Ah, yes, I know exactly what you’re talking about! This was actually mentioned on WorldStart’s message board last month (thanks “pesach!”), but I didn’t pay much attention to it until just recently. After I saw today’s question in my e-mail Inbox, I instantly went back to the message board to take a closer look. And boy, am I glad I did! From the looks of it, several of you already know about this, but just in case you haven’t heard, allow me to fill you in. This is one thing from Microsoft you definitely do not want to miss!
First of all, the program is called HD View and it comes from Microsoft Research’s Interactive Visual Media group. Basically, it’s a new plug-in you can download that allows you to view and interact with high resolution images. Why would you need something like that on your computer, you ask? Well, an average computer monitor usually only contains approximately one to two million pixels. Therefore, you’re only able to see 1/100th of a picture at one time. But with HD View, you’re able to see images that contain billions of pixels, which gives you the opportunity to experience the rich details most modern digital images have. Cool, huh?!
So, if you’re ever disappointed in how some of your pictures look, you may want to give HD View a try! HD View is currently in a beta version, but it still works great, so don’t let that hold you back. It’s the perfect application to use if you just want to test the waters with high definition photos. You’ll be amazed at how great they look!
Right now, HD View only works with Windows XP and Vista, but you can use it with any of the following Web browsers: Internet Explorer 6 and 7 and Firefox 1.5 and 2.0. It’s recommended that you have 1 GB of memory on your computer, but 256 MB is the bare minimum. HD View hardly takes up any disk space, so you don’t have to worry about it taking up too much room. The only thing you may need to check on is your graphics card. It’s best if you have one that supports DirectX 9, but HD View may still work with other formats. The quality may not be as good, but it should still work for you.
Think you’ve heard enough? Are you ready to give it a try? If so, you can install HD View for yourself right from this Web site. Just click on the big Install HD View button and you’ll be all set. Now, I have one more thing to tell you about and then I’ll let you be. If you use Internet Explorer, you may need to install an ActiveX control, depending on how you have your security settings set up. In that case, you will see a yellow bar run across the top of your browser. Go ahead and click on that bar and follow the directions to install the ActiveX control. You can read more about that on the site linked above as well. Note: You need to have Administrator rights in order to install the HD View plug-in.
Once you’re all set up, you’ll be in HD heaven. Have fun!
~ Erin