This is specifically why I like intel sytems. Truth be known, I have little experience with anything else. At the least, here is a quote of dealing with these issues, from another thread.
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The arena of A/V design has yet to reach out and touch HTPC and Computer design, simply because an exclusive design standpoint is not easily reached in this arena. Basically stated, the architecture is virtually open to outright intellectual theft. This is the way it has evolved.
In the computer arena, jitter has NEVER been an issue.. but it should be with the current speeds now being realized. They would function in a much more reliable and qualitive way if such issues were properly addressed.
High quality clocking systems can be very expensive. So, this would put them out of the area of standard computer fare.
In HTPC's, the integration and behavior of the soundcard is intimately tied to the behavior of the DVD software. If error correction of the sound card's clock was properly addressed, we MIGHT notice a increase in quality, but it would be minor, due to the fact that the wait states, bus handling, different components on the bus, clock dividers, different component response times..and the overall number of pieces of software,and hardware accessing the systems..as integrated systems themselves...WELL!! This certainly removes much of the effects of proper soundcard clock handling. It would have to be a WHOLE system addressing of the situation,and this is very, very unlikely to happen on a low priced, easily upgradable platform, due to the fact that new parts can be introduced.
The entire system as it works is merely due the delays, wait states, dividers, etc that are fundamental parts of the hardware level bus usage and control system. Without such measures, almost NO computer or HTPC would function at all period.
Engineers of digital hardware, in the computer front do NOT in any way consider these things to be an issue. Hiccuppy behavior is part and parcel of the computer as a working system.
When the very, very sensitive to timing issues human hearing and visual mechanism are engaged with a video image from a HTPC, these problems rear their ugly head. Most people attack this situation with high speed systems, to keep the internal 'wait states' and 'delays' down to a minimum, so as to keep the hiccuping as minimally noticeable as possible. I address it as clocking/bus handling/wait state issues,and have put together a few systems that are considered very slow..but have little in the way of intermittent timing issues.
basically, I have addressed the issue with 64 meg video cards, and messing with the bus handling, and achieved smoothness with 500mhz Celeron (563hz, a 500A running at 75Mhz). The 64 Meg video card as a frame buffer turns out to be essential, if the CPU speed is near the edge, which tells you something, at the very least.
Any way, I have drifted off course on the situation at hand. Better clocking.
Not seen as an issue at all, in the computer arena. Very much so,and properly at that, seen in the AUDIO industry as an issue. So, it might be fun to create better clocks for the HTPC, but the effect of such would be largely lost due to the fact that such disparate pieces of hardware from so many different vendors have to get along in the same box.
Almost a waste of time,unless it is a custom system, but then...it's no longer upgradable or open.