Embedding ARGB data in a RGB stream

1. A device for embedding alpha red green blue (ARGB) data in an RGB stream comprising:

a memory for storing instructions and one or more lookup tables;

a processor for executing an application, wherein said application renders data into an ARGB texture;

a graphics card which draws said ARGB texture on a screen and then processes said ARGB texture;

a first video output interface for transmitting said processed ARGB texture; and

a mixer device, wherein said mixer device comprises:

two or more interfaces for receiving said processed ARGB texture and at least one other video signal;

a processor for executing instructions for processing said received processed ARGB textures such that said received processed ARGB texture is combined with said at least one other video signal resulting in a composite signal; and

a second video output for transmitting said composite signal,

wherein said one or more lookup tables includes a first look up table for said graphic card's gamma correction, a second lookup table for mapping between pre and post gamma corrected spaces, a third lookup table for mapping corrected gamma values into integer values and a fourth lookup table for allowing said mixer device to undo a gamma correction when processing said processed ARGB texture.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein said video card includes a pixel shader which performs color conversion and calculations resulting in rendered data which is forwarded as two 24-bit sequences to a mixing block for mixing other screen data in said graphics card.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein said video card performs gamma correction on an output from said mixing block.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein said processing said received processed ARGB textures includes performing a checksum calculation on each received 24-bit sequence and if said checksums match said mixer device extracts color and alpha components from said each received 24-bit sequence prior to recombining pixel data, and if said checksums do not match said mixer device performs a color conversion assuming 100% opacity of the alpha components prior to recombining pixel data.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein said ARGB texture describes a full screen.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein said second video output is a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) output.

7. A method for embedding alpha red green blue (ARGB) data in an RGB stream comprising:

storing instructions and one or more lookup tables;

executing an application, wherein said application renders data into an ARGB texture;

drawing said ARGB texture on a screen;

processing said ARGB texture;

transmitting said processed ARGB texture;

receiving, by two or more interfaces, said processed ARGB texture and at least one other video signal;

executing instructions for processing said received ARGB texture such that said processed ARGB texture is combined with said at least one other video signal resulting in a composite signal;

and transmitting said composite signal,

wherein said one or more lookup tables includes a first look up table for said graphic card's gamma correction, a second lookup table for mapping between pre and post gamma corrected spaces, a third lookup table for mapping corrected gamma values into integer values and a fourth lookup table for allowing said mixer device to undo a gamma correction when processing said processed ARGB texture.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein a pixel shader performs color conversion and calculations resulting in rendered data which is forwarded as two 24-bit sequences to a mixing block for mixing other screen data.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

performing gamma correction on an output from said mixing block.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein said processing said received processed ARGB textures includes performing a checksum calculation on each received 24-bit sequence and if said checksums match said mixer device extracts color and alpha components from said each received 24-bit sequence prior to recombining pixel data, and if said checksums do not match said mixer device performs a color conversion assuming 100% opacity of the alpha components prior to recombining pixel data.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein said ARGB texture describes a full screen.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein said second video output is a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) output.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program instructions stored thereon which, when executed on a processor or computer, perform a method for transmitting alpha red green blue (ARGB) data over a link which employs color fields for RGB data, the method comprising:

extracting alpha values from said ARGB data;

color converting red, blue and green data from said ARGB data into YCbCr data;

transmitting said YCbCr data with said extracted alpha values over said link;

sub-sampling said YCbCr data after said color converting to reduce a number of bits associated with said YCbCr data; and

appending a checksum to said subsampled YCbCr data and said extracted alpha values.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein said link is a DVI link which has no standardized field with which to transmit said alpha values.