[Gourmand]

I'm thinking about HTPC using one of these chipsets. And I wanna make it with Linux (Kubuntu or else). But I'm not sure - can XBMC for Linux use hardware h.264/VC-1 decoding? I wanna get 1080p with HDMI output but use low power processor to make it noiseless and energy effective. There are different motherboards based on these chipsets. I don't wanna use dualcore AMD or Intel, but low level Sempron instead. 780G and nVidia 8300 both have h.264 and VC-1 hardware decoding. It works in PowerDVD 7.3 as well. But what about XBMC for Linux? Can it use hardware decoding?

Or I have to look at another player? Can anybody suggest me one supporting hardware decoding on 780G or 8300?

[Matt Devo]

XBMC does not currently support GPU-assisted video decoding on *any* platform.

You'll need a 3GHz dual-core CPU + video card with OpenGL 2.0 support (Nvidia 6000 series or newer recommended)

[stacked]

Well the benchmark around here to play 1080p with xbmc is a E8400 or better. It's so high because hardware acceleration is not supported yet.

The major difference I found between 780G and 8300 is that the 8300 has better support for audio with 8-channel LPCM audio while the 780G has 2-channel LPCM audio.

Btw, there is also a 9300/9400 chipset.

[Gourmand]

XBMC does not currently support GPU-assisted video decoding on *any* platform.

that means XBMC is not my choice...

[mr_raider]

Take it easy! Of the two nvidia has the best potential:

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=ar..._gpu&num=1

They already have a patch for ffmpeg to use this feature, so it will probably be common on Linux within 6 months.

In the meantime, you could spend a little more and get one of AMDs low power CPUs (4850e, 5050e) and be able to handle most content.

[BLKMGK]

XBMC does not currently support GPU-assisted video decoding on *any* platform.

You'll need a 3GHz dual-core CPU + video card with OpenGL 2.0 support (Nvidia 6000 series or newer recommended)

Careful! That's 3ghz INTEL C2D. 3GHZ AMD, Celeron, Dual core Pentium, or funky Pentium 4 need not apply.

Yeah, NVIDIA looks like they are close to making some inroads in hardware acceleration. However last I looked ffmpeg hadn't accepted any of their patches. Other players have including Myth but it has to be in ffmpeg first before we can use it here. Occasionally the XBMC guys have grabbed patches the ffmpeg guys didn't like but so far that hasn't been the case here. I'd love to see this in a few months but right now there's no telling when it will be and only certain VERY specific chipsets can do VC-1 anyway. IMO transcode to H.264 to get around that <shrug>

For now, power is needed - suck it up.

[mr_raider]

Looks like ffmpeg is next:

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=ne...&px=Njk0MA

[spozen]

I really don't see why this is such a big problem, i mean why is spending a little extra on the CPU so bad? Your machine would be better prepared for the future.

Look at it this way:

Now a days you can play a DVD and get like 10% CPU usage, back in the day when DVD was new you couln't play a DVD with a crappy processor.

[BLKMGK]

Looks like ffmpeg is next:

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=ne...&px=Njk0MA

I see nothing there indicating that ffmpeg is "next". NVIDIA has submitted patches, none have been terribly well accepted near as I can tell - actually not accepted at all! Here's the last I spotted on this -> http://lists.mplayerhq.hu/pipermail/ffmp...58529.html


So for now, spend a few extra bux on the CPU <sigh> Yes it will use more power from the wall but if this is anything like my setup it will be pretty much your primary interface to your movie collection for the whole family. Is this REALLY where you want to cut corners?