Video Cards and H.264 codecs

Forums › Home Theatre (incl HTPC) › Video Cards and H.264 codecs

Rollux

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# 18140 29-Dec-2007 12:26

What cards and codecs are people using to view HD content (disc or Freeview)? I have Nero 8 with the HD codec plugin and get sound but no video from the freeview samples that have been posted.. According to Nero, I need a 7600GT or higher to view HD, but according to nVidia, any 7 series or higher GPU is capable. However, I was under the impression that unless you had something like a new ATi 2600 etc with inbuilt on-card decoding for H.264, the codec made the CPU do all the work, not the GPU.
I am currently using MCE to watch TV etc and am happy with that (wife likes it too and it seems to be pretty reliable so far). MCE doesn't recognize the plugin for Nero, so what are people using for HD playback in WMP11 or MCE? Will be getting a DVB-T card when it goes mainstream in Chch, so want to get the software sorted before then.
Or am I best just to buy a 8600GT or 2600XT?
Regards
Dan

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sbiddle

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# 102179 29-Dec-2007 13:03

The Cyberlink H.264 codec included with PowerDVD is the best option. I believe it's also the only codec what will work succesfully with the current test transmissions.

Just one piece of bad news for you, XP MCE doesn't support H.264 for DVB-T broadcasts. This means you won't be able to use MCE for recording or watching TV when Freeview launched. MS have not yet said when H.264 support will be available for Vista MCE and there are apparently no plans to update XP MCE to support H.264 broadcasts.

I use GB-PVR with the Cyberlink H.264 codec and a new ATI 2600 video card which has onboard H.264 which drops CPU usage down from about 70%-80% down to around 5%-10% while watching Freeview content.

Fossie

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# 102180 29-Dec-2007 13:06

If you want to utilise the full hardware decoding of thpse cards, your best bet would unfortunately be to upgrade to vista, with its dxva2 goodness.
Which samples are you trying to view? The 1080i samples are bleeding edge and needs a very advanced type of h.264 codec only found in power dvd 7.
The 720p samples will work with basically any h.264 codec. ie. coreavc.
i'm using a pretty weak x1600, but have a grunty cpu.

openmedia

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# 102187 29-Dec-2007 14:20

For some pointers on supporting H.264 and LATM/AAC it might be worth taking a look at this tread on supporting the new services in Norway.

Steve

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC a Technology Evangelist and Product Manager. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

Rollux

362 posts

Ultimate Geek

# 102188 29-Dec-2007 14:20

I'm not interested in Vista at all - too slow and unreliable (at least at the moment). I may look into the other PVR options closer to the time then. Nero has TV app, so i may even look into that. May have to upgrade the card anyway, but I'll wait and see what is released in the next 3 months, as ATi and nVidia have both got new gen cards ready again. So that'll drop the price on the lower cards suitable for my HTPC :)

Fossie

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# 102189 29-Dec-2007 14:24

your htpc won't be needing an upgrade at all, if it is the one in your signature.

Rollux

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# 102203 29-Dec-2007 21:05

Fossie: your htpc won't be needing an upgrade at all, if it is the one in your signature.

It is. What makes you say that? Just get PowerDVD Ultra and GB-PVR or the like and i'll be set, ya reckon?

Fossie

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# 102204 29-Dec-2007 21:10

yep. Really only need hardware acceleration if your computer is single core with low specs.

Rollux

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# 102205 29-Dec-2007 21:11

openmedia: For some pointers on supporting H.264 and LATM/AAC it might be worth taking a look at this tread on supporting the new services in Norway.

Steve

Ok, that's way over my head. I think it said that basically there is not an application out there yet specifically for DVB-T ts streams with AAC + H.264?

Fossie

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# 102206 29-Dec-2007 21:15

Means that you will get video but no audio. We 'should' be using aac LATM, which hasn't been widely adopted yet, so there is hardly anything which can handle it. Yet.

lchiu7

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# 102231 30-Dec-2007 06:25

Fossie: yep. Really only need hardware acceleration if your computer is single core with low specs.

My PVR is a somewhat modest Sempron 64 3000. Works fine with GVPBR etc. But like others here I want to be able to record and view the HD broadcasts. Since the MB is AGP and I only built the machine a few months ago, there was no way I was going to replace the MB with one with PCI-E. So I have taken a risk and purchased this card.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102711

In fact I purchased this particular card from this vendor (in the US at the moment) since I could not find a local (NZ) place that had it. According to what I have read, while it's AGP it fact it's really the 2600 PCI-ED chipset and Sapphire have created a bridge to enable it to be used in a AGP environment. The only wrinkle apparently is, I will have to use the Sapphire drivers, not ATI's. Let's see what happens when I get back home

Larry

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paradoxsm

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# 102241 30-Dec-2007 09:02

I had the test streams working with quite modest hardware. A pentium 4 northwood core 2.4 and an old 5600 xt but of course that was hackindows so your results might vary..

My newer machine with it's dodgy reliability crashed miserably and with a dramatic stall of windows. That machine crashed running linux so no suprises.