Can you do 720p with a cheap graphics card?

Forums › Freeview (DVB-T/DVB-S) › Can you do 720p with a cheap graphics card?

turn2you

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#27901 10-Nov-2008 16:32

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but...

My computer has just the Intel GMA 3000 Graphics card that came with it. All I really want to do is stream Freeview|HD to my XBox360 (I think this can be down with MediaPortal or another 3rd party app) and I'll probably never watch TV on the computer or hook up the computer directly to my TV (which is 720p only). My computer seems to play h264-encoded videos just fine.

Would this be ok, or do I really need to upgrade my graphics card?

Many, many thanks in advance!

sbiddle

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#177173 10-Nov-2008 17:08

If you aren't playing video the video card is irrevelant.

I wasn't aware however that our H.264 content would play on the xbox360 - I'm sure somebody will correct me if I'm wrong!

turn2you

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#177178 10-Nov-2008 17:16

sbiddle:
If you aren't playing video the video card is irrevelant.

Great! That's what I was hoping.

sbiddle:
I wasn't aware however that our H.264 content would play on the xbox360 - I'm sure somebody will correct me if I'm wrong!

I can definitely play h.264 on my XBox. Would NZ's DVB-t be encoded differently? :(

I think Microsoft Media Extender doesn't have the h.264 codec, but I think you can stream to the XBox with other software (I'm sure someone knows for sure).

Thanks, sbiddle!

sbiddle

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#177194 10-Nov-2008 18:40

The problem isn't so much the video - it's the lack of AAC-LATM audio support. Very few applications support this.

lchiu7

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#177210 10-Nov-2008 20:29

I am sure the XBOX360 can play H.264. I wonder though how it would cope with H.264 encoded as

Macroblock-adaptive frame-field (MBAFF) coding, using a macroblock pair structure for pictures coded as frames, allowing 16×16 macroblocks in field mode (compared with 16×8 half-macroblocks in MPEG-2).[clarify]
Picture-adaptive frame-field coding (PAFF or PicAFF) allowing a freely-selected mixture of pictures coded as MBAFF frames with pictures coded as individual single fields (half frames) of interlaced video.[clarify]

(as quoted from Wikipedia). The stuff you see on the Internet is not encoded this way and tends to not tax CPU's.

The test will be if the XBOX360 can play some of the samples asnoted in the Freeview forum

As a matter of interest the PS3 can play this content without breaking a sweat - alas it also has no audio and that won't change until if and when Sony release their PlayTV product in NZ where decoding this audio will be mandatory (suspect it will be in a firmware release).

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bazzer

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#177236 10-Nov-2008 22:53

lchiu7: As a matter of interest the PS3 can play this content without breaking a sweat - alas it also has no audio and that won't change until if and when Sony release their PlayTV product in NZ where decoding this audio will be mandatory (suspect it will be in a firmware release).

Or in the 5GB install that is needed for PlayTV?

lchiu7

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#177263 11-Nov-2008 08:06

bazzer:
lchiu7: As a matter of interest the PS3 can play this content without breaking a sweat - alas it also has no audio and that won't change until if and when Sony release their PlayTV product in NZ where decoding this audio will be mandatory (suspect it will be in a firmware release).

Or in the 5GB install that is needed for PlayTV?

I suspect the decoding will be in the firmware (makes sense) whereas the application will be on a disc like the games are. Actually have no idea since haven't read anything about PlayTV that indicates how it's implemented

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turn2you

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#177273 11-Nov-2008 08:50

Thanks, everyone. I'll see if the XBox360 can play the samples. :)

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sbiddle

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#177276 11-Nov-2008 09:12

turn2you: Thanks, everyone. I'll see if the XBox360 can play the samples. :)

I've just been told it definately doesn't work.

If you do get it to play then please let us know!

Jaxson

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#177278 11-Nov-2008 09:15

Yeah the big problem is the choice to go for a somewhat unique audio codec. Yes the video should be ok, but it's the audio that will cause problems.

PlayTV will be even harder I think as, (I'll need to confirm this), but I think other areas where PlayTV is working have DVB-T using Mpeg2 video and standard audio. That makes the move to NZ even more difficult as we're totally different on both video and audio requirements.

turn2you

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#177286 11-Nov-2008 09:46

Bah!

I was hoping to get HD with a $150 TV tuner instead of dishing out for a $300 set top box. I suppose SD isn't too bad until the set top boxes come down a little more.

sbiddle

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#177294 11-Nov-2008 10:03

Jaxson: Yeah the big problem is the choice to go for a somewhat unique audio codec. Yes the video should be ok, but it's the audio that will cause problems.

PlayTV will be even harder I think as, (I'll need to confirm this), but I think other areas where PlayTV is working have DVB-T using Mpeg2 video and standard audio. That makes the move to NZ even more difficult as we're totally different on both video and audio requirements.

We aren't unique.

AAC audio is the new recommended format ratified by the DVB Project for DVB-T H.264 transmissions and all recent countries that have deployed DVB-T using H.264 have used AAC.

AAC-LATM is also spec'd with the new DVB-T2 standard and will be used with the upcoming DVB-T2 rollout in the UK.

It's simply a case that PC software developers aren't bothering at present. That will obviously change as every new rollout uses AAC/AAC-LATM.

lchiu7

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#177297 11-Nov-2008 10:18

sbiddle: ..

It's simply a case that PC software developers aren't bothering at present. That will obviously change as every new rollout uses AAC/AAC-LATM.

Getting slight OTT but...

Not only are PC developers not bothering too much (apart from Cyberlink with PowerDVD8) but also media player developers like Syabas whose Popcorn Hour, an other wise great media player, cannot play this audio either.

And I wonder how many broadcasters are planning to broadcast AAC audio in 5.1? I think DD is the prevailing standard here and unlikely to change. That would help many of us

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