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Apple Enabled GPU Hardware Decoding of h.264 on New MacBooks, Pros and Airs?
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If you play it at exactly half the original size it will use less CPU then if you just drag the window to a random size.
Ah ha! Now we have an idea where the difference lies. The NVIDIA kernel extensions (i.e. GPU drivers) appear to be significantly updated on the new machines (1.5.34 vs. 1.5.30) and the OpenGL API framework is also newer (1.5.8 vs 1.5.7).
So now we need someone with a new machine to upload these files (the kexts and the OpenGL.framework) somewhere and then we can use the NVInject program courtesy of the hackintosh community to inject the new drivers into the standard OS 10.5.5. The newer version of QuickTime might also be needed, I don't know how the newfound acceleration works--is it ipso facto or does each application need to be recoded to take advantage of it?
How good are the "old" MBPs without this update at h264 decoding? Is it just high CPU load or do they really drop frames?
My 24'' iMac (April 08, 2.8 GHz, Radeon 2600HD) has high cpu load while playing, but everything is smooth and it does not get loud so such an update would be niche, but not really necessary. (I converted video from a Canon HV30 to h264 and even at 1920x1080 / 25 mbps it does not drop any frame).
My 2.0 CD MacBook drops frames, but I don't think such an update would help with the weak Intel GMA950 Chip.
What is the situation on the "old" MBP? Are they able to play 1080 content without such an update?
Christian
My 24'' iMac (April 08, 2.8 GHz, Radeon 2600HD) has high cpu load while playing, but everything is smooth and it does not get loud so such an update would be niche, but not really necessary. (I converted video from a Canon HV30 to h264 and even at 1920x1080 / 25 mbps it does not drop any frame).
My 2.0 CD MacBook drops frames, but I don't think such an update would help with the weak Intel GMA950 Chip.
What is the situation on the "old" MBP? Are they able to play 1080 content without such an update?
Christian
Then how come mine is greater than half the size and is still uses less that the half size shown in the forum?
OK, so I have my "Early 2008" MBP updated with the latest (1.5.34) NVIDIA drivers from the newer 9600-containing machines (if you want them yourselves, head on over to the insanelymac forum, a user there was so kind as to create an installer). I need one (or maybe two) more file(s) from the new machines in order to test mine with H.264:
It is called AppleVAH264HW.component and it is found in /system/library/quicktime/, but only on the new machines.
If someone could upload this component somewhere on those wacky tubes of the interweb (and maybe the newer build of Quicktime.app that goes with it), I'll test, post results and describe how to add HW decode support to older machines (if it works).
It is called AppleVAH264HW.component and it is found in /system/library/quicktime/, but only on the new machines.
If someone could upload this component somewhere on those wacky tubes of the interweb (and maybe the newer build of Quicktime.app that goes with it), I'll test, post results and describe how to add HW decode support to older machines (if it works).
You do seem to have a much lower CPU ultilization than most that have posted. I'm wondering if it's because of SSE4... you have an early 08 machine, and that is Penryn isn't it? I have a system with a C2D CPU w/SSE4 support and my system top out at about 31% on the 1080p trailers.
Not to rain on your parade but by playing around with advanced settings in Handbrake I was able to rip my movies with far better parameters than that.
For example my rip of 300:
Length: 1:51:50
Size: 2.33 GB
Total Bit Rate: 2974 kbps
Video Dimensions: 1024x428
This way I get a very good quality video to watch on my iMac that still plays fine on my iPhone.
Was that too much off topic? Sorry...
Sadly the GMA X4500HD is the first mobile Intel IGP solution that offers full AVC/h.264 hardware acceleration.
The best that the GMA X3100 can offer is MPEG-2 and VC-1. Apple should at least use the hardware features for improving DVD playback. They did in OS 9.
It would improve battery life, because overall the system doesn't have to work as hard to decode the video.
the new macbook not using as much CPU resources when playing HD video isn't much of a surprise is it?? It does have a faster fsb and ram...or am i missing something here? 
surely it doesn't have everything to do with the new video card?
surely it doesn't have everything to do with the new video card?the new macbook not using as much CPU resources when playing HD video isn't much of a surprise is it?? It does have a faster fsb and ram...or am i missing something here?
Faster FSB and RAM speed don't make much of a real-world difference, this is been shown many times before. Even if it did make a difference, it would not contribute to this great of a difference. My Quad Core (@2.66GHz, 12MB Cache, 1333MHz FSB) still has a higher CPU usage than my MacBook. In addition, look at the previous post on the handbrake forums.
iMac 3.06 GHz Shows "H.264"
My iMac (3.06 GHz new in Sept. 2008) shows just "H.264" when I play the same movie trailer. I run OS X 10.5.5 and QT is 7.5.5 (build 249.13).
My iMac (3.06 GHz new in Sept. 2008) shows just "H.264" when I play the same movie trailer. I run OS X 10.5.5 and QT is 7.5.5 (build 249.13).
I am pretty sure we will se stuff like that on 10.6, but based OpenCL. With NVidia, ATI and Intel chips used on Macs and Larrabee in foreseeable future it would not be a wise decision to invest too much in a proprietary technology like CUDA.
Christian
Quicktime X? Whatever happened to quicktime 8? or 9? I'm tired of X. Lets pick a new letter, or perhaps, some kind of excellent symbol, or perhaps, lets pretend like adding X to something doesn't make it sound cooler.
^ Because X's are seXy and eXtreme, so XXXtreme it makes you want to chug a Mountain Dew and bungee jump out of an airplane...or not. But seriously, at least Apple is no longer using the word 'extreme' for all of their new software.