Mac OS X Quicktime, OpenGL Enhancements Coming?

[MacRumors]

According to ThinkSecret, Apple is at work overhauling QuickTime and OpenGL components in Mac OS X in order to improve video and 3D performance. The site's sources reportedly claim that Apple is working hard to make sure that both enhancements are included with Mac OS 10.5 "Leopard", although they caution that the QuickTime enhancements may be pushed back beyond Leopard.

For QuickTime, Apple is reportedly building a new API which would deliver many of the improvements said to be included in the software. "While QuickTime from a end-users perspective is not expected to undergo any substantial improvements, the new API will take years of legacy QuickTime code and replace it with a more modern and efficient architecture to deliver improved performance and maintainability." The site claims that such an API would likely fall under Apple's "Core" mantra ("Core Video").

As for OpenGL, ThinkSecret reports that separate sources claim that substantial improvements are on track for Leopard's implantation of OpenGL which should enable Mac OS X to perform more on par with similarly configured PC systems, especially with respect to games.

Apple has been actively involved in implementing multi-threaded OpenGL, having introduced it in Mac OS 10.4.8 for Intel. PowerPC support for multi-threaded OpenGL should arrive with Leopard.

 

[FF_productions]

Sounds good...so when is Leopard coming out?

 

[ghall]

About time!

 

[Eidorian]

I hope game developers and porters start to use multithreaded OpenGL. It's a great boost for Macs without a great video card.

 

[trainguy77]

I hope game developers and ports start to use multithreaded OpenGL. It's a great boost for Macs without a great video card.

Yeah i hope so too, I want to be able to use all 4 cores get better fps.

 

[xUKHCx]

Quicktime updates expected. Updates to OpenGL also expected especially since the recently introduced multithreaded OpenGL. All of these are welcome and I hope they bring with them speed.

 

[72930]

Mmm...ThinkSecret, I think I would rather trust my 10 year old sister...

 

[aLoC]

Video playback is fine in OS X already. 3D could do with a speed boost, to become as fast as DirectX.

 

[Di9it8]

Will this mean the video card processing load will be reduced?
Or is OpenGL video card intensive?

 

[Clive At Five]

Apple has been actively involved in implementing multi-threaded OpenGL, having introduced it in Mac OS 10.4.8 for Intel. PowerPC support for multi-threaded OpenGL should arrive with Leopard.

How much longer do you think Apple will support the PowerPC?? I realize that newer versions of OS X often INCREASE performance in older machines, but it almost seems they want to ditch the PowerPC... perhaps even more quickly than they did OS 9. I could be wrong though.

Anyone else have 2 cents to share on the issue?

-Clive

 

[Clive At Five]

Mmm...ThinkSecret, I think I would rather trust my 10 year old sister...

I would say that ThinkSecret's exclusive reports are among the more accurate I've heard - far more accurate than the analysts we've been hearing from way too often lately.

I remember one MWSF a couple years ago that they nailed right on the head. No one else was even close.

ThinkSecret deserves *some* credit, although their promptness could be improved...

-Clive

 

[ikarus79m]

Please, please, PLEEEEEAAAASSSEEEE, fix the annoying H.264 gamma shift bug in Quicktime. I can't deal with that much longer. PLEASE!!!

 

[AoWolf]

I would say that ThinkSecret's exclusive reports are among the more accurate I've heard - far more accurate than the analysts we've been hearing from way too often lately.

I remember one MWSF a couple years ago that they nailed right on the head. No one else was even close.

ThinkSecret deserves *some* credit, although their promptness could be improved...

-Clive

For what its worth the Blizzard Entertainment (guys who made WoW) mac team has talked about major OpenGL improvements in 10.5 for some time.

 

[hvfsl]

Well as far as I am aware, Quicktime/Mac OS doesn't use all the video decoding features of modern graphics cards, so hopefully the new update will change that.

 

[Eidorian]

For what its worth the Blizzard Entertainment (guys who made WoW) mac team has talked about major OpenGL improvements in 10.5 for some time.

I believe it is already implemented as well. It's just that they are the only people that are right now.

 

[RedTomato]

Will we finally, finally get decent subtitle handling in Quicktime?

(yes subtitles are possible but they're a QT pain in the arse)

This has been one of my greatest shamefaced lacks in OSX compared to Windows. Subtitle handling is not an optional extra, it's pretty much crucial for any kind of serious video work.

I can only dream of what a smooth OSX subtitle creation and user interface would be like, compared to the current clunky but working Windows options.

 

[Rocketman]

How much longer do you think Apple will support the PowerPC?? I realize that newer versions of OS X often INCREASE performance in older machines, but it almost seems they want to ditch the PowerPC... perhaps even more quickly than they did OS 9. I could be wrong though.

Anyone else have 2 cents to share on the issue?

-Clive

Apple ditches old stuff just as soon as they have a full-blooded crossover implementation, in this case OS 10.5.

I would bet that 10.6 offers only minimalist support for PowerPC and may leave out PPC on most "innovative" features in that release.

Given DirectX is a requirement for many vertical market apps in the wintel world, it sure would be good if Apple made sure 10.5 supported it so people can have no excuses to not adopt Apple hardware and Parallels.

Rocketman

 

[72930]

Well as far as I am aware, Quicktime/Mac OS doesn't use all the video decoding features of modern graphics cards, so hopefully the new update will change that.

Hardware h.264 encoding perhaps...

 

[iJon]

All I want is double click full screen viewing, exactly like Windows Media Player.

Once they do that I'll be a happy camper.

jon

 

[aquaibm]

It's great! I can't wait!

 

[Eidorian]

All I want is double click full screen viewing, exactly like Windows Media Player.

Once they do that I'll be a happy camper.

jon

VLC and QTFS

 

[therif]

Hmmm, Core Video?... Apple Talked about that years ago...

Core Image == Core Video

Quote from their site

Not Just for Still Images

Core Video, joining Core Image in Mac OS X Tiger, delivers a modern foundation for video services, providing a bridge between QuickTime and the GPU for hardware-accelerated video processing. This highly optimized pipeline for video presentation increases performance and reduces CPU load, freeing up resources for other operations.

And Core Video allows developers to apply all the benefits of Core Image to video — blazingly-fast performance of filters and effects, per-pixel accuracy and hardware scalability.

So, I doubt it'll be called Core Video...



Hmm well, we'll see... Let's hope they make (another) improvement

 

[guzhogi]

How much longer do you think Apple will support the PowerPC?? I realize that newer versions of OS X often INCREASE performance in older machines, but it almost seems they want to ditch the PowerPC... perhaps even more quickly than they did OS 9. I could be wrong though.

Anyone else have 2 cents to share on the issue?

-Clive

I wonder if Apple will pull a M$ and ditch PowerPC in 10.5. Doubt it. But, that might help boost sales of Intel Macs, but probably drive off people who have the newest PowerPCs. I heard they'll drop G3 support. That's kinda good b/c 10.4 on a G3 is DEAD slow. Hate to see what 10.5 would be like. Plus, if they drop G3s, they'll be able to optimize the Mac OS to use the SIMD stuff in their processors (Altivec in G4s & G5s, SSE in Intel).

Only advantage of dropping PowerPC, is more simplified code base. Instead of having to write code for 2 different hardware platforms, they'll just have 1 hardware platform making it easier to write new versions of Mac OS X.

 

[72930]

I wonder if Apple will pull a M$ and ditch PowerPC in 10.5.

The developer previews run on PPC...

 

[Eric5h5]

For what its worth the Blizzard Entertainment (guys who made WoW) mac team has talked about major OpenGL improvements in 10.5 for some time.

In fact they said any new games they release for Mac later this year will require 10.5. I bet that makes Apple happy...otherwise some people would stay on 10.4 (or even 10.3) longer...no doubt there will be some complaints though.

Given DirectX is a requirement for many vertical market apps in the wintel world, it sure would be good if Apple made sure 10.5 supported it so people can have no excuses to not adopt Apple hardware and Parallels.

It's not up to Apple to have 10.5 support DirectX. Microsoft would have to implement it, or at least license it, and the chances of that approach 0%.

--Eric