MacBook - Playing x264 .mkvs - 1080p

W

wallstreetcrash

macrumors regular
How does the new Alu MB 2.0 or 2.4 cope with them?

The x264 scene releases that is. How does the new NVidia GPU cope with them, I am hoping well!?!
Because I don't really want to spend extra on the MBP, but will have to if the MB will struggle.

Thanks ;)
 
no hardware acceleration for mkvs.

and vlc sucks at x264, use plex. The cpu is fast enough to push 1080p under plex.
 
well i know quicktime 1080 works flawlessly, but thats GPU accelerated. i was watching x264 720 mkv stuff last night and had only 20-25% CPU usage.

Edit: on a 2.4 alu mb
 
1080p works (with the new release) of plex without a problem on my 1.83 ghz mac mini, but VLC has a struggle with the 1080p with veeeery high bitrate, Plex still handle it though.

So I guess 2.0 alum should handle it as well, but maybe not the highest 1080 with highest bitrate in vlc, then u'll need to install plex -which is so good optimized.
 
paetrick said:
1080p works (with the new release) of plex without a problem on my 1.83 ghz mac mini, but VLC has a struggle with the 1080p with veeeery high bitrate, Plex still handle it though.

So I guess 2.0 alum should handle it as well, but maybe not the highest 1080 with highest bitrate in vlc, then u'll need to install plex -which is so good optimized.
Click to expand...

Does Plex work with the Apple remote?
 
I have the new macbook (late 08) 2.4 model. I too was hoping to play my 1080p mkvs on this macbook. Here are my results.

It plays 720P mkv files flawlessly through vlc and plex.

1080p mkv files are unwatchable in vlc - too much stuttering.

In plex - 1080 p mkv's are more watchable but still not smooth. Mainly frame rate issues and stuttering audio.

I am wondering if there is a setting change in plex that can make the playback smoother?

No big deal about the 1080p files...cuz the macbook screen isn't 1080 anyway.
 
taeclee99 said:
I have the new macbook (late 08) 2.4 model. I too was hoping to play my 1080p mkvs on this macbook. Here are my results.

It plays 720P mkv files flawlessly through vlc and plex.

1080p mkv files are unwatchable in vlc - too much stuttering.

In plex - 1080 p mkv's are more watchable but still not smooth. Mainly frame rate issues and stuttering audio.

I am wondering if there is a setting change in plex that can make the playback smoother?

No big deal about the 1080p files...cuz the macbook screen isn't 1080 anyway.
Click to expand...


You must have improperly encoded x264 files then... releases these days are 4.1 profiles... heck, even bluray and hddvd doesn't go over to 4.1
 
after having my first mac i wanted it to play mkvs well. i first tried vlc which played some 720ps without any problems,but some would make the vlc crash in the middle of a movie,same thing on pc,but worse.

i then remember hearing about mplayer,which was better than vlc,it played the mkv files that crashed no problem and i think its great.

but then i rememberd reading about plex and only tried it last nite. and the interface takes abit getn used to,but once you know it,its great. it plays 720 mkvs with no problem at all and i hear that it will even play 1080p mkvs on a older mac mini.

if you want abit of lower cpu usage,in plex turn off that software video upscaler.i turned it off and it reduced my cpu usage by 15%

i did ask the plex people about if it has brightness controler and they said you will need to adjust ur tv lol.
 
just now using perian and i find that it uses way more cpu usage and i can hear the fan lol.and i find that when quicktime is fullscreen and i try and move alont in the menus on the laptop screen that there is lag.plex is best me thinks
 
Does Plex function with the Apple remote control? That is a deal breaker

EDIT: Also guys, I'm going to get this Mac for next 3-4 years, and I would like it future proof. Would you go for the base MBP or this? I'm confused, 1080p might be the max I ever go, but no one knows what bitrates will be like on x264.
 
your macbook will be fine.

I have a MBA and it plays my 1080p and 720p x264 using VLC without any issues or hiccups. Considering macbooks are significantly more powerful, there should be no reason it wouldn't run smooth.
 
wallstreetcrash said:
Does Plex function with the Apple remote control? That is a deal breaker

EDIT: Also guys, I'm going to get this Mac for next 3-4 years, and I would like it future proof. Would you go for the base MBP or this? I'm confused, 1080p might be the max I ever go, but no one knows what bitrates will be like on x264.
Click to expand...


yes it does support the apple remote, or at least it did when I had my MBP. But you really don't want to use that though, it's clunky. Plex needs more buttons than just the few provided with the apple remote

and macbook pro will not really make a difference unless you go for the 2.8ghz option (which is a rip imo).
 
cryonic49 said:
and macbook pro will not really make a difference unless you go for the 2.8ghz option (which is a rip imo).
Click to expand...

So the dedicated graphics card in the MPB will help in no way at all in playing High Def x264 files, in Plex/VLC etc (not QuickTime which can't really play mkv x264)
 
The newest version of plex v. 0.5.22 now plays all of my 1080p mkvs smoothly even over the network. There is a new skip loop filter option that when enabled, dramatically improved the playback of 1080p mkv's.
 
cryonic49 said:
You must have improperly encoded x264 files then... releases these days are 4.1 profiles... heck, even bluray and hddvd doesn't go over to 4.1
Click to expand...

Which is kinda stupid considering the source is usually blu-ray or HD-DVD. Using a better profile doesn't make it any better if the source is inferior.

Joshua.
 
Hi,

is it nornal the the mkv 1080 files consume 100% of the processor in the new MB 2.0? and 30% for the avi files?! I was expecting a better performance when playing videos.

I still have the oppotunity of changing my MB 2.0 by the 2.4, of course paying the 300€ difference. What would you do?

Thanks
 
acerox said:
Hi,

is it nornal the the mkv 1080 files consume 100% of the processor in the new MB 2.0? and 30% for the avi files?! I was expecting a better performance when playing videos.

I still have the oppotunity of changing my MB 2.0 by the 2.4, of course paying the 300€ difference. What would you do?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Yes. 1080p takes a lot of CPU, whereas a typical Xvid avi doesn't take any.

What programme are you using? Use boxee
 
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