1080p decoding minimum CPU requirements

[Skinleech]

eh?
Purevideo has worked fine with XP drivers for as long as I can remember [in fact I ran the BETA for a while, and it was fine!]
Why would NV make an application for their cards, sell it, and then provide no drivers for it?

There certainly is working drivers for Purevideo! I can't understand where you got that idea from?

I was talking about Pure Video HD, not the regular PureVideo. For the HD variants you need Vista, as the XP drivers currently do not support DXVA. That means that you can't even use the DXVA in the likes of Power DVD at the current time.

So, if you have an 8/4/5/600 card, Vista is the only way to get hardware acceleration for now.

[EarlGrey]

For anyone still looking to answer the question of what CPU you need to decode 1080p content then here is the answer!

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/cpu-ch...w-2351-21.html

minimum seems to be a Pentium D 920, or an Athlon 64 X2 3600+

none of the single core Athlons or Pentiums can manage it!

[Skinleech]

Scan now list the Pioneer BD-Rom, for £158. I've ordered one, and was told over the phone that it was in stock, so move HD fans.....

As for it being too early, I disagree. For less than £300 I will shortly have both formats, which is less than a single format standalone would have cost me. And if one does fail, it means lots of cheap disks for me...

[Kreed]

For anyone still looking to answer the question of what CPU you need to decode 1080p content then here is the answer!

<Link Removed as I am not allowed to post or quote URLs until I have a minimum of 5 posts>

minimum seems to be a Pentium D 920, or an Athlon 64 X2 3600+

none of the single core Athlons or Pentiums can manage it!

The review at Tomshardware seems to be inconsistent with the review from Anandtech:

<I am required to have a minimum of 5 posts before I can post URLs. So, you will have to search for it on google using the following words "HD Video Playback: H.264 Blu-ray on the PC">

which seems to indicate that only a Pentium C2D E6600 or E6700 is capable of smooth 1080P H.264 playback.

The HD Hardware recommendation Guide at AVS Forum seems to suggest the same thing:

<I am required to have a minimum of 5 posts before I can post URLs. So, you will have to search for it on google using the following words "Hardware Guide to HD HTPC">

I was originally hoping to use a Pentium E2160 without a discreet video card. But it doesn't look as if an E2160 is capable of 1080P H.264 playback without hardware acceleration from a video card. I hope somebody prooves me wrong.