GMA950 full HD

[pBS]

For those of you who are saddled with only built-in graphics,[like laptop users]
if you have at least an Intel GMA 950 you can get full HD playback, liquid smooth..

Assuming you've got the graphics drivers setup, just use evr renderer, and ATI Avivo codecs...[atidvcr.dll] and you'll get perfect deinterlacing up to 1080i for sure.

really surprised me how nice it was for this lowly graphics chip..tho i have an idea the 256 bit core is why it works so well...
Enjoy!

[Bathman]

This certainly surprises me.

On my GMA900 Aopen 915gmm-HFS under VMR I was unable to get it to play back 720x576 content smooth and the picture quality was never as good as my lowly Nvidia 7300LE.

[gazoo]

Yeah, surprises me too big time. It is possible the processor is doing it all.

[blackpaw]

What's your CPU load like?

[pBS]

mine was extremely low.. like 15-20% iirc..not too shabby on vmr9fse either..
looking at a document on intel website i see that it has quality bits for video, but isn't even their best stuff...have to get an X3000+ for the sweet stuff..[better deinterlacing,filtering,etc]

i'm just sitting on pins and needles waiting for the new mini-itx intel boards to come out with an actually decent gaming chip on it, DG45FC..
has vc1 and h264 built in,X4500HD gaphics chip, HDMI, DVI, esata,etc., and it's super TINY...

the only thing you need to build a set-top gbpvr box..
only problem i saw was jsut a single pciex16 slot...?!
woulda been better with a single pciex1 or a pci...whatever...hopefully there'll be different versions..

at minimum it'd be a popcorn like client based on windows..

i mean geez, if the GMA950 looks this good...that should rock!
all the size of a mac mini.. lol
should be only a couple months now...

[bogyver]

the only thing you need to build a set-top gbpvr box..
only problem i saw was jsut a single pciex16 slot...?!
woulda been better with a single pciex1 or a pci...whatever...hopefully there'll be different versions..

You can put a x1 pcie all the way up to a x16 pcie in a x16 pcie slot.
I guess they wanted to leave the option to put a video card in, but you could easily put in a x1 pcie tuner in that slot as well.

I am very excited about that board since I plan on going to an all client - server setup when I have the money and I would very much like to have the clients be as small as possible.

[Bathman]

I'm keeping my eye on these developments with interest also. I would like to see an intel atom with a pci-x slot and decent hadware excelerated onboard graphics onboard and with hdmi (with sound) onboard as well.

I read rumours that the new VIA cpu - Isaiah is going to be paired with a decent Nvidia onbaord solution (but I believe that when I see it and when someone who is not from VIA confirms it can do what it is advertised to do)

I get the impression that the (in my opinion) ideal HTPC solution is now posssible just that noboady has made a real effort to make it.

My other concern is that I have been let down by onboard graphics solutions in the past the GMA 900 being a prime example. As it would simply/hardly not do what it was advertised it would do and the drivers where not HTPC friendly. However some of the latest ATI motherboards with onboard graphics are getting very good reviews so maybe times are changing.

Now if only the BBC would transmit HD over freeview.

[gazoo]

I built my own with the ATI 780g chipset here: http://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?t=34906

However, HA is not ready for primetime because of the usual ATI driver problems. It will play anything I throw at it with CPU assist though.

[pBS]

You can put a x1 pcie all the way up to a x16 pcie in a x16 pcie slot.
I guess they wanted to leave the option to put a video card in, but you could easily put in a x1 pcie tuner in that slot as well.

I am very excited about that board since I plan on going to an all client - server setup when I have the money and I would very much like to have the clients be as small as possible.

cool,i had heard that but i've never run across confirmation...[pciex1 in x16 slot]
[and wasn't brave enough to risk frying a card to find out]
that would be just fine having a x16 slot then...sweet..
since mypvr150 just died [best $65 i ever spent] definitely gonna get a pcie replacement now...

the thing about this board is the power requirements, extreeemely low for c2d..and it's mini-itx, so need no ungodly box next to tv..could even hide it away more places...and use a totally silent power supply...

i must note that an ati or nvidia card will always have better PQ than this gma950...but not smoother motion at all...even a X3650 i have isn't 'perfect' when it comes to motion..[tho it should be! 750 core,1500 mem!]

i have a feeling ATI need alot more work on the drivers, evr works great, but i''m afraid vmr9 will never work right and it loooks like they've [MS and ATI] stopped working on it much except for game fixes..
according to several MS people, dx9 is hopelessly broken and they are putting most work into vista's evr...

almost every card i've tried, with HAccell noticably on,[<25%cpu] vmr still skips...while evr, on all of them, has liquid smooth motion even on lowly cards that wouldn't even stand a chance with vmr9...regardless of whether new 'unified' decoder chip or old style partial support...

[pBS]

just got a Intel G965 MB with X3000 onboard graphics and it is playing beautifully with vmr9 and evr! all resolutions, full liquid smooth motion, decent PQ on SD...perfect HD..

and since it's built-in, low power and heat requirements..
and LOW COST...
to get it look for G965, or G35 MB's with onboard graphics...
some have hdmi built in...with audio i believe..
they can use 256 megs of main ram, on mine that's 1600mhz..[ddr2-800 x 2]

G35's X3500 have better graphics capabilities, and pretty decent gaming capabilities for no extra cost..plus it's a rockin MB..

so my htpc system has been whittled down to:
a G965 mb,E2140 cpu, Aver M780 pcie dual card, ram and hd...
extreeemely low power and heat, dual tuners,and 3 slots free...
and all low profile....lol

just thought i'd put that info out there for those on a budget...