Comments on: Hey there Mr. Intel inside http://www.machtpc.com/archives/2006/02/28/hey-there-mr-intel-inside/ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:35:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Noah http://www.machtpc.com/archives/2006/02/28/hey-there-mr-intel-inside/#comment-566 Noah Fri, 05 May 2006 20:02:22 +0000 http://www.machtpc.com/?p=130#comment-566 <p>Yeah, I do believe the graphics chipset that's in the mini now -- the Intel GMA950 -- is optimized for video output (including HD) and supports Core Image, meaning the CPU is doing less of the heavy lifting in terms of preparing the video for output.</p> <p>According to the spec sheet (http://www.intel.com/products/chipsets/gma950/) the chip does the following natively:</p> <p>* High Definition Hardware Motion Compensation to support high definition hi-bitrate MPEG2 media playback<br /> * Up and Down Scaling of Video Content<br /> * High Definition Content Decode - up to two stream support<br /> * 5x3 Overlay Filtering</p> <p>So it shouldn't even matter much if you get the Core Solo mini -- they both share the same graphics hardware. Theorectically, anyway. </p> Yeah, I do believe the graphics chipset that’s in the mini now — the Intel GMA950 — is optimized for video output (including HD) and supports Core Image, meaning the CPU is doing less of the heavy lifting in terms of preparing the video for output.

According to the spec sheet (http://www.intel.com/products/chipsets/gma950/) the chip does the following natively:

* High Definition Hardware Motion Compensation to support high definition hi-bitrate MPEG2 media playback
* Up and Down Scaling of Video Content
* High Definition Content Decode - up to two stream support
* 5×3 Overlay Filtering

So it shouldn’t even matter much if you get the Core Solo mini — they both share the same graphics hardware. Theorectically, anyway.

]]> By: Max http://www.machtpc.com/archives/2006/02/28/hey-there-mr-intel-inside/#comment-565 Max Wed, 22 Mar 2006 13:16:17 +0000 http://www.machtpc.com/?p=130#comment-565 I've got a 1.66 core duo mini. I was playing a 1080i trailer (scaled down since i'm only running 1024x768, but should be just a computationally intensive). I tried bouncing expose on and off, resizing the window. guess what - quicktime didn't drop a frame. I’ve got a 1.66 core duo mini. I was playing a 1080i trailer (scaled down since i’m only running 1024×768, but should be just a computationally intensive). I tried bouncing expose on and off, resizing the window.

guess what - quicktime didn’t drop a frame.

]]> By: Jon Runheim http://www.machtpc.com/archives/2006/02/28/hey-there-mr-intel-inside/#comment-564 Jon Runheim Sun, 19 Mar 2006 13:09:48 +0000 http://www.machtpc.com/?p=130#comment-564 The 1080 HD-support was quite important for me to purchase the Mini, so I called Apple store in Sweden to verify the Quicktime page requirements. They told me that that page is outdated and that the Intel Mini (duo) has the HW-support required to play 1080 movies just fine. I trusted them, so.. One Mini's coming my way within 2 weeks =) Regards, Jon The 1080 HD-support was quite important for me to purchase the Mini, so I called Apple store in Sweden to verify the Quicktime page requirements.
They told me that that page is outdated and that the Intel Mini (duo) has the HW-support required to play 1080 movies just fine.
I trusted them, so.. One Mini’s coming my way within 2 weeks =)

Regards,
Jon

]]> By: Grover http://www.machtpc.com/archives/2006/02/28/hey-there-mr-intel-inside/#comment-563 Grover Thu, 02 Mar 2006 23:13:32 +0000 http://www.machtpc.com/?p=130#comment-563 I generally trust the guys at Ars, and their quote was this "The chipset includes support for regular and HD playback, with the ability to up/down scale video content, as necessary. And it isn’t limited to a single stream of HD as it can simultaneously decode and display two streams. It can also handle pretty much any standard HD resolution in both interlaced and progressive scan mode (including 1080p) and it also natively supports both 16:9 and 16:10 aspect ratio displays." No one knows for sure if the Mini takes advantage of all these features, but then again, why in the world wouldn't they? So don't panic yet. I generally trust the guys at Ars, and their quote was this

“The chipset includes support for regular and HD playback, with the ability to up/down scale video content, as necessary. And it isn’t limited to a single stream of HD as it can simultaneously decode and display two streams. It can also handle pretty much any standard HD resolution in both interlaced and progressive scan mode (including 1080p) and it also natively supports both 16:9 and 16:10 aspect ratio displays.”

No one knows for sure if the Mini takes advantage of all these features, but then again, why in the world wouldn’t they?

So don’t panic yet.

]]> By: Craig http://www.machtpc.com/archives/2006/02/28/hey-there-mr-intel-inside/#comment-562 Craig Wed, 01 Mar 2006 20:29:09 +0000 http://www.machtpc.com/?p=130#comment-562 Oops. Here's the link: http://www.intel.com/products/chipsets/gma950/ Oops. Here’s the link:
http://www.intel.com/products/chipsets/gma950/

]]> By: Craig http://www.machtpc.com/archives/2006/02/28/hey-there-mr-intel-inside/#comment-561 Craig Wed, 01 Mar 2006 20:28:39 +0000 http://www.machtpc.com/?p=130#comment-561 Why not take a look at Intel's datasheet for the 950 chip in the new Mini before judging. It actually looks like a great chip for a HTPC. (Not for games, I'll admit, but for video playback...) I see Intel lists an expansion Card for PVR functionality if Apple ever wants to take advantage of it... Who will be the first to test 720p playback on this little gem? Yes, I know Apple recomemnds a faster CPU in general, but this has a matched Intel chipset designed for playback. Maybe? Why not take a look at Intel’s datasheet for the 950 chip in the new Mini before judging. It actually looks like a great chip for a HTPC. (Not for games, I’ll admit, but for video playback…)

I see Intel lists an expansion Card for PVR functionality if Apple ever wants to take advantage of it…

Who will be the first to test 720p playback on this little gem? Yes, I know Apple recomemnds a faster CPU in general, but this has a matched Intel chipset designed for playback. Maybe?

]]> By: T http://www.machtpc.com/archives/2006/02/28/hey-there-mr-intel-inside/#comment-560 T Wed, 01 Mar 2006 14:50:11 +0000 http://www.machtpc.com/?p=130#comment-560 I don't understand why Apple is dragging its feet on the mini as an HTPC! This is driving me nuts! It should be a no brainer. There are already pc HTPCs that interface and control multiple DVD players. Front Row with a little scripting and an adaquate engine would be awsome. What's the hold up? I don’t understand why Apple is dragging its feet on the mini as an HTPC! This is driving me nuts! It should be a no brainer. There are already pc HTPCs that interface and control multiple DVD players. Front Row with a little scripting and an adaquate engine would be awsome. What’s the hold up?

]]> By: Ruben http://www.machtpc.com/archives/2006/02/28/hey-there-mr-intel-inside/#comment-559 Ruben Wed, 01 Mar 2006 12:37:50 +0000 http://www.machtpc.com/?p=130#comment-559 Please do remember that the new Intel mini sports merely an Intel VGA chip with 64 *shared* RAM... I really doubt it'll be able to pull off anything remotely close to QT7 HD playback :-/ Please do remember that the new Intel mini sports merely an Intel VGA chip with 64 *shared* RAM… I really doubt it’ll be able to pull off anything remotely close to QT7 HD playback :-/

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