[mythtv-users] Just how great can VDPAU be?

[Raymond Wagner]

Yeechang Lee wrote:
> On second thought, though, I'm not sure how realistic this is. My
> understanding is that VDPAU is basically an updated version of
> PureVision, Nvidia's longstanding hardware-dependent video
> decoding-offloader for Windows.
>
> I watch AVSForum's HD-PVR forum for Windows users. Intermixed with the
> numerous messages detailing forum members' ever more-convoluted ways
> of recording and watching their TV shows--Rube Goldberg-like setups
> that would make any MythTV user alternately burst out in laughter and
> shake his head in pity---are many reports of how horsepower-dependent
> HD-PVR recordings are, even for Core 2 Duo owners using CoreAVC. In
> other words, despite their having PureVision already, things don't
> seem to be any better performancewise on that side on the pond
The Windows version is called PureVideo (not PureVision).  There have 
been multiple versions.  The 6-series through some of the 8-series only 
supported partial h.264 offload, meaning much of the processing still 
had to be done on the CPU.  Furthermore, the Windows hardware decoders 
are not free.  You have to buy a directshow codec from nVidia, or 
otherwise get one with BluRay/HDDVD playback software.

VDPAU, as it currently, exists is all-or-nothing.  Either you get full 
decode offload, or its left entirely up to the CPU.  When using it, 
regardless of the content being played, CPU load remains at only a few 
percent.