[mythtv-users] NVIDIA ION Future in Doubt

[Scott D. Davilla]

>See  http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=791&type=expert
>
>Key excerpts below
>
>-- Mache
>
>Chipsets, the other NVIDIA market
>
>While Fermi was definitely the focus of the GPU Technology 
>Conference, we took the chance to pose some questions about ION and 
>other chipsets to the NVIDIA personnel on site.  ION has seen 
>moderate success in the world of low power and low cost computers 
>though I would say that the number of implementations using 
><http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=663>the ION chipset have been 
>fewer than expected.  NVIDIA still alludes to the pressures of Intel 
>as the key factor of ION adoption which, even if true, won't change 
>a thing for NVIDIA in terms of market share or profits. 
>
>The future of ION is in doubt as well; remember that Intel will be 
>pushing for further technology integration with the 
><http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=715>upcoming Pine Trail 
>release that moves a basic graphics core onto the CPU die.  When 
>that occurs, system integrators like ASUS and HP might find it even 
>more of a stretch to spend the extra money on the ION chipset. 
>NVIDIA's plans for countering that trend will be to offer a discrete 
>version of a GPU under the ION brand that will remove the MCP 
>features lowering costs and probably power requirements.  Whether or 
>not this change is what "ION 2" will materialize as is yet unknown.
>
>Finally, we have an update pending for the killer feature that would 
>make ION-based netbooks and nettops truly irresistible: 
>GPU-accelerated Flash.  We saw this feature 
><http://www.pcper.com/comments.php?nid=7254>first previewed at 
>Computex last June and even though there are announcements coming 
>VERY SOON on this new player revision, it will likely be sometime in 
>Q2 2010 before Adobe Flash Player includes GPU acceleration out of 
>the box.  I know many people that would love to put an EeeBox on 
>their home theater that could run Hulu reliably - I am one of them 
>and eagerly await the day we can do so!

I see conflicting info on Intel's Pine Trail platform. My sources say 
the GPU an the die cannot handle HD content and Intel is looking to 
add a hardware video decode chip to handle 720p/1080p. I wonder who 
would make such a chip ? see 
http://www.netbookchoice.com/2009/05/21/big-blow-to-ion-intel-certifies-hd-broadcom-chip-for-pine-trail-platform/