Can we have multimedia benchmarks for CPU charts?

Can we get some kind of multimedia benchmarks specifically HF video playback in the CPU charts like we used to have? I assume they were removed becuase with Hardware Acceleration (HA) for HD in new GPUs it was considered irrelevant.

I would like to argue that it is relevant will become more relevant in future. In order of increasing importance:

1. Not everyone has or can get HA working well for HD (bluray or x264), e.g. integrated GPUs (very common in HTPCs) don't always do it - and you could upgrade the CPU more easily than building a whole new system.

2. Not all HD video supports HA - e.g. Matroska files with x264 video, have patchy support for HA playback if at all. Plus you might not be able to get the software configuration working - it can be a real pain.

3. HA playback disables image controls (brightness, contrast, gamma), giving a "basic" image quality - sort of like the lowest common denominator. Like with DVD's where HA was popular at first, good software bluray players like PowerDVD or Arcsoft total media theater now provide image controls with automatic real time enhancement, giving fantastic image quality but only without HA.

So I think for multimedia enthusiasts (admitedly like me) HD video playback is very relevant in picking a CPU.

It would be ideal if we could an "unassisted" or "non-hardware accelerated" HD video playback benchmark in the CPU charts. All that's needed is installing one of these software players and disabling HA.

Any thoughts?

My whole point was that it may be efficient to use the GPU but the picture quality is not up to par, for a demanding Media Centre Set up.

So yes I know it does decoding, but it doesn't do good decoding which is why people who have the power to spare disable HA from the GPU and do the decoding in software.

When DVD decoding was new, the same thing happened. We didn't have CPU enough power so we used HA from the GPU, then we had enough to spare so we use software decoding which enables real time image processing and delivers superior quality, upscaling etc. Today no enthusiast uses HA for DVD's but they use it for bluray - increasingly that's going away too.

So I really don't see your objection.

We already have several encoding and transcoding benchmarks in the charts. We have no decoding benchmarks. Any more objections?

source

Seriously?

That and we all know that discrete graphics not only have better decoding abilities but more shader horsepower.

Really this is getting annoying.

I suspect you simply have a problem with people having different views to yours.

The fact that you ascribe ignorance to me, without having properly understood what I'm talking about is annoying. The fact that you obviously have a peripheral knowledge of the topic, and are trying to pass it off as expertise is even more annoying.

I guess you read a lot of reviews and articles and so consider yourself an expert in something you have obviously never actually done. If you had you'd know why you make no sense. I'm not going to try to explain it to you.

Since I've set up quite a few HTPC's and also know a few actual experts, I think I'll stick to my experience and let you stick to your "opinions".

Bye now.

I don't have a problem with people with different views.

I'm just saying that HA isn't half bad.

Besides, where in all my posts do I ever even suggest I'm an expert at HTPCs?

Thanks, that's very useful.

No problem with waiting, 2010 is just a quarter away :-)

I do think it would be useful to add this benchmark in, media centre fans increasingly need more horsepower and this is all they do with their CPU's.

The other thing that might be relevant and come to think of it, I'm surprised is not included, is heat and power consumption data.
This is of great interest to HTPC builders and usually gets measured when you test new CPUs so it might be available anyway.

From what you've been saying, I think an article about the quality difference between HA and non-HA might be interesting...

Tom's normally has a few 'delays' in making charts.

I know power consumption is hard to measure tho... that is, of each part. For that to happen you'd need the closest to a scientific test.

It wouldn't be just useful for HTPC users but rather most computer users...

Maybe if possible like a consumption chart for each part of the PC.

Would help heaps in choosing a PSU!

^ LOL! True. As for HTPC work, a cheap 4650 or a bit less (of the current gen cards) will work.