There are so many opposing arguments floating all over the web that I've been given quite a headache trying to figure out what the best solution for playing back H.264 in Linux is. I'm planning to build an HTPC fairly soon and I need a little help from you pros to figure out just what kind of CPU/GPU it's going to need.
First off, do any graphics chip manufacturers support hardware-accelerated decoding of H.264 in their Linux drivers? I've heard the ATI's Avivo works under Linux, but does it work with H.264? In order to decode demanding Blu-ray/HD-DVD caliber 1080p H.264 content, what are some cost-effective CPU/GPU combinations that would work under Linux (if any)? I know Linux isn't likely to support HDCP and AACS (legally) any time soon (or possibly ever) but I want to make sure the hardware is up to the task anyway. Thanks for any advice! (Links to benchmarks under Linux are good too, if there are any.)
First off, do any graphics chip manufacturers support hardware-accelerated decoding of H.264 in their Linux drivers? I've heard the ATI's Avivo works under Linux, but does it work with H.264? In order to decode demanding Blu-ray/HD-DVD caliber 1080p H.264 content, what are some cost-effective CPU/GPU combinations that would work under Linux (if any)? I know Linux isn't likely to support HDCP and AACS (legally) any time soon (or possibly ever) but I want to make sure the hardware is up to the task anyway. Thanks for any advice! (Links to benchmarks under Linux are good too, if there are any.)