Can Intel GMA HD handle 1080p videos?

TheOtherJN

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Hi all, I'm planning on buying a desktop-replacement / entertainment notebook computer. Through searching, I have narrowed my choices down to two products. Both have the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD as their integrated graphics chipset, Intel Core i3s 350M/370M as the processor, and both have 4GB of DDR3 RAM. Now I'm certain that the CPU and RAM can handle 1080p video playback, but I'm not so certain on the GPU. Would it matter if I told you that the maximum supported resolution on one of the notebooks is 1600 x 900? For example, perhaps resizing the 1920 x 1080 video down to 1600 x 900 would be more processor intensive and reduce the notebooks' performance. That very same notebook however, is also marketed as a Blu-ray disc player.

Cheers.
 
Solution
It probably would be able to handle HD playback just fine. It would scale down 1080p content to make it 900 lines, it would require a little bit more work but it should survive just fine.

TheOtherJN

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Thank you both.

I have one more question however:

Suppose I were to playback 1080p videos at resolutions 1366 x 768 or 1280 x 720... would that yield a significant difference in framerates?
 
Check to make sure that the system you want had an available PCIe x16 slot. That way if you find your video experience bad, you can spend another $50 and get an add-on video card to fix it. Check tomshardware site for "Best Video Cards For The Money", although geared towards gaming, the low end of that list will run HD movies just fine.
 



Actually, we're both wrong, he wants to get a notebook :lol:

No upgrade path.

theotherjn, since you are getting a notebook, I suggest you get one with a better video card even if you spend more as you won't be able to upgrade it later. An extra $100-200 now will make you feel better in a year when you DO need more power for something.
 

rocky41

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Ok even i didn't read the thread carefully...

theotherjn, if you plan to watch only movies with your laptop then go for it buddy but no upgrade you can get in future ....what hang-the-9 says is right spending a little more will be more futureproof and having gc in your laptop will be more beneficial for you in terms of movies or a little gaming.
 

TheOtherJN

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nope, no gaming. Just want the cheapest notebook possible in which the most intensive thing it will do will be to watch 1080p videos (and has LED lit screen for blacks). Therefore futureproofing won't be taken into account, especially since my future desktop will cover that...

The notebook I have in mind now fits my quota.

Perhaps to explain myself better, my current 6-year-old notebook is inadequate for me now, and I've grown accustomed to notebook usage now, plus I prefer the lower power consumption of notebooks vs desktops. In the future I would have the desktop with this notebook, in which the notebook should very well be future-proof for my needs with it's more than capable processor at office work, its mobility (basically a mobile workstation), capability of smooth 1080p playback, and a quality screen to watch videos on.

Thank you all for the answers however. My question is resolved now.