Player for x264 codec [Archive]

VALi

18th March 2007, 16:00

as i get it, some standalones support nero digital, but non the x264 yet ... not sure about xbox tho (theoretically yes, but i ask myself if its cpupower is enough to decode)

foxyshadis

19th March 2007, 02:31

Nero Digital and Nero Digital AVC certification are two separate things.

twolfe18

20th March 2007, 22:33

i really doubt that the xbox can play any h264 at a bitrate of anything over 800 kb/s. i have a pIII 900mhz with 128mb ram (which i understand is relatively similar to xbox hardware), and 800 kb/s is about as high as it can play without playback getting choppy.

and as far as i know, none of the xbox solutions involve any hardware decoding (in a GPU or something like that), so assuming it is all software, it should behave exactly the same as a computer with similar specs.

to me, 800 kb/s is not nearly enough for me to consider for a serious HTPC solution. if it could play h264 up to 2500 kb/s, then i would do it, but that requires like a p4 @ 3.0 ghz with hyperthreading.

squid_80

21st March 2007, 11:51

Give up on the xbox idea. Even low bitrate streams don't have continuous playback.

Blinx123

21st March 2007, 19:45

If I remember right,the German DVD Player brand Xoro sales Mpeg4 DVD Players. One I remember is the XORO HSD-8500.

SeeMoreDigital

21st March 2007, 20:10

If I remember right,the German DVD Player brand Xoro sales Mpeg4 DVD Players. One I remember is the XORO HSD-8500.Actually, that player is fitted with Sigma's EM8620L chip-set. Which does not support MPEG-4 Part-10 (aka: AVC) or VC-1.

Cheers

weaver4

21st March 2007, 21:17

Absolutely! Do what I did, buy a used mac mini, install VLC on it and you are up and running.

The advantage of a used mac is that you can buy it for $400 use it for a year or two and sell it for $400 (almost) when the SAP players come along.

bond

24th March 2007, 16:35

Nowadays there are player for x264 (h.264) .avi or .mp4 ??

:thanks:ipod? psp?

halcy

25th March 2007, 11:26

http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=0&pid=547
http://netgear.com/Products/Entertainment/DigitalMediaPlayers/EVA8000.aspx
http://www.mpcclub.com/1600_brochure.pdf

Ronin-7

25th March 2007, 11:50

Although it doesn't seem to say it on the website in the manual (ftp://downloads.netgear.com/files/EVA8000_UM_29Jan07.pdf) (section A2) for the Netgear EVA8000 it does list H.264 video + AAC audio as supported in MP4 containers.

SeeMoreDigital

25th March 2007, 11:52

http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=0&pid=547Not available yet

http://netgear.com/Products/Entertainment/DigitalMediaPlayers/EVA8000.aspxDoes not support MPEG-4 AVC

http://www.mpcclub.com/1600_brochure.pdfNot available.

weaver4

26th March 2007, 14:59

I am really surprised that someone has not come with a Linux based player that would play H264, XviD and DivX.

Seb.26

26th March 2007, 16:57

and as far as i know, none of the xbox solutions involve any hardware decoding (in a GPU or something like that), so assuming it is all software, it should behave exactly the same as a computer with similar specs.
Don't forget your computer have also to run Windows ... xBox have nothing exept XBMC to run ... :rolleyes:

But you are right, the xBox CPU is a little small for x264 playback, but with the 1.4GHz CPU mod, it's a new story !

cacepi

27th March 2007, 05:56

http://netgear.com/Products/Entertainment/DigitalMediaPlayers/EVA8000.aspx

Does not support MPEG-4 AVC
Actually, it does. But it doesn't have DVD ISO support, so pass.

SeeMoreDigital

27th March 2007, 15:20

Actually, it does. But it doesn't have DVD ISO support, so pass.Please confirm where it's mentioned that MPEG-4 AVC is supported? I don't see it!

halcy

27th March 2007, 16:19

EVA8000 H.264 & MPEG-2 high bitrate support test results:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9974140&&#post9974140
http://forum1.netgear.com/showthread.php?p=22103

TVIX M-5100SH announced
http://www.minhembio.com/forum/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=33217

SeeMoreDigital

27th March 2007, 17:36

EVA8000 H.264 & MPEG-2 high bitrate support test results:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=9974140&&#post9974140
http://forum1.netgear.com/showthread.php?p=22103 Thanks Halcy...

Sufficed to say, Netgear are not doing themselves any favours by not mentioning MPEG-4 AVC support on their devices official web page :eek:

twolfe18

4th April 2007, 04:06

so far i like the mac mini approach the best. i have always been a fan of the HTPC, the emphasis being on the "PC" part (btw i include macs in the PC category, as long as it can behave like a computer), as opposed to individual players for individual tasks. the pc can everything you need in a hardware player, but usually better.

the problem i have with HTPC's is that they are big and noisy. the mac mini is neither. it's also not that expensive (a little more than 400$ as previously mentioned though). it can upsample dvd's, play any file format you can think of, run bittorrent, and a million other things. sounds like a good solution to me!

halcy

7th April 2007, 18:42

Does mac mini play back:

- iso/divx/xvid/vc-1
- divx (HD res)
- mpeg-2 TS up to 35 Mbit/s
- H264 ASP
- H264 to 20 Mbit/s

without dropping frames, slowing down (jerks) or losing audio sync?

cacepi

8th April 2007, 01:28

Does mac mini play back:

<snip>

without dropping frames, slowing down (jerks) or losing audio sync?

With the exception of VC-1 and 20 Mbit H.264 files - which I've never tried on my Mac Mini - the answer is yes. The Mini's a PC, basically; you can even upgrade it (http://hdtv.o0o.it/mini/) if you want.

twolfe18

8th April 2007, 15:13

the new mac mini's have core2 duo's in them, they will be able to playback just about everything, including 1080p h264 (which is usually around 20mb/s).

if you really want to know, you should go in the decrypting section (where a lot of hd-dvd and bluray guys hang out) and ask them what kind of hardware it takes to play hd-dvd and bluray content. i think you'll be fine with a core 2 duo at 1.83ghz.

i visited apples site, and for 1080p trailers they recommend:

"For 1920x1080 (1080p) video at 24 frames per second:
QuickTime 7 for Mac OS X:
Dual 2.0 GHz PowerMac G5 or faster Macintosh computer; 2.0 GHz Intel Core Duo or faster
At least 512MB of RAM
128MB or greater video card "

now, that is using quicktime, which is actually quite slow, AND, they are talking about a core duo, not a core 2 duo (which are about 10% faster). If you use VLC and a 1.83 core 2 duo, you should be fine. so yes, a mac mini can play all of the content you mentioned (for $800 :rolleyes: ).

halcy

9th April 2007, 13:08

I've been to the forums. I know Mac Mini is a PC :D

My point was more of rhetorical in nature (I know the answer already).

Out of the box configure Mac Mini + Tiger + Apple playback software will not playback properly what I asked for.

Several 1080p clips will choke on Mac Mini.

For me Mac Mini is not an option, nor is any other htpc (for other reasons, although I can make them not choke).

BTW, I think this forum is hardware players (as in embedded/standalone players). I think the PC & Hardware is it's own sub-forum :)

Ice =A=

18th June 2007, 00:50

Well, I have heared that there is a rather new player from Kiss (or Lincsys), namely the "Kiss 1600" which shall support x264 and high definition formats. Unfortunately it can't read *.mkv files (yet), just *.ts files, but nevertheless... :)
Someone wrote a review of the player here: http://forums.animesuki.com/showpost.php?p=980259&postcount=842

SiliconSoul

27th July 2007, 15:07

the new mac mini's have core2 duo's in them, they will be able to playback just about everything, including 1080p h264 (which is usually around 20mb/s).

mini macs only have Core1 Duo's in them.

They might still be able to play almost everything but i would double check that they can play what you say they can before ppl go out and drop that kind of cash expecting it to do what you say.
:):)

foxyshadis

28th July 2007, 00:56

True, and unfortunate, but you can fit a merom (notebook core2 family) inside of them without trouble. Many guides online to doing it. You can even install the unlocked X7800 if you really need the extreme power. :p But any of those options adds significantly to the price.

SiliconSoul

28th July 2007, 01:57

if they sold a core2 duo mini mac and better GPU for $800-1000 it would not be bad for a family "PC" / HTPC :)
make it easy to see where the kids are going on the internet on the big screen!
:devil:

CobraX

28th July 2007, 02:32

mini macs only have Core1 Duo's in them.

They might still be able to play almost everything but i would double check that they can play what you say they can before ppl go out and drop that kind of cash expecting it to do what you say.
:):)

True and I know it because I have one since Octobre 2006 (Intel Mac Mini Core Duo 1.83 Ghz, 1 GB ram). 720P plays fine but 1080P playback isn't always perfect. I think the 1080P trailer of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the last one) made my mini go on its knees. Playback slowed down (< 20 fps) for a few seconds in that trailer.

SiliconSoul

30th July 2007, 18:09

It would be great if you could use macbook pro with the screen closed. it has a core2 2Ghz + and pretty good GPU too.
Its too bad that macs dont allow you to close the screen and keep the machine on.
they only have dvd+-rw. no bluray or hddvd drives yet.

Apple needs to release a "super" mini mac that is the form factor of a dvd player with a core2 duo, a great GPU, and options for bluray and/or hddvd drives.
:cool:

it would probably cost too much to just be a standalone media player

twolfe18

31st July 2007, 13:31

are you sure that you cannot close the lid on a MBP and still keep it running? i am about to buy one, and i had PLANNED ON DOING THAT. i will be very angry if you cannot do that. :mad:

CruNcher

31st July 2007, 21:50

To be really sure your HTPC/SAP is future proof it must be able to decode Sonys Casino Royale Blu-Ray bitstream if it's able todo that you are set and i doub't a Mac mini can do that without hardware accelleration @ full 1080p :P and im not sure either Sigmas Chipset based Player can achive that so before investing 800$ i would go with a less expensive PS3 :P
For a pc it's easy just invest 100$ for a ATI UVD card and you good to go no need for very expensive new HTPC either (if you think about what Mpeg-2 Decoder cards have cost back in the 90s it's frigthining how we have optimized our society and still do in terms of technological advance but it comes at a heavy price even if the price for the "mater" seems lower to us consumers) ;D

foxyshadis

1st August 2007, 00:02

are you sure that you cannot close the lid on a MBP and still keep it running? i am about to buy one, and i had PLANNED ON DOING THAT. i will be very angry if you cannot do that. :mad:

There are workarounds, such as InsomniaX (http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/30315).

Erik_Osterholm

1st August 2007, 06:07

are you sure that you cannot close the lid on a MBP and still keep it running? i am about to buy one, and i had PLANNED ON DOING THAT. i will be very angry if you cannot do that. :mad:

It's mostly an issue of cooling. Apple Laptops tend to have vents on top (the iBook/Macbook line for sure, had this, and I believe that it's true for the MBP as well.) Closing the lid and leaving it running will cause it to overheat.

With the iBook, you could modify that behavior with some tinkering, however it could definitely cause problems. I imagine the same tinkering would work with the MBP, but you'll want to research that and also research the potential damages.

twolfe18

1st August 2007, 17:16

i would be perfectly happy if i could keep the MBP running, but just turn off the screen. it doesnt have to be closed. is it easy to just turn the screen off?

Erik_Osterholm

1st August 2007, 20:57

i would be perfectly happy if i could keep the MBP running, but just turn off the screen. it doesnt have to be closed. is it easy to just turn the screen off?

I don't have one handy, but I believe that you can do this in the system preferences without needing any extra software. It's just a standard power-saving feature where the display is turned off after a pre-configured amount of time has elapsed with zero keyboard/mouse activity. Of course, keyboard/mouse activity will reawaken the display and reset the timer to 0.

There may be third party software to disable the screen more instantly, but I haven't researched it.

castellanos

2nd August 2007, 23:28

Well, if the thing is looking for a standalone player (not a computer as substitute) I think the "Kiss 1600" is the best solution today (as already told in post #27). Still quite expensive here in Europe: Between 250 and 300 euros.

weaver4

5th August 2007, 22:59

Intel has announce a new mini-itx board that cost $79 with a celeron 1.3ghz processor. I believe we will quickly see media players built on this platform, and Linux that will support multiple formats including H264.

http://www.logicsupply.com/products/d201gly

twolfe18

7th August 2007, 23:55

well, i apologize for being incorrect earlier about mac mini's not having core 2 duos, but now they do! yay! i have to say, the 1.83ghz version (with 1gb ram for $599) looks VERY GOOD right now. if the 80gb laptop hard drive makes you uneasy, remember that it has ethernet connectivity allows you to stream anything you want (provided you have another computer, a decent switch, and some know-how). comes with a REMOTE as well, that i am sure the hacking community is putting to very good use right now. even totally un-hacked, front row is great for most media. the only thing i see as being a possible problem is the sound card. i don't know if it is integrated or not, but it doesn't appear to have a digital out. but it is not a deal breaker because external USB sound devices are available if necessary. the mac mini definitely has my vote for best HTPC hardware available right now.

CruNcher

10th August 2007, 13:28

To expensive vs a pure DSP solution and the Xbox360/PS3 one lower and the other almost the same price and both have much more power for the future then this little box :P

SiliconSoul

29th August 2007, 02:58

I see you guys saw the mini macs now have CORE2!!!
http://www.apple.com/macmini/

:-)

screw the remote! get the wireless kb and mouse! :-)

it might be little but they still are pretty cool. too bad they can't play 360 or ps3 games!