cheapest hardware video decoding

lvm_ · 11-10-2021, 11:48 PM

I am going to upgrade my linux HTPC, and looking for advice on what video to choose. The only thing needed, apart from trouble-free linux support that is, is hardware video decoding up to 4K 60fps 10bit HEVC. No games, no mining. What is the cheapest way of doing it?

ondoho · 11-11-2021, 01:01 AM

I'm no good with dedicated GPUs (a.k.a. graphics cards).
My advice is intel CPU with integrated GPU. Linux support is as good as it gets.

My desktop sports a ~5y old low-end intel CPU:

Code:

$> inxi -CG
CPU:       Info: Dual Core model: Intel Core i3-6100 bits: 64 type: MT MCP cache: L2: 3 MiB
           Speed: 800 MHz min/max: 800/3700 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 800 2: 801 3: 800 4: 800
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel HD Graphics 530 driver: i915 v: kernel
           Display: server: X.Org 1.20.13 driver: loaded: intel resolution: 1680x1050~60Hz
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel HD Graphics 530 (SKL GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 21.2.4

I played these sample files:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/x265.org/vi...y_2000hevc.mp4 (source) - no problem at all, CPU usage stays well below 10%
https://jell.yfish.us/media/jellyfis...hevc-10bit.mkv (source) - the machine totally choked on it, all 4 CPU threads went to 100%. My guess is that the GPU doesn't support 10bit HEVC, only 8bit.

I could not find any HEVC 60fps sample file.

Educated guess: a newer intel CPU would be well capable to play the 2nd file as well.

mrmazda · 11-13-2021, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ondoho

https://jell.yfish.us/media/jellyfis...hevc-10bit.mkv (source) - the machine totally choked on it, all 4 CPU threads went to 100%. My guess is that the GPU doesn't support 10bit HEVC, only 8bit.

My slightly older Haswell CPU plays it running all 4 threads at close to 100%:

Code:

# inxi -C
CPU:       Info: Dual Core model: Intel Core i3-4150T bits: 64 type: MT MCP cache: L2: 3 MiB
           Speed: 2753 MHz min/max: 800/3000 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 2753 2: 2798 3: 2783 4: 2792
00srv:~ # inxi -Ga
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel 4th Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics vendor: Micro-Star MSI driver: i915
           v: kernel bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:041e class-ID: 0300
           Display: server: X.Org 1.20.3 driver: loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa alternate: intel display-ID: :0
           screens: 1
           Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1200 s-dpi: 120 s-size: 406x254mm (16.0x10.0") s-diag: 479mm (18.9")
           Monitor-1: HDMI-1 res: 1920x1200 hz: 60 dpi: 94 size: 518x324mm (20.4x12.8") diag: 611mm (24.1")
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Haswell v: 4.5 Mesa 19.3.4 compat-v: 3.0 direct render: Yes

VLC won't play it, while SMplayer (via MPV) does play it, but jittery. A slightly newer & faster (7th gen) Kaby Lake CPU doesn't do any better:

Code:

# inxi -C
CPU:       Info: Dual Core model: Intel Core i3-7100T bits: 64 type: MT MCP cache: L2: 3 MiB
           Speed: 800 MHz min/max: 800/3400 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 800 2: 801 3: 801 4: 800
# inxi -Ga
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel HD Graphics 630 vendor: Gigabyte driver: i915 v: kernel bus-ID: 00:02.0
           chip-ID: 8086:5912 class-ID: 0300
           Display: server: X.Org 1.20.3 driver: loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa alternate: intel
           display-ID: :0 screens: 1
           Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1200 s-dpi: 120 s-size: 406x254mm (16.0x10.0") s-diag: 479mm (18.9")
           Monitor-1: DP-1 res: 1920x1200 hz: 60 dpi: 94 size: 519x324mm (20.4x12.8") diag: 612mm (24.1")
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 630 (Kaby Lake GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 19.3.4 compat-v: 3.0
           direct render: Yes
#