What sort of computer does one require to play HDTV?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Oct 14, 2005 9:55 pm

I've tried the 1080p, 720p, and 480p trailers from apple.com and even the 480p does not play smoothly at all, while the 720p is choppy as hell. The 1080p is too big for my resolution. My computer plays divx and DVD's perfectly, but HDTV is just nuts. So waht sort of a machine does one need to play 1080p or at least 720p perfectly?

Btw, my current specs:

2000+ Athlon XP
512mb ddr266
ATI Radeon 9000 Pro 128mb

Post by **Foo** » Fri Oct 14, 2005 10:08 pm

What kind of format, .mov? If so, is that using Apple's player or the Alternative?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 12:12 am

Quicktime 7

Post by **dzjepp** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 12:18 am

Try this.

Taken from here

Here is a tip for all those people that want to play those QuickTime HD clips (the ones that use the new H.264 codec). You can play them with the K-Lite Mega Codec Pack. Download the files to your harddrive. Then simply rename the files from .mov to .mp4. The required codecs are: Haali's MP4 splitter and ffdshow (for H.264 and AAC). Playback will be faster and better than with the new QuickTime 7!

Post by **dzjepp** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 12:20 am

It could be the added overhead from the quicktime software/codec, try the alternative and those 2 codecs. Uninstall the quicktime you have now.

If this still doesn't improve playback, then a faster pc would be in order.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 1:47 am

I can't get it to save the file, it only saves a 1kb file wtf.

Post by **dzjepp** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 1:55 am

What are ye trying to save?

Post by **dzjepp** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 1:56 am

Oh wait. I guess that method I posted won't quite work if you try to stream quicktime stuff...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 1:58 am

I just want to play the HD files located here:

http://apple.com/trailers/

Post by **dzjepp** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 2:13 am

It's more cpu/ram dependant I thinks. A gig would do you good, and something like a 2500+ amd wouldn't hurt either.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 2:21 am

Fuck that, upgrading my current computer is stupid. And for me getting a new one is useless, I don't do any video editing or 3D rendering, and I don't play games.

Post by **+JuggerNaut+** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 2:25 am

then you're SOL

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 2:43 am

Post by **+JuggerNaut+** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 2:49 am

sh*t out of luck

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 3:08 am

Whatever. If I suddenly decide to get an upgrade, it will be completely nuts. I'll build a custom watercooled system for sure.

Post by **+JuggerNaut+** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 3:20 am

ToxicBug wrote:Whatever. If I suddenly decide to get an upgrade, it will be completely nuts. I'll build a custom watercooled system for sure.

well, it does take power to play true Hi-Def. no bones about it.

Post by **Foo** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 3:26 am

How come it takes such power to play what is still just a simple video, albeit high resolution?

Post by **SoM** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 3:40 am

get a faster PC..

i have no probs even when i watch HDTV trailers from apples website

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 4:02 am

Foo wrote:How come it takes such power to play what is still just a simple video, albeit high resolution?

What I find more interesting is how come HDTV recievers are "more powerful" than my fucking PC.

Post by **+JuggerNaut+** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 4:43 am

Foo wrote:How come it takes such power to play what is still just a simple video, albeit high resolution?

it doesn't require some supercomputer to do this, only a fairly fast one. on top of that, some graphics cards are much better at HD playback than others. same old testing with driver pairing, etc.

iirc, high def streams at 19.2Mbit/sec which is only 2.4 Megabytes/sec, so any 7200rpm hdd will have no problems playing this locally. now toxic's question could be answered with his hardware not being up to snuff, his connection's not as phat as he thought, or perhaps with the onslaught of new orders/inquiries, Apple's servers are taking a beating.

i'll have to try these streams at home on my meager setup.

Post by **Foo** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 4:45 am

So the Apple streams require a 20MBit connection?

Bloody hell. I'm moving to South Korea.

Post by **+JuggerNaut+** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 4:49 am

Foo wrote:So the Apple streams require a 20MBit connection?

Bloody hell. I'm moving to South Korea.

i don't know what they actually require. i'm only quoting the specs for true hi-def streams. i've often wondered how people can claim to stream hi-def at almost any resolution over the 'net.

are you able to view those trailers?

Post by **Foo** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 4:55 am

I'm on my shitsville laptop (S3 twister graphics, 256Mb ram), and I'm afraid to try.

Post by **+JuggerNaut+** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 8:02 am

ok, when i got home i tested this. first, my lowly specs:

Athlon XP 1600+ (1.40GHz)
512 MB DDR
Radeon 7200 64MB

Quicktime 7.0.2

Trailers tested:

Ice Age 2 @ 480p : surprisingly smooth. even after doubling view size, it was good. not AS smooth, but certainly not stuttering. audio was in sync.

King Kong @ 480p : same as above

The Fog @ 720p: lol forget it. freezing video, choppy, etc.

if you can't view 480p with your system, you've got problems.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Oct 15, 2005 1:49 pm

I can view 480p, but its not silky smooth. Therefore I don't feel like watching it, unless its absolutely perfectly smooth. For some people it would be perfectly watcheable though.