NVIDIA releases new drivers featuring PureVideo HD
By Richard Lawler 
posted Nov 3rd 2006 12:14PM
posted Nov 3rd 2006 12:14PM
NVIDIA, like Intervideo, wants to help you build that next Blu-ray or HD DVD drive-equipped media PC, and has released new ForceWare drivers for GeForce 7-series graphics cards to enable PureVideo HD acceleration. It'll take plenty of processing power to move that HD video, with a recommended minimum of a dual core processor and 1GB of RAM. FiringSquad got an early look at a PureVideo HD-powered setup, and confirmed that on PCs, unless ICT is enabled, you will be able to play back AACS-protected discs at full resolution over VGA. DVI connections without HDCP support on the graphics card and monitor get nothing, but HDCP support on both ends enables full resolution playback in any situation. NVIDIA has also launched an nZone store with links to all the graphics cards, monitors and software one could ever need -- how nice of them. Since FiringSquad's tests showed even on a Core 2 Duo system high bitrate h.264-encoded files were chugging without assistance, we see a system upgrade in your future.[Via DV Guru]
Read - NVIDIA PureVideo HD with HD-DVD Quick Shot
Read - NVIDIA Enables an Outstanding HD DVD and Blu-Ray Movie Experience with Newly Released NVIDIA PureVideo HD Technology
Looking at the numbers on Firing Squad, it looks like we need to go back to DVDs early days and have a dedicated add-on card for HD Video processing. The mighty Core 2 Duo is being brought to it's knees.
I've been watching HDTV Transport Streams (MPEG-2), WMVHD (VC1), and DivX/XviD/QuicktimeHD (h264) clips on my AthlonX2 3800+ and 7900GT with no problems at all, even in true 1080p. Of course, that's all done in software in my system, but it's been my experience that it's *less* intensive via hardware.
Xbox 360 HD DVD for $99 at Amazon.com!!! It cost $200 King Kong is free -$40, the media remote is free -$30 and shipping is free -$10 so you actually be paying $120 for the HD DVD!!! Plus, if you apply for the Amazon Visa you'll get $20 off!!! so you actually be paying $99!!!!!!!!!!!!!