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Friday, April 30, 2010
While the next generation netbook platform has arrived (Pinetrail), it still lacks one basic function: HD video playback. Some people may argue what the point of it is on a netbook, but there are netbooks that come with 1366 x 768 display resolutions and yet others than come in 11 and 12 inch form factors while users may want to work on or output HD to a larger display.
As you know we have two solutions now, Nvidia ION and Broadcom’s HD Video Accelerator card. I’ve spent a lot of time with the Broadcom card and posted many videos about it but I have never compared it’s performance against the Nvidia ION chipset. LaptopMag did just that and found that NVidia ION offers better frame rates for HD video playback. 60 fps vs 48 fps. Not that anything above 30 fps matters for video, but that should translate into less CPU usage, and consequently, more battery life.
They were unable to test Hulu or YouTube since Flash 10.1 beta drivers don’t support the card just yet.
HP and Dell will offer the card as an option for their Mini netbooks, but you can always order it off of Ebay for ~$25.
Source: LaptopMag
Intel has GPUs that are capable of decoding 1080p video. They chose not to give the functionality to their pinetrail platform. Is this just another way for Intel to differentiate between Atom and CULV processors?
In either case, it seems like an unfortunate choice for netbook users everywhere.
I dont say this often but what a completely retarded article
* Higher frame rates equals better for video what ??? videos are encoded at a specific frame rate.
* Actually benchmarking a 3D game and pointing out the Crystal HD wont help with graphics WTF!
* Says the Crystal HD equipped Dell Mini 10 sucks more power even though the one equipped had a larger LCD screen, the whole selling point of those cards is that they aren’t a power guzzling GPU.
A shoddy amateur article please dont link to these fools in the future and send them traffic.
The article isn’t real clear that the two Dell’s had different screen resolutions. You can infer it because of the Warcraft test. Size is probably the same. But yes, an hour less battery life can’t be contributed to the idle Broadcom card.
I appreciated the testing they did but tech magazines usually cater to a less savy readership. Wikipedia quotes could inform better.