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Mac Mini (Intel) dual core 1080p video playback test
Here's the scoop on the dual core Mac mini for 1080p video playback:
http://homepage.mac.com/gsf/macminidualcorespecs.png
MI:3 trailer, 24 fps.
(Warning - all the screenshots are very large files - 1920x1200)
http://homepage.mac.com/gsf/mac_mini_dual_core_mi3_trailer_screenshot.png
Trying Superman Returns 1080p....
24 fps also. this is looking good....
http://homepage.mac.com/gsf/mac_mini_dual_core_superman_trailer_screenshot.png
one that is for sure - it is working HARD to do this... its not just
lollygagin thru it.... check out the CPU-o-Meters...
Trying one last one - XMen 3 trailer - at the part where its going from scene to scene to scene
in rapid succession - this should choke it..
nope. it does it fine.
http://homepage.mac.com/gsf/mac_mini_dual_core_xmen3_trailer_screenshot.png
it passes. Its working hard, but it passes.
The Mac mini dual core - even with only 512 megs of ram and NO dedicated
video ram or separate video card CAN decode and playback 1080p
mpeg-4/avc (h.264) 24pfs footage without losing frames
(H.264 is more CPU bound than graphics chip in my experience but I asked Don if the framerate dropped below 24fps during playback and also if he'd done any 3D/GL/game tests that would stress the GPU more heavily than QT movie playback.-Mike)
The framerate was 24 fps the whole time - beginning to end - i would
have noted that it wasn't. Screen shots are, well, only a moment in
time, but the framerate never dropped below 23.5 - which for QT Player
is 24 fps. (i wish Apple would fix that)
i didn't play any games on it. It was a mac mini at the brea mall in
SoCal. I don't have one. There was no core solo at the store i was at.
I was only running safari, Quicktime pro, and Activity Monitor during
those tests.
there was a lot of discussion on the internet about the Mac mini dual
core's value as a home media center with HDTVs, which is why I did my
24 fps test on h.264 video. The tests I ran were professionally made
trailers that are on the Apple trailer page.
Yes, H.264 is _very_ intense on the CPU, however, for bandwidth,
there's not much better. I really hope NVidia and ATI get off their
butts and provide mpeg-4 decoding someday soon like they do mpeg-2
decoding now. mpeg-4/avc (h.264) encoding would be even better.
you're bound to hear a lot about DivX being better than h.264, some
reasons are valid, but for content providers (i do pro video work), h.
264 is preferred for a number of reasons - not the least of which is
that its an open standard and the licensing fees are reasonable, and
there is pro mac software for it. There is a ton of hardware that
does broadcast quality h.264 encoding realtime - its what the pros
are moving to for content distro. It streams better than anything
else in its range (WM9, Real).
This is why DirecTV, Apple, Verizon, T-Mobile, Orange, Thales, and a
ton of actual content makers are using h.264 rather than DivX....
anyhow - my only point was to point out to the public that the core
duo Mac mini is an acceptable home media platform.. Apple's website
would lead one to believe it couldn't playback the top-end video, but
it can.
-Don"
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FYI - Although the page for these movie trailers lists them as "1080P", they're actually 1920 x 816 pixels (not 1920 x 1080).
