Minimum CPU requirement for software DVD decoding

[lti]

What is the slowest CPU that can play back a DVD using software decoding? I have heard that a 400MHz PII can handle DVD playback. I want to play DVDs on an even slower computer (either a mobile 333MHz PII or a 500MHz K6-2).

I can't get a used computer that is any faster than these where I live, and I don't want to spend the money on a new computer when the old one does almost everything I need a computer for.

[yyonline]

Re: Minimum CPU requirement for software DVD decoding

Slowest PC I've ever played dvds in was a Slot-1 Pentium III 450Mhz with an 8Mb Rage Pro card, and it struggled during complex scenes.

Pentium II would definitely need a MPEG decoder card, or at least every PII machine that I've seen play DVDs had a decoder card.

Shameless plug: I have a closet full of used computers if you want me to ship you one... I'm sure other members have the same.

[Topcat]

Re: Minimum CPU requirement for software DVD decoding

I've thrown away better things than what you're asking about. I have a drawer full of P4 processors and stacks of motherboards....I'm sure there's a good one in the bunch. come up with a case and perifs, I'll kick in a processor and board.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Minimum CPU requirement for software DVD decoding

400MHz PII is exactly what they used to say was the minimum.

The K6-2/500 should handle it with PowerDVD [ver 4 I think].
WinDVD needs more 'juice' and probably won't work as well.
Might be other SW options I don't remember from back then.

You might find an old hardware decoder cheap and some vid-cards from back then had hardware decoders built in.

Frankly were I your I'd take TC up on his offer.
Minimum to playback doesn't mean GOOD playback.
.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Minimum CPU requirement for software DVD decoding

Here is one.
http://cgi.ebay.com/220771955562
I recognise the name of the card as popular back then but never used one.
The seller is okay.
.
Drivers might be a problem - for any of them.
That's win95 & win98 stuff.
.

[ratdude747]

Re: Minimum CPU requirement for software DVD decoding

If one was daring enough, one could pop linux mint on somehting... the dvd decoder is already there if you download and burn the dvd sized image. lunx mint 11 ran ok on an ibm thinkpad t22 with a 900mhz pIII and 256mb pc-100. and that was live of the dvd... a hard install would run even better.

just another route of action to be thrown out there.

[mockingbird]

Re: Minimum CPU requirement for software DVD decoding

You can get away with a pretty weak CPU if you have an ATI chip with iDCT. Of course you would need to use ATI's DVD player, which uses a modified Cineplayer decoder.

[hardwareguy]

Re: Minimum CPU requirement for software DVD decoding

I've found something with SSE or 3D Now helps if the decoder can use SIMD...so that means PIII or K6-2.

If you have a semi modern video card, those often have MPEG2 decode blocks with either full or partial acceleration.

There's the old Creative DXR cards and the Hollywood cards as well.

I played DVDs just fine with a K6-III+ 550 and a GeForce 2 GTS. It was mostly software decode with some hardware assist from the GF2. It looked great and I even had deinterlacing with the WinTV card.

[Mad_Professor]

Re: Minimum CPU requirement for software DVD decoding

Why the fuck do you want an old-ass slow computer?

Just get topcats board and P4, drop 512MB of ram and linux mint and you're on your way.

Slowest computer for dvd playback, bwahaha bluray is the future, when it gets cheap.

[mockingbird]

Re: Minimum CPU requirement for software DVD decoding

There's the old Creative DXR cards and the Hollywood cards as well.

I remember those cards, I wasn't impressed with the quality...

The old Rage Pro and Rage128 iDCT is far superior. Not all the Rage Pros had iDCT though... Or maybe it was all the Rage Pros but not all the Rage IIs... Goodness, this is so far back, I can't even remember.

[ratdude747]

Re: Minimum CPU requirement for software DVD decoding

Why the fuck do you want an old-ass slow computer?

Just get topcats board and P4, drop 512MB of ram and linux mint and you're on your way.

Slowest computer for dvd playback, bwahaha bluray is the future, when it gets cheap.

why? some possible reasons:

• Blue-ray is expensive
• he may already have a lot of dvd's he'd like to watch
• blue-ray is useless if your monitor or other viewing device isn't HD
• maybe he wants to make an entertainment center PC and wants to do it cheaper than a good quality dvd player (no coby brand or no-name garbage)
• he wants to do this as a personal challenge
• he enjoys older hardware as a hobby
• he wants to put his old hardware to use

[hardwareguy]

Re: Minimum CPU requirement for software DVD decoding

I remember those cards, I wasn't impressed with the quality...

The old Rage Pro and Rage128 iDCT is far superior. Not all the Rage Pros had iDCT though... Or maybe it was all the Rage Pros but not all the Rage IIs... Goodness, this is so far back, I can't even remember.

Wikipedia says IDCT was a Rage 128 feature.

This is bringing back VERY fond childhood memories.

I never got the opportunity to see a side by side but I hear from owners of such cards that software was better if you had the power. This was back when I was a 15 year old kid in high school with little more than a K6-III with a TNT2 m64. The old timer behind the parts counter said "DVD is no problem for your chip, it does a better job anyway" or something like that. I parted with $100 and came home with an off brand 12x DVD-ROM drive and a used TV tuner card. Coupled with my newly repaired dumpster dive 17" CRT, I was one happy kid. (I was even happier once I found the checkbox that said "deinterlace")

Comp specs:
AMD K6-III+ 450MHz (eventually OC'd to 575 MHz)
64MB Crucial PC100 (eventually 192MB)
15GB Maxtor 5400 RPM HDD....POS but it worked better than that Bigfoot!
Artec 12X DVD ROM
Unknown 5.25/3.5 combo floppy drive (it still works!)
Gigabyte GA-5AA baby AT board
TNT2 m64 (TNT2 with half the memory bandwidth...cheap and OC'd like mad! And you needed to OC...it was slow!)
SB Live! (and a stereo of epic proportions to go with it!)
56k modem (later 2 56k modems so I could monopolize both phone lines when the parents were in bed, Earthlink didn't care!)
Windows 98SE
All this mounted on a piece of plywood with a DO NOT TOUCH sign.

Oh and yeah...
200W Teapo AT PSU, yes, they made PSUs! This later became a DEER 250W ATX PSU when I actually got a case for this beast.....and that later failed spectacularly, no other casualties thankfully. I discovered FSP/Sparkle shortly after this incident. This was my not so gentle introduction to the world of crap caps. I sold my first machine around this time.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Minimum CPU requirement for software DVD decoding

Why the fuck do you want an old-ass slow computer?

Just get topcats board and P4, drop 512MB of ram and linux mint and you're on your way.

Slowest computer for dvd playback, bwahaha bluray is the future, when it gets cheap.

I think blu ray is going to go the way of betamax, laser disc and 8-track tapes.
.

[shadow]

Re: Minimum CPU requirement for software DVD decoding

Perhaps...however I am now seeing a lot of blu-ray stuff in the shops now-a-days!

Ok so the burners are not too popular at the moment and they are expensive. However when I go to the shops I am seeing a ton of blu-ray players and blu-ray movies for purchase.

As far as I know, Blu-Ray killed off HD-DVD (those are pretty much seen no where)...but you are correct, its competition now is the technology it is meant to replace!

It may be technology that won't necessarily light the night on fire (in terms of its primary use...entertainment). On anything other than a massive screen, you will be hard pressed to spot the difference I assume. However it seems that the technology will stick around for quite some time.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Minimum CPU requirement for software DVD decoding

That's what they said about betamax, laser disc and 8-track tapes.
.

[lti]

Re: Minimum CPU requirement for software DVD decoding

I tried running Media Player Classic on the two computers. The PII was able to play the DVD, but the video would sometimes slow down or speed up. It could be caused by the CPU overheating and throttling (the heatsink doesn't contact the CPU properly). The K6-2 couldn't play the DVD. The sound stuttered and the left half of the video was displayed twice. There were also lots of horizontal lines over the video.

I've thrown away better things than what you're asking about. I have a drawer full of P4 processors and stacks of motherboards....I'm sure there's a good one in the bunch. come up with a case and perifs, I'll kick in a processor and board.

I used to have an old case full of parts. If I ever find it, I'll use it to build a new computer.

Why the fuck do you want an old-ass slow computer?

I want a newer computer, but this is what I have.

I've found something with SSE or 3D Now helps if the decoder can use SIMD...so that means PIII or K6-2.

If you have a semi modern video card, those often have MPEG2 decode blocks with either full or partial acceleration.

The old case had a Radeon 7000 card in it. I don't know what happened to it.

Here is one.
http://cgi.ebay.com/220771955562
I recognise the name of the card as popular back then but never used one.
The seller is okay.
.
Drivers might be a problem - for any of them.
That's win95 & win98 stuff.
.

I am not sure if I am going to buy a DVD decoder card for the K6-2 system. When I get a replacement optical drive, it might only be a CD-ROM drive. The PII system is a laptop and originally came with a Kingmax DVD decoder card. I didn't get the card with it. I have a newer laptop, but it has so many problems that it isn't worth repairing.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Minimum CPU requirement for software DVD decoding

K6-2 should be fine with a good video card.

Is your laptop a gateway as your link implies and if so what model?
I used to refurbish those things [P-I thru P-III vintage] and I still have some random parts around.

Back in that day I was using a Gateway 9100's which I'd upgrade to a 300Mhz P-II w/512k.
The later versions [14" screen + Trident Chip] had an optional hardware decoder via an internal proprietary add-in card.
It worked fine for DVD but you were stuck with Win98 because the manufacturer of the decoder chip got bought out and the new company wouldn't support the old chip.
Still have a 9100 that is dedicated to my PC interface Car Computer ODB-II reader.

The Gateway 9150's used a different decoder chip and worked in W2k.
[Even XP I think, if you like slow and hunting drivers.]
Those were available with a 15" screen and was easier to get up to 400Mhz CPU's for.
Still use one sometimes as a DVD player [on road trips where I fly or stay in motels] and/or a portable PDF reader I can set right where I'm working.
[If I'm gonna get robbed on a trip they aren't getting my good laptop.]
.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Minimum CPU requirement for software DVD decoding

http://cgi.ebay.com/330588281743

[lti]

Re: Minimum CPU requirement for software DVD decoding

The laptop is a Gateway Solo 2500. It has a 13" screen and a 333MHz PII. I need to make a shim to install between the CPU and heatsink so I don't need a thick thermal pad.

That is the decoder card it uses. I wonder if I can still find drivers for it or if the drivers are still installed on the computer.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Minimum CPU requirement for software DVD decoding

That one has the older Neo-whatever video chip.
Was great in it's day but it dates to Win3.x I think and was old news by the time Win98 showed up.
.
It would work for DVD with that decoder and the right drivers but frankly [if your careful, patient, and a little lucky] you could score a much better laptop on eBay that doesn't need a decoder for less than what that decoder costs.
DO NOT buy one without a dongle. You'll end up buying another one to just get a dongle.
Found this though... http://www.alancomputech.com/zv-dvd.html
It says drivers are only for Win95/Win98.
.
The Solo 2500 uses the MMC-1 CPU module and IMHO the 300Mhz P-II with 512k cache ran better than the 333 and 366 with 256k cache.
[The 400Mhz I still have are the MMC-2 CPU module. Not compatible.]
.
I used to leave the old pad and apply a very thin layer of arctic-silver to bridge the break.
Technically not 'proper' but it works fine with those.
[I could find NO WHERE to get new thermal pads back then. Had no choice back then but pads are easy to find now.]
If you already scraped away the old pad you are screwed for that fix and just get an appropriate thermal pad.
[The shim will be more of a PITA than finding the right thermal pad.]
.
If all you want to do is play DVD's and don't care about mobile I'd take TC up on his offer.
A P4 should play DVD's fine even with on-board video.
For that matter a P-III over 400 Mhz on an i810 or i815 chipset should too.
.