I was wondering if i may be doing something wrong but.... when i try running a full hd file (1080p) the playback isn't as smooth as i'd expect, although the move is still watchable, parts with heavy action noticeably lag i must be doing something wrong right? perhaps VLC isn't the best choice for these types of files? mind you, playing anything less than a full, HD file is fine, no hiccups at all. I only ask because I'm pretty sure that my macbook 2.4ghz (late 2008/unibody) can't possibly be slower than my WDTV (LOL) which plays all those HD files perfectly smooth. I haven't upgraded to 4gb of ram yet, but i don't think that should be the solution (i could be wrong though unlikely), i'm thinking another player perhaps? any suggestions?
thanks for the link, looking into it now.... nice! i was just on the forums on macrumors, and they suggested the same thing, looking into it now, can't wait to try it at home later. i can't believe VLC still sucks at this, i mean i've heard before that VLC wasn't really optimized for 1080p playback, but it's been months since and still no actual improvements ***i knew it couldn't have been a shortcoming of the hardware, ahehehehehe......so excited to try this out tonight. thanks again
Well, it helps a lot if you have a fast computer with a very good video card. My imac 24" 2.8Ghz 256mb video plays 1080p .mkv files easily. If the media is located on an external drive, always best to use the firewire port which is faster than usb. Thanks on the Plex suggestion will download now and try it out.
although i know this is a definite must for computers, i find it incredible that my WDTV and PCH, can play 1080p files flawlessly (well most of the time = 99%) using such paltry hardware when compared to the macbook/macbookpro line of laptops ....wow i just saw the plex screenshots...wow :O, nice interface
I think these HD media players have the Sigma chip which handle the processing of HD videos which our macs dont have. Anybody correct me if I'm wrong
Our macs with the right player can play 1080p but the screen output of our macs is good for only 720p res (1440x990 on mine)? Is that right? So the output wouldn't be a full 1080?
tha maximum memory that the system will allocate to the shared video of your 2GB macbook is 256MB. the PCH can play 1080p files yes, but throw a lot of detail and panning shots at it and framerate suffers as well. the slick action scenes of jumper are unwatchable. +1 on ditoy's points.
correct. You need those lcds which can handle higher resolutios. 1080p material has a 16:9 aspect ratio. Most mac LCDs have 16:10 aspect rations so the videos have the usual black bar above and below the video. 1600x900-----16:9 1920x1080-----16:9 1440x900-----16:10 1680x1050-----16:10 1920x1200-----16:10 With all these technicalities aside, 1080p files are only useful for bigger LCDs. Even on a 32" LCD, 720p looks amazing using the egreat-popcorn-WD TV media players. Small difference vs a 1080p image unless you watch up close 3 feet away from the 32" LCD will you notice the difference. For 42-50" LCDs, there the 1080p videos will be needed. Ganito yan, we don't set our cameras to full 12-16 megapixel resolutions because our computer lcds would be filled up! Same with videos, overkill ang 1080p for computer viewing. But if you will be collecting or archiving all your digital content, of course it's best to keep the highest possible resolution of 1080p for the future. With current LCD prices going down (I have seen a 42" Panasonic brand new for P42T only), it's good to know that you have all these 1080p content to watch and enjoy. boo, currently the best HD content players now are of course those with blu-ray. If you are playing from the hard drive, then the NMTs (egreat, popcorn, WDTV) are the best alternative. HTPCs, computers that have HDMI out video cards are also good, but that means going back to a PC hehe. Not cost effective if you have mac already. hopefully the next generation NMTs come up with a faster Sigma processing chip. Or sana the nextgen macs will have HDMI output and esata connectors (for external storage media on hard drives).
the new mac mini is looking pretty good right now because you have display options (up to 1920 by 1200 pixels on a DVI or VGA display; up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on a dual-link DVI). it appears that only the 17" MBP and 24" iMac can natively output in 1080p, not unless you use an external display on lower models.
Ah so NMTs still have limitations compared to Bluray. NMTs have a difficult time playing some content pala. I noticed this when watching LOTR but I thought the movie itself was at fault. So Bluray still the best (for now). Thanks for the info Ditoy. This thread is very informative!
A Lot of good LCDs 23-24" have 1080p capability already. Cheapest I have seen P9600 lang sa Gilmore hehe yan maganda if you want to connect to your mac Yes kikoreta the blu-ray can hold up to 50Gb capacity. 1080p .mkv files that we see around are compressed already, just like mp3 to Audio CD actual .Wav data. Sometimes there are faults in compression or codec problems that make the files hard to play or cause stuttering. Iba pa din ang Picture and Sound quality ng blu-ray. So those with PS3s have the best and cheapest entertainment system.
blue rays are definitely the current kings as far as quality if concerned. the only reason to go for NMT's or other media players is because of the mobility it allows you as compared to lugging around 20+ BR discs.
When watching a very large HD movie, its best to have the fastest connection to the NMT, which is eSata hardisk. If the movie is on a USB drive, its common for NMT to choke because of the USB connection.
i've never had an issue playing from the USB 2.0 on any other device (PCH/WDTV), the speed a USB 2.0 port provides should be enough for very large movies. I have some files that go well over 20gbs for a single movie and are encoded at unusually high bitrates, which is usually the first files i use to test a player out to see if it can indeed play demanding files. i started this thread earlier because i was so disappointed in VLC, and had tried the first 2 easier options (perian and adjusting VLC settings) and still both would not play a single 1080 file smooth enough to appreciate for 5mins lol. after installing plex though, and having gone through the tedious process of renaming my files, i can honestly say i'm blown away. i can't believe it can stand out leaps and bounds beyond quicktime+perian or VLC. my only gripe with it is that the whole experience was made to be watched/enjoyed full screen. while this may indeed be the best way, i would prefer being able to control window sizes. that way i can keep it neatly spaced out in my screen, for now i'll have to make do with the default size (not fullscreen) still it's hard to complain when it seems like the only player to actually do what it promises! superb software
