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The 11.6" MBA and 1080p MKV
- Thread starter ImperialX
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VLC doesn't support hardware acceleration yet.
Funny thing, I transcoded (without compressing, same bitrate) the Bird file (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1D4BX1U9)
I used YAMB, and MeGUI.
Guess what? The final mp4 file is hardware accelerated!!!
CPU load is now 15%
I can stream 25gb blu-ray rips from my imac to my 1.4 Air connected to my TV.
Sometimes it skips a frame or two because its streaming. Otherwise Movist & the 1.4 plays everything like a pro. VLC needs an i7 to play the same files!!!
Sometimes it skips a frame or two because its streaming. Otherwise Movist & the 1.4 plays everything like a pro. VLC needs an i7 to play the same files!!!
Just a few questions..
1) I want to play MKV mostly 720P (4 gig files) run from MBA out with HDMI adapter into the ONKYO receive which then splits the audio speakers and video to the TV from another HDMI cable. I figure this should work but I haven't seen anyone mention it in the thread.
2) Running with 11.6 MBA to a 52 inch Samsung TV (being that it is a bigger size TV) wont be an issue?
1) I want to play MKV mostly 720P (4 gig files) run from MBA out with HDMI adapter into the ONKYO receive which then splits the audio speakers and video to the TV from another HDMI cable. I figure this should work but I haven't seen anyone mention it in the thread.
2) Running with 11.6 MBA to a 52 inch Samsung TV (being that it is a bigger size TV) wont be an issue?
I just bought an iPad but I'm kind of tempted to sell it to purchase a 11.6" MacBook air. I would mainly use it to listen to music do schoolwork and do casual surfing... Plus watching some mkvs(anime-720p) so would the 11.6 1.4/4gb be plenty for that? I've read this thread but most people have either the ultimate 11.6 or the 13 so I'm just double checking. Thanks!
Has anyone been able to compare battery life impact of playing video with acceleration vs without?
Yep it definitely works. You just have to make sure your adapter (MDP to HDMI) supports the audio functionality. I have the one made by Moshi sold at the apple store.
Driving the Samsung TV shouldnt be an issue because you are dealing with the same amount of total pixels 1920x1080 as on any smaller 1080p TV, the pixels themselves are just larger on the 52inch.
VLC choked while playing the birds file. Plex played it without any problem, CPU usage was around 65-68%.
Thanks for this link. I didn't know someone had picked it up and continued to develop.
I guess it's just me...
Personally? I'm bummed. My maxed out 11" chokes while streaming most all of my high profile 1080 stuff. Plex, VLC, Movist, they all have some issues with it.
Movist usually is the best, but still not awesome.
The worst part though, and the one that has me probably returning the 11" sadly, is the battery life. It really is a machine meant more for light creation, rather than consumption. Watching video, especially streaming it, just chews up the battery.
I'm in a no man's land it seems. There are times when I really need the full MacBook functionality and others when I'm doing just iPad type of consuming...
Yet I have no interest in having both devices.
Frustrating.
Edit: Oh, and before a troll jumps on here. I'm not wasting any time converting files down for devices. On iOS it's great now with AirVideo as you can just keep one super high quality copy of a movie/show and down-convert on the fly. If there was a viable AirVideo Mac App, then on the 11" that would be my answer, but as of now there are just very hacky 3rd party alphas/betas right now.
Personally? I'm bummed. My maxed out 11" chokes while streaming most all of my high profile 1080 stuff. Plex, VLC, Movist, they all have some issues with it.
Movist usually is the best, but still not awesome.
The worst part though, and the one that has me probably returning the 11" sadly, is the battery life. It really is a machine meant more for light creation, rather than consumption. Watching video, especially streaming it, just chews up the battery.
I'm in a no man's land it seems. There are times when I really need the full MacBook functionality and others when I'm doing just iPad type of consuming...
Yet I have no interest in having both devices.
Frustrating.
Edit: Oh, and before a troll jumps on here. I'm not wasting any time converting files down for devices. On iOS it's great now with AirVideo as you can just keep one super high quality copy of a movie/show and down-convert on the fly. If there was a viable AirVideo Mac App, then on the 11" that would be my answer, but as of now there are just very hacky 3rd party alphas/betas right now.
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I have a maxed out macbook air 11. I have always been a windows user but I am and always have been completely open minded and I was looking forward to using OS X, particularly given that most of you would say it is better performing than windows and that includes multimedia performance.
Can one of you please explain to me therefore why it is that on my bootcamp windows 7 partition I can play 9gb 1080p MKV files butter smooth and full screen, yet in all the many (ie VLC, Mplayer, PLEX) in OSX it is impossible to watch these files due to skipping, pausing and pixelation.
It is an absolute joke that windows can use the hardware acceleration of the 320M and OS X can't.
I'm so disappointed.
Can one of you please explain to me therefore why it is that on my bootcamp windows 7 partition I can play 9gb 1080p MKV files butter smooth and full screen, yet in all the many (ie VLC, Mplayer, PLEX) in OSX it is impossible to watch these files due to skipping, pausing and pixelation.
It is an absolute joke that windows can use the hardware acceleration of the 320M and OS X can't.
I'm so disappointed.
I wish I could answer for you.
I'm at a loss.
My refund has been approved and I'm shipping it back on Monday.
The 11" is capable of much more from a hardware standpoint than Apple is letting it do.
Ridiculous.
I wouldn't dream of sending mine back though! Is the reason they can't play in VLC in OS X because of the the videolan team or because of apple? ie is it an apple development issue that means VLC cannot include a working plugin?
I'm used to media player classic in windows which is the best media player ever and nothing on mac comes close
I will wait patiently and see if someone on this forum comes to my rescue before apple do.
I wouldn't dream of sending mine back though! Is the reason they can't play in VLC in OS X because of the the videolan team or because of apple? ie is it an apple development issue that means VLC cannot include a working plugin?
I'm used to media player classic in windows which is the best media player ever and nothing on mac comes close
I will wait patiently and see if someone on this forum comes to my rescue before apple do.
Luckily mine will be back on the refurb store for someone else soon!
Yeah, just depends on the content you're using with it (obviously). I have some stuff that chokes even Movist.
Have any of you guys with the 2gb models have issue playing 720p mkv files while web browsing or other light tasks?