In one of the previous articles I raised the theme of hardware decoding Full HD video. Modernity requires the use of 4K and 8K videos on the computer.

Introduction

To ensure a stable frame rate, low processor loading during high -resolution video playing, the computing load is transferred from the central processor to the video card - hardware acceleration of the video. To do this, the video card must have support for decoding popular formats - H.264 (AVC), H.265 (HEVC), VP8, VP9.

СлеIt should be noted that the YouTube site by default plays a video of the format VP9 - further development of the VP8 format. The use of VP9 is due to the need to save bandwidth. In addition, VP9 is open source. But VP9 is a more demanding codec in terms of computing needs: in terms of encoding and decoding algorithms, it is close to H.265. At the same bit rate, the VP9 codec provides better quality compared to H.264 and is better suited for video streaming. That is why Google has chosen VP9 as the main codec for its YouTube video platform.

Complete Appal support of the VP9 codec begins with video cards NVIDIA GTX 950, 960, which support a set of capabilities "Feature Set F". Earlier cards are processed partially, relying on the productive central processor.

Intel has support VP9 first implemented in a graphic processor built into the CPU Intel HD Graphics 620/Intel UHD Graphics 620 member of the central processors of the 7th and 8th generations "Kaby Lake" And "Coffee Lake". For example, Intel Core i3-7200, Intel Core i3-8300 without any problems play the YouTube video in FullHD resolution, which I was convinced. At the same time, the central processor is busy by no more than 24%. News of the Intel| UHD Graphics 730, 750 are also suitable. Format support 4K began with Intel Core processors 6th series "Skylake S".

For Intel processors of the previous, 2-3 generations of Intel processors and for AMD Phenom / Athlon to support video 4K you need a dicide video card with a hardware accelerator of video 4K decoding (see tables below).

More powerful AMD Athlon/Ryzen and Intel i5/i7 AMD AM4 and Intel 1155 and third generations can decode the FullHD video and some 4K-video programs on the CPU computational nuclei, using video programs as PotPlayer or MPC-HC (enters into The composition K-Lite Codec Pack), VLC starting with version 2.1.2. To broadcast the 4K permissibility video 4096 x 2160, HDMI 1.4 (for the frame rate 30 FPS) or 2.0 (for 60 FPS) is required.

ВыхOD DisplayPort is most profitable for transferring video 4K to a compatible with DP monitor. DisplayPort is available in some motherboards for sockets of LGA 1150, 1151 and 1155. Most of the Maternal boards LGA 1700 Display Port. Therefore, the IgPU built -in the IGPU processor accelerating the decoding operations of the FullHD and 4K video can be a good choice if the motherboard is not office, but the game level.

Support for the VP9 codec for YouTube is built into the Chrome browser (all versions starting with Google Chrome 29) and Microsoft Edge (starting with Windows 10, Version 1607 "Anniversary Update"). The Mozilla Firefox browser has the VP9 4K support for YouTube, but it must be included in extended settings ABOUT: Config(see article Firefox 4k YouTube Videos:
media.mediasource.webm.enabled = true

Support for hardware acceleration for 4K is included in mobile processors (for laptops): Celeron J4020, J4025, J4120, J4125, J5030, J5040, code name "Gemini Lake Refresh".

The most suitable for viewing YouTube AMD processors with built -in graphics - begin with Ryzen 5 2400G, Ryzen 5 3350G, Ryzen 5 3400G, Ryzen 5 Pro 3400G and the like, with a chip "RX Vega 11". Of the AMD discrete video cards - the best (but also expensive) - Radeon RX, models 5300, 5600, 5700, etc. ..

Addition from 2022:
Decoding video 8K, as a rule, requires a discrete video card and cable HDMI 2.1 or DisplayPort 1.4.
Из Central processors, decodes 8K video models of the AMD series Ryzen 7000, which were released in 2022 - the first with support for the architecture of RDNA2. But on the latest processors of 8K, the frequency of personnel is available 24 or 30 FPS. For 8k@60, a modern discrete video card is required.

NVIDIA - hardware video acceleration "PureVideo"

AMD hardware video acceleration "Avivo "

Built-in graphics of Intel processors

AMD processors with built-in graphics for desktop PC

PC upgrade strategy for high-quality video viewing

ОчеIt is advisable to modernize old computers using used discrete video cards - such as NVIDIA GT 440, 450, 460 or "office" the GT 520 / GT 610 video cards. The upgrade price will be 1000 rubles ($ 15). A better solution is the replacement of the motherboard and processor. If the computer is not used for games, you can assemble the computer on inexpensive processors with built -in graphics - for example, a processor Athlon 3000g(with graphics "Radeon Vega 3") you can buy for 5000 rubles ($ 67). From Intel products - new processors Intel| Core ™ i3-7100 Socket LGA1151 - 6500 руб. available for sale at the AVITO flea market. This configuration is enough for Full HD video and office programs. I would like to especially note the not very well-known processor Intel Pentium Gold G5420 which is now (at 2021-04-20) 8800 rubles (2020-10-06 I bought it for organizing 4700 rubles)-it also perfectly reproduces the FullHD video (processor downloads 16%). However, the significant rise in the price of computer components in 2021 makes us approach the modernization of the PC more carefully.

Add from 07.08.2023.
For 1080p resolution, some inexpensive options are suitable - LGA775 and AM2 sockets. Below are two configurations of home PC for playing the Full HD 1080P video for YouTube:
1) Intel Core2Duo E4700 @3.2 GHZ + 4GB DDR2 @1058 MHz + Ati Radeon X300 (The price of a set is 150 + 300 = 450 rubles)) performs 1080P 30FPS, loading the processor by 50% (reproduction for a full screen). At 60 frames per second, the picture stops.
2) AMD Phenom X3 710 + 4GB DDR2 + NVIDIA GeForce GT 610 for 1000 rubles - It without problems plays video 1080p at 60 frames per second. (Phenom X3: 720 /740; X4: 830 /840 /920 /940 /960 are also suitable. The processor performance is not as important as support for H.264 decoding algorithms).

Addition from 04.07.2024:

• YouTube and other services promote the open codec VP9 (WebM) for a high -clad video that does not have support for hardware acceleration at the level of video cards. To disable VP9: Enter about:config in the Mozilla address bar and set the Media-Capabilities configuration parameter media.media-capabilities.enabled false and install the H264IFY extension.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_F_AMD_ACCELERATED_Processing_units
• [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radeon_rx_vega_series] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/radeon_rx_vega_series)
• https://amd.news/obzor/Spisok-pu-pu-Radeon-vega-graphics/
• [https://www.x.org/wiki/RadeonFeature/#Index8H2] (https://www.x.org/wiki/radeonfeature/#Index8H2)
• https://www.ferra.ru/review/notebooks/amd-carrizo-explained.htm
• [https://www.techpowerup.com/GPU-SPECS/AMD-polaris-24.g889] (https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/amd-polaris-24.g889)
• [http://www.efxi.ru/news/news_4338.html] (http://www.efxi.ru/news/news_4338.html)
• https://www.ixbt.com/3dv/AMD-Radeon-RX-6800-XT-Review.html - paragraph "Image output and video data processing"
• [https://www.ixbt.com/3dv/amd-radeon-vii-review.html] (https://wwww.ixbt.com/3dv/amd-radeon-vii-reView.html)
• [https://amd.news/obzor/Spisok-Processorov-socket-am4/] (https://amd.news/obzor/spisok-processorov-socket-am4/)