nVIDIA PureVideo and High Definition Content
High
definition is the future entertainment standard of tomorrow's video's. Playing
high definition content on current generation PCs can bog down even the fastest
processors because there is more data to handle. Similar to the need for DVD
accelerators a few years ago, nVIDIA PureVideo enables computer users to view
MPEG-2/DVD and WMV9 High Definition formats on the monitor without slowing the
Biostar Sigma-Gate GeForce 7600GS system to a crawl. 
 The PureVideo
standard incorporates a hardware accelerator for the afore mentioned MPEG-2/DVD,
and Microsoft Windows Media High Definition Video standards (WMV9 HD). According
to nVIDIA's documentation on PureVideo, the GPU (GeForce 6 and 7 series GPUs)
takes on video decoding tasks from the CPU, and the end result is smoother,
shutter free High Definition playback. nVIDIA PureVideo also supports most
current and future high definition formats.
PureVideo is
more than just a media accelerator; it also includes features to improve video
picture quality. DVD, cable and satellite video provide poor crispness,
clearness and smoothness that consumers have been desperate to be "saved from."
nVIDIA's PureVideo technology applies spatial temporal de-interlacing to
apparently deliver a better image than traditional de-interlacing can muster.
PureVideo also fixes the 3:2 pull down problem that can arise from 24 fps video
being converted to 30 fps for viewing on TVs or monitors. By recovering the
original 24 frame content, PureVideo allows for a clear crisper
image.
Examining CPU Load with PureVideo
To test
PureVideo's High Definition accelerating capabilities on the Biostar Sigma-Gate
GeForce 7600GS, we'll playback a video downloaded from Microsoft's WMV HD Content Showcase
through Windows Media Player 10. "The Discoverers" (IMAX) video is available in
both 720P and 1080P formats. AMD processor utilization will be monitored via
Task Manager.
The 720P version of the Discoverers video
uses between 20-25% CPU usage which frees up a lot of system resources for other
background tasks.
Surprisingly running the 1080P version of the
Discoverers video uses less system resources than the 720P version! CPU usage
jumped between 18-23% which is very low. Now we'll get our hands dirty
overclocking the Biostar Sigma-Gate GeForce 7600GS videocard with the Sigma-Gate
and V-Ranger overclocking utilities....
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