The Great Apple Video Encoder Attack of 2007

PBS ^ | 03/08/2007 | I, Cringely

[Swordmaker]

The Great Apple Video Encoder Attack of 2007: Cupertino plans to add H.264 hardware support to its entire line.

Maybe you have wondered, as I have, why it takes a pretty robust notebook computer to play DVD videos, while Wal-Mart will sell you a perfectly capable progressive-scan DVD player from Philips for $38? In general, the dedicated DVD player is not only a lot cheaper, it works better, too, and the simple reason is because it decodes the DVD's MPEG-2 video stream in hardware, rather than in software. They won't run a spreadsheet, true, but DVD players are brilliant at doing what they are designed to do over and over again. And if the expedient here is a $7 MPEG-2 decoder chip, it's a wonder why such chips didn't appear long ago in PCs.

Well they are about to, after a fashion.

I'm not sure of the real reason why we haven't seen widespread video-decoding hardware in personal computers, which have largely used decoding software, instead. Maybe the reason is economic (save the $7) or maybe it is political (Microsoft or maybe Apple are for some reason opposed to hardware decoding). But like a lot of real reasons, I think it probably comes down to hubris and the simple fact that by decoding video in software, road warriors have another incentive to buy a more expensive -- and more powerful -- computer.

Now comes the rumor I have heard, that I believe to be a fact, that has simply yet to be confirmed. I have heard that Apple plans to add hardware video decoding to ALL of its new computers beginning fairly soon, certainly this year.

Why Apple would do this is fairly clear to me, but first let's clarify what I mean by hardware video decoding, because it isn't implicitly the MPEG-2 format used in present-day DVDs. I'm not saying Apple's video-decoder chip won't also decode MPEG-2 (it may or may not -- I simply don't know), but the chip's primary codec is H.264, which is at the heart of both Apple's QuickTime software and its iTunes video downloading service.

WHY Apple would add H.264 video-decoding hardware to its entire line of PCs comes down to supporting iTunes and any similar video distribution efforts Apple may spring on us. By going with a chip, Apple ensures the same base performance level from every machine it sells, from the lowliest Mac Mini right up to the mightiest four-core Mac Pro. Up until now it took a multi-core machine with a lot of memory to support real 1080p (HDTV) decoding, but soon you'll be able to do that easily on a Mac Mini while leaving the main CPU to handle other chores like networking, running the graphical user interface, or perhaps integrating in real time a variety of video ad streams.

Apple's new policy, if true, will turn on its head the whole notion of forcing users upmarket if they want better video support. THE POLICY WILL COST APPLE MONEY, not just for the video chip, but also for the lost sales of higher performance machines.

So what's in it for Apple? Potentially a lot, because the chip Apple has chosen doesn't cost $7, it costs more like $50, and it doesn't just do hardware H.264 decoding, it does hardware H.264 ENCODING, too.

This will change everything. Soon even the lowliest Mac will be able to effortlessly record in background one or more video signals while the user runs TurboTax on the screen. Macs will become superb DVR machines with TiVo-like functionality yet smaller file sizes than any TiVo box could ever produce. In a YouTube world, the new Macs will be a boon to user-produced video, which will, in turn, promote the H.264 standard. By being able to encode in real time, the new Macs will have that American Idol clip up and running faster than could be done on almost any other machine. Add in Slingbox-like capability to throw your home cable signal around the world and it gets even better. Add faster video performance to the already best-of-league iChat audio/video chat client, and every new Mac becomes a webcam or a video phone.

It's an aggressive play that fits perfectly with Apple's traditional role as the hardware platform of choice for new media development. And I am sure the company will have at least one new service or application that will uniquely support this new chip upon which Apple is placing a $500+ million bet.

Remember, you read it here first.

[Swordmaker]

Hmmmm.... an interesting rumor about Apple DVD playing ability... PING!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[Swordmaker]

Thanks to Hal9000 for the heads up...

[SunkenCiv]

Apple, big flat screen, all-in-one television entertainment system?

[IncPen]

But like a lot of real reasons, I think it probably comes down to hubris and the simple fact that by decoding video in software, road warriors have another incentive to buy a more expensive -- and more powerful -- computer

It could also be that standards change, and embedding a hardware codec inserts the risk that the codec could unexpectedly become outdated

Smells like this guy knows about 50% of what he thinks he does...

[1234]

this article suggests that Apple developers have become aware of a not much reported phenomenon: folks with DVR's on cable/satellite have a big wish for more easy storage/archiving of more programs..a current part DVR's market has 'gone beyond' the harddrives offered.

[relictele]

It could also be that standards change, and embedding a hardware codec inserts the risk that the codec could unexpectedly become outdated

Point taken, but what about programmable chips, i.e., ones that use firmware? It would still take the software decoding out of the picture.

[antiRepublicrat]

Apple has been an early H.264 supporter, so this isn't a surprise.

it does hardware H.264 ENCODING

Now that's impressive, saving the purchase of an expensive hardware encoder, or a lot of your time. Apple's machines are already pretty fast due to putting a lot of video filters, etc., onto the video card (saving the purchase of a real-time card), and this move will make them even faster.

And this looks like a step towards DVR. Put that on a mini and you have the potential for the best DVR on the market.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

What exactly is iTV?

Would this putt iTV capability in all new macs?

[Wyatt's Torch]

Bobhas been pretty darn good over the years. I've been reading his column for a while and he's quite knowledgeable.

If Apple does do this, it will absolutely be game changing.

[Wyatt's Torch]

"Put that on a mini and you have the potential for the best DVR on the market."

Exactly. Couple it with the iLife/iTunes suite and extension modules like Apple TV and you have a true media center base.