Drivers for linux are rubbish

[droidhacker]

MPEG-II is not efficient in HD. People are pulling CPU usage figures out of their bum and taking MPEG-II rendered via VLC in non HD resolutions on netbooks as some kind of measure of performance.

MPEG-II in HD can use well over 40% of an i5-750 when rendered 1080P proper.

Also, droidhacker, your Qualcomm MSM7201 is ARMv6 and has hardware MPEG2 decoding built in.

You are an IDIOT who doesn't READ.
Yes it does have hardware accel, but only when the PROPRIETARY BLOB DRIVERS are present!

[IsawSparks]

I don't say it HURTS, I'm saying that you need to focus on what you NEED. NEEDS and WANTS don't necessarily correlate. And FYI: there is software/shader/G3D accel for MPEG2.

Once again, look at your own phone. At has acceleration for MPEG2 because it needs it. Your piddling 528mhz CPU with almost no functional floating point NEEDS MPEG2 playback acceleration just to be able to play back the videos which are staple to modern cellphone media.

By the time there's functional shader code in OSS circles to process HD video at the same rate as hardware can, the onboard decoders will be in everything and cheap enough not to warrant most of the shader work, save for experimental features. One of the most popular HD players on Windows, Media Player Classic Home Cinema, has probably the most extensive use of shader code outside of basic playback features and most of that is barely useful save for some palette shifting and all of it is only Shader Model 2 stuff with the single of exception of one filter which is SM3 and repeats a function provided by the SM2 filter of a similar name.

Hardware Decoding of HD video will win out in Linux too.

[IsawSparks]

You are an IDIOT who doesn't READ.
Yes it does have hardware accel, but only when the PROPRIETARY BLOB DRIVERS are present!

What are you talking about? You run some other OS than what's provided on your phone?

[pingufunkybeat]

Hardware Decoding of HD video will win out in Linux too.

Only if there is a fully open solution.

Proprietary drivers have never won out on Linux.

Some parts can and will be done on shaders, the rest on the CPU, and most people will really not care whether CABAC runs on the CPU or a specialised unit.

[IsawSparks]

Only if there is a fully open solution.

Proprietary drivers have never won out on Linux.

Some parts can and will be done on shaders, the rest on the CPU, and most people will really not care whether CABAC runs on the CPU or a specialised unit.

The stats already provided in this thread and stats, mind you, taken via Phoronix' own test suite PROVE that wrong. More people are running the proprietary Nvidia-glx than any other driver.

Either you're wrong or you're hopeful. Probably both.

[mirv]

The stats already provided in this thread and stats, mind you, taken via Phoronix' own test suite PROVE that wrong. More people are running the proprietary Nvidia-glx than any other driver.

Either you're wrong or you're hopeful. Probably both.

That's because the people with nvidia hardware don't have much of a choice.

[pingufunkybeat]

Graphics drivers are the huge glaring exception and a relatively recent development. Especially with nvidia, and their open-source policy. 10 years ago, most graphics drivers were open source. Intel stayed with open source. ATi started with open source and turned to a proprietary solution, and went back after seeing how much work that is and how little people like it. Nvidia is the odd one out, and even there users and the most powerful distros are calling for open drivers.

There is virtually no other hardware where you need to run proprietary drivers for basic functionality on Linux. It won't stay like this.

[IsawSparks]

That's because the people with nvidia hardware don't have much of a choice.

And fglrx outpaces the FOSS ATI driver but a huge margin too. Choice is nice but functionality is most important.

[IsawSparks]

Graphics drivers are the huge glaring exception and a relatively recent development. Especially with nvidia, and their open-source policy. 10 years ago, most graphics drivers were open source. Intel stayed with open source. ATi started with open source and turned to a proprietary solution, and went back after seeing how much work that is and how little people like it. Nvidia is the odd one out, and even there users and the most powerful distros are calling for open drivers.

There is virtually no other hardware where you need to run proprietary drivers for basic functionality on Linux. It won't stay like this.

It may not stay like this, but until ATI offers a fully functional closed source driver, nvidia-glx will be the driver of choice of for a fully functional desktop linux experience at the high and midrange end.

For the lower to midrange, even the Intel Integrated solutions (save for Clarkdale) offer better performance and more functionality than the ATI closed or open sourced drivers.

[pingufunkybeat]

How about proprietary OSSv3 drivers for audio cards?

How are those doing?

Or proprietary ethernet adapter drivers?

Good things come to those who wait