Unified Video Decoder
The Unified Video Decoder, previously called "Universal Video Decoder", or UVD in short, is the video decoding unit from ATI Technologies to support hardware decode of H.264 and VC-1 video codec standards, and being a part of AVIVO HD technology. The existence of UVD was reported by a Hong Kong computer website HKEPC hardware[1] with leaked presentation slides.[2]
Features
The UVD is based on an ATI Xilleon video processor, incorporated into the same die of the GPU and part of the AVIVO HD for hardware decoding videos, along with the Advanced Video Processor (AVP). The UVD, as stated by ATI, handles decoding of H.264/AVC, and VC-1 video codecs almost entirely in hardware. The decoder meets the performance and profile requirements of Blu-ray and HD-DVD, decoding H.264 bitstreams up to a bitrate of 40 Mbit/s. It has context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) support and dual-stream decoding support, which would make picture-in-picture possible.
Unlike video acceleration blocks in previous generation GPUs, UVD offloads almost the entire video-decoder process for VC-1 and H.264, requiring minimal host (CPU) attention. For example, neither ATI Radeon R520 series' AVIVO nor NVidia Geforce 7 series' PureVideo assist front-end bitstream/entropy decompression in VC-1 and H.264 - the host CPU performs this work.[3] In addition to handling VLC/CAVLC/CABAC, frequency transform, pixel prediction and inloop deblocking, UVD also contains an advanced video post-processing block. Post-processing includes denoising, deinterlacing, and scaling/resizing. AMD has also stated that the UVD component being corporated into the GPU core only occupies 4.7 mm² in area on 65 nm fabrication process node.
In terms of functionality, UVD is similar to the 2nd-generation of PureVideo HD, which Nvidia introduced with its GeForce 8500/8600 series family. But unlike UVD, PureVideo 2 does not assist VLC bitstream decoding for VC-1. Benchmarks have demonstrated UVD to use less CPU-power than PureVideo2 in both Bluray and HD-DVD playback.
Availability
Originally, ATI planned to implement the UVD in its RV550 series GPU aimed at mainstream market, with two different specifications in which one features HDMI and video out support another featuring DVI as well as video-out support, and production was in December 2006, revealed by the slides. However, as of current date, no information about the release of related products. Some suggested the RV550 products were for OEMs.
The Radeon HD 2000 series video cards implements the UVD, for hardware decoding of 1080p high definition contents.[4] However, the Radeon HD 2900 series video cards do not include the UVD (though it is able to provide similar functionality though the use of its shaders), which was incorrectly stated to be present on the product pages and package boxes of the add-in partners' products before the launch of the Radeon HD 2900 XT, either stating the card as featuring AVIVO HD or explicitly UVD, which only the former statement of AVIVO HD is correct. The exclusion of UVD was also confirmed by AMD officials.[5]
ATI plans to introduce next generation IGP motherboards, the RS780 with DirectX 10 capabilities and UVD features. The upcoming performance product based on the RV670 core will also include the UVD.[6]
See also
References
- ^ HKEPC report
- ^ Leaked slides: slide 1, and slide 2
- ^ (Chinese)HardSpell review
- ^ HKEPC report
- ^ DailyTech report
- ^ X-bit Labs report, retrieved October 2, 2007
External links
- Original HKEPC report with leaked slides
- HKEPC report with comparisons between video decoders
- Presentation slides comparison between CPU decode, AVIVO HD and PureVideo HD
- Decode comparision of VC-1 and H.264 video
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