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EPiPHON3 · 04-22-2008, 07:26 AM

zyren Wrote:Maybe popcorn hour could implement this feature?

Not w/o paying a huge fee for the legal rights to use certain Dolby and ALL DTS decoders. It isn't chump change. Any way the current NMT supports ALL HD audio codecs via (L)PCM.

n2vwz · 04-22-2008, 06:11 PM

zyren Wrote:I think the new sigma chips will be out sooner than we imagines. the tvix-7000a was announced. although the article says release date is march, its been announced and may come out in a few months from now. I think this is the first product to be announced with the new signa chip.

http://asia.cnet.com/crave/2008/02/26/tv...-its-best/

edit: hmmm nm. Apparently its just a recased 6500A which uses the current chip. However, it says it will support truHD and all those formats in a future firmware upgrade, but i didnt think it could? Maybe popcorn hour could implement this feature?

According to the data sheet:
http://www.tvix.co.kr/Eng/boards/PressRe...id=414&pg=
it uses the SMP8635, not the SMP865x.

**excal** · 08-11-2008, 09:08 PM

hmm i wonder if syabas will be able to allow more Java scripting and html...or if it will have mostly the same browser restrictions.

cmotd · 08-13-2008, 12:01 AM

The only useful thing about the new chips is the 500MHz speed to allow an XBMC style fast GUI, and the Gigabit ethernet. All the other stuff is already supported by the current chips anyway. As for 12-bit deep colour processing, that's just BS.

Siggi Jarl · 08-13-2008, 12:08 AM

(08-13-2008 12:01 AM)cmotd Wrote: The only useful thing about the new chips is the 500MHz speed to allow an XBMC style fast GUI, and the Gigabit ethernet. All the other stuff is already supported by the current chips anyway. As for 12-bit deep colour processing, that's just BS.

you will not be getting a "xbmc style fast gui" without at least 64 MB of ram

journey4712 · (This post was last modified: 08-13-2008 01:57 AM by journey4712.)

(08-13-2008 12:08 AM)Siggi Jarl Wrote:
(08-13-2008 12:01 AM)cmotd Wrote: The only useful thing about the new chips is the 500MHz speed to allow an XBMC style fast GUI, and the Gigabit ethernet. All the other stuff is already supported by the current chips anyway. As for 12-bit deep colour processing, that's just BS.

you will not be getting a "xbmc style fast gui" without at least 64 MB of ram

From /proc/meminfo

MemTotal: 89640 kB
SwapTotal: 506036 kB

So the popcorn has 256M of memory based on the spec sheets. 90M is available to the linux operating system, the rest is reserved for the video/audio decoder. Also 500M of swap if neccessary with an internal disk
journey

Siggi Jarl · 08-13-2008, 12:00 PM

(08-13-2008 01:54 AM)journey4712 Wrote:
(08-13-2008 12:08 AM)Siggi Jarl Wrote:
(08-13-2008 12:01 AM)cmotd Wrote: The only useful thing about the new chips is the 500MHz speed to allow an XBMC style fast GUI, and the Gigabit ethernet. All the other stuff is already supported by the current chips anyway. As for 12-bit deep colour processing, that's just BS.

you will not be getting a "xbmc style fast gui" without at least 64 MB of ram
From /proc/meminfo

MemTotal: 89640 kB
SwapTotal: 506036 kB

So the popcorn has 256M of memory based on the spec sheets. 90M is available to the linux operating system, the rest is reserved for the video/audio decoder. Also 500M of swap if neccessary with an internal disk
journey

oh well

people still shouldn't hold their breath for a XBMC style interface, the xbox had a 733 MHz x86 processor

alanh · 08-13-2008, 03:08 PM

The 12-bit color depth processing claim on the 8654 is a bit ridiculous since the 8634 only supports 8bit per channel output and afaik this isn't changing on the 8654 (I assume not since it's not a bullet in any of their new promotional material). The GFX block is also staying the same as the 8634. A bit disappointing since that's my 2nd biggest complaint about the 8634 (2nd after network speed which they are addressing). 3rd biggest let down is no PCIe in place of the now extinct parallel standard. Not sure if Sigma is just abandoning their Odyssey designs or what. A cheap low power x86 host CPU + 86xx on an ITX form factor would be pretty sexy for the HTPC crowd.

I keep hoping Sigma will get their act together. If they made a more evolved 8654 with some of the VXP filtering IP they acquired from Gennum, a 3rd party 3d GL engine (even an old one), and 10-12 bit per color channel output, they could play on the same level as ST and Broadcom.

It would also be nice if products like NMT media players started integrating some of the cheaper graphics chips from nVidia, et al externally via the 24-bit input port on the 8634 to do OSD (assuming you can still get parallel PCI versions). Of course it would mean a higher priced box, but I bet people would pay to get 'perty' 3d widgets!

Given Sigmas reputation for delays, the fact 8654 eval samples are hard to come by atm, and turn-around time for design houses, I would be shocked if there are any 8654 products shipping before Q3'08.

**chris57** · 08-13-2008, 04:13 PM

And even when it is out it wont be fully functional with decent supporting libs for many months. The 8634 libs that are half way decnet have only just come out last month apparently. Thats 9 months after product launch for the A100!

I hope for a rival, but thats been a hope for some years Undecided

Grael · 08-13-2008, 04:26 PM

Gigabit ethernet is not anymore in the SMP8654 specs...
http://www.sigmadesigns.com/public/Produ...654_br.pdf
(source : http://www.mpcclub.com/modules.php?name=...le&sid=638 )

Sad, it makes this new chip less interesting.
I'll keep my A-100 a bit longer I think Big Grin

alanh · 08-13-2008, 05:10 PM

The bottleneck has never been the 100 Mbps link layer. It's been the embedded host CPUs inability to process data that fast. Higher clock rate plus the addition of the second mips core will help that greatly. And there's nothing preventing an OEM from adding a GigE MAC/phy on the PCI bus.

Christophe Cherel · 03-27-2009, 09:15 PM

(08-13-2008 04:26 PM)Grael Wrote: Gigabit ethernet is not anymore in the SMP8654 specs...
http://www.sigmadesigns.com/public/Produ...654_br.pdf
(source : http://www.mpcclub.com/modules.php?name=...le&sid=638 )

Sad, it makes this new chip less interesting.
I'll keep my A-100 a bit longer I think

The Dune HD Center & BD Prime still have Gigabit Ethernet option Wink

with a simple SMP8634 chipset.

For 12 bit processing it is allready in use in allmost actual projector. So there is very small benefit to have 12 bit processing in source. And at the end, the projector display only 8 bit (10 or 12 bit are only in the processing part).

However, i'm pretty sure that the new Sigma will be great but good video source need to be abble to send a pure video signal in Y'CbCr in full range 0-255. But actualy allmost PCH send only RGB signal and only several PHC are abble to send the full range 0-255. It could be nice to start to use correctly the chipsets before to use a new one... Rolleyes

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