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If you have an Nvidia 8XXX card or better, you can now use VDPAU

I’ve been using XBMC on my media centre for a while, and I’m very happy with it. One of the many cool things it can do is use the graphics card to do all the heavy lifting during video playback. That’s essential if you’re playing video at 720p or higher resolution.

The technology is called VDPAU, but it’s not switched on by default.

On Ubuntu, you’ll need to install an extra package: libvdpau1 (you need to be running Lucid or later), you’ll also need a 8XXX or later Nvidia card, and the restricted drivers for it. The Nouveau driver is no good.

Once you’ve installed that, fire up XBMC and go to Settings > Video > Player and change the render method from “auto” to “VDPAU”. You should immediately go from horrible jerky playback to nice silky smooth!

Why watch those downloads on your PC, when you can watch them from the comfort of the sofa?

The plan:

Watch video and photos and listen to mp3 music stored on our home network through the normal TV and stereo in the living room.

Issues:

1. Must have low power consumption
2. Must be quiet
3. Must boot fast
4. Must be stable and low-maintenance
5. Cheap is good!

What:

Mini-ITX based PC with a decent processor and onboard graphics, squeezed into a tiny wee case.

Why:

For a while now most of us have had two cool things in our homes: a home entertainment system and a network. But how can we get all our great digital content onto that nice big TV and hifi in the living room? The answer is a media centre PC.

How:

Hardware:

• Jetway JNC-62K Motherboard with onboard Nvidia 8200 graphics card
• AMD Athlon X2 e4850 high efficiency CPU
• Silverstone NT07-AM2 low-profile heatsink/fan.
• 1GB RAM
• 80GB SATA hard drive
• Terratec Aureon PCI sound card with S/PDIF
• Jou Jye NU-528i-B case with internal 73W power supply.
• Wireless keyboard with built-in trackpad
• TOSlink optical cable to get shiny digital sound to the hifi

Software:

• XBMC media centre software
• Ubuntu 64-bit, stripped down custom version. See Ubuntu Minimal: Build an ultra-lightweight custom OS

How much?

Grand total was £269 (+P&P), sourced from mini-ITX.com, Advance Technologies, and dabs.com.

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