AMD Fusion or CedarView for Linux-based PC?

[HorizonXP]

Trying to build a PC for a digital signage box. Needs to display HD video, and support the same via Flash, so hardware acceleration is required.

I'm trying to read up on both platforms. It seems that for AMD, you need to use closed-source drivers. Moreover, I'm not sure how well Flash hardware-acceleration is working.

On the Intel CedarView front, it seems that Linux drivers are missing, at least for the GPU side of the processor. This is due to it being a PowerVR core.

Any ideas or insights here?

 

[Fox5]

I think Flash hardware acceleration is only fully working on Windows. Even if it does work on Linux, flash just works better on Windows, so much so to the point that you'd be better off going with cheaper hardware if you could fit in the cost of Windows. Flash is also being discontinued on Linux.

Anything with a PowerVR core is a no-go on Linux though. Between the two, AMD Fusion is the easy choice. The closed source drivers work well, at least for AMD's discrete cards.
Another option: A discrete nvidia card, they tend to have better linux drivers than AMD, or at least they have in the past.

 

[HorizonXP]

I think Flash hardware acceleration is only fully working on Windows. Even if it does work on Linux, flash just works better on Windows, so much so to the point that you'd be better off going with cheaper hardware if you could fit in the cost of Windows. Flash is also being discontinued on Linux.

Anything with a PowerVR core is a no-go on Linux though. Between the two, AMD Fusion is the easy choice. The closed source drivers work well, at least for AMD's discrete cards.
Another option: A discrete nvidia card, they tend to have better linux drivers than AMD, or at least they have in the past.

Unfortunately, space, heat, and cost considerations mitigate the usage of a discrete graphics card. If I could, I would.

I think I'm leaning to the AMD Fusion, but I'm hoping to get more feedback before I jump and grab a board to evaluate.

 

[nenforcer]

If you can wait, the AMD Trinity Fusion APU's will be out sometime late this quarter May-June, and will be replacing the Socket FM1 Llano Fusion APU's which have been out for over a year.

 

[Fox5]

Unfortunately, space, heat, and cost considerations mitigate the usage of a discrete graphics card. If I could, I would.

I think I'm leaning to the AMD Fusion, but I'm hoping to get more feedback before I jump and grab a board to evaluate.

Well, another option is an Intel based cpu using Intel graphics, which actually have decent open source linux drivers available. (usually, not sure about the current ones)

However, Adobe disabled hardware acceleration on Flash in Linux entirely with the flash player 11 release, and doesn't seem to have any plans to change it. A fast cpu seems like the only real option for flash playback on Linux. Your other option is to fallback to and older version of flash (10.3.180.65) if you can, and disable gpu validation as seen here.
https://bugbase.adobe.com/index.cfm?event=bug&id=2992148

But even an intel atom or amd brazos system with windows would have likely have better flash performance than any linux system, unfortunately.

You could also see if Gnash will work with the videos you wish you play back, but I'm not sure if it has hardware acceleration or not. You should test this on a PC you own currently before you buy new hardware for it. There's a couple other options as well: http://alternativeto.net/software/flash-player/?profile=linux&platform=linux