Hi,
I've been reading up on what to get for a new HTPC. I prefer the Mac mini's design and OS, but there seems to be a few issues with Intel HD 4000 and 24p playback (actually, with any pre-Haswell chip). I have a few questions about 24p and how that actually works on HTPCs. I want to get judder free playback of 24p, but I can't seem to understand exactly how this all relates.
AFAIK, pre-HD 5000 chips will not deliver judder-free 24p playback, because it's actually driving the display at 23,973 Hz instead of 23,976 Hz. This will result in dropped frames. But it sounds like such a small amount. Will I notice it?
Also, on the 2009 Mac mini I had previously I was able to use SwitchResX to setup OS X to output exactly 23,976 Hz on old NVIDIA hardware. At least, that's what the prefpane said, and I couldn't see any dropped frames. I think, however, audio was drifting. But how exactly does the Intel hardware issue relate to something that can be seemingly fixed in software?
Lastly, both Plex and XBMC now supports matching video speed to display refresh rate. Even though it doesn't mean that I will gett true 24p, it should at least mean judder-free playback. And once again, is this tiny speed-up of the video big enough to notice?
I'm thinking about an Intel NUC 54250 or a Mac mini.
I've been reading up on what to get for a new HTPC. I prefer the Mac mini's design and OS, but there seems to be a few issues with Intel HD 4000 and 24p playback (actually, with any pre-Haswell chip). I have a few questions about 24p and how that actually works on HTPCs. I want to get judder free playback of 24p, but I can't seem to understand exactly how this all relates.
AFAIK, pre-HD 5000 chips will not deliver judder-free 24p playback, because it's actually driving the display at 23,973 Hz instead of 23,976 Hz. This will result in dropped frames. But it sounds like such a small amount. Will I notice it?
Also, on the 2009 Mac mini I had previously I was able to use SwitchResX to setup OS X to output exactly 23,976 Hz on old NVIDIA hardware. At least, that's what the prefpane said, and I couldn't see any dropped frames. I think, however, audio was drifting. But how exactly does the Intel hardware issue relate to something that can be seemingly fixed in software?
Lastly, both Plex and XBMC now supports matching video speed to display refresh rate. Even though it doesn't mean that I will gett true 24p, it should at least mean judder-free playback. And once again, is this tiny speed-up of the video big enough to notice?
I'm thinking about an Intel NUC 54250 or a Mac mini.