MacBook Retina: Skylake looking good

[Eug]

Uh oh. No full HEVC hardware support for Skylake Y? Can someone decipher this AnandTech article please?

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9562/intels-skylake-gpu-analyzing-the-media-capabilities

Because if Skylake Y doesn't have full hardware support for HEVC main 10 (Netflix), then that may be a deal killer me.

 

[JAG87]

Uh oh. No full HEVC hardware support for Skylake Y? Can someone decipher this AnandTech article please?

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9562/intels-skylake-gpu-analyzing-the-media-capabilities

Because if Skylake Y doesn't have full hardware support for HEVC main 10 (Netflix), then that may be a deal killer me.

It doesn't. It only supports Main, Main 10 is hybrid hardware/software. Kaby Lake will be full Main 10 hardware.

It's too bad indeed, but I don't think UHD Rec 2020 will pick up fast enough to make this relevant. You will probably buy yet another laptop before it becomes standard, plus it's not like a 1080p netflix stream is bad... if you are watching netflix on your laptop 4K is pretty much silly anyway. But for HTPCs, the news is grim.

 

[Eug]

I tend to like to get a single copy of some files, and hope that all my hardware can play it. Given that we are so close to Kaby, I may as well wait, since my Core i7 iMac and Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro still work fine, and with the latest iterations of OS X.

BTW, one reason I bought my 13" MacBook Pro when I did (in 2009) was because its GPU supported full H.264 1080p decode in hardware.

 

[Tegeril]

I was initially going to be a little regretful of the upgrades for the new rMB due to come out eventually, but with El Capitan, performance on the existing is spectacular and 4K is fairly irrelevant for an ultraportable when I've got other options available for in-place video.

 

[Eug]

4K is fairly irrelevant for an ultraportable when I've got other options available for in-place video.

That's what people used to say about 1080p H.264, on laptops and iPhones. Today, most of us wouldn't dream of getting either without 1080p H.264 support in hardware.

Remember too that it's not just about 4K HEVC H.265 support. It's about HEVC support in general. Apple has already implemented its utilization in FaceTime for example, but only with Apple products that have HEVC in hardware.

I'm gonna wait for Kaby Lake.

 

[Tegeril]

That's because most of us have 1080p or greater displays to work with but not typically 4k. The Macbook doesn't have a 4k display and is fairly silly to be the sole driver of a 4k TV and while I guess it could be your sole system driving your 4k display on your desktop, that's... a mistake at this point in the game even with Skylake. Not enough power.

 

[Eug]

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015...-faster-core-m-and-ultrabook-gpus-with-edram/

So, the difference in price between Core m3 vs Core m7 is $112.

 

[midwestfisherman]

i know this is a tech forum, but seriously, who cares?

this isn't 2000 when specs. mattered.

This makes no sense!

 

[iluvdeal]

I'm gonna wait for Kaby Lake.

You sure by next year that's not going to turn into "I'm gonna wait for Cannonlake"?

 

[Eug]

You sure by next year that's not going to turn into "I'm gonna wait for Cannonlake"?

Not sure. Depends on what Intel and Apple offer, and how frustrated with my 4.5 lb Core 2 Duo I am at that time.