Should I expect better video playback performance? (Southern Islands / X1000 Updates)

Hello all.

I have an X1000. I upgraded the stock Radeon 4K card to a Radeon HD 7950. I also installed the Warp3D library.

I have Emotion, DVPlayer, Mplayer. Should I expect better video playback? Do I need to configure something?

Regards.

I haven’t been as up to date as I want to be with Amiga this past 6 months.
Therefore this post could be out of date.
However I remember that the X1000 CFE does not support Radeon Polaris GPUs.
Improved video playback requires the VA.library (Video Acceleration).
The VA.library requires a Polaris type GPU.

X1000 is stuck on Southern Islands GPU.
In short X1000 users are SOL with VA.library until the CFE gets an update. This does not appear to be imminent nor a priority.

@ddni

AFAIK A-EON has mention that it will be bringing support for video acceleration for Southern Islands cards in the next major release of Enhancer Software. So stay tuned!

-- eliyahu

@eliyahu

Thanks for the info, I hope that this happens.
How will a software OS driver overcome the CFE issues with Polaris cards on X1000?

Thanks both,

So this will be Hans (is it?) who works on the Radeon driver(s)?

@ddni

The forthcoming software driver introduces Video Accelaration on Southern Island chipsets to the X1000. Polaris support in software is already completed and released on the Enhancer Software 2.1. However a CFE firmware update for the X1000 is required first to take advantage of this software.


@rjd324

Hans is a core member of the Amiga Developer Team. The Radeon drivers and graphics sub system are part of the Enhancer Software. Hans has worked miracles over the last decade developing the drivers, video acceleration libraries and a bespoke 3D system (Nova).

@amigakit

ES2.0 includes UVD support for RX cards. So, Polaris card owners got it for the price of the ES2.0 package. I already have ES2.1 and an SI card. Will I have to pay again to get UVD support?

@mr2

I can't check right now, but as far as I remember, the last time I paid something for the Enhancer Package was at least one year ago.

One year!

And I can't remember the price to exceed 30,- EUR.

I can imagine adapting the software to work on an X1000 takes some time and effort too.

I don't think being fat is particularly healthy, but I have nothing agains contributing to Hans's food on the table for another year. And nor Hans nor other involved people give me the impression to be individuals that do this "just for a quick buck".



edit: But I am interested to know Amigakits plans regarding the pricing of the update too, so I will know in advance if I have cancel my planned Netflix subscription this year too (I surely won't die because of it!).

@Amigo1

The price is over 88 euros plus taxes and my concerns have nothing to do with the X1000. 3D Nova is fun but has limited use due to the lack of 3D software and the nature of my very poor hardware. The reason I decided to buy the ES2.0 was the UVD support and respect for the developers. I knew this was only for Polaris cards, but I was hoping that the SI ​​cards would be added later.
Looks like I'll have to buy a full V54 just to get that goddamn UVD.
All this means that when I bought the ES2.0 I got much less than the Polaris users.

@mr2

Thank you for your support.

The annual development costs for the graphics work are very large and with such a small user base here, it is not possible to cover costs at the moment without charging for some incremental future updates. This is why is made no financial sense when Hyperion reduced OS4.1 to 29 EUR - at that price no meaningful OS4 development could ever be funded unless the user base expands tenfold.

Quote:

UVD is provided through the VA.library which requires Warp3D Nova. The VA Lib is 3D software- not all software needing 3D are games.

The good news is that I will very likely include the file RadeonHD_drv_video.library in the free Enhancer Software 2.2 update. This is the Southern Islands Video Acceleration driver.

However, this driver needs the latest RadeonHD V5 driver to operate so this will be a separate purchase. RadeonHD V5 customers will get a discount off the Enhancer Software V54 in future.

@amigakit

Quote:

Fully agreed.

As for the rest of your post - sounds ok for me.

I know it's risky but can you give any rough timing?

Thank you.

@mr2

Regarding timing: I don't want to spoil any surprises

@amigakit

Sounds intriguing

Since you are here Can we expect some info about A1222plus?

@mr2
Quote:However, it did seem to make a good number of emulation users go ahead and actually purchase a legit version of their OS4. Probably not a tenfold increase, but still ...

Best regards,

Niels

Quote:

@amigakit

How about people who bought DVPlayer V54 on the promise of a Radeon SI VA driver. Will they have to make another purchase to get this functionality?

@all
At least i as a beta tester can say, that Emotion/DvPlayer works correctly and plays videos fine with GPU support via va.library on the latest RadeonHD driver and all the related stuff.

@amigakit

Quote:
In all fairness, this could have been the case if the original hardware plan - i.e. to deliver an affordable entry-level OS4 system aka Tabor - didn't fall through. So we're now where we're now: having no money for OS4 development and no hardware to expand the user base.

@trixie

The A1222+ project has the potential to double the user base which is still notable. Unfortunately it is commercially unrealistic to pin hopes of it expanding the user base tenfold. This is assuming that Hyperion can resolve problems with NewLib and other important things in the OS - finally completing the public ISO.

Quote:
It was never revealed by Hyperion management if there was indeed a "hardware plan" or roadmap to commercial expansion. Day by day survival seemed to be default position and this came to a head in 2015 when the company was almost wound up by the Belgium authorities. Hardware distributors were not even informed and found out when the public news and rumours circulated.


@Niels
Quote:
It always bothered me why the then Hyperion management (who are now departed from Hyperion) called it "Final Edition". Slashing the price down to 29 euros seemed like one final push on sales- once you take off VAT, CD/box production and dealer margin, there is little less for any re-investment into meaningful development. A statement of intent? To date it seems so.

Furthermore, it also had the added effect of reneging on exclusive contracts with principle distributors who had invested a lot of money into production of OS4 when it was at its full price. These distributors were suddenly left with pre-purchased licences and boxes/CD that were worthless. Hyperion offered no recompence.


For the above reasons it remains important for the user base that the Enhancer Software progresses to go beyond the vague promises given by OS4.2 announcements.

@Rob

Quote:

It does, it seems, from Amigakit's answer!