Intel support

[dombi]

How compatible is ffmpegx is with the new Intel processor Macs? There are a few external libraries that need to be downloaded and installed for the various ffmpegx componenets. Will those have to be recompiled for Intel support? Is that already built in?

How is the performance on the new Intel Macs compared to PPC Macs?

[major]

Probably the Altivec stuff will fail even under Rosetta. So everything will need to be recompiled with different opts (two dozens of components). And before that, I will have to get a new Mac..

[dombi]

That totally makes sense. Are you planning on purchasing an Intel Mac in the future?

[major]

Who's not planning that?

[Mildew]

Who's not planning that?

Early video conversion benchmarks are not impressive in the new Intel iMacs:
http://www.macintouch.com/index.shtml#tip.2006.01.21.compress

The new Intel Macs were handily spanked by a G5 iMac.

[macr0t0r]

Yah, I might miss the "Velocity Engine" optimizations of some programs, but I always felt that processor was a love/hate thing with developers. I disliked that ONLY the programs where developers took the time to implement Altivec-optimizations were relatively snappy on my iMac. Meanwhile, many of those programs were now incompatible with my G3 iBook (Handbrake, anyone?).

I'm glad that the new Intel chips will provide simple, raw power for all functions. Yah, it might be slower on some of the born-for-Altivec tasks, but it is much quicker on the rest of them!

I, however, intend to wait it out a little bit. I fear that Altivec-heavy applications are going to be either incompatible or painfully slow within the Rosetta shell. I'd like my favorite developers (like major) be the early-adopters and get my goods in a native (thereby speedy) format!

- macr0t0r

[xavier86]

I should have an intel imac in my hands 2 weeks from now. I'll be glad to do some ffmpegx benchmarking for people here.

[wcbtx]

A report in - current version already runs fine under Rosetta (which emulates Altivec too). Of course, it's a bit slower than native, but still perfectly usable.

I'm willing to help with testing any upcoming Intel port...

(20" iMacIntel / 1G RAM, replaced a 17" iMac G5 1.8Ghz)

[mrwho]

What about only changing the encoders ffmpeg, x264 and mencoder inside ffmpegx ?

I know that isquint already uses intel compiled versions but only changing the ffmpegX versions against isquint versions doesn't work cause of missing compile options like mp4 support...

Of course it will only run on Intel Macs, but a try would be worth it.

Can somebody tell me what i've to do, or provide ffmpegx compilant intel versions ?

[major]

I'll provide an Intel version soon.

[mrwho]

YESSS

Can hardly await it (who not)

dombi: The speedbump will for sure be great, alone ffmpeg in Handbrake brings ~34fps in PAL - the advantage on 2 cores.

[kudos2lee]

I second that YESSS !

As a MacIntel owner I'm looking forward to a UB v much....

Kudos

[dombi]

major4: do you have an update on this part of the project?

[major]

I compiled some items, and have to compile some others. Unfortunately, no component compiles by hitting the RETURN key only. There are tons of problems to be solved and I'm going through that.

[dombi]

These are the times I wish I could help... the good news is that it is in the process.