CoRe ImAgE / ViDeO

Hey everyone. I'm really excited to buy a mac for when 10.4 is released. I really want to use the Fun House app for editing images and videos for the new Core Image and Core Video. It looks so COOL! I heard it required atleast 64MB video ram to run. Does it? If it does, then would it still run under 32MB Vram but just be visibly slower?

Your replies are greatly appriciated!
Thanks!

From what I've heard, in order to use Core Image to its *full* extent, you need a 64MB graphics card. However, Core Image scales down appropriately for less-capable graphics cards (and falls back on the CPU for the rest of its needs.)

I think.

So if the GPU is lacking performance, then it relies on the CPU? You think if you only had 32MB Core Video wouldn't be avaliabe?

Core Image/Video

shaun89 said:

So if the GPU is lacking performance, then it relies on the CPU? You think if you only had 32MB Core Video wouldn't be avaliabe?

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I think (hope?) that Core Image/Video have the same graphics requirements... so if you have a 32MB GPU, both Core Image and Core Video would use what they could out of the GPU and rely on the CPU for the remaining processing needs. (If anyone would like to double check that, I would appreciate it because I'm a bit unsure myself.)

Core Image/Video are very cool - but Apple wouldn't stoop to the level of Microsuck and screw over those people who have less-than-modern computers.... (knock on wood)

EDIT: Core Image and Core Video are actually keeping me from buying a Mac right now... I originally settled on an iBook G4, but since it's not *fully* compatible with CI/CV I might have to spend a ton more on a 12" PowerBook...

Yeah. Good point! I was also a little shooken up on getting an iBook because of the Vram. But i'll wait till january till the enw powerbooks with 64MB. Do you know of any write up's on the net that talk about core image/video? I'm going to search it right now.

I found this on the Apple home page. It's the list of graphic cards compatible with CoreImage/CoreVideo...

Supported graphics cards:

ATI Radeon 9800 XT
ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
ATI Radeon 9700 Pro
ATI Radeon 9600 XT
ATI Radeon 9600 Pro
ATI Mobility Radeon 9700
ATI Mobility Radeon 9600
NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra
NVIDIA GeForceFX Go 5200
NVIDIA GeForceFX 5200 Ultra

So the issue is not only the memory, but also the type of graphic card you have...unfortunately, this list shows that this great feature is mostly supported by new Apple hardware ONLY. My not-to-old G4 came with an ATI 9000 Pro (64MB), and unfortunately is not compatible...nice work, Apple!!

shaun89 said:

Yeah. Good point! I was also a little shooken up on getting an iBook because of the Vram. But i'll wait till january till the enw powerbooks with 64MB. Do you know of any write up's on the net that talk about core image/video? I'm going to search it right now.

Click to expand...

If the new PowerBooks are going to be cheaper (example: PB 12" w/ Combo Drive - 1,399 USD, as opposed to 1,599 now) then I will most definitely buy one. Otherwise, I'm going to bite the proverbial bullet and get an iBook (or, wait until I can find a used/refurbished PB.)

January better get here faster so I can stop drooling and wishing...

So i guess just the iBooks and eMacs dont work. (although i don't think many people care about the eMacs). It kinda blows. I guess it's G5 all the way!

Avalon said:

I found this on the Apple home page. It's the list of graphic cards compatible with CoreImage/CoreVideo...

Click to expand...

Avalon said:

Supported graphics cards:

ATI Radeon 9800 XT
ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
ATI Radeon 9700 Pro
ATI Radeon 9600 XT
ATI Radeon 9600 Pro
ATI Mobility Radeon 9700
ATI Mobility Radeon 9600
NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra
NVIDIA GeForceFX Go 5200
NVIDIA GeForceFX 5200 Ultra

So the issue is not only the memory, but also the type of graphic card you have...unfortunately, this list shows that this great feature is mostly supported by new Apple hardware ONLY. My not-to-old G4 came with an ATI 9000 Pro (64MB), and unfortunately is not compatible...nice work, Apple!!

Click to expand...

Hey! I just realized something. Maybe yours graphics card will work... Maybe they just posted those ones because they only make those ones now. So anything before with something greater than or equal to 64MB will work. They probably just wanna make you buy their new equipment. Just a guess though.

Core Image and Video will work on any OS X machine.

But, if you don't have one of the graphics cards listed as compatible, your Mac's CPU will do most of the work.

If you're going to be doing graphics intensive work - then a compatible graphics card is probably best since it will be more efficent at handling what Core Image has to offer (Photoshop, and FCP addicts... I'm looking in your general direction...)

Alas, some of the features that are required by the compatible graphics cards WON'T be available, but that's the way the dice roll. Most of the features probably won't even be used by (low) end users (people who buy iBooks and eMacs,) and thus Apple didn't choose to support them. Plus, making the iBook and eMac compatible with Core Image would cut into the sales of PowerBooks and iMacs, where "the real money is."

EDIT: DISCLAIMER: I don't even own a Mac (yet,) and I'm just using my best guess on how CI/CV work.

But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

meltbanana314 said:

If you're going to be doing graphics intensive work - then a compatible graphics card is probably best since it will be more efficent at handling what Core Image has to offer (Photoshop, and FCP addicts... I'm looking in your general direction...)

Click to expand...

ahh, dont look at me that way!
my cube has the aty rage 128 pro.

Macman said:

ahh, dont look at me that way!
my cube has the aty rage 128 pro

Click to expand...

Maybe when new versions of Final Cut Pro, Shake, Maya, Photoshop, and 'insert favourite program here' (*cough* BLENDER *cough*) are released they can take advantage of CI/CV's features? :mac:

Wait a minute... aren't Tiger users under a NDA?

o c***! some mod/admin please delete my post.no, Ill just edit it.

****, I should have got a screenshot of that. Good blackmail material.

but I see it didnt delete what I posted in your quote of me.

yeah, i'll edit that as well, i dont want anyone getting in trouble because of it

Where did you guys get the information that CI/CV uses the CPU if you don't have a compatible graphics card?
As far as I can see, it needs features that are part of the GPU on those new cards, so emulating them with a CPU would take a lot of power, even for a G5.
It wouldn't be a surprise if CI/CV simply isn't available on Macs without a compatible card, Apple did that already in the past with Quartz Extreme.

Avalon said:

Where did you guys get the information that CI/CV uses the CPU if you don't have a compatible graphics card?
As far as I can see, it needs features that are part of the GPU on those new cards, so emulating them with a CPU would take a lot of power, even for a G5.
It wouldn't be a surprise if CI/CV simply isn't available on Macs without a compatible card, Apple did that already in the past with Quartz Extreme.

Click to expand...

http://forums.macrumors.com/printthread.php?t=101046

Several people here echo the part about "falling back to the CPU."

And yes, some features will probably be unavailable to anyone who doesn't have a graphics card listed as "compatible." (I said that in an earlier post on this thread.)

Well that'll suck - all the people who have bought iBooks this year will miss out on some of the CV/CI features?

Even those who bought the latest iBooks released in November? Ouch!

Oh well, I suppose that's the way it works...

From what I understand you can still do everything and 10.4 will still be a worthy upgrade, I am excited about XCODE 2 and the new search features alone!! Anyway.... Appearntly on an iBook or pre Tiger GPU you just cant see such effects as the ripple when you open a widget on dashboard (I almost crapped myself when I saw that too, I have never seen an OS do anything like that!!). Other then that you probally can't really take advantage of all the on the fly image manipulation in core IMAGE. I mean it will work just most likely too slow, anyone needing to really do this most likely has a powerful mac desktop anyway.... My 2 cents