ATI's Avivo vs. NVIDIA's PureVideo: De-Interlacing Quality Compared
by Anand Lal Shimpi on October 5, 2005 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- GPUs
A New Video Quality Benchmark: HQV
HQV, a high end video processor manufacturer, has released an excellent benchmark for evaluating the image quality of consumer electronics and PC based video products. The HQV Benchmark DVD is a collection of tests that stress various aspects of motion video quality, with the goal of offering a standard by which video quality can be judged.
In the past, we've used a handful of problematic DVDs to judge items like de-interlacing quality, but with HQV, we're not only able to replace those DVDs, but we're able to compare de-interlacing algorithms in a much more scientific manner, and for a wider range of scenarios.
The benchmark is a simple DVD with a bunch of video sequences that each test a different feature that a high quality video setup should implement. Each video sequence is accompanied with a list of things for which to look, as well as guidelines of how to rate a particular platform's success in playing the videoproperly. Each test is subjectively rated and given a score from 0 - 10, higher being better. Most tests can only be rated a "0" for failing, "5" for completing some of the requirements of the test, and a "10" for being perfect.
The HQV Benchmark DVD is available for public purchase, and documentation is available on each of the tests that the benchmark runs. The benchmark also provides guidelines on how to subjectively rate each test so that the results may be reproducible and scientific at the same time, despite their subjective nature.
Test Hardware
Note that we verified that ATI's image quality was the same whether we used NVIDIA's PureVideo DVD decoder or Intervideo's DVD decoder. We chose to benchmark with NVIDIA's PureVideo decoder in order to minimize the number of variables between cards.
Also note that we are only comparing ATI's X1600 XT to NVIDIA's GeForce 7800GTX. We have already compared NVIDIA's GeForce6/7 series of GPUs to ATI's previous generation of GPUs and determined that NVIDIA offered superior de-interlacing quality, so today's comparison will focus on the latest and greatest from both vendors to see if those standings have changed. Remember that the X1600 XT has the same de-interlacing engine as the X1300 and X1800, so the results here are directly applicable to all of ATI's new GPUs.
Both the ATI and NVIDIA drivers were set to auto-detect what de-interlacing algorithm the hardware should use. We found that this setting yielded the best results for each platform in the HQV benchmark.
HQV, a high end video processor manufacturer, has released an excellent benchmark for evaluating the image quality of consumer electronics and PC based video products. The HQV Benchmark DVD is a collection of tests that stress various aspects of motion video quality, with the goal of offering a standard by which video quality can be judged.
In the past, we've used a handful of problematic DVDs to judge items like de-interlacing quality, but with HQV, we're not only able to replace those DVDs, but we're able to compare de-interlacing algorithms in a much more scientific manner, and for a wider range of scenarios.
The benchmark is a simple DVD with a bunch of video sequences that each test a different feature that a high quality video setup should implement. Each video sequence is accompanied with a list of things for which to look, as well as guidelines of how to rate a particular platform's success in playing the videoproperly. Each test is subjectively rated and given a score from 0 - 10, higher being better. Most tests can only be rated a "0" for failing, "5" for completing some of the requirements of the test, and a "10" for being perfect.
The HQV Benchmark DVD is available for public purchase, and documentation is available on each of the tests that the benchmark runs. The benchmark also provides guidelines on how to subjectively rate each test so that the results may be reproducible and scientific at the same time, despite their subjective nature.
Test Hardware
| CPU: | AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ (2.2GHz/512KBx2) |
| Motherboard: | ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe |
| Motherboard BIOS: | ASUS: Version 1013 Dated 08/10/2005 |
| Chipset: | NVIDIA nForce4 SLI |
| Chipset Drivers: | nForce4 6.66 |
| Memory: | OCZ PC3500 DDR 2-2-2-7 |
| Video Card: | ATI Radeon X1600 XT NVIDIA GeForce 7800GTX |
| Video Drivers: | ATI Catalyst 8.173.1.2 NVIDIA ForceWare 81.82 |
| Desktop Resolution: | 1600 x 1200 - 32-bit @ 60Hz |
| OS: | Windows XP Professional SP2 |
| Benchmarking Software: | HQV Benchmark DVD |
| DVD Decoder: | NVIDIA PureVideo 1.02-150 |
Note that we verified that ATI's image quality was the same whether we used NVIDIA's PureVideo DVD decoder or Intervideo's DVD decoder. We chose to benchmark with NVIDIA's PureVideo decoder in order to minimize the number of variables between cards.
Also note that we are only comparing ATI's X1600 XT to NVIDIA's GeForce 7800GTX. We have already compared NVIDIA's GeForce6/7 series of GPUs to ATI's previous generation of GPUs and determined that NVIDIA offered superior de-interlacing quality, so today's comparison will focus on the latest and greatest from both vendors to see if those standings have changed. Remember that the X1600 XT has the same de-interlacing engine as the X1300 and X1800, so the results here are directly applicable to all of ATI's new GPUs.
Both the ATI and NVIDIA drivers were set to auto-detect what de-interlacing algorithm the hardware should use. We found that this setting yielded the best results for each platform in the HQV benchmark.
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intellon - Thursday, October 6, 2005 - link
One thing about the guitar strings... Are you sure that they are artifacts and not the texture of the guitar strings? I do agree with one thing, they kinda look extreme...TheSnowman - Friday, October 7, 2005 - link
It is an acoustic base guitar and those do tend to use some pretty massive copper wound strings, but yeah I don't see anything that looks like interlacing artifacts in those shots.Regardless, thanks for the update Anand and I'll check back to see how things turn out. The next card I buy will most likely be for my media center so de-interlacing quality is on my priority list.
TheSnowman - Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - link
I don't follow, the text at the bottom which the test askes to be compared defiantly doesn't show any interlacing artifacts in the posted pics while compression artifacts are mostly in the top right of the image and on the hands. The text does look a bit sharper on Nvidia, but best I can tell that is just from appling a sharpening fliter as that seems to be pretty obviously the case in the last shot with the fingers on piano keys and the slight shifts in geometry than can be seen there.Also, since the compression artifacts only appear in the first ATI shot, I can't help but wonder if that came about from downsampling as the jpg to under 40mb which nearly a quarter of what a full quality jpg of that resolution would be. Regardless, I am curious to see any further explnation of de-interlacing issues with the new r5xx chips as I would hate to try and upgrade my media center card only to wind up with worse de-interlacing than on my current r420 based card.
Anand Lal Shimpi - Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - link
The text itself is fine, it is the background image where the interlacing artifacts are seen. I'll see if I can get a better screen grab tonight.Take care,
Anand
Anand Lal Shimpi - Thursday, October 6, 2005 - link
Apparently ATI isn't seeing what I'm seeing, so the issues may have been a driver problem, I will update you guys as soon as I have a driver/fix for the situation.Take care,
Anand
vailr - Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - link
Newer driver version?Ati Catalyst 8.18 beta:
http://www.station-drivers.com/forum/viewtopic.php...">http://www.station-drivers.com/forum/viewtopic.php...
Live - Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - link
I would if I could. Quit teasing us and give as the real deal, lol.
cirrhosis - Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - link
INQ has benchies already. Not a surprise. Cards are matched.Hacp - Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - link
GRAKK!cirrhosis - Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - link
Interesting. Here's hoping that ATI improves on what they've started. Looking forward to the comoing months and what they bring.