CodecSys CE-10: PS3 Cell Faster than Core i7 965 XE

[Starlight]

A novel transcoding tool http://us.fixstars.com/products/market-solutions/codecsys/CE10_USletter.pdf (PDF) allows for the conversion of video material on the Full HD format, with the help of a PlayStation 3 in real time, is coming in June 2009.

To quote, roughly translated: The conversion of video footage in Full HD movies at a resolution of 1920 x 1080 provides current desktop CPUs with a lengthy task. This allows the transcoding of a movie sometimes half a day.

In comes Linux Developer Fixstars with a video converter called CodecSys CE-10, which was to encode movies into MPEG-4-AVC format (H.264)

The Cell processor uses a PlayStation 3 - this format will be predominantly on Blu-ray media or IP-TV via video-stream uses. The CE-10-encoder sends out from a Windows PC, the output data via Ethernet to the console, which finished the encoded data back to the PC sends back.

According to the announcement of Fixstars reached the Cell processor of the PlayStation a performance of 29 FPS, that is 1.2 times real-time conversion - the cell has a similar performance as the CUDA Badaboom encoder in combination with an Nvidia Geforce GTX-285.

By comparison, Intel's current top-CPU, the Core i7 965 XE, does it still at 18 FPS - normal desktop CPUs even create only about 5 FPS.


More PlayStation 3 News...

[DaveHavok]

That is scary! Once again, Sony has proven that it was worth putting its money into future tech!

[sup310]

goes to show how far technology has gone..

[pierreyves28]

Sony has done it again !

[sharks]

Definitely NOT a surprise!

The PS3... No more need for comment.


No more need for praise.


Sony Rulezz.

[mrgreaper]

impressive though surely the hour or so needed to convert a film would overheat the cpu? (im guessing it would be running at 100% full out)

[slastrina]

if only there was some way to use this power on my pc, my old core2duo just aint what it used to be

[Neikos]

Then again this show the power of it... Developers should find a better way of rendering graphics with the cell... i know that they can take more juice from it.

[rickylyh]

my PC already have CELL to do h.264 encode/decode , it encode fast x4 time than my MacPro.

[gtxboyracer]

Explain how you got your PS3 to do your encoding? (other than using Linux/OtherOS)