X-Video Bitstream Acceleration
Encyclopedia
X-Video Bitstream Acceleration (XvBA), designed by AMD for its (ATI
) Radeon
GPU and Fusion
APU
, is an arbitrary extension of the X video extension (Xv)
for the X Window System
on Linux
operating-systems. XvBA API allows video programs to offload portions of the video decoding process to the GPU
video-hardware. Currently, the portions designed to be offloaded by XvBA onto the GPU are motion compensation
(MC) and inverse discrete cosine transform (IDCT), and variable-length decoding
(VLD) for MPEG-2
, MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) and VC-1
encoded video.
XvBA is a Linux equivalent of Microsoft
's DirectX Video Acceleration (DxVA) API for Windows
and a competitor to NVIDIA
's Video Decode and Presentation API for Unix (VDPAU)
.
In November 2009 a XvBA backend for Video Acceleration API (VA API) was released, which means any software that supports VA API will also support XvBA.
On 24 February 2011, an official XvBA SDK (Software Development Kit] was publicly released alongside a suite of open source tools by AMD.
to enable these features. Currently only AMD's ATI Radeon
graphics cards hardware that have support for Unified Video Decoder version 2.0 or later (primarily the Radeon HD 4000 series
or later) are supported by the proprietary ATI Catalyst
device driver.
Ati
As a word, Ati may refer to:* Ati, a town in Chad* Ati, a Negrito ethnic group in the Philippines* Ati-Atihan Festival, an annual celebration held in the Philippines* Ati, a queen of the fabled Land of Punt in Africa...
) Radeon
Radeon
Radeon is a brand of graphics processing units and random access memory produced by Advanced Micro Devices , first launched in 2000 by ATI Technologies, which was acquired by AMD in 2006. Radeon is the successor to the Rage line. There are four different groups, which can be differentiated by...
GPU and Fusion
AMD Fusion
AMD Fusion is the marketing name for a series of APUs by AMD. There are two flavors of Fusion currently available, one with its CPU logic based on the Bobcat core and the other its CPU logic based on the 10h core. In both cases the GPU logic is HD6xxx, which itself is based on the mobile variant of...
APU
Accelerated processing unit
An accelerated processing unit is a processing system that includes additional processing capability designed to accelerate one or more types of computations outside of a CPU. This may include a graphics processing unit used for general-purpose computing , a field-programmable gate array , or...
, is an arbitrary extension of the X video extension (Xv)
X video extension
The X video extension, often abbreviated as XVideo or Xv, is a video output mechanism for the X Window System. The protocol was designed by David Carver; the specification for version 2 of the protocol was written in July 1991. Its main use today is to rescale video playback in the video controller...
for the X Window System
X Window System
The X window system is a computer software system and network protocol that provides a basis for graphical user interfaces and rich input device capability for networked computers...
on Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
operating-systems. XvBA API allows video programs to offload portions of the video decoding process to the GPU
Graphics processing unit
A graphics processing unit or GPU is a specialized circuit designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory in such a way so as to accelerate the building of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display...
video-hardware. Currently, the portions designed to be offloaded by XvBA onto the GPU are motion compensation
Motion compensation
Motion compensation is an algorithmic technique employed in the encoding of video data for video compression, for example in the generation of MPEG-2 files. Motion compensation describes a picture in terms of the transformation of a reference picture to the current picture. The reference picture...
(MC) and inverse discrete cosine transform (IDCT), and variable-length decoding
Variable-length code
In coding theory a variable-length code is a code which maps source symbols to a variable number of bits.Variable-length codes can allow sources to be compressed and decompressed with zero error and still be read back symbol by symbol...
(VLD) for MPEG-2
MPEG-2
MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of lossy video compression and lossy audio data compression methods which permit storage and transmission of movies using currently available storage media and transmission...
, MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) and VC-1
VC-1
VC-1 is the informal name of the SMPTE 421M video codec standard, which was initially developed as a proprietary video format by Microsoft before it was released as a formal SMPTE standard video format on April 3, 2006...
encoded video.
XvBA is a Linux equivalent of Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
's DirectX Video Acceleration (DxVA) API for Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and a competitor to NVIDIA
NVIDIA
Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
's Video Decode and Presentation API for Unix (VDPAU)
VDPAU
VDPAU is an open source library and API originally designed by Nvidia for its GeForce 8 series and later GPU hardware, targeted at the X Window System on Unix-based operating systems...
.
In November 2009 a XvBA backend for Video Acceleration API (VA API) was released, which means any software that supports VA API will also support XvBA.
On 24 February 2011, an official XvBA SDK (Software Development Kit] was publicly released alongside a suite of open source tools by AMD.
Device drivers
Each hardware video GPU capable of XvBA video acceleration requires a X11 software device driverDevice driver
In computing, a device driver or software driver is a computer program allowing higher-level computer programs to interact with a hardware device....
to enable these features. Currently only AMD's ATI Radeon
Radeon
Radeon is a brand of graphics processing units and random access memory produced by Advanced Micro Devices , first launched in 2000 by ATI Technologies, which was acquired by AMD in 2006. Radeon is the successor to the Rage line. There are four different groups, which can be differentiated by...
graphics cards hardware that have support for Unified Video Decoder version 2.0 or later (primarily the Radeon HD 4000 series
Radeon R700
The Radeon R700 is the engineering codename for a graphics processing unit series developed by Advanced Micro Devices under the ATI brand name. The foundation chip, codenamed RV770, was announced and demonstrated on June 16, 2008 as part of the FireStream 9250 and Cinema 2.0 initiative launch media...
or later) are supported by the proprietary ATI Catalyst
ATI Catalyst
AMD Catalyst is a device driver and utility software package for ATI line of video cards. It runs on Microsoft Windows and Linux, on 32- and 64-bit x86 processors.- History :...
device driver.
See also
- Video Acceleration API (VA API)Video Acceleration APIVideo Acceleration API is an open source software library and API specification. It enables and provides access to graphics hardware acceleration for video processing. VA API is targeted at the X Window System on Unix-based operating systems...
- is an open source software library with XvBA backend support - OpenVideo Decode (OVD) – an new open cross-platform video acceleration API from AMD.
- UVD (Unified Video Decoder)Unified Video DecoderThe Unified Video Decoder, previously called Universal Video Decoder, or UVD in short, is the video decoding unit from ATI Technologies to support hardware decode of H.264 and VC-1 video codec standards, and being a part of ATI Avivo HD technology....
- is the video decoding unit from ATI Technologies to support hardware (GPU) decode - Nvidia PureVideoNvidia PureVideoNvidia PureVideo is a hardware feature designed to offload video decoding processes and video post-processing from a computer's CPU hardware to Nvidia's GPU hardware series GeForce 6 and later, GeForce M series ; and Nvidia Quadro series...
- the bit-stream technologyStream processingStream processing is a computer programming paradigm, related to SIMD , that allows some applications to more easily exploit a limited form of parallel processing...
from NVIDIANVIDIANvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
used in their graphics chips to accelerate video decoding on hardware GPU. - VDPAU (Video Decode and Presentation API for Unix)VDPAUVDPAU is an open source library and API originally designed by Nvidia for its GeForce 8 series and later GPU hardware, targeted at the X Window System on Unix-based operating systems...
- competing API by NVIDIANVIDIANvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles... - DirectX Video Acceleration (DxVA) API - Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
equivalent to XvBA - OpenMAX IL (Open Media Acceleration Integration Layer)OpenMAXOpenMAX is a royalty-free, cross-platform set of C-language programming interfaces that provides abstractions for routines especially useful for audio, video, and still images...
- a royalty-free cross-platform media abstraction API from the Khronos GroupKhronos GroupThe Khronos Group is a not-for-profit member-funded industry consortium based in Beaverton, Oregon, focused on the creation of open standard, royalty-free APIs to enable the authoring and accelerated playback of dynamic media on a wide variety of platforms and devices... - X-Video Motion Compensation (XvMC)
- Video Decode Acceleration Framework is Apple Inc.s API for hardware-accelerated decoding of H.264 on Mac OS XMac OS XMac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
- VideoToolBox is an undocumented API from Apple Inc. for hardware-accelerated decoding on Apple TV and Mac OS XMac OS XMac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
10.5 or later.