Render This Fast

[unixronin]

C|Net reports that nVidia is releasing itx GTX260 and GTX280 graphics chipsets today.  The GTX280 has 240 cores and 933 gFLOPS of processing power.

Yeah, that's right — almost 1 TFLOPS in a single GPU. nVidia claims the GTX280 can render three million triangles per frame.  That's some serious graphics performance.

I couldn't help but notice this paragraph further down, though:

Nvidia is also boasting that a dual-core GTX 280 can convert a high-definition movie into iPod video format in 35 minutes, compared to about five hours for a quad-core CPU system with low-end integrated graphics.

Um, OK, I guess I'm impressed.  Or something.  But you know, I can't help thinking that might actually mean something if an iPod had a high-definition screen.

It reminds me of an article I was reading the other day talking to a professional audio engineer about CDs vs. vinyl.  He made the good point that no vinyl record ever offers perfect audio reproduction and no vinyl record ever can, no matter how careful the engineer, because the playback stylus is a different shape from the cutting stylus and tracks the groove differently, even on a linear-arm turntable.  He discussed how the "warmth" that vinylphiles like to talk about as part of vinyl's "faithful reproduction" is largely composed of surface noise, and it isn't there on the master.

Then he went and blew his cred by saying that all compression formats are bad, and that he loads his iPod only with uncompressed raw PCM to get the most flawless possible reproduction of his classical music favorites.

Flawless reproduction ... on an iPod with a pair of earbud headphones?

Sorry, buddy, but you're kidding yourself there.  It may sound good, but invent a pair of earbud phones capable of flawless, 100% faithful reproduction, and half the audio world will beat a path to your door begging to license your secret.

Comments

[cipherpunk.livejournal.com]

Well, to be fair, is it the case that he said he listens to his iPod via earbuds? I know a fair number of people who plug their iPods into high-end stereo equipment.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Seems to me if you're listening to it on a hi-fi setup capable of faithfully reproducing the music, you might as well just load the CD in the first place. (Also: Does anyone know the actual fidelity level of an iPod's DAC outputs? I can't find a total harmonic distortion spec for it anywhere. I've yet to find an iPod "speaker dock" with quoted THD < 0.5%.)

[robbat2.livejournal.com]

No specs on it, but I saw it in the window of an audiophile shop while passing, and that was a tube-based iPod dock with stand-alone speakers.