View Full Version : Codec that has the least CPU load


Patomakarn Nitanontawat
June 22nd, 2007, 10:36 AM
Dear Sirs,
I would like to ask you guys what is the codec that has the least cpu load for playback? I don't mind if it's a big size. I want to turn some of our older office computers into commercial players in the lobby.
Thank you
Patomakarn

Emre Safak
June 22nd, 2007, 01:10 PM
My guess would be MPEG-1, given its age. It also has the virtue of being ubiquitous. Just how slow are the computers? You might be able to use MPEG-4.

Dave Stern
June 22nd, 2007, 08:42 PM
you could also try motion jpeg ...

Rob Lohman
June 23rd, 2007, 05:26 AM
Uncompressed (which is sorta a codec too). It has a high memory / disk bandwidth though.

Say you want to play back 800 x 600 in 8-bit RGB at 24 fps, that would be 800 * 600 * 3 * 24 = 34,560,000 bytes per second or 33 MB/s

MPEG-1 might be too low a resolution, depending the quality you want to display