Intel VIIV vs. AMD LIVE!
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HQV is comprised of a sampling of SD video clips and test patterns that have been specifically designed to evaluate a variety of interlaced video signal processing tasks, including decoding, de-interlacing, motion correction, noise reduction, film cadence detection, and detail enhancement. As each clip is played, the viewer is required to "score" the image based on a predetermined set of criteria. The numbers listed below are the sum of the scores for each section. We played the HQV DVD using the latest version of CyberLink's PowerDVD 7 software, with hardware acceleration enabled. If a test result was close to one of the reference scores but did not quite meet all the criteria, the next lowest score was utilized.
Looking at the scores above, we clearly see that the AMD platform is able to produce a higher quality image in this visual benchmark than the Intel platform. Although Intel's ClearVideo Technology is a massive upgrade to the Intel IGP platform in terms of visual quality, it is clearly outmatched by NVIDIA's PureVideo Technology found within the AMD-based system. Although the Intel platform had some shining moments, the platform seemed to especially struggle with the cadence and 3:2 detection sections of this benchmark. Here, we witnessed significant issues with moire on both the grandstands in the 3:2 detection test and within the newspaper in the cadence tests. The platform also displayed excessive jumping and lack of fluidity on the lines of the coffee-cups within the cadence tests. Here, the NVIDIA solution managed to fare better in a few of the tests though it still struggled with the vast majority.
During testing, we did find some cases where Intel's solution offered superior performance. However, these isolated cases were far outweighed by instances where NVIDIA's solution offered grossly superior quality. Given the fact that and AMD LIVE! or Intel Viiv system is designed with a main purpose being media playback, the results from the HQV benchmark clearly indicate the AMD platform is the clear choice when selecting between the two HP systems being tested.
