Intel’s latest graphics driver update is a win for home theater PCs

By Chris Stobing January 15, 2015

intel gives home theater enthusiasts gift h 265 vp9 hardware decode support shutterstock 196327829 — Dragan Jovanovic/Shutterstock

Today Intel announced the release of two new driver sets that will bolster Haswell and Broadwell processors with the ability to play H.265 and Google’s VP9 video formats.

The update, numbered version 15.36.14.4080, will “improve video playback through partial ardwareardware acceleration support” for VP9, as well as enable GPU decoding of the H.265 video.

Supposedly the newly refreshed code will help desktops and laptops play each video type without sucking up as much processor time, improving battery life and enabling smoother playback overall.

Other minor improvements include new image stabilization techniques in OpenCL and OpenGL that can utilize motion sensors inside laptops to create a more fluid viewing experience.

Processors capable of decoding the codecs after this patch include 4th and 5th-generation Core CPUs (HD, Iris, or Iris Pro graphics required in 4th-gen models), the Core M series (with Intel HD Graphics 5xxx), and, according to the company, “Select Pentium/Celeron Processors,” though Intel hasn’t released any details on what ‘select’ means just yet.

You can download the 64-bit version here, and the 32-bit version here.

Image Credit: Dragan Jovanovic/Shutterstock

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Intel

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Self-proclaimed geek and nerd extraordinaire, Chris Stobing is a writer and blogger from the heart of Silicon Valley. Raised…

Deals

This mini PC, and I do mean mini, has a Ryzen 7000 tucked inside for $200 off

Geekom A7 Mini PC with AMD Ryzen 7 for gaming showcased.

Computing, or small computing, has come a long way in recent years. Thanks to renewed interest in more manageable desktop sizes, even for PC gaming, we've seen a boon in the small PC world, namely with small form factor PCs (SFFPCs). For good reason, people are more interested in systems that take up less space, are more efficient, especially with energy usage, and can be placed in new areas, like their living rooms. There is now a whole category of small and mini PCs, and although they are bite-sized, they still pack a punch. Take Geekom's A7 Mini PC, which has an AMD Ryzen 7000 series tucked inside. That's no slouch on its own, but it also has 64GB of DDR5 RAM, WiFi 6E, and AMD Radeon graphics that supports up to four displays. All of that is packed inside an ultra-slim, space-saving case about the size of a book. Incredible. The top-tier model is currently $200 off, down to $649 instead of $849, when you use code digitaltrendsa7 at checkout. That code is valid in the US and the UK.

Why you should buy the Geekom A7 Mini PC

Computing

No, you shouldn’t just buy whatever Brother printer is cheapest

The Brother MFC-J1205W's off-white color looks nice in a home office.

Printers aren't the most exciting tech products in the world. I get it. Most of us don't use them all that often and just need the cheapest one that'll get the job done.

That’s the point a recent tongue-in-cheek article from The Verge made, declaring in a buying guide that “the best printer is still whatever random Brother laser printer that’s on sale.” The subtext: Printers have stagnated, and anyone trying to convince you otherwise is fishing for clicks on Google. But if you’ve ever purchased a car that wasn’t a Toyota Corolla, maybe you’d agree that “the best for most people” isn’t always the best for you.

Computing

Lenovo ThinkPad deals: Save over $1,000 on the classic laptop

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 3 front angled view showing display and keyboard.

Lenovo has long been one of the best laptop brands, and a major reason for that is its ThinkPad lineup. The ThinkPad is a great lineup to turn to if you’re in search of something that can compete with the best laptops yet remain affordable at the same time. Lenovo is constantly offering up savings on ThinkPad models, and right now we’re seeing ThinkPad deals that will give even the best laptop deals a run for their money. We’ve rounded up all of the best Lenovo ThinkPad deals to make shopping for one more convenient. Below you’ll find the best ways to save on a new Lenovo ThinkPad, as well as some information on why each model might be right for you.
Lenovo ThinkPad L14 (Gen 3) — $600, was $1,839

Affordability isn’t always front and center with the ThinkPad L14, but this deal sees its price dropped into the range of many of the best budget laptops. This makes it a bit of a steal, as you’ll be getting an Intel i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of super speedy solid state hard drive capacity. The ThinkPad L14 comes with Windows 11 pre-installed, and it has a fingerprint reader for security. You’ll also get all-day battery life with the L14, and it even has built-in 4G LTE connectivity so you can always stay up and running like a smartphone.