WTF is VIIV actually?

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nGAGEd55

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As the title says, WTF is it???

No where on Intel's site do they say what it actually is or what bennifits you get for spending R150 bucks more for a VIIV mobo.
 
Roman numerals VI IV 6 4, 64 bit perhaps?

or from their site
http://www.intel.com/products/viiv/index.htm
PCs based on Intel® Viiv™ technology are built with Intel's high performance dual-core processors, chipsets, networking silicon, and special software. These PCs are complemented by online entertainment services and applications that have been verified to work with Intel Viiv technology - enabling you to access great content like movies, music, videos and even games online. You select what you enjoy and control when you enjoy it.
 
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Also, a trip to wikipedia is often helpful:

Viiv (pron. IPA: ['vaiv] rhymes with five) is a platform marketing initiative from Intel. Like Intel's Centrino and vPro, Viiv is a computer platform certification for a particular combination of Intel products as its primary components. It is an open specification for an Intel-based Media Center PC.

Specifically, Viiv is a particular combination of CPU, mainboard chipset, software, Digital Rights Management and network card. It is intended for primary use as an in-home media and desktop platform with the ability to operate as a normal PC or as a hardware media player/centre - running applications, playing DVDs, CDs, MP3, photographs and games as well as subscription based (partially DRM protected) content such as ILoveFilm, Napster and SKY.
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That's just the opener, read on for the details and (more) links (than you need, but at least you'll know ALL about viiv! :p)
 
bdt said:
Also, a trip to wikipedia is often helpful
Click to expand...
never thought of looking there :o

still cant really figure out what a VIIV PC with a slightly more expensive mobo can do that another can't

so i guess it's probably not worth the extra R150 bucks to get a VIIV mobo?
 
a viiv pc can do eveything a normal pc can do...but the viiv certification means that it will work great with media cetner edition, that away mode works as expected, that wake on lan and resume from s3 works as expected...so tick all those box and have the right cpua nd chipset and the viiv software can verify your machine as viiv compatable.

the viiv software then sits in the background and assists where it can...i.e. if you hook up a viiv certified router, they configure themselves automatically.

a viiv certified media extender...configured automatically.

pls, you get access to a snobby club if you have a viiv machine...using mce you go to "online spotlight" and voila, suddenly there are a bunch of free offers for movies and music etc, all because your machine is viiv certified.


to sum it up all up, it is a bunch of marketing bullsh1t.

i explain more here
http://techies.co.za/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3275&highlight=viiv
 
werner said:
to sum it up all up, it is a bunch of marketing bullsh1t.
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my thoughts exactly

I was looking at two G965 mobo's from Intel, the only difference between the VIIV one and the other is the one has 6 instead of 4 SATA connectors, and 7.1 audio instead of 5.1 (guess it's the audio that makes the difference). otherwise the boards look exactly the same
 
no, the one probably is fitted with ich8
and the other has ich8dh (digital home)

check under the southbridge heatsink ...:-)

the dh adds a few tweaks, but the main one being the "away mode device"...like, rpess the power button and the video is immediately blanked, and the audio is muted...if time has passed and nothing has happened, then cpu slows down etc etc. press power button again and within half a sec BAM! all is back and working, video playback is resumed, audio is unmuted and video is initialised.

that way, your media center machine can act like a true consumer electronics device...

it is subtle, but is really quite nice in action.

<edit>
quote: As part of the VIIV platform, the G965 uses ICH8DH Southbridge (Digital Home) supporting Quick Resume Technology, etc. However, this information is irrelevant for the absolute majority of motherboards in stores, as you will see only motherboards based on P/G965 with ICH8/R on the shelves.

from here: http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/mainboard/i965-chipset.html

one of those...if you dont know what it means you dont need it....type-devices.

:-)
 
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werner said:
no, the one probably is fitted with ich8
and the other has ich8dh (digital home)

check under the southbridge heatsink ...:-)

the dh adds a few tweaks, but the main one being the "away mode device"...like, rpess the power button and the video is immediately blanked, and the audio is muted...if time has passed and nothing has happened, then cpu slows down etc etc. press power button again and within half a sec BAM! all is back and working, video playback is resumed, audio is unmuted and video is initialised.

that way, your media center machine can act like a true consumer electronics device...

it is subtle, but is really quite nice in action.
Click to expand...
Ah, thanks for the info ;)

Well, i'm perfectly happy with normal standby, so to me it won't be of much use :cool:
 
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