View source for VLC GPU Decoding

= Introduction to GPU decoding in VLC  =

The VLC&nbsp;framework can use your '''''graphic card''''' (aka GPU) to decode H.264 streams (wrongly called HD&nbsp;videos) under certain circonstances. 

VLC, in its '''modular''' approach and its transcoding/streaming capabilities, does decoding in GPU at the '''decoding stage only''' and then gets the data back to go to the other stages (streaming, filtering or plug any video output after that). 

What that means is that, compared to some other implementation, GPU&nbsp;decoding in VLC can be slower because it needs to get the ''data back from the GPU''. But you can plug '''ANY''' video output (sink) to it and use '''all '''the VLC video filters. 

=== Windows  ===

VLC supports [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DirectX_Video_Acceleration DxVA] in its version '''2.0'''. That means that ''Windows Vista'', ''Windows 2008'' or ''Windows 7'' are '''required'''. If you are using ''Windows XP'', VLC cannot work for you yet. 

=== Linux  ===

On Linux, there is code for VDPAU and VAAPI. There is also some code for a VAAPI video output, that isn't merged in the current Git.