Industry's Biggest Scaler Vendors Pledge Support for AMD's Project FreeSync

[Cristian_25H]

Today, AMD announced collaborations with scaler vendors MStar, Novatek and Realtek to build scaler units ready with DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync and AMD's Project FreeSync by year end.

"Since the dawn of hardware-accelerated graphics, gamers dreamed of liquid smooth gameplay free of stuttering and tearing," said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager, Graphics Business Unit, AMD. "AMD's Project FreeSync is aimed at realizing that vision with an open, standardized and license-free approach that will encourage lower prices and wider adoption."



Under the technology partnerships, MStar, Novatek and Realtek each will develop a range of DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync-ready scalers to complement the new monitor product cycle in 1Q15. Monitors equipped with such DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync-aware scalers will allow contemporary AMD Radeon graphics cards to synchronize display refresh rates and GPU framerates via Project FreeSync to enable tearing and stutter-free gaming along with low input latency.

"Our customers are really excited about AMD's FreeSync technology," said Yee-Wei Huang, vice president, Realtek. "The benefits of FreeSync for gaming are clear and we believe adopting the DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync industry standard by VESA is the best approach to make this display technology widely available for everyone."

The new scalers from MStar, Novatek and Realtek also will give monitor vendors access to a comprehensive set of features not available with other dynamic refresh technologies. Example features include: picture scaling, on-screen display (OSD), HDMI/DVI inputs for legacy users and DisplayPort High Bit Rate Audio.

"Project FreeSync is the industry's defining effort to bring smooth gameplay to PC enthusiasts," said Richard Hung, director, iHome SBU - SC, Novatek. "In putting forward the open DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync proposal for ratification, AMD has smartly led the way for Novatek scalers to power a new wave of monitors that affordably offer dynamic refresh rates."

Finally, the initial Project FreeSync-compatible scalers from MStar, Novatek and Realtek will empower monitor vendors with robust DisplayPort receivers accommodating of FHD and QHD panels up to 144Hz, or UHD panels up to 60Hz.

"With an open, industry-standard specification, Project FreeSync and DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync serve as models for consumer-friendly technologies," said Henry Lan, marketing deputy director, Display Group, MStar. "MStar is pleased to join AMD'sProject FreeSync ecosystem with scalers that will bring smooth gameplay to a new generation of displays."

AMD and its display partners intend to reveal Project FreeSync-ready monitors based on any one of the MStar, Novatek and Realtek scalers through a media review program in 1Q15.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[erixx]

Oh, this red guerilla had to release this today... party breakers!: )

 

[RejZoR]

If AMD pulls this off, it will be a death sentence for G-Sync... Then it's just a matter of NVIDIA adopting it. Especially if Intel will also join FreeSync support. That will leave NVIDIA alone with their proprietary standard.

 

[Fluffmeister]

Yeah, hey don't forget about what we are about to release..... next year!

 

[ironwolf]

Gotta love the subtle peppering of mentions of free, open in that release.

 

[RejZoR]

Well, if AMD doesn't demand any royalties for the technology, then of course everyone will jump on it. Unlike G-Sync which does...

 

[Patriot]

Well, if AMD doesn't demand any royalties for the technology, then of course everyone will jump on it. Unlike G-Sync which does...

hardware costs...

 

[Steevo]

hardware costs...

You mean like a add in module......oh wait, the standard is there, just needs to be adopted for use. So..... hardware costs... like a monitor that supports it, but without the extra $120 or so for Nvidia? So $300 monitor FreeSync, $420 Gsync.. If AMD, Intel and Nvidia use it on all new and some current generation graphics cards...... you will need. Ummmm, lets see here..... ummmmm, a new monitor without additional cost for a free feature?

 

[Cybrnook2002]

This is awesome, can't wait!

 

[Patriot]

You mean like a add in module......oh wait, the standard is there, just needs to be adopted for use. So..... hardware costs... like a monitor that supports it, but without the extra $120 or so for Nvidia? So $300 monitor FreeSync, $420 Gsync.. If AMD, Intel and Nvidia use it on all new and some current generation graphics cards...... you will need. Ummmm, lets see here..... ummmmm, a new monitor without additional cost for a free feature?

He was talking about nvidia and licensing costs... AMD is a free license nvidia is hardware costs.

Reading...

 

[GhostRyder]

This is great, been waiting to hear this come into full effect.

 

[fullinfusion]

This is great, been waiting to hear this come into full effect.

Makes two of us

 

[john_]

No one noticed?

The new Nvidias are Displayport 1.2. So they DO NOT support any kind of adaptive/free sync. You need at least 1.2a.
Nvidia is locking it's customers to GSync.

The same thing like OpenCL. I do wonder if Nvidia will move on from OpenCL 1.1 with the new cards but I don't think so.

 

[eidairaman1]

Seems like when nv thinks of something new they abandon other ideas, you dont hear them advertising Phsyx or really touting sli like they did. I see Nv abandoning GSync and all the cash they invested in it wasted on a bandwagon.

 

[Fluffmeister]

Nv should have waited till G-Sync monitors were ready before they announced the tech, then this new found love of all things Freesync would have been even more amusing.

 

[GhostRyder]

Seems like when nv thinks of something new they abandon other ideas, you dont hear them advertising Phsyx or really touting sli like they did. I see Nv abandoning GSync and all the cash they invested in it wasted on a bandwagon.

Well I think PhysX never really had a full chance because it was too "locked down". It also never really got good implementation (only a few titles like borderlands used it properly). But it's just now a part of the whole GameWorks program they are pushing instead of being a completely separate entity.

I agree with you that Nvidia is always changing it's mind about technologies they implement. It's sad really because doing so scares more companies away because it makes you wonder if they will support it and for how long. But I believe Gsync is here for awhile and it will take along time before we see it leave the scene.

 

[The Von Matrices]

Well, if AMD doesn't demand any royalties for the technology, then of course everyone will jump on it. Unlike G-Sync which does...

Just because it's royalty free doesn't mean it's free to implement. There's still a cost in hardware and software needed to support it, and you can be sure that will be reflected in the monitor's price.

No one noticed?

The new Nvidias are Displayport 1.2. So they DO NOT support any kind of adaptive/free sync. You need at least 1.2a.
Nvidia is locking it's customers to GSync.

I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a conspiracy. The Maxwell GPUs were designed before the Displayport 1.2a spec was officially released (May 2014) so I can't blame them for not including support for a specification that was not finished at the time of hardware design (remember Draft-N routers?). They'll include DP 1.3 sooner or later for the increased bandwidth, and in order to support the 1.3 spec they have to support adaptive refresh.

 

[eidairaman1]

It might come down to driver level implementation for older monitors/gpus as a work around, nv might relaunch the boards with the new dp standard

 

[ensabrenoir]

The following message is a total Troll......please regard it as such.........

Amd: Pssssss....Hey guys..... I need you to support this thing that sounds really cool and supposedly does super awesome stuff....but the Best part is.... it don't exist...so it'll cost you nothing!!!!! Just a whole lota free press and buzz around your name. Like your giving back or something. By the time it is suppose to come to market.... a superior solution will have been found....till then use this windmill video and rake in the public relation's brownie points.

Guys: .......sure why not....Go AMD!!!!

You may now return to your discussion

 

[Steevo]

Some of you seem confused.

DP has allowed for a vblank hold time which allows the GPU to handle the timing of the next frame, and this has been in use on laptops to lower refresh rates for power saving. If we move it to desktop monitors its free, and just adoption of an already existing standard. Current generation and some prior generation AMD cards already have the hardware to do it.


The standard has not been used as it was thought to be unneeded, until recently.

 

[GhostRyder]

Some of you seem confused.

DP has allowed for a vblank hold time which allows the GPU to handle the timing of the next frame, and this has been in use on laptops to lower refresh rates for power saving. If we move it to desktop monitors its free, and just adoption of an already existing standard. Current generation and some prior generation AMD cards already have the hardware to do it.


The standard has not been used as it was thought to be unneeded, until recently.

Could not have said it better myself!

 

[librin.so.1]

Seems like when nv thinks of something new they abandon other ideas, you dont hear them advertising Phsyx or really touting sli like they did. I see Nv abandoning GSync and all the cash they invested in it wasted on a bandwagon.

Don't forget Nvidia 3D Vision, which was Teh Tech Of Teh Now™ for some time with Nvidia pushing it like crazy and then... *cue cicadas chirping*

Spoiler

P.S. I wrote "teh" instead of "the" on purpose

 

[Roph]

The following message is a total Troll......please regard it as such.........

Amd: Pssssss....Hey guys..... I need you to support this thing that sounds really cool and supposedly does super awesome stuff....but the Best part is.... it don't exist...so it'll cost you nothing!!!!! Just a whole lota free press and buzz around your name. Like your giving back or something. By the time it is suppose to come to market.... a superior solution will have been found....till then use this windmill video and rake in the public relation's brownie points.

Guys: .......sure why not....Go AMD!!!!

You may now return to your discussion

Didn't even need to look at your system specs to know you have an nvidia card

 

[buggalugs]

wow, could you imagine how much NVidia would be screwing consumers if there was no AMD? Its scary to think about.

 

[Recus]

wow, could you imagine how much NVidia would be screwing consumers if there was no AMD? Its scary to think about.

Do you realize that AMD is advertising FreeSync as being free but will ask money for it? Are you still not screwed by AMD? Ok. You want AMD to conquer Intel because you feel nostalgia for high prices from AMD.

Seems like when nv thinks of something new they abandon other ideas, you dont hear them advertising Phsyx or really touting sli like they did. I see Nv abandoning GSync and all the cash they invested in it wasted on a bandwagon.

Don't forget Nvidia 3D Vision, which was Teh Tech Of Teh Now™ for some time with Nvidia pushing it like crazy and then... *cue cicadas chirping*

Spoiler

P.S. I wrote "teh" instead of "the" on purpose

Let's see: HD3D - MIA, MLAA - MIA, TressFX - MIA, Asymmetric Physics Processing - MIA, Open Physics initiative - MIA.