Down convert on the fly HD video to soemthing older PC can easily play?

Is there anything that can down convert a HD video that will make it easier to play on a netbook or older hardware?

yes I know I can convert it down and such but I don't want the extra files nor waste time down converting random crap, surely this can be done by cacheing the frames down convert it and play it, ya it would take a few minutes to do it but it beats having to have 2 versions of same the HD videos...

I am probably over thinking things it would take as long as the video is to convert it..... but I have to ask.... the voices demand it of me...

 

Yes, it would take as much processing power to down convert on the fly PLUS the processing power to put up the display image.

It would take twice as long and run 1/2 as fast as if you just down convert it before you play it.

Plus you'll still need temp disk space.

 

I just thought that maybe if you took the first few minutes of it down converted it first then started playing it while converting the rest of it as so the whole thing can finish it, like streaming a lower Q version of it but ya half a thought r wut zippy dose best..... ><

 

Same-same, you can't get something for nothing.

You would still be downloading/converting playing for all but the first few and last few minutes.

The streaming example that you used is not for the purposes of processing, but for the purpose of buffering video to have for display during the (almost) inevitable network congestion when video stops flowing over the link.