Many of SheerVideo's codecs are available in two forms: scalar code, to run on a scalar processor; and vectorized code, to run on a vector processor. The vectorized code speeds up encoding and decoding by nearly a factor of two, but increases energy consumption, which can be an important consideration on battery-powered computers.

At the bottom of the Algorithms section of the Sheer Settings dialog box, select one of the following radio buttons:

• Scalar (energy saver), to have SheerVideo execute a scalar code version of the codec, to save battery power on a laptop with a vector processor, such as a PowerBook G4.
  
• Vectorized (faster), to have SheerVideo execute a vectorized code version of the codec. When available, this is the default value.