Video decoding hardware generation for each chipset:

NV04 VPE VP1 VP2 VP3/VP4/VP5
NV04
NV05
NV10 VPE VP1 VP2 VP3/VP4/VP5
NV10
NV11
NV15
NV17 YES (v1)
NV18 YES (v1)
NV1A
NV1F YES (v1)
NV20 VPE VP1 VP2 VP3/VP4/VP5
NV20
NV25
NV28
NV2A
NV30 VPE VP1 VP2 VP3/VP4/VP5
NV30 YES (v1)
NV31 YES (v2.0)
NV34 YES (v2.0)
NV35 YES (v1)
NV36 YES (v2.0)
NV40 VPE VP1 VP2 VP3/VP4/VP5
NV40 YES (v2.1)
NV41 YES (v2.1) YES (VP1.0)
NV42 YES (v2.1) YES (VP1.0)
NV43 YES (v2.1) YES (VP1.0)
NV44 YES (v2.2) YES (VP1.1)
NV46 YES (v2.2) YES (VP1.1)
NV47 YES (v2.2) YES (VP1.1)
NV49 YES (v2.2) YES (VP1.1)
NV4A YES (v2.2) YES (VP1.1)
NV4B YES (v2.2) YES (VP1.1)
NV4C YES (v2.2) YES (VP1.1)
NV4E YES (v2.2) YES (VP1.1)
NV63
NV67 ? ?
NV68 ? ?
NV50 VPE VP1 VP2 VP3/VP4/VP5
NV50 YES (v2.3) YES (VP1.2)
NV84 YES (v2.3) YES
NV86 YES (v2.3) YES
NV92 YES (v2.3) YES
NV94 YES (v2.3) YES
NV96 YES (v2.3) YES
NV98 YES (VP3)
NVA0 YES (v2.3) YES
NVA3 YES (VP4.0)
NVA5 YES (VP4.0)
NVA8 YES (VP4.0)
NVAA YES (VP3)
NVAC YES (VP3)
NVAF YES (VP4.1)
NVC0 VPE VP1 VP2 VP3/VP4/VP5
NVC0 YES (VP4.2)
NVC1 YES (VP4.2)
NVC3 YES (VP4.2)
NVC4 YES (VP4.2)
NVC8 YES (VP4.2)
NVCE YES (VP4.2)
NVCF YES (VP4.2)
NVD9 YES (VP5)
NVE4 VPE VP1 VP2 VP3/VP4/VP5
NVE4 YES (VP5)

Features supported by each hardware generation:

VPE v1 VPE v2.x VP1 VP2 VP3 VP4 VP5
MPEG1 mocomp [custom format], mocomp+IDCT [custom format] DXVA mocomp [DXVA format], mocomp+IDCT [DXVA format] ? mocomp+IDCT [DXVA format] full bitstream decoding full bitstream decoding full bitstream decoding
MPEG2 Main Profile mocomp [custom format], mocomp+IDCT [custom format], mocomp+IDCT+IQ [custom format] DXVA mocomp [DXVA format], mocomp+IDCT [DXVA format] ? mocomp+IDCT [DXVA format] full bitstream decoding full bitstream decoding full bitstream decoding
H.264 High Profile none none mocomp+? full bitstream decoding full bitstream decoding full bitstream decoding full bitstream decoding
VC-1 (all profiles) none none mocomp+? mocomp+IDCT+IQ full bitstream decoding full bitstream decoding full bitstream decoding
MPEG 4 Advanced Simple Profile without GMC none none ? ? ? full bitstream decoding full bitstream decoding

The minor versions signify hardware changes not introducing any actual new functionality, like redesigning the memory access interface to match the rest of the GPU, etc.

And now status:

  • VPE v1: already REd, not yet supported
  • VPE v2: REd and supported by nouveau, though not on all possible cards yet
  • VP1: early RE work in progress - watch it unfold on the RE blog. Microcode in an unknown ISA involved.
  • VP2 H.264 bitstream engine: advanced RE work in progress, about 3/4 done. Microcode in 2 different ISAs involved.
  • VP2 video processing engine: very early RE work in progress, heaps and heaps of work remaining to do. Microcode in 3 different ISAs is involved, 2 of them totally unknown
  • VP3: RE work in progress, about half done. Microcode in 3 different ISAs involved, 1 of them semi-unknown
  • VP4: is just VP3 with MPEG4 support, same status
  • VP5: RE work not started. Seems to be the same design as VP3/VP4, but with the major video processor part replaced by something new