Video Codecs

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Chris
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Video Codecs

Postby Chris » Mon Dec 19, 2005 4:11 pm

Does anybody here know anything about video codecs?

We've got a video coming out soon on our site, but we can't figure out what codec to use. We initially decided on mpeg2, the theory being that all computers (windows/mac/linux) could play them without difficulty. Unfortunately this isn't true and many machines can't play the vid.

We could go with xVid and distribute the codec (which we've done before) but that rules out other platforms, or people who can't install codecs (eg don't have admin permissions).

We could go with Quicktime, but then people need to install Apple QT.

WMV is probably easiest but again its Windows only.

So what codec do people use if they want the most people to be able to view a video with the least hassle?
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Postby hitm4n » Mon Dec 19, 2005 4:26 pm

raw avi. and i don't mean divx.
can macs play that ?

plain mpg is a global option, but large filesizes unless you compress with something like 7zip. But then your into unavailable on other platform territory.

surely a divx codec has been made for mac and linux by now... ?

As a windows user, i use Media Player Classic (no, not microsofts) along with the FFDShow codec. Its never ever failed to play ANY download. But thats just windows.
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Postby Stewsburntmonkey » Mon Dec 19, 2005 4:36 pm

WMV _can_ be played on virtually any OS (there is a Windows Media player for OSX, and there are ways to get the codec on Linux) though it is not supported by default.

Standard MPEG should work, as should standard AVI. H.264 is also fairly widely used. Most people release two or three (or a dozen) version of their videos using various codecs so that is an option. :)
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Postby Dave2 » Mon Dec 19, 2005 4:40 pm

hitm4n wrote:raw avi.

No such thing, surely? AVI is just a container, unless there's a standard video format to accompany it.

XviD should be fine in terms of platforms - being portable and open source, i'm sure just about every platform will have a port of it - but the codec installation issue is a bit of an arse.

MPEG1 is portable, but shit compared to modern codecs.

Perhaps it would be best to offer XviD, and MPEG1 as a backup?

Stewsburntmonkey wrote:WMV _can_ be played on virtually any OS (there is a Windows Media player for OSX, and there are ways to get the codec on Linux) though it is not supported by default.

Only using an x86 system with a setup that will use Win32 codecs (so no GStreamer, or native AMD64, or PPC). FFmpeg is working on WMV support, but it's not there yet, AFAIK.
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Postby Stewsburntmonkey » Mon Dec 19, 2005 5:02 pm

As far as I know the x86 requirement in Linux is only for the v9 wmv format. WMV7/8 should work fine under any Linux setup. :)
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Postby xander » Mon Dec 19, 2005 5:02 pm

I don't really know much about codecs, but I do know what I have and have not been able to get to work on my Mac. I have had a little trouble with XviD in the past, but it was largely trivial, and I managed to get it working. I think if I can figure it out, any one can.

Despite there being a Windows Media Player for the Mac, I have never managed to get that working. If you want it to be accessible to every Mac user who might care, I would take a pass on that one. Also, IIRC, the Mac version of the Windows Media Player wants you to be root or admin or whatever to install, though it has been a while, so I could be wrong.

MPEG works, but, as has been stated above, the filesizes are large. I have broadband, so this doesn't bother me, but there are probably one or two people out there still on dialup. You might be leaving a few folk out in the cold using MPEG -- and, much as I hate to say it, there are probably more Windows folk on dialup than Mac and Linux folk. Of course, many of them probably do not care, not being gamers and all :)

Oh, and I have no problem with QT ;)

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Postby Stewsburntmonkey » Mon Dec 19, 2005 5:08 pm

I have had no problems with the Windows Media Player on my iMac. :)
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Postby xander » Mon Dec 19, 2005 5:15 pm

Stewsburntmonkey wrote:I have had no problems with the Windows Media Player on my iMac. :)

Could you tell me how you got it working, then? I tried playing the Steam/Darwinia movie last week, but kept getting a "that codec doesn't exist" kind of error, and the Media Player refused to indicate how I could install such a codec, or where I might get such a codec.

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Postby Stewsburntmonkey » Mon Dec 19, 2005 5:23 pm

Do you have the latest version of the player? The video plays fine for me. :)
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Postby Dave2 » Mon Dec 19, 2005 5:32 pm

Stewsburntmonkey wrote:As far as I know the x86 requirement in Linux is only for the v9 wmv format. WMV7/8 should work fine under any Linux setup. :)

I guess FFmpeg must've advanced further since I last tried it; I have win32 codecs set up here, for convenience.
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Postby xander » Mon Dec 19, 2005 5:34 pm

Stewsburntmonkey wrote:Do you have the latest version of the player? The video plays fine for me. :)


I downloaded the player specifically to play the video, so I assume so, yes.

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Postby prophile » Mon Dec 19, 2005 6:57 pm

A directory of numbered jpgs and a wav file :)
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Postby NeoThermic » Mon Dec 19, 2005 7:00 pm

As Stews said, I would create two copies, one in Quicktime, and one in xVid, and distro both.

Thats the best and most compatable option IMO.

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Postby a beautiful mind » Mon Dec 19, 2005 7:38 pm

WMV is good for all PC platforms.

DivX is used by lots of Game Devs. Flagship Games comes to mind cause of there awesome movie.
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Postby hitm4n » Mon Dec 19, 2005 8:55 pm

Dave2 wrote:
hitm4n wrote:raw avi.

No such thing, surely? AVI is just a container, unless there's a standardvideo format to accompany it.

I meant standard avi format that was in use long before divx avi came out. WMV is just horrid. From what everyone else has said here, i'd go for xvid.

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