VLC-0.7.1-test1 available for download

[Gibalou]

The first test version for VLC 0.7.1 is available for download.
Please test and report any problems.
http://download.videolan.org/pub/testin ... 7.1-test1/

Among the new features:
- IGMPv3 support for Linux and Windows XP
- Software DTS decoding using libdts (http://www.videolan.org/dtsdec.html).
- SVCD (Philips OGT) and CVD subtitles.
- PVA demuxer
- MOD audio support
- demuxer using libavformat (ffmpeg) for fringe formats support
- MacOSX opengl video output
etc... (see http://developers.videolan.org/vlc/NEWS for the extensive list)

[hans-jürgen]

etc... (see http://developers.videolan.org/vlc/NEWS for the extensive list)

Err... does the following quote from that page mean that VLC can already stream (i.e. encode, mux and send via RTP) MP4 and MOV files with AAC audio?

Stream output:
* MP4/MOV muxer improvements (fast-start, aac in mov, etc...).

And by the way, is "Gibalou" another nick name for "gbazin"?

[Gibalou]

Err... does the following quote from that page mean that VLC can already stream (i.e. encode, mux and send via RTP) MP4 and MOV files with AAC audio?

Don't hope too much
The MP4/MOV muxing only works when using the file output because it will write the moov header right at the end (and move it to the beginning of the file in case of fast-start).

However VLC can send mp4v/aac in RTP but in raw format (not in a mov/mp4 container) with an SDP file available through the self contained http server.

And yes, gbazin and Gibalou is the same person (gbazin is my commit account).

[hans-jürgen]

The MP4/MOV muxing only works when using the file output because it will write the moov header right at the end (and move it to the beginning of the file in case of fast-start).

OK, so no MP4 stream output, but a written MP4 file... By the way, why does your file muxer not use "optimize" like mp4creator? That would place the header info always at the beginning and interleave audio and video elementary streams, too. Or is "fast-start" just another name for "optimize"?

However VLC can send mp4v/aac in RTP but in raw format (not in a mov/mp4 container) with an SDP file available through the self contained http server.

SDP through HTTP? I always thought that providing the live-stream information with a SDP file would only work through RTSP, but it seems that this is wrong.

Anyhow, how do you encode the AAC bitstream then, with FAAC? And if yes, does this still mean that users have to compile libfaac, ffmpeg and VLC on their own, or is it implemented in all OS versions and binaries of VLC now?

[Gibalou]

OK, so no MP4 stream output, but a written MP4 file... By the way, why does your file muxer not use "optimize" like mp4creator? That would place the header info always at the beginning and interleave audio and video elementary streams, too. Or is "fast-start" just another name for "optimize"?

I think "fast-start" is the official buzz word used by apple to describe the fact that the moov header is placed at the beginning of the stream.
And yes, VLC does also interleave the audio/video data so we do produce "optimized" files.

Anyhow, how do you encode the AAC bitstream then, with FAAC? And if yes, does this still mean that users have to compile libfaac, ffmpeg and VLC on their own, or is it implemented in all OS versions and binaries of VLC now?

Yes, with FAAC. We still don't include it in the binaries but that might change.

[hans-jürgen]

And yes, VLC does also interleave the audio/video data so we do produce "optimized" files.

Can it also hint each elementary stream in a MP4 file? That would make things easier to produce ISMA-compliant MP4 files (including BIFS and OD tracks) with VLC and actually stream them via RTP with Apple's Darwin Streaming Server for example or the equivalent from Helix.

Yes, with FAAC. We still don't include it in the binaries but that might change.

Good to know... At the moment I'm gathering information for a Audiocoding.com Wiki table of available freeware Windows MP4 decoders with RTSP capability, and VLC is of course on top of this list (besides QuickTime and the mpegable DS decoder). Could you tell me if there is also a WinCE version of VLC, and if all versions support .3gp files already (including AMR decoding and maybe even .3gp creation)? By the way, how far does the DirectShow support in VLC go, is it possible to use external DS filters in the decoding or even encoding chain like e.g. the ones from 3ivx?

Last but not least I would like to mention a very interesting video/audio test site that might also serve VLC users well, because it provides so many different formats and bitrates of several original files:

http://radio.irt.de/vida/begin.htm

It is maintained by the german Institut für Rundfunktechnik, Munich (IRT) which is the scientific test lab for all ARD TV and radio stations.

[diacronos]

Ibook , G3 800mhz, combo OS 10.3.2

I downloaded and installed 0.7.1 today, seems to work fine, but there was nothing displayed on the pref. pannel???!!!...

Went Back to 0.7.0,

Thanks to VLAN folks anyway for your work....

marcos

[Sigmund]

Known problem, that's why we have test versions Use 0.7.0 untill 0.7.1 is officially released

[The DJ]

[quote="hans-jürgenCould you tell me if there is also a WinCE version of VLC, and if all versions support .3gp files already (including AMR decoding and maybe even .3gp creation)? By the way, how far does the DirectShow support in VLC go, is it possible to use external DS filters in the decoding or even encoding chain like e.g. the ones from 3ivx?[/quote]

1: No WinCE port. One was started a year ago, but never close to being finished. Another person is rumored to work on it now, but no results have been seen so far. We are very interested in a WinCE port BTW.
2: 3GP files are supported, AMR decoding is not, because there is no opensource decoder yet, only some reference code, which again has an unclear license. ( i'd wish someone slapped those standardization bodies ).
The code as it is linked in ffmpeg for instance would taint our binary at the moment.
3: 3GP creation is not supported.
4: there is only support for DS input devices. DS encoding/decoding or output to a DS device is not possible (yet ???)

[hans-jürgen]

1: No WinCE port. One was started a year ago, but never close to being finished. Another person is rumored to work on it now, but no results have been seen so far. We are very interested in a WinCE port BTW.

Yes, that would certainly fill another gap, because the freeware Philips Platform4 Player for WinCE is no longer distributed on their website.

2: 3GP files are supported, AMR decoding is not, because there is no opensource decoder yet, only some reference code, which again has an unclear license. ( i'd wish someone slapped those standardization bodies ).
The code as it is linked in ffmpeg for instance would taint our binary at the moment.

I don't know how GPAC manages the AMR decoding at the moment (i.e. if they also use the ffmpeg libraries for that), but besides QuickTime and mpegable DS decoder/player their Osmo4 player is the only freeware I know that has this capability.

4: there is only support for DS input devices. DS encoding/decoding or output to a DS device is not possible (yet ???)

I see, so at the moment I couldn't combine the mpegable DS filters (only input, not output like 3ivx) with VLC?

And thanks for your answers so far...

[JohnHybert]

PowerBook G4 1GHz-Superdrive-OS10.3.2
Apologies for rather lo-tech feedback, but VLC-0.7.1-test1 will not play DVDs at all on the above machine, and there is no sound on VCDs - although the subtitles are present.
Not a complaint, you understand - just feedback.

[Shredder]

I tested the beta release again, streaming a dvd with dolby 5.1 sound. with a52 audio codec selected the center channel is missing when channel is set to 1/2/4. Whenn channel is set to 6 the center channel is transmitted, but the rest is missing. I use VLC on Windows XP Pro and UDP transmission.

[ArizonaSteve]

I tried downloading the test1 version but it don't work. After it was installed the previous version wouldn't work anymore either until I uninstalled test1.

[Murray]

We need more detailed bugreports in order to fix bugs before the release. Could you paste here the messages that it gave ?

Thanks a lot.

[Gibalou]

Yeah, I also really love the "it don't work" bug reports :p

[Swift]

PowerMac G4 867, OS 10.3.2. I have a strange experience with SVCDs. Several of them have worked, up till now. But I made one today that crashes the player, hard. It tells me, "Can not read sector (I think) 356." From that point on, it seems to create directory damage (I had to run DiskWarrior), and hang the application so badly that I had to force-quit more than once. I tried 0.7.1, to no avail. There were no preferences, and the disks it would play had no sound. When I reinstalled 7.0, it was back to the same status. I downloaded a demo of Mac VCD X, a commercial program, and it played my bad disk with no problems.

So it seems that some SVCDs it will play, and others it won't.

[Guest]

Got a G5 1.8 w/ 10.3.2 here. Starts up fine, no prefs tho. It can't seem to play any form of video file either, saying "main: couldn't find a filter for the conversion main: couldn't set an input pipeline", and these did work with 7.0. Some audio files play, some cause the same error.