lib-ray -> a free Bluray alterernative
I came across an interesting project:
http://lib-ray.org/
They are currently aiming for an free Non-DRM standard as blueray alternative.
Basically WebM as A/V-codec in a MKV container plus some HTML5-based menu structure and a python-based player.
They just started a kickstarter project:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2144275086/lib-ray-non-drm-open-standards-hd-video-format?ref=category
Sounds great.
There is libbluray too. It is developed within the VideoLAN project (at the
origin of the famous VLC media player).
Recent versions of VLC take advantage of libbluray like Magic said and 5.5
users can nab from https://launchpad.net/~n-muench/+archive/vlc PPA.
libburay is a great thing for un-encrypted blurays (e.g. the one you mastered
yourself) but in the end it shares the same issues as the format itself:
Non-free codecs on a non-free format.
So I guess it is hard to compare libbluray to lib-ray since one is a playback
library and one aims to be an open standard.
As far as I understood, the developers have broken the DRMs. However, doing so is illegal in France (DADVSI law), where the VLC developers are mainly based, in the same way that it is illegal in the USA (the DADVSI law translates the EUCD European directive, which basically is the equivalent of the DMCA in the USA).
Recently, the developers have tries to obtained the right to distribute the "protection" codes by contacting the HADOPI, which really needs to improve its image. Let us see how it evolves...
I hope that lib-ray players are released as free hardware.
http://wiki.xiph.org/Theora_Hardware has a VHDL implementation.
VHDL is a hardware description language. So hardware venders that care about
freedom can use the existing VHDL code to build a graphics card that can
decode Theora instead of MPEG.
Yes, this would be cool but I rather think they will stay software only but name what exact specs are required to play 1080p in Theora.
Based on my tests with Theora in higher resolutions (720p / 1080p) I would say not need a system capable to decode 1080p coded in h264 without hardware acceleration in order to play 1080p lib-ray files.
For me this is currently one of the show-stoppers for lib-ray since hardware based GPU acceleration is at least available on most NVidia and ATI cards with proprietary drivers. All my systems are only capable of playing back 1080p with hardware support from the GPU.
It would be way cool if Intel supported hardware-based Theora decoding in one of their next mainboard GPUs.
I know that Apple and the MPEG group have expressed doubts over the patent validity of VP8, but it should be fine as long as Google plays nice right?
Also, what about the Dirac codec? I remember checking in a year or so ago on the progress and still seems like there's work that has to be done. It's an open and royalty free codec created by the BBC that aims to have the same quality as H.264 and VC-1.
I never tested Dirac. VP8 though is not bad. It offers higher compression rates than DivX / XVid but at the penalty of higher CPU load.
720p and 1080p stuff looked fine at reasonable bitrates but none of my systems can cope with CPU load at 1080p :-(
I never tested Dirac. VP8 though is not bad. It offers higher compression
rates than DivX / XVid but at the penalty of higher CPU load.
720p and 1080p stuff looked fine at reasonable bitrates but none of my
systems can cope with CPU load at 1080p :-(
I know that Apple and the MPEG group have expressed doubts over the patent
validity of VP8, but it should be fine as long as Google plays nice right?
Also, what about the Dirac codec? I remember checking in a year or so ago on
the progress and still seems like there's work that has to be done. It's an
open and royalty free codec created by the BBC that aims to have the same
quality as H.264 and VC-1.
Recent versions of VLC take advantage of libbluray like Magic said and 5.5 users can nab from https://launchpad.net/~n-muench/+archive/vlc PPA.
libburay is a great thing for un-encrypted blurays (e.g. the one you mastered yourself) but in the end it shares the same issues as the format itself: Non-free codecs on a non-free format.
So I guess it is hard to compare libbluray to lib-ray since one is a playback library and one aims to be an open standard.
As far as I understood, the developers have broken the DRMs. However, doing
so is illegal in France (DADVSI law), where the VLC developers are mainly
based, in the same way that it is illegal in the USA (the DADVSI law
translates the EUCD European directive, which basically is the equivalent of
the DMCA in the USA).
Recently, the developers have tries to obtained the right to distribute the
"protection" codes by contacting the HADOPI, which really needs to improve
its image. Let us see how it evolves...