Linux Video Playback - Revision history

Ankular: Reference to ffmpeg/libav external article removed as external article was deleted

2015-04-02T00:11:32Z

Reference to ffmpeg/libav external article removed as external article was deleted

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:11, 2 April 2015
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	It should be noted that while Libav seems to ignore FFmpeg's development efforts, FFmpeg frequenty merges all of Libav's development efforts. The net result is that Libav features are a subset of FFmpeg.		It should be noted that while Libav seems to ignore FFmpeg's development efforts, FFmpeg frequenty merges all of Libav's development efforts. The net result is that Libav features are a subset of FFmpeg.

	If you're interested in knowing a little more about the differences between them, the [https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/wiki <b>mpv player wicki</b>] has some [https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/wiki/FFmpeg-versus-Libav <b>excellent commentary</b>].		For these reasons and without considering user invisible merits, we prefer FFmpeg as our codec engine.

	For these reasons and without considering ~~other~~ user invisible merits, we prefer FFmpeg as our codec engine.

	===Active Development Community===		===Active Development Community===

Ankular at 02:33, 1 April 2015

2015-04-01T02:33:55Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:33, 1 April 2015
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	==What <b>Not</b> to Look for in a Video Player==		==What <b>Not</b> to Look for in a Video Player==
	===Not Using Either ffmpeg or libav===		===Not Using Either ffmpeg or libav===
	As part of their core functionality, both ffmpeg and libav are established codec libraries. They represent a large collective effort over time in reverse engineering of hundreds of assorted codecs. It's almost impossible for any project to build such a library of codecs on their own. As a result, media players which only go with internally written codecs possibly combined with externally available ~~individual~~ codecs are always limited to very specific niche playback categories. Notably, media players which are internal to game engines are ~~almost always~~ an example of this. The rule of thumb is to avoid any media player which doesn't make use of either ffmpeg or libav. xine(ui) was originally built this way but now includes ffmpeg in order to be able to playback h.264 and HEVC.		As part of their core functionality, both ffmpeg and libav are established codec libraries. They represent a large collective effort over time in the reverse engineering of hundreds of assorted codecs. It's almost impossible for any project to build such a library of codecs on their own. As a result, media players which only go with internally written codecs and possibly combined with externally available single codecs are always limited to very specific niche playback categories. Notably, media players which are internal to game engines are an example of this.

			The rule of thumb is to avoid any media player which doesn't make use of either ffmpeg or libav. xine(ui) was originally built this way but now includes ffmpeg in order to be able to playback h.264 and HEVC.

	===Not Permitting Use of External Codecs===		===Not Permitting Use of External Codecs===
	While ffmpeg and libav include hundreds of internal codecs, these codecs are not all written to the same quality. For this reason, both ~~mplayer~~ and mpv support the inclusion and use of select external alternative codecs. This allows both media players to use better codecs than the ffmpeg/libav intenally provided ones.		While ffmpeg and libav include hundreds of internal codecs, these codecs are not all written to the same quality. For this reason, both MPlayer and mpv support the inclusion and use of select external alternative codecs. This allows both media players to use better codecs than the ffmpeg/libav intenally provided ones.

	===Don't Use Third Tier Media Players===		===Don't Use Third Tier Media Players===

Ankular: What NOT to see in a media player - initial edit

2015-04-01T01:43:26Z

What NOT to see in a media player - initial edit

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:43, 1 April 2015
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	==Recommended Media Players==		==Recommended Media Players==

	This is the tl:dr (or what used to be called the "Executive Summary") section. We flat out tell you what the recommended Linux Video Players are. Feel free to use these links to jump their respective sites immediately.		This is the tl:dr (or what used to be called the "Executive Summary") section. We flat out tell you what the recommended Linux Video Players are. Feel free to use these links to jump their respective sites immediately. To be better informed, please continue reading.

	;* [https://mplayerhq.hu/design7/news.html MPlayer]		;* [https://mplayerhq.hu/design7/news.html MPlayer]
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	==Useful Information==		==Useful Information==
	===Everything Changes - Nothing Stays the Same===		===Everything Changes - Nothing Stays the Same===
	People often post: "I can't play this new video ~~but~~ everything else plays fine and I've been using this player forever! What gives?" ~~and~~ "What kind of format is XYZ? I never heard of it before." and from more knowledgeable users "What codec pack should I use with my player to play ABC format?" These questions are almost always based on not realizing the incredibly rapid rate of change of video ~~compression development~~. Here are a few abreviated timelines to consider:		People often post: "I can't play this new video even though it says h264 and everything else plays fine and I've been using this player forever! What gives?", "What kind of format is XYZ? I never heard of it before.", : This movie won't play and must be borkened/infected/encoded by idiots!" and from slightly more knowledgeable users "What codec pack should I use with my player to play ABC format?" These questions are almost always based on not realizing the incredibly rapid rate of change in video playback. Here are a few abreviated timelines to consider:

	====H.264====		====H.264====
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	* <b>2014</b> (Version 2) Major amendment - added approval for 25 new profiles.		* <b>2014</b> (Version 2) Major amendment - added approval for 25 new profiles.

	The same type of active timelines are also true for video technologies like VP8 and VP9. Then there are all the hardware based proprietary codecs which various manufacturers have decided upon for ~~various~~ reasons including lockin and ease of manufacturing.		You did note in that last the ".. addition of '''25 new profiles'''", yes? The same type of active timelines are also true for video technologies like VP8 and VP9 (HTML5, Google's Youtube). Then there are all the hardware based proprietary codecs which various manufacturers have decided upon for reasons including lockin and ease of manufacturing.

	That's a lot of change over ~~a long period of~~ time and there are no signs that this rate of change will slow down ~~anytime soon~~.		That's a lot of change over time and there are no signs that this rate of change will slow down. Playback is a stone cold beach.

	===Hardware Changes Too===		===Hardware Changes Too===
	Many of the above ~~major~~ amendments and ~~increase~~ in profiles to h.264 and h.265 are done to meet the need of broadcasters and equipment manufacters for higher resolution, larger color space and higher frame rates. Those new resolutions, more capable devices and broadcasts are here now, assuming of course, you have the funds and are in the select areas of availability. Here are a few ~~select~~ timeline ~~items~~ to give you ~~an idea~~:		Many of the above amendments and growth in profiles made to the h.264 and h.265 standards are done to meet the need of broadcasters and equipment manufacters for higher resolution, larger color space and higher frame rates. Those new resolutions, more capable devices and better broadcasts are here now, assuming of course, if you have the funds and are in the select areas of availability. Here are a few timeline points to give you some background:

	====UHDTV====		====UHDTV====
Line 60:		Line 60:
	**On November 19, 2014, rock band Linkin Park's concert at Berlin's O2 World Arena was broadcast live in Ultra HD via an Astra 19.2°E satellite.		**On November 19, 2014, rock band Linkin Park's concert at Berlin's O2 World Arena was broadcast live in Ultra HD via an Astra 19.2°E satellite.

	As hardware manufacturers and broadcasters get more experience with both 4k and 8k playback, they ~~are certain to~~ request futher ~~ongoing~~ changes/additions to the new HEVC standards as well.		There are a lot of terms here you don't need to be concerned with. The upshot is that hardware manufacturers and broadcasters implementing bigger and better multimedia everything right now. As they get more experience with both 4k and 8k playback, you can be certain they'll request futher changes/additions to the new HEVC standards as well.

	==What to Look for in a Video Player==		==What to Look for in a Video Player==
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	===FFmpeg or Libav===		===FFmpeg or Libav===
	Libav is a fork of FFmpeg. From your, the user's standpoint, the most visible difference between the two libraries is that Libav doesn't support some user desired features including some subtitle formats as well as external vob based subtitles. All the recommended ~~video~~ players here either are built only with FFmpeg or they preferentially default to FFmpeg.		Libav is a fork of FFmpeg. From your, the user's standpoint, the most visible difference between the two libraries is that Libav doesn't support some user desired features including some subtitle formats as well as external vob based subtitles. All the recommended media players here either are built only with FFmpeg or they preferentially default to FFmpeg.

	It should be noted that while Libav seems to ignore FFmpeg's development efforts, FFmpeg frequenty merges all of Libav's development efforts. The net result is that Libav features are a subset of FFmpeg.		It should be noted that while Libav seems to ignore FFmpeg's development efforts, FFmpeg frequenty merges all of Libav's development efforts. The net result is that Libav features are a subset of FFmpeg.
Line 79:		Line 79:
	If you're interested in knowing a little more about the differences between them, the [https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/wiki <b>mpv player wicki</b>] has some [https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/wiki/FFmpeg-versus-Libav <b>excellent commentary</b>].		If you're interested in knowing a little more about the differences between them, the [https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/wiki <b>mpv player wicki</b>] has some [https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/wiki/FFmpeg-versus-Libav <b>excellent commentary</b>].

	For these reasons, we prefer FFmpeg as our codec engine.		For these reasons and without considering other user invisible merits, we prefer FFmpeg as our codec engine.

	===Active Development Community===		===Active Development Community===
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	==What <b>Not</b> to Look for in a Video Player==		==What <b>Not</b> to Look for in a Video Player==
	The ~~biggest thing~~ to avoid is any ~~video~~ player which doesn't make use of at ~~least FFmpeg~~ 2.~~5 or Libav 10~~.x.		===Not Using Either ffmpeg or libav===
			As part of their core functionality, both ffmpeg and libav are established codec libraries. They represent a large collective effort over time in reverse engineering of hundreds of assorted codecs. It's almost impossible for any project to build such a library of codecs on their own. As a result, media players which only go with internally written codecs possibly combined with externally available individual codecs are always limited to very specific niche playback categories. Notably, media players which are internal to game engines are almost always an example of this. The rule of thumb is to avoid any media player which doesn't make use of either ffmpeg or libav. xine(ui) was originally built this way but now includes ffmpeg in order to be able to playback h.264 and HEVC.

			===Not Permitting Use of External Codecs===
			While ffmpeg and libav include hundreds of internal codecs, these codecs are not all written to the same quality. For this reason, both mplayer and mpv support the inclusion and use of select external alternative codecs. This allows both media players to use better codecs than the ffmpeg/libav intenally provided ones.

			===Don't Use Third Tier Media Players===
			We define third tier players by how far they are removed from the source underlying media player they rely on. This is probably best explained by example. Since you're reading this page from the Linux user's perspective, you'll most likely be running one or more of the available Window Managers/Desktop Environments. We'll pick on KDE (Komputer Desktop Environement) for this particular example. Other desktops will do something similar if they provide this functionality at all.

			In KDE and also depending on the linux distribution you use, you can either install or build in a media player. In the case of KDE, KDE will pull in a KDE native wrapper for mplayer. At the present time, this media player is named "Dragon". On the Author's systems, It's configured to be based on a version of mplayer with makes use of ffmpeg. This would seem like a "good thing" but there are problems.
			* You cannot update Dragon outside of your distribution's KDE update schedule.
			* Most distributions seem to build Dragon without access to external codecs. i.e. You're limited to your distribution's decisions regarding what to in/exclude in Dragon.
			* Depending on your distribution's release policies (more on this further down), Dragon may be limited to only 'stable' versions of mplayer and mpv player and, by extension, ffmpeg or libav. In the case of mplayer, the last official 'stable' version dates back to May 2013.

			What's true for Dragon under KDE is true for all natively built media players which may be included in all other Windows Managers/Desktop Environments and similar.

			==='Stable' Version Media Players===
			All distributions have software release policies. These release policies control which versions of any given package are nstalled and under which circumstances each version is installed. Most distribution's policies have a minimum of two levels generally defined as 'stable' and 'unstable' or equivalent. A smaller set of distributions will also have a 3rd tier referenced as 'developer' or 'alpha'. These three levels are commonly viewed as:
			# Stable - Tried and true versions with no known unexpected behavior. This level intended for business systems and expecially for critical business infrastructure.
			# Unstable - Latest official release by package provider for 'official' beta testing. These versions have all the latest available features for their category of package. In common practice, this is the level nearly all home users and most business desktop users want to be on. If you're not on this level or it's equivalent in your distribution, we recommend you consider looking at it.
			# Developer or Alpha Testing - This means building directly from the same source code library the developer is working from.

			Noted earlier, the last 'stable' [https://mplayerhq.hu/design7/dload.html '''version of MPlayer'''] dates back to May 2013. As of this writing, that's almost 2 years ago.
			Also as of this writing, the last 'stable' [https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/releases '''mpv player version'''] is 0.8.3 dated March 17, 2015. If you have a requirement for 'Stable' versions only of the distribution you use, then you should consider mpv player over MPlayer.

Ankular at 23:08, 21 March 2015

2015-03-21T23:08:03Z

Ankular: added an adjective

2015-03-21T17:57:14Z

added an adjective

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:57, 21 March 2015
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	===Active Development Community===		===Active Development Community===
	It should be crystal clear that any Video Player worth installing requires two important though intangible components.		It should be crystal clear that any Video Player worth installing requires two important though intangible components.
	# You the user must take responsiblity to install an updated version regularly. This is true of all PC environments. Many encoders will experiment with new encoding profiles as they become available. Updating your player is the best way for you to keep your playback ability current.		# You the user must take responsiblity to install an updated version regularly. This is true of all PC environments. Many fansub encoders will experiment with new encoding profiles as they become available. Updating your player is the best way for you to keep your playback ability current.
	# The player you choose must have an active, accessible development community. All the players listed here are in active development.		# The player you choose must have an active, accessible development community. All the players listed here are in active development.

Ankular: Some grammitcal changes and, more FFmpeg/Libav and addition of Active Development

2015-03-21T17:47:36Z

Some grammitcal changes and, more FFmpeg/Libav and addition of Active Development

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:47, 21 March 2015
Line 27:		Line 27:
	==Useful Information==		==Useful Information==
	===Everything Changes - Nothing Stays the Same===		===Everything Changes - Nothing Stays the Same===
	People often comment: "I can't play this new video but everything else plays fine and I've been using this player forever! What gives?" and "What kind of format is XYZ? I never heard of it before." and from more knowledgeable users "What codec pack should I use with my player to play ABC format?" These questions are almost always based on not ~~understanding that video compression has been and is still subject to~~ rapid ~~rates~~ of change. Here are a few abreviated timelines to consider:		People often comment: "I can't play this new video but everything else plays fine and I've been using this player forever! What gives?" and "What kind of format is XYZ? I never heard of it before." and from more knowledgeable users "What codec pack should I use with my player to play ABC format?" These questions are almost always based on not realizing the incredibly rapid rate of change of video compression development. Here are a few abreviated timelines to consider:

	====H.264====		====H.264====
Line 35:		Line 35:
	* <b>2009</b> (Version 11) Major amendment - introduction of Mulitview Video Coding (MVC)		* <b>2009</b> (Version 11) Major amendment - introduction of Mulitview Video Coding (MVC)
	* <b>2013</b> (Version 20) Current version.		* <b>2013</b> (Version 20) Current version.

			Note there are 20 versions over 10 years. This is an average of 2 revisions each year in what many people consider to be a static standard.

	====H.265 (HEVC)====		====H.265 (HEVC)====
Line 40:		Line 42:
	* <b>2014</b> (Version 2) Major amendment - added approval for 25 new profiles.		* <b>2014</b> (Version 2) Major amendment - added approval for 25 new profiles.

	The same type of timelines are also true for video technologies like VP8 and VP9. Then there are all the hardware based proprietary codecs which various manufacturers have decided upon for various reasons including lockin and ease of manufacturing.		The same type of active timelines are also true for video technologies like VP8 and VP9. Then there are all the hardware based proprietary codecs which various manufacturers have decided upon for various reasons including lockin and ease of manufacturing.

	That's a lot of change over a long period of time and there are no signs that this rate of change will slow down anytime soon.		That's a lot of change over a long period of time and there are no signs that this rate of change will slow down anytime soon.

	===Hardware Changes Too===		===Hardware Changes Too===
	~~Much~~ of the additions in increases in numbers of profiles to h.264 and h.265 are done to meet the need of broadcasters and equipment manufacters for higher resolution, larger color space and higher frame rates. Those new resolution, more capable devices and broadcasts are here now assuming, of course you have the funds and are in the select areas of availability. Here are a few select timeline items to give you an idea:		Many of the additions in increases in numbers of profiles to h.264 and h.265 are done to meet the need of broadcasters and equipment manufacters for higher resolution, larger color space and higher frame rates. Those new resolution, more capable devices and broadcasts are here now assuming, of course you have the funds and are in the select areas of availability. Here are a few select timeline items to give you an idea:

	====UHDTV====		====UHDTV====
Line 57:		Line 59:
	** On September 4, 2014, Canon Inc. announced that with a firmware upgrade they will add support for the Rec. 2020 color space to their EOS C500 and EOS C500 PL camera models and their DP-V3010 4K display.		** On September 4, 2014, Canon Inc. announced that with a firmware upgrade they will add support for the Rec. 2020 color space to their EOS C500 and EOS C500 PL camera models and their DP-V3010 4K display.
	**On November 19, 2014, rock band Linkin Park's concert at Berlin's O2 World Arena was broadcast live in Ultra HD via an Astra 19.2°E satellite.		**On November 19, 2014, rock band Linkin Park's concert at Berlin's O2 World Arena was broadcast live in Ultra HD via an Astra 19.2°E satellite.

			As hardware manufacturers and broadcasters get more experience with both 4k and 8k playback, they are certain to request futher ongoing changes/additions to the new HEVC standards as well.

	==What to Look for in a Video Player==		==What to Look for in a Video Player==
	===Codec Support===		===Codec Support===
	<b>Co</b>der/<b>de</b>coder support is the first and most important factor to consider in a video player. If your player can't understand the container/format the video/audio/subtitle~~/metada~~ data ~~is in~~, then that player will be useless to you.		<b>Co</b>der/<b>de</b>coder support is the first and most important factor to consider in a video player. If your player can't understand the container/format or the video/audio/subtitle data stream it's trying to play, then that player will be useless to you.

	If you're coming from the Windows world and are new to Linux, you are probably more familiar with the concept of Codec Packs such as CCCP and K-Lite. Codec packs such as these were individually collected codecs from multiple sources in a single package. In Windows, the collection would identify and register each codec to the operating system and then any player which was Windows aware of Microsoft's infrastructure for calling codec dlls could use any of the newly registered codecs. In theory, this is nice but .. This gets real complicated real fast as the number of available codecs goes up. Also, this method and supporting infrastructure is subject to the whims and limitations built in by Microsoft design. For example, it's virtually impossible to build a reasonable transcoder under this design.		If you're coming from the Windows world and are new to Linux, you are probably more familiar with the concept of Codec Packs such as CCCP and K-Lite. Codec packs such as these were individually collected codecs from multiple sources in a single package. In Windows, the collection would identify and register each codec to the operating system and then any player which was Windows aware of Microsoft's infrastructure for calling codec dlls could use any of the newly registered codecs. In theory, this is nice but .. This gets real complicated real fast as the number of available codecs goes up. Also, this method and supporting infrastructure is subject to the whims and limitations built in by Microsoft design. For example, it's virtually impossible to build a reasonable transcoder under this design.
Line 66:		Line 70:
	Aside from Microsoft's built-in limitations, traditional codec packs are dependent on others to update the individual codecs in the collection. This means that the availability of the updated codec you need for a new video release is at the mercy of both the original source and the Codec Pack collection.		Aside from Microsoft's built-in limitations, traditional codec packs are dependent on others to update the individual codecs in the collection. This means that the availability of the updated codec you need for a new video release is at the mercy of both the original source and the Codec Pack collection.

	[https://www.ffmpeg.org/ <b>FFmpeg</b>] and [https://libav.org/ <b>Libav</b>] can be viewed as the Linux/OSX/BSDs equivalents of Codec Packs but they are much, much more than that. Since they are based upon source code, the individual codecs can be updated at any time. Since they are <b><i>not</i></b> Codec Packs, they are not subject to the built-in limitations of the Windows environment. Being able to easily create/stream your own videos as well as transcode an existing video from one container/format/resolution to another is a natual consequence. At the time of this writing, FFmpeg supports 395 different video/audio/subtitle codecs on the author's systems.		[https://www.ffmpeg.org/ <b>FFmpeg</b>] and [https://libav.org/ <b>Libav</b>] can be viewed as the Linux/OSX/BSDs equivalents of Codec Packs but they are much, much more than that. Since they are based upon open source code, the individual codecs can be updated at any time. Since they are <b><i>not</i></b> Codec Packs, they are not subject to the built-in limitations of the Windows environment. Being able to easily create/stream your own videos as well as transcode an existing video from one container/format/resolution to another is a natual consequence. At the time of this writing, FFmpeg supports 395 different video/audio/subtitle codecs on the author's systems.

	===FFmpeg or Libav===		===FFmpeg or Libav===
	Libav is a fork of FFmpeg. From your, the user's standpoint, the most visible difference between the two libraries is that Libav doesn't support some user desired features including ~~support for~~ some subtitle formats as well as ~~support for~~ external vob based subtitles. All the recommended video players here either are built only with FFmpeg or they preferentially default to FFmpeg.		Libav is a fork of FFmpeg. From your, the user's standpoint, the most visible difference between the two libraries is that Libav doesn't support some user desired features including some subtitle formats as well as external vob based subtitles. All the recommended video players here either are built only with FFmpeg or they preferentially default to FFmpeg.

	It should be noted that while Libav seems to ignore FFmpeg's development efforts, FFmpeg merges all of Libav's development efforts ~~frequently~~. The net result ~~featurewise~~ is that Libav is a subset of FFmpeg.		It should be noted that while Libav seems to ignore FFmpeg's development efforts, FFmpeg frequenty merges all of Libav's development efforts. The features net result is that Libav is a subset of FFmpeg.

	If you're interested in knowing a little more about the differences between them, the [https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/wiki mpv player wicki] has some [https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/wiki/FFmpeg-versus-Libav excellent commentary].		If you're interested in knowing a little more about the differences between them, the [https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/wiki mpv player wicki] has some [https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/wiki/FFmpeg-versus-Libav excellent commentary].

			For these reasons, we prefer FFmpeg as our codec engine.

			===Active Development Community===
			It should be crystal clear that any Video Player worth installing requires two important though intangible components.
			# You the user must take responsiblity to install an updated version regularly. This is true of all PC environments. Many encoders will experiment with new encoding profiles as they become available. Updating your player is the best way for you to keep your playback ability current.
			# The player you choose must have an active, accessible development community. All the players listed here are in active development.

Ankular: Codec support / FFmpeg versus Libav

2015-03-21T17:11:13Z

Codec support / FFmpeg versus Libav

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:11, 21 March 2015
Line 23:		Line 23:
	All these players are cross platform capable for at least Windows and Linux. MPlayer and mpv player are also crossplatorm capable for OSX and the BSDs. Note in most cases, there is no official support for third party provided packages of these players. Problems installing these packages other than from source code needs to be taken up with your distribution.		All these players are cross platform capable for at least Windows and Linux. MPlayer and mpv player are also crossplatorm capable for OSX and the BSDs. Note in most cases, there is no official support for third party provided packages of these players. Problems installing these packages other than from source code needs to be taken up with your distribution.

	These packages are all being actively updated/developed and can or by default include support for the latest encoding standards and playback profiles. This includes support beyond [[Wikipedia:H264\|<b>h.264</b>]], Hi10p such as [[Wikipedia:H265\|<b>h.265</b> (HEVC)]] profiles and 4k displays. If this is gibberish to you, don't worry. These package maintainers are already doing all the worrying that needs to be done. What should concern you is that these players are and will continue be capable of playing back just about anything you can find.		These packages are all being actively updated/developed and can or by default include support for the latest encoding standards and playback profiles. This includes support beyond [[Wikipedia:H264\|<b>h.264</b>]], Hi10p such as [[Wikipedia:H265\|<b>h.265</b> (HEVC)]] profiles and 4k displays. If this is gibberish to you, don't worry. These package maintainers are already doing all the worrying that needs to be done for you. What should concern you is that these players are and will continue be capable of playing back just about anything you can find.

	==Useful Information==		==Useful Information==
	===Everything ~~changes~~===		===Everything Changes - Nothing Stays the Same===
	People often comment: "I can't play this new video but everything else plays fine and I've been using this player forever! What gives?" and "What kind of format is XYZ? I never heard of it before." and from more knowledgeable users "What codec pack should I use with my player to play ABC format?" These questions are almost always based on not understanding that video compression has been and is still subject to rapid rates of change. Here are a few abreviated timelines to consider:		People often comment: "I can't play this new video but everything else plays fine and I've been using this player forever! What gives?" and "What kind of format is XYZ? I never heard of it before." and from more knowledgeable users "What codec pack should I use with my player to play ABC format?" These questions are almost always based on not understanding that video compression has been and is still subject to rapid rates of change. Here are a few abreviated timelines to consider:

Line 59:		Line 59:

	==What to Look for in a Video Player==		==What to Look for in a Video Player==
			===Codec Support===
			<b>Co</b>der/<b>de</b>coder support is the first and most important factor to consider in a video player. If your player can't understand the container/format the video/audio/subtitle/metada data is in, then that player will be useless to you.

			If you're coming from the Windows world and are new to Linux, you are probably more familiar with the concept of Codec Packs such as CCCP and K-Lite. Codec packs such as these were individually collected codecs from multiple sources in a single package. In Windows, the collection would identify and register each codec to the operating system and then any player which was Windows aware of Microsoft's infrastructure for calling codec dlls could use any of the newly registered codecs. In theory, this is nice but .. This gets real complicated real fast as the number of available codecs goes up. Also, this method and supporting infrastructure is subject to the whims and limitations built in by Microsoft design. For example, it's virtually impossible to build a reasonable transcoder under this design.

			Aside from Microsoft's built-in limitations, traditional codec packs are dependent on others to update the individual codecs in the collection. This means that the availability of the updated codec you need for a new video release is at the mercy of both the original source and the Codec Pack collection.

			[https://www.ffmpeg.org/ <b>FFmpeg</b>] and [https://libav.org/ <b>Libav</b>] can be viewed as the Linux/OSX/BSDs equivalents of Codec Packs but they are much, much more than that. Since they are based upon source code, the individual codecs can be updated at any time. Since they are <b><i>not</i></b> Codec Packs, they are not subject to the built-in limitations of the Windows environment. Being able to easily create/stream your own videos as well as transcode an existing video from one container/format/resolution to another is a natual consequence. At the time of this writing, FFmpeg supports 395 different video/audio/subtitle codecs on the author's systems.

			===FFmpeg or Libav===
			Libav is a fork of FFmpeg. From your, the user's standpoint, the most visible difference between the two libraries is that Libav doesn't support some user desired features including support for some subtitle formats as well as support for external vob based subtitles. All the recommended video players here either are built only with FFmpeg or they preferentially default to FFmpeg.

			It should be noted that while Libav seems to ignore FFmpeg's development efforts, FFmpeg merges all of Libav's development efforts frequently. The net result featurewise is that Libav is a subset of FFmpeg.

			If you're interested in knowing a little more about the differences between them, the [https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/wiki mpv player wicki] has some [https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/wiki/FFmpeg-versus-Libav excellent commentary].

Ankular at 13:41, 21 March 2015

2015-03-21T13:41:01Z

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 All these players are cross platform capable for at least Windows and Linux. MPlayer and mpv player are also crossplatorm capable for OSX and the BSDs. Note in most cases, there is no official support for third party provided packages of these players. Problems installing these packages other than from source code needs to be taken up with your distribution.
-These packages are all being actively updated/developed and can or by default include support for the latest encoding standards and playback profiles. This includes support beyond [[Wikipedia:H264|h.264]], Hi10p such as [[Wikipedia:H265|h.265 (HEVC)]] profiles and 4k displays. If this is gibberish to you, don't worry. These package maintainers are already doing all the worrying that needs to be done. What should concern you is that these players are and will continue  be capable of playing back just about anything you can find.
+These packages are all being actively updated/developed and can or by default include support for the latest encoding standards and playback profiles. This includes support beyond [[Wikipedia:H264|<b>h.264</b>]], Hi10p such as [[Wikipedia:H265|<b>h.265</b> (HEVC)]] profiles and 4k displays. If this is gibberish to you, don't worry. These package maintainers are already doing all the worrying that needs to be done. What should concern you is that these players are and will continue  be capable of playing back just about anything you can find.
 ==''Update Notice''==

Ankular at 11:45, 21 March 2015

2015-03-21T11:45:25Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:45, 21 March 2015
Line 10:		Line 10:
	==Previously Recommended but Discontinued Media Players==		==Previously Recommended but Discontinued Media Players==

	* Mplayer2 (fork of Mplayer - inactive, domain expired. Do not install from any distribution)		* <b>Mplayer2</b> (fork of Mplayer - inactive, domain expired. Do not install from any distribution)
	* SMplayer2 (graphical interface for Mplayer2 - Do not install from any distribution)		* <b>SMplayer2</b> (graphical interface for Mplayer2 - Do not install from any distribution)

	==Command Line Interface versus Graphical User Interface==		==Command Line Interface versus Graphical User Interface==
Line 23:		Line 23:
	All these players are cross platform capable for at least Windows and Linux. MPlayer and mpv player are also crossplatorm capable for OSX and the BSDs. Note in most cases, there is no official support for third party provided packages of these players. Problems installing these packages other than from source code needs to be taken up with your distribution.		All these players are cross platform capable for at least Windows and Linux. MPlayer and mpv player are also crossplatorm capable for OSX and the BSDs. Note in most cases, there is no official support for third party provided packages of these players. Problems installing these packages other than from source code needs to be taken up with your distribution.

	These packages are all being ~~acively~~ updated/developed can or by default include support for the latest encoding standards and playback profiles. This includes support beyond h.264, Hi10p such as h.265 (HEVC) profiles. If this is gibberish to you, don't worry. These package maintainers are already doing all the worrying that needs to be done.		These packages are all being actively updated/developed and can or by default include support for the latest encoding standards and playback profiles. This includes support beyond [[Wikipedia:H264\|h.264]], Hi10p such as [[Wikipedia:H265\|h.265 (HEVC)]] profiles and 4k displays. If this is gibberish to you, don't worry. These package maintainers are already doing all the worrying that needs to be done. What should concern you is that these players are and will continue be capable of playing back just about anything you can find.

	==''Update Notice''==		==''Update Notice''==

Ankular: Some general info paragraphs

2015-03-21T03:38:14Z

Some general info paragraphs

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:38, 21 March 2015
Line 1:		Line 1:
	==Recommended Media Players==		==Recommended Media Players==

			This is the tl:dr (or what used to be called the "Executive Summary") section. We flat out tell you what the recommended Linux Video Players are. Feel free to use these links to jump their respective sites immediately.

	;* [https://mplayerhq.hu/design7/news.html MPlayer]		;* [https://mplayerhq.hu/design7/news.html MPlayer]
	;* [http://mpv.io/ mpv player] (updated alternative to MPlayer)		;* [http://mpv.io/ mpv player] (updated alternative to MPlayer)
	;* [~~[Wikipedia~~:~~SMPlayer\|~~SMPlayer]] (graphical interface for MPlayer or [http://smplayer.sourceforge.net/en/mpv mpv])		;* [http://smplayer.sourceforge.net/en/info SMPlayer]] (graphical interface for MPlayer or [http://smplayer.sourceforge.net/en/mpv mpv player])
	;* [http://bakamplayer.u8sand.net Baka Player] (graphical interface for mpv player)		;* [http://bakamplayer.u8sand.net Baka Player] (graphical interface for mpv player)

Line 11:		Line 13:
	* SMplayer2 (graphical interface for Mplayer2 - Do not install from any distribution)		* SMplayer2 (graphical interface for Mplayer2 - Do not install from any distribution)

			==Command Line Interface versus Graphical User Interface==

			MPlayer amd mpv player are Command Line Interface (CLI) programs while SMPlayer and Baka Player are Graphical User Interface (GUI) frontends. However, MPlayer can optionally include a simple GUI of it's own and both players include an On Screen Display (OSD) panel. The OSD functions as a simple panel control usually giving you the ability to cycle through movie sound tracks (languages) and subtitles, seeking, and volume (using either point and click or keyboard hot keys). This is usually fine for most people.

			If you or your intended users are only comfortable with a GUI, then SMPlayer and Baka Player both present the usual graphical user experience. These are front ends to either MPlayer or mpv player. If you install either SMPlayer or Baka Player, depending on which you choose and it's build configuration, you will also be getting either MPlayer or mpv player.

			==Common Characteristics==

			All these players are cross platform capable for at least Windows and Linux. MPlayer and mpv player are also crossplatorm capable for OSX and the BSDs. Note in most cases, there is no official support for third party provided packages of these players. Problems installing these packages other than from source code needs to be taken up with your distribution.

			These packages are all being acively updated/developed can or by default include support for the latest encoding standards and playback profiles. This includes support beyond h.264, Hi10p such as h.265 (HEVC) profiles. If this is gibberish to you, don't worry. These package maintainers are already doing all the worrying that needs to be done.

			==''Update Notice''==

			<div class="center" style="width: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">'''This page is currently being updated/rewritten.<br>Everything below this notice is part of the old page and will be removed as applicable updates are applied.<br><br>Please revisit often.</div>

	==MPlayer==		==MPlayer==

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:08, 22 March 2015
Line 15:		Line 15:
	==Command Line Interface versus Graphical User Interface==		==Command Line Interface versus Graphical User Interface==

	MPlayer amd mpv player are Command Line Interface (CLI) programs while SMPlayer and Baka Player are Graphical User Interface (GUI) frontends. However, MPlayer can optionally include a simple GUI of it's own and both players include an On Screen Display (OSD) panel. The OSD functions as a simple panel control usually giving you the ability to cycle through movie sound tracks (languages) and subtitles, seeking, and volume (using either point and click or keyboard hot keys). This is usually fine for most people.		MPlayer amd mpv player are Command Line Interface (CLI) programs while SMPlayer and Baka Player are Graphical User Interface (GUI) frontends. However, MPlayer can optionally include a simple GUI of it's own and both players include an On Screen Display/Control (OSD/OSC) panel. The OSD/C functions as a simple, mouse activated panel control usually giving you the ability to cycle through movie sound tracks (languages) and subtitles, seeking, skipping to the next item in your playlist (if you're using one) and volume (using either point and click or keyboard hot keys). This is usually fine for most people.

	If you or your intended users are only comfortable with a GUI, then SMPlayer and Baka Player both ~~present~~ the usual graphical user experience. These are front ends to either MPlayer or mpv player. If you install either SMPlayer or Baka Player, depending on which you choose and it's build configuration, you will also be getting either MPlayer or mpv player.		If you or your intended users are only comfortable with using a GUI, then SMPlayer and Baka Player both represent the usual graphical user experience. These are front ends to either MPlayer or mpv player. If you install either SMPlayer or Baka Player, depending on which you choose and it's build configuration, you will also be getting either MPlayer or mpv player.

	==Common Characteristics==		==Common Characteristics==

	All these players are cross platform capable for at least Windows and Linux. MPlayer and mpv player are also crossplatorm capable for OSX and the BSDs. Note in most cases, there is no official support for third party provided packages of these players. Problems installing these packages other than from source code needs to be taken up with your distribution.		All these players are cross platform capable for at least Windows and Linux. MPlayer and mpv player are also crossplatorm capable for OSX and the BSDs. Note: in most cases there is no official support for third party (distribution) provided packages of these players. '''Problems installing these packages other than from source code needs to be taken up with your distribution.'''

	These packages are all being actively updated/developed and can or by default include support for the latest encoding standards and playback profiles. This includes support beyond [[Wikipedia:H264\|<b>h.264</b>]], Hi10p such as [[Wikipedia:H265\|<b>h.265</b> (HEVC)]] profiles and 4k displays. If ~~this is~~ gibberish to you, don't worry. ~~These~~ package maintainers are already doing all the worrying that needs to be done for you. What should concern you is that these players are and will continue be capable of playing back just about anything you can find.		These packages are all being actively updated/developed and can or by default include support for the latest encoding standards and playback profiles. This includes support beyond [[Wikipedia:H264\|<b>H.264</b>]], Hi10p such as [[Wikipedia:H265\|<b>H.265</b> (HEVC)]] profiles and 4k displays. If these notations are gibberish to you, don't worry. The package maintainers are already doing all the worrying that needs to be done for you. What should concern you is that these players are and will continue be capable of playing back just about anything you can find.

	==Useful Information==		==Useful Information==
	===Everything Changes - Nothing Stays the Same===		===Everything Changes - Nothing Stays the Same===
	People often ~~comment~~: "I can't play this new video but everything else plays fine and I've been using this player forever! What gives?" and "What kind of format is XYZ? I never heard of it before." and from more knowledgeable users "What codec pack should I use with my player to play ABC format?" These questions are almost always based on not realizing the incredibly rapid rate of change of video compression development. Here are a few abreviated timelines to consider:		People often post: "I can't play this new video but everything else plays fine and I've been using this player forever! What gives?" and "What kind of format is XYZ? I never heard of it before." and from more knowledgeable users "What codec pack should I use with my player to play ABC format?" These questions are almost always based on not realizing the incredibly rapid rate of change of video compression development. Here are a few abreviated timelines to consider:

	====H.264====		====H.264====
Line 47:		Line 47:

	===Hardware Changes Too===		===Hardware Changes Too===
	Many of the ~~additions in increases~~ in ~~numbers of~~ profiles to h.264 and h.265 are done to meet the need of broadcasters and equipment manufacters for higher resolution, larger color space and higher frame rates. Those new ~~resolution~~, more capable devices and broadcasts are here now assuming, of course you have the funds and are in the select areas of availability. Here are a few select timeline items to give you an idea:		Many of the above major amendments and increase in profiles to h.264 and h.265 are done to meet the need of broadcasters and equipment manufacters for higher resolution, larger color space and higher frame rates. Those new resolutions, more capable devices and broadcasts are here now, assuming of course, you have the funds and are in the select areas of availability. Here are a few select timeline items to give you an idea:

	====UHDTV====		====UHDTV====
	* <b>2012</b> Announcment of Ultra-high-definition television also known as UHDTV or UHD		* <b>2012</b> Announcment of Ultra-high-definition television also known as UHDTV or UHD. Immediate availability of 4K displays/TVs.
	* <b>2013</b>		* <b>2013</b>
	** ~~Activation~~ of the first 4k dedicated UHDTV satellite channel by Eutelsat. The 4K Ultra HD channel has a frame rate of 50 fps and is encoded at 40 Mbit/s.		** January 8, activation of the first 4k dedicated UHDTV satellite channel by Eutelsat. The 4K Ultra HD channel has a frame rate of 50 fps and is encoded at 40 Mbit/s.
	** NHK and Mitsubishi Electric announced that they had jointly developed the first HEVC encoder for 8K Ultra HD TV. The HEVC encoder supports the Main 10 profile at Level 6.1 allowing it to encode 10-bit video with a resolution of 7680x4320 at 60 fps. At the NHK Open House 2013 the HEVC encoder used a bit rate of 85 Mbit/s which gives a compression ratio of 350:1.		** NHK and Mitsubishi Electric announced that they had jointly developed the first HEVC encoder for 8K Ultra HD TV. The HEVC encoder supports the Main 10 profile at Level 6.1 allowing it to encode 10-bit video with a resolution of 7680x4320 at 60 fps. At the NHK Open House 2013 the HEVC encoder used a bit rate of 85 Mbit/s which gives a compression ratio of 350:1.
	** YouTube adds a "2160p 4K" option to its videoplayer.		** YouTube adds a "2160p 4K" option to its videoplayer.
Line 66:		Line 66:
	<b>Co</b>der/<b>de</b>coder support is the first and most important factor to consider in a video player. If your player can't understand the container/format or the video/audio/subtitle data stream it's trying to play, then that player will be useless to you.		<b>Co</b>der/<b>de</b>coder support is the first and most important factor to consider in a video player. If your player can't understand the container/format or the video/audio/subtitle data stream it's trying to play, then that player will be useless to you.

	If you're coming from the Windows world and are new to Linux, you are probably more familiar with the concept of Codec Packs such as CCCP and K-Lite. Codec packs such as these were individually collected codecs from multiple sources in a single package. In Windows, the collection would identify and register each codec to the operating system and then any player which was Windows aware of Microsoft's infrastructure for calling codec dlls could use any of the newly registered codecs. In theory, this is nice but .. This gets real complicated real fast as the number of available codecs goes up. Also, this method and supporting infrastructure is subject to the whims and limitations built in by Microsoft design. For example, it's virtually impossible to build a reasonable transcoder under this design.		If you're coming from the Windows world and are new to Linux, you are probably more familiar with the concept of Codec Packs such as CCCP and K-Lite. Codec packs such as these were individually collected codecs from multiple sources in a single package. In Windows, the collection would identify and register each codec to the operating system and then any player which was Windows aware of Microsoft's infrastructure for calling codec dlls could use any of the newly registered codecs. In theory, this is nice but .. This gets real complicated real fast as the number of available codecs goes up. Also, this method and the supporting infrastructure is subject to the whims and limitations built-in by Microsoft design. For example, it's virtually impossible to build a reasonable transcoder under this design.

	Aside from Microsoft's built-in limitations, traditional codec packs are dependent on others to update ~~the~~ individual ~~codecs~~ in the collection. This means that the availability of the updated codec you need for a new video release is at the mercy of both the original source and the Codec Pack ~~collection~~.		Aside from Microsoft's built-in limitations, traditional codec packs are dependent on others to update each individual codec in the collection. This means that the availability of the updated codec you need for a new video release is at the mercy of both the original source of that codec and the Codec Pack collecting group.

	[https://www.ffmpeg.org/ <b>FFmpeg</b>] and [https://libav.org/ <b>Libav</b>] can be viewed as the Linux/OSX/BSDs equivalents of Codec Packs but they are much, much more than that. Since they are based upon open source code, the individual codecs can be updated at any time. Since they are <b><i>not</i></b> Codec Packs, they are not subject to the built-in limitations of the Windows environment. Being able to easily create/stream your own videos as well as transcode an existing video from one container/format/resolution to another is a natual consequence. At the time of this writing, FFmpeg supports 395 different video/audio/subtitle codecs on the author's systems.		[https://www.ffmpeg.org/ <b>FFmpeg</b>] and [https://libav.org/ <b>Libav</b>] can be viewed as the Linux/OSX/BSDs equivalents of Codec Packs but they are much, much more than that. Since they are based upon open source code, the individual codecs can be updated at any time. Since they are <b><i>not</i></b> Codec Packs, they are not subject to the built-in limitations of the Windows environment. Being able to easily create/stream your own videos as well as transcode an existing video from one container/format/resolution to another is a natual consequence. At the time of this writing, FFmpeg supports 395 different video/audio/subtitle codecs on the author's systems.
Line 75:		Line 75:
	Libav is a fork of FFmpeg. From your, the user's standpoint, the most visible difference between the two libraries is that Libav doesn't support some user desired features including some subtitle formats as well as external vob based subtitles. All the recommended video players here either are built only with FFmpeg or they preferentially default to FFmpeg.		Libav is a fork of FFmpeg. From your, the user's standpoint, the most visible difference between the two libraries is that Libav doesn't support some user desired features including some subtitle formats as well as external vob based subtitles. All the recommended video players here either are built only with FFmpeg or they preferentially default to FFmpeg.

	It should be noted that while Libav seems to ignore FFmpeg's development efforts, FFmpeg frequenty merges all of Libav's development efforts. The ~~features~~ net result is that Libav is a subset of FFmpeg.		It should be noted that while Libav seems to ignore FFmpeg's development efforts, FFmpeg frequenty merges all of Libav's development efforts. The net result is that Libav features are a subset of FFmpeg.

	If you're interested in knowing a little more about the differences between them, the [https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/wiki mpv player wicki] has some [https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/wiki/FFmpeg-versus-Libav excellent commentary].		If you're interested in knowing a little more about the differences between them, the [https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/wiki <b>mpv player wicki</b>] has some [https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/wiki/FFmpeg-versus-Libav <b>excellent commentary</b>].

	For these reasons, we prefer FFmpeg as our codec engine.		For these reasons, we prefer FFmpeg as our codec engine.
Line 85:		Line 85:
	# You the user must take responsiblity to install an updated version regularly. This is true of all PC environments. Many fansub encoders will experiment with new encoding profiles as they become available. Updating your player is the best way for you to keep your playback ability current.		# You the user must take responsiblity to install an updated version regularly. This is true of all PC environments. Many fansub encoders will experiment with new encoding profiles as they become available. Updating your player is the best way for you to keep your playback ability current.
	# The player you choose must have an active, accessible development community. All the players listed here are in active development.		# The player you choose must have an active, accessible development community. All the players listed here are in active development.

			==What <b>Not</b> to Look for in a Video Player==
			The biggest thing to avoid is any video player which doesn't make use of at least FFmpeg 2.5 or Libav 10.x.