multimedia (DVD, DivX, RealPlayer, QT...)

[papaschtroumpf]

I'm ready to take on multimedia capabilities for my mdk 10 box. Some stuff appears to work out of the box, some doesn't.

 

1) DVD:

My understanding is that I need to add some libraries due to legal issues regarding playing of encrypted DVDs (most commercia DVDs), so I need to add the following from PLF:

libdvdcss

libdvdread3

libdvdread-utils

anything else I'm missing?

 

Currently it appears Totem is my default multimedia player (it's what opens when I clik a file in Konqueror). I assume if can play DVDs too?

I know other apps can too (Ogle) but I like to limit the number of apps I install, only going to something else if I have a reason to.

 

2) VCD

How do I play VCDs?

 

3) DivX

I have a number of files in DivX format (tutorials downlaoded from the net).

Is DivX supported natively or do I need to install from http://www.divx.com/divx/linux/ ?

Is there a binary distribution (rpm) somewhere?

 

4) RealMedia

RealPlayer G2 was installed automatically with my mdk10 install (official powerpack), but is there something more recent?

Also I can't seem to play RealVideo from the internet, when I click on a link it tells me it can't find a codec. Am I truly missing the codec or is Knoqueror not finding it?

 

5) QuickTime

Can QT be played in linux?

The only solution I know of is to buy CrossOver pluggins but I'd rather use an open source (and free $) solution if there is any (I don't watch QT video often but some movie previews and internet presentation ares, so I'd like to have all my bases covered)

 

6) Windows Media

My understanding is that installing win32-codecs from PLF should allow me to playt all windows media file. Does it work for any player or just specific ones? If so, does it work in Totem?

 

 

Anything othe advice you'd like to throw in?

I'm thinking about using my experience to write a FAQ, so anything would be useful.

[tyme]

1) yes, yes and yes. all your assumptions are correct.

2) there should be a "VCD" selection in the drop down menu for totem.

3) you'll have to install the decoder. i don't know of any rpm's at the moment but I would check PLF.

4) I don't have much experience with RealMedia

5) see 4

6) you're correct, and yes it works with totem.

[papaschtroumpf]

An example of RealMedia video that I can;t figure out how to play would be : http://www.uefa.com/video/

 

I can;t try this at the moment because I am at work but I fouwnd the following resources for RealPlayer:

 

Real Player 10 Alpha by the Helix project: https://player.helixcommunity.org/2004/downloads

 

Real.com's official linux player. they have an additional link for RealPlayer 9 codecs: http://forms.real.com/real/player/unix/unix.html

 

Anyone using either of those and what is you feedback?

Edited June 28, 2004 by papaschtroumpf

[devries]

I can't get the eufa site to play either (opera, firefox, konqueror). Can't even play the links from the source. Guess this is a windows only site (the name 'microsoft' appears 7 times in http://www.uefa.com/video/news/index.html source)

 

I use realplayer 9 sometimes but mostly mplayer (and real codecs). They work both fine.

Edited June 28, 2004 by devries

[papaschtroumpf]

are the real codecs for mplayer something that you need to add separately?

 

The Helix Project made the front page on Slashdot today, so I might try and install their software although it's alpha.

[papaschtroumpf]

There doesn't seem to be a libdvdread3 and a libdvdread-utils in the PLF repository for mdk10 ?!?!?!?

 

Edit:

a urpmq libdvdread returned both packages, so I guess they're now part of the standard install and don't need to be pulled out of PLF. Only libdvdcss needs to be pulled from PLF.

Edited June 28, 2004 by papaschtroumpf

[theYinYeti]

I suggest you go and see xine's FAQ on their site. There are answers for many of your questions. And as far as I know, totem is based on xine-lib.

http://xinehq.de/index.php/faq

 

Yves.

[papaschtroumpf]

You're right, I had already found it and it did answer a lot of my questions.

I recommend anyone needing help with multimedia to start there.

[Michel]

You can play so what every format using xine (that is the audio-engine that totem uses..anyway you use it.. I use it too). You can download the realplayer codecs from mplayerhq:

 

http://ftp3.mplayerhq.hu/MPlayer/releases/codecs/

 

and you cans pecify in the xine-options (hope totem has that graphically) where the realplayer libs are. You can install the linux-natives ones. Maybe there is an rpm for this. I suppose so in plf or so.

 

The win32-libraries you see, can also be installed using rpm and plf. It will allow you to play windows media player 9-files. All other codecs are linux-native I think and can be installed using rpm. I make my own rpm's for xine, but I suppose they are available.

 

The followed the eufa-link and it seems it is smil. Smil is an xml-language for multimedia-content. Real-player has the most edvanced support for this. However, the helix-player has a standalone plugin for smil for mozilla .. also usable for konqueror I think. Mozilla doesnt have smil-native support, although that would great. Internet explorer has some I think, but nto so much. It isn't widely used yet on the net, but I suppose it will.

 

With the helix-plugin, you will be able to see the direct link I think:

 

http://www.uefa.com/Video/smil/index.smil

 

It can be that mozilla has some smil-support when you get teh svg-version, not sure though.

 

hopes this helps some

 

I've sent a mail saying the site doesn't show up well in firefox, konqueror, ... :). Maybe it doesn't help, but they can't say noone ever complained about it :).