Indeo® Video and Audio Software Release Notes

Indeo(R) Video Version 5.11 and Indeo Audio 2.5

Release Notes

Overview:

The Indeo® video 5.11 and Indeo audio 2.5 release notes contain

the following sections:

Contents:

Introduction

Online documentation

Enhancements in Indeo video 5

Performance enhancements

Features of Indeo audio 2.5

Progressive Download

Advanced features of Indeo video 5

Installation notes

Uninstallation

Known limitations

Introduction:

These release notes describe features of Indeo Video 5.11 and Indeo Audio 2.5. A general overview of progressive download technology is also included.

Online documentation:

To download Indeo software, view sample video clips, and

obtain general information about Indeo video, Indeo audio,

and progressive download technology, please visit our

website at:

http://www.ligos.com/indeo/

For technical support, troubleshooting tips, technical notes,

and sample applications with source code, please visit our

support website at:

http://www.ligos.com/indeo/support/

Enhancements in Indeo video 5.11:

Indeo software is now being delivered in one convenient

installation package (IV5setup.exe). This package includes an

option to install the minimal files needed to playback videos

compressed with Indeo software. In addition, a Developer option

that includes InstallShield source code and Custom option are

also available.

OLE Automation support is now available! Now programmers can

access advanced features of Indeo video using C++ and Visual

Basic. These features inlude:

Transparency

Access key file protection

Local decode

Performance enhancements:

Enhancements to Indeo video version 5.11 include the following:

-A new wavelet compression algorithm that greatly improves

visual quality.

-Better compression at all levels of video quality than previous

generation codecs.

-Playback performance enhancements for Pentium® II processor, including smoother, interpolated "zoom by 2" playback on processors with MMX technology.

-Progressive Download, a feature enabled in Microsoft DirectShow

architecture and supported by Internet Explorer 4.0 (or higher)

browser, which allows high-quality scalable video for the

Internet and intranets. This feature can be used with Netscape

Navigator 3.x, Netscape Communicator 4.x, and Internet Explorer

3.x browsers as well by installing the Indeo video 5 plug-in.

-Indeo video version 5.11 supports encoding with Microsoft

DirectShow.

Features of Indeo Audio 2.5:

Indeo audio 2.5 is the primary audio compression codec used by

the Indeo Video 5 Progressive Download Publisher

(see http://www.ligos.com/indeo/doc/prog_create.shtm). This

release includes the following features:

-8:1 Compression

-Indeo audio compresses 16-bit raw PCM audio by a factor of

eight. For example, a one-second CD-quality audio (16-bit PCM,

44.1 kHz sample rate, stereo) clip requires 176,400 bytes of

storage. After compression, it requires 22,050 bytes of storage.

-Support for Standard Multimedia Sample Rates. Sample rates of

8,000 Hz, 11025 Hz, 22050 Hz, and 44,100 Hz are supported. It is

possible to convert to a lower sample rate while compressing an

audio clip with Indeo audio. For example, the one-second

CD-quality audio clip mentioned above could be converted to

8,000 Hz sample rate during compression. In this case the

compressed clip would require 4,000 bytes of storage. Note,

however, that decreasing the sample rate can dramatically reduce

the audio quality.

-Support for Stereo and Mono. Both stereo (two channel) and

mono (one channel) compression and playback are supported.

Mono requires half the storage space of stereo. For example,

if the one-second CD-quality stereo audio clip mentioned

above is compressed as mono at 8,000 Hz sample rate, the

resulting compressed audio clip would require only 2,000

bytes of storage! However, note that compressing stereo

audio as mono can dramatically reduce the audio quality.

For more information

Read more about these features and how to use them at the Indeo

audio home page:

http://www.ligos.com/indeo/audio.shtm

Progressive Download:

Indeo video 5 scalability allows Internet videos to be

downloaded progressively. Video files on a Web server can be

created in such a way that lower resolution, lower frame rate

video can be viewed almost immediately, allowing the user to

quickly decide if they wish to continue viewing the video or

download it to their hard drive. Given more download time,

and/or a faster Web connection, a Progressive Download file

will continuously improve in both quality and frame rate,

until all of the video data is downloaded from the Web server

to the client PC.

This gives Web authors the ability to create high-quality video

content, and lets viewers use fast connections and/or longer

download times to get the highest quality video on their PCs.

Those connected to the Web at slower speeds, however, can still

access video of good quality without unreasonable waits and

download times. To create a Progressive Download file a video

producer first creates a standard .AVI file using a video

editing/compression tool such as Adobe Premiere or Asymetrix

Digital Video Producer. When creating the file, Indeo video's

"scalability" compression option must be turned ON.

The file is then modified using the Indeo video 5

Progressive Download Publisher tool. This tool opens and

re-saves the file, creating the progressive download file

structure and optionally compressing the audio into

new Indeo audio format as it does so. To learn more about

this process read about how to use the Indeo video 5

progressive download publisher tool at

http://www.ligos.com/indeo/doc/prog_create.shtm

The Indeo Media Kit includes full-feature progressive download

publishing tools. More information can be found at

http://www.ligos.com/indeo/author/

Advanced features of Indeo Video 5

The Indeo video 5 release includes most of the features in

previous releases of Indeo video:

-Video access protection

Many multimedia developers are concerned about the illegal

distribution of their copyrighted material. The Indeo video 5

codec helps prevent misuse of video clips by using access keys

(numeric passwords that can be inserted into a video clip during

compression). Applications need the password to play video clips

encoded with an access key.

-Key frame flexibility

The Indeo video 5 codec offers control and flexibility over the

use of key frames. The key frame interval is unrestricted,

allowing a variety of values:

-Only the first frame in the file is a keyframe. No

other key frames occur in the file.

-Every frame in the file is a key frame.

-Every nth frame in the file is a key. The value of n

has no upper limit.

Along with this flexibility in key frame intervals, Indeo video

5.11 allows for non-periodic key frames. This means that during

editing, the encoding application can tell the Indeo video 5

codec to place a key frame at any location. Video producers can

then specify access points anywhere within a video sequence, or

better control video quality by placing key frames on scene-

change boundaries.

-Application interactivity

Indeo video 5 incorporates features that make it possible to

include video in interactive multimedia applications and games,

challenging the traditional notion of video as having a fixed

size and rectangular shape.

-Transparency

For years, the movie and television industries have used the

technique of chroma-keying (sometimes called blue-screening) to

place foreground objects over synthesized backgrounds. One

example of chroma-keying is when TV meteorologists appear to be

standing in front of a wall-sized map, when in fact, they are

standing in front of a blue wall. Chroma-key circuitry

electronically separates the foreground pixels representing the

meteorologist from the blue background pixels and overlays the

meteorologist on an electronically-generated weather map. The

Indeo video codec supports this type of transparency. During

encoding, a compression application can send information to the

codec describing a color or range of colors that represent a

transparent background (such as the blue wall in the

meteorologist example). Indeo video then analyzes each frame,

separates the background pixels from the foreground, and makes

the background pixels transparent, encoding only the foreground

objects as compressed video.

Indeo video 5's transparency encoding is flexible, allowing for

arbitrarily-shaped multiple foreground objects. Foreground

objects can also move from frame to frame, allowing you to

create what might be called video sprites. Video sprites are

transparent video objects that can be overlaid onto other video

or bitmap backgrounds. During playback, foreground objects can

be composited dynamically over different backgrounds. For

example, the meteorologist can appear over different weather

maps on PCs with sufficiently powerful Pentium processors. A

foreground object can even appear over another video stream, as

in the case of a tornado.

-Local decode

Sometimes an application needs to display only part of a

decoded video image. For example, in a game, you might look

through the periscope of a submarine where your view is limited

to a small subset of the entire image. This subset changes as

the video plays, depending on where the periscope is rotated.

In this case, much of the source image does not need to be

displayed, and it's preferable not to waste processor resources

decoding it. Indeo video 5 provides this capability through a

feature called local decode.

The playback application can tell Indeo video 5 to decode only

a rectangular subregion, called the view port, from the source

video image. The minimum possible size of the local decode

viewport is defined during compression, but the display size

and location of the viewport can be changed dynamically during

playback.

-Real-time video effects

The brightness, contrast, and color saturation of Indeo video

5.11 files can be modified interactively during playback. This

makes it possible to simulate different lighting conditions,

or to tailor the appearance of the video playback to

particular graphics environments and preferences.

Installation Notes

Indeo software is now being delivered in one convenient

installation package (iv5setup.exe). This package includes an

option to install the minimal files needed to playback videos

compressed with Indeo software. In addition, a Developer

option that includes InstallShield source code and Custom

option are also available.

Download iv5setup.exe from our website at:

http://www.ligos.com/indeo/downloads/download.shtm

Indeo video 5.11 codec

Indeo audio codec (decompressor only)

Indeo Video 3.x and 4.x codecs

Progressive Download Plug-in and

DirectShow filter

YVU9 codec

Installation source code

NOTES: The Progressive Download Publisher demo is available as

a separate download at: (iv5setup.exe is also required for

the demo to work properly).

http://www.ligos.com/indeo/downloads/download.shtm

The Indeo video 5.11 codec is a 32-bit driver that supports

Microsoft Windows* 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT*. Windows

3.1 support is not available.

UnInstall:

To Uninstall Indeo software:

-Go to Control Panel and select the "Add/Remove Programs"

icon.

-Highlight Indeo Software and then select the Add/Remove

button.

-Select "Yes" when prompted to confirm your uninstall

selection.

-All of the components installed onto your system will be

removed. Files that were previously on your system will not

be removed.

To UnInstall the Progressive Download Publisher Tool:

-Explore C:\Indeo\Indeo Progressive Dowload Publisher\

Highlight and delete the folder in which the Web Publisher

tool was installed (default is the Progressive Download

Publisher folder), or delete the tool from the destination

location selected during installation. In this folder the

following files should be listed: ivi5pub.exe, web.htm,

fig1.gif, fig2.gif, fig3.gif and fig4.gif.

-From the system tray, click Start, select Run. (Note: This

is an optional step to remove the iac25_32.ax driver. Doing

so can possibly affect other software that might depend on

the audio codec.)

-Type in the command, regsvr32 -u iac25_32.ax, or from system

tray, click Start, open Programs and select the MSDOS Command

Prompt. Change the directory to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM (Windows

95) or C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32 (Windows NT 4.0) and type in

regsvr32 -u iac25_32.ax.

-Hit Enter. This will unregister the codec.

-Go to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM (Windows 95) or C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32

(Windows NT 4.0) and manually remove both the iace25_32.ax

and iacenc.dll drivers from this directory.

-Launch regedit. Look for the key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

\SharedDLLs search for the value <WINSYSDIR\iacenc.dll.

If the value is exactly equal to 1, then you may, optionally,

delete the file <winsysdir\iacenc.dll endif; WARNING: if

the value under this registry item is greater than 1, and if

you remove the file, it may break other software you have

installed on your machine.

-Remove the key from the registry:

SOFTWARE\\Classes\\CLSID\\{AC7E3750-516E-11D1-9683-00AA00A5F56D}

Known Limitations:

IV5setup.exe

-Developers: Iv5setup.exe is set to have the Indeo video 5

quick compressor driver (ir50_qc.dll) installed before the

Indeo video 5.11 driver (ir50_32.dll). If the Indeo video 5.11

driver is installed before the Indeo video 5 quick compressor,

an option to reboot your system will appear after the second

installation of iv5setup.exe on Windows NT 4.0 or on Windows

95 with Microsoft DirectShow installed. If making changes to

the installation executable with the Indeo Software

Installation Code, ensure that the Indeo video 5.11 driver

follows the installation of the Indeo video 5 quick compressor,

to avoid the reboot option.

-Installation

Note: The install of the Indeo video 5 Progressive Download

Plug-in places the plug-in in the plugins directories of up to

three copies of Netscape Navigator, as well as in the plugins

directory of Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0.

The Indeo video 5 Progressive Download Publisher install is

not supported on Windows NT 3.51 systems.

Indeo video 5.11 Codec

There are several limitations associated with the Indeo video

5.11 codec.

-The Indeo video 5.11 compression in Microsoft ActiveMovie* 1.0

is not supported.

-Indeo video 5.11 compressions may, under some circumstances,

result in slightly higher data rates than requested when using

bitrate control. For more information about these cases, please

consult the document at:

http://www.ligos.com/indeo/doc/createvideo.shtm

Indeo Audio 2.5

Many of the known audio and video players have the capability of

moving an arbitrary distance forward or backward within a stream

and resuming play. This is usually accomplished through the

player's GUI controls (for example fast forward or rewind

buttons, slider bar, etc.). Due to limitations of the DirectShow

architecture, there may be a short period of silence before

playing resumes.

The "Internal Name" and "Original Filename" in the iac25_32.ax

file properties erroneously show up as "IAC2.ACM" rather than

"iac25_32.ax". The file properties of iac25_32.ax are displayed

by right-clicking on the file name in Explorer and selecting the

"Version" tab. This problem is cosmetic and does not affect the

performance of the codec.

DirectShow Filter

Note: Internet Explorer 4.0 (or higher) is required on the

system in order for the Progressive Download DirectShow filter to work.

The dial-up connection may terminate the connection prematurely.

The work-around is to establish a dial-up connection before the

browser is loaded, disable or increase the line activity

timeout, or continue using the browser while downloading. The

line activity time out can be adjusted under the connection tab

of the Internet Properties.

Sometimes the Save As option may not be enabled when downloading

a clip over a LAN or other high-speed link.

The browser STOP button does not stop the download. You need to

leave the page or save the progressive download media clip to

stop the download.

When attempting to save a progressive download media clip before

the file is fully downloaded, the operation may sometimes fail.

If this occurs, you can try refreshing the page and saving the

file again.

Heavy network activity using a slow connection speed while

downloading or saving progressive download media clips may cause

truncated or corrupted .AVI files.

Selecting "Custom Fonts" under Windows 98 may affect the text

display in the progressive download status bar when playing back

an IVF file using Windows Media Player*. This is because there

may be no system fonts available which fit within the status bar.

Progressive Download Plug-in

Note: The Progressive Download Plug-in is designed for both

Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer (3.x or

newer). The 2.x versions of these browsers are not supported.

The size of the progressive download media clips in HTML source

includes the control panel. The work around is add 12 to the

width and 64 to the height to compensate for the control panel.

If ActiveMovie 1.0 or Microsoft DirectShow is installed the

plug-in will not work with Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.x. If

either ActiveMovie 1.0 or Microsoft DirectShow is installed it

is recommended upgrading to the latest version of Microsoft

Internet Explorer.

Progressive Download Publisher

The progressive download conversion options are not always

re-initialized when opening more than one progressive download

media clip within the same instance of the tool.