GStreamer: Full-featured Multimedia for Linux

Ur@eus sent us this: "We at Linuxpower have just put up an interview with Erik Walthinsen, lead developer on GStreamer. GStreamer is a full featured MultiMedia framework which recently got commercial backing from RidgeRun Inc.. GStreamer has also been chosen to be featured at GUADEC 2. For those interested in Multimedia on Linux there is a new version available from the GStreamer homepage today."

Comments

Why GStreamer is cool...

[VValdo]

Providing access to cheap/free multimedia functionality, especially an open non-linear editor (a "word processor for video") is very important.

As video has become a central way to entertain, inform and influence the public, "the people," not just government and big media companies, must be given the power to create decent video presentations..

If you can't run one of the more popular commercial non-linear editors (Avid/Final Cut Pro/etc) I offer the following list of Linux alternatives.

(And before you mod me offtopic, note that Trinity uses Gstreamer. So there.)

NON-LINEAR SYSTEMS

Broadcast 2000 -- One of the more developed linux editors. Works with a variety of hardware. I personally haven't used it, but there is at least one company out there selling pre-packaged versions of this.

Trinity -- Another Linux solution - still very early in development. Uses Gstreamer though

MainActor -- I think this is a commercial Linux product, about $100.

And for fun...

AUDIO EDITING SYSTEMS

ProTools FREE - This is a commercial product, but this free, non demoware version, limited to 8-tracks, does not require dedicated hardware. It does require Mac or Windows, though I have no idea if it will run under WINE.

ProTUX - Although the web site denies it, this is basically an open source ProTools.

Audacity - A cross-platform open source audio editor.

I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones I know about.

W
-------------------

One common plugin format?

[Stiletto]

Flame suit on and ready!

Let's see--we have xine, xmms, oms, and now gstreamer... How often does the wheel have to be reinvented before there is an extensible media-playing system for *nix that provides what "Video for Windows" did for Windows years ago?

Just to *catch up* with Windows, let alone trump it, this system needs:

1. The ability to load a platform-independant module that provides any arbitrary codec, and all your movie or sound players will make use of the module.

2. Something that can take advantage of hardware acceleration (MJPEG or MPEG accelerators, and capture cards)

3. Is network transparent like X, for remote displaying over a high-speed network (none of them do this right, yet)

I sure don't have the answers, but I bet if the amount of work that is put into so many seperate projects was concentrated on making them work together, Linux video woudln't be in such a sorry state.

Re:One common plugin format?

[icepick]

xine - uses avifile and mpeg2dec in an application to display video. It works, but so what? The heavy lifting is in those two libs.

xmms - same here.

oms - yep, yep. mpeg2dec. I know I've seen messages over a year ago to them from Erik trying to get them on board the gstreamer project but they really just wanted a DVD app at the time.

>1. The ability to load a platform-independant
>module that provides any arbitrary codec, and all
>your movie or sound players will make use of the >module.

Write a plug in for x in gstreamer and you can use it in all gstreamer apps. ("Platform-independant"? Not sure what this is supposed to mean. )

>2. Something that can take advantage of hardware
>acceleration (MJPEG or MPEG accelerators, and
>capture cards)

In gstreamer this is up to the plug in to be know about these things.

>3. Is network transparent like X, for remote
>displaying over a high-speed network (none of
>them do this right, yet) Really look at
>gstreamer.

One of the demo Erik was working on orignally was using Internet2 to do something much like this.

--

What about

[mindstrm]

PC manufacturers? they make computers that could be used to copy copyrighted files..... therefore, by your logic, they should exercise moer caution?

Obeying the law is up to PEOPLE.

For example, the law here says I cannot carry my giant bowie knife around town. However, I can purchase as many giant bowie knives as I want in the store. Is the store negligent? No. I am responsible.

I have a CD burner. I could be pirating CD's all the time and selling them to people. Do I? No. I'm responsible. It's not the CD burner manufacturer who's at fault if it's used for illegal purposes.

I can purchase all kinds of flammable liquids and matches at any store, but I don't go aroudn burning down things for fun, because it's illegal..

Get the picture?

And.. if *everyone* doesnt' want to follow a law, like some copyright things with regards to music, then maybe that law should CHANGE or GO AWAY.

People have the right to persue profits, not the guarantee of profits.