Xiph.org Releases Theora Alpha One

Pajama Crisis writes "Xiph.org, the crazy guys behind Ogg Vorbis, have released the first alpha version of Ogg Theora, an open video codec. Downloading, hacking and smashing into little pieces is cheerfully encouraged. Theora has been mentioned on Slashdot before. Also, Xiph has been working with a couple different companies to bring Vorbis to a portable near you; stay tuned."

Comments

Killer App

[wls]

The killer application is to insert a DVD and have it simplistically rip and encode it for personal viewing. Make it simplistic enough for the masses to use, and let the codec take off as a standard induced by practice not dictates or technology.

Re:Killer App

[ryanvm]

The killer application is to insert a DVD and have it simplistically rip and encode it for personal viewing.

Yeah - I'm sure the MPAA is going to let that happen.

They sue you into oblivion just for making an unlicensed DVD player. Just imagine what they'd do to a company trying to distribute a packaged DVD ripping solution. If there were a "scrotal electrocution" clause in the DMCA, it'd be reserved for this.

Re:so?

[josh crawley]

Too true. OSS ideas are to re-invent the wheel, even though many mathematical algorythims are patented (like Ogg - psychoacoutic model of elimination). Still, it may be needed, as Sigma pissed off the guys who were creating Xvid. Cause a company was selling open source software without providing source, the Xvid team is now rioting and is quitting making xvid.

And a second point: what would be more "together", 2 totally diffrent codeds slapped together, or a dual thought out codec. I figure they use similar measuers to make both. If the do, you might only need 2 chips on a Ogg: AV displayer (handheld device). A Ogg decoder, and a video displayer. Just an idea.

Divx is still better

[CowboyTodd]

Divx still 0wnz, and it's free, more or less....

Re:Theora...

[Spazholio]

If you check the FAQ, they do say that this name came from Max Headroom. The others, I'm not sure about, but I think so.

Re:Meritocracy OpenSource Progress

[NineNine]

Doesn't commerical software work even better as a meritocracy? You make something only if you think it'll be useful, and people vote with their wallets. To me, people willing to pay for a product says *much* more about the quality of a product than if it's given away for free. It's a difference between "Yeah, I'll pay money for that" versus "Eh. Well, it's free."

Re:Meritocracy OpenSource Progress

[rseuhs]

Not really. For example the CSS model completely eliminates small packages. - Nobody would pay for a command line utility like "grep" or "wc".

This is why every commercial package gets bloated and reinvents the wheel numerous times.

Re:They don't have the best track record.

[Microlith]

I don't know about anyone else, but something tells me you're full of shit...

I'd like to see more evidence of this "increased rate of speaker decay" you claim that Vorbis causes. I honestly don't see that happening, unless the amplifier supplying the signal is fucked, or your DAC is shot and is feeding bad signal (but you'd hear that). Once audio is decompressed, it's just PCM.

IIRC, wasn't Vorbis's big feature that it supported up to 255 independent audio tracks? No joint-stereo crap at all?

And I've encoded karaoke tracks into Vorbis. I imagine the only thing keeping me from singing along is that my Japanese skills aren't that high. Interestingly enough, the tracks I have encoded (so far: Jin-Roh and Escaflowne: The Movie OSTs) are some of the hardests tracks I've thrown at any encoder, and Vorbis pulls off a damn fine job.

Sorry prof., but I'd like more info to back up your claims before my skepticism is anything but high.

Re:so?

[nanojath]

I think you're wrong, I think you're looking at the process from too short-term and narrow of a point of view. The beauty of open source is that it creates a basis for the way certain things should be: to wit, that the fundamental architectures of how we digitize media should be a free, open standard so that we can concentrate on what's worth selling (services that organize and deliver content and devices that play it). Having any degree of proprietary encumbrance on a media codec is the equivalent of patenting the alphabet or the left-right up-down orientation of conventional english text. It's just stupid, it serves no purpose.

At worste, it doesn't do any harm. At best, it may serve as the basis for a resonable, sensible multi-media platform at last. So what's your problem? It's not like anyone is making you use it.