Maui X-Stream Tries Again With 'Zentu'

oil-can writes "The guys behind CherryOS announced Zentu Encoder today, saying Zentu is the the third generation of their VX30 codec. DrunkenBlog warns about the product with references to their history." Zentu is an encoding platform that boasts the ability to export video in a quick efficient way to either a Flash or Java based system with an interface for both inexperienced and power users.

Comments

Re:let the hunt begin!

[chill]

XVidcap doesn't encode to Flash or Java, but to MPEG-1. The VX30 stuff looks like MPEG-4, and is a lot better quality. Flash is also easier to embed in an e-mail or web page.

Strike one.

  -Charles

Sorenson this time, not MPEG4

[inio]

If it supports flash, the new "product" is Sorenson-based (v3 I think, maybe v4) instead MPEG4 like last time.

a look at the evidence

[Anonymous Coward]

Read this for a detailed account of the evidence of *ahem* borrowing from open source code projects by the VX30 project:

http://www.drunkenblog.com/drunkenblog-archives/00 0534.html

All I can say is I have a very strong opinion about the company and the people running it, take a look and decide for yourselves, their actions speak louder than words.

They admit to it!

[inio]

Check this page:

http://www.vx30.com/pages.php?cid=MDEwMTgxMTgyMTk4

Zentu Flash Video Compression

The Flash Video files created by the Zentu encoder use the open source library FFMPEG which is a derivative of MPEG 4 . Use of the FFMPEG is governed by the LGPL who license can be viewed in full here. Our MPEG 4 Patent License is filed with MPEGLA.

Why FFMPEG?

We've found that FFMPEG is one of the most high quality MPEG 4 codecs in the world. The quality of the Flash Video that Zentu creates with FFMPEG is absolutely stellar!! Please visit our Flash Video Showcase to check out the amazing quality of our samples.

How do we use FFMPEG?

As described by the LGPL Zentu is a "work that uses the Library". Which means that Zentu for Flash has accessors that use the FFMPEG "library" but is not itself a derivative of that library. Furthermore the FFMPEG library was not modified in any way to work with Zentu nor is it compiled as part of the Zentu executable.

Re:They admit to it!

[LiquidCoooled]

I just found this as well.

Their software appears to be nothing more than a shell script, which doesn't really require a whole lot of code to operate.

The guts and encoding are performed by the FFMpeg library and they get the glory.

On the FFMPEG licensing page the following notes are made:

Q: Bottom line: Should I be worried about legal issues if I use FFmpeg?
A: Are you a private user working with FFmpeg for your own personal purposes? If so, there is remarkably little reason to be concered. Are you using FFmpeg in a commercial software product? Read on to the next question...

Q: Since FFmpeg is licensed under the LGPL, is it perfectly all right to incorporate the whole FFmpeg core into my own commercial product?
A: You might have a problem here. Sure the LGPL allows you to incorporate the code. However, there have been cases where companies have used FFmpeg in their projects, usually for such capabilities as superior MPEG-4 decoding. These companies found out that once you start trying to make money from certain technologies, the alleged owners of the technologies will come after their dues. Most notably, MPEG-LA (licensing authority) is vigilant and diligent about collecting for MPEG-related technologies.

Now, on the vx30 page, they also mention that: Our MPEG 4 Patent License is filed with MPEGLA.

I would say in this case they aren't doing anything wrong (providing they are actually licensed).

mpegla m4v licensees

[ubercow]

look at #133 http://www.mpegla.com/m4v/m4v-licensees.cfm