[MPlayer-users] Current CVS lavc "vcodec=mpeg4" issues

[Mark Williams (MWP)]

> On Thu, Mar 03, 2005 at 09:10:33PM +1030, Mark Williams (MWP) wrote:
> > Greetings all,
> > 
> > Has the output format of lavc mpeg4 encoding change latley?
> > 
> > AVI files ive been creaaing with a CVS version of mplayer thats a few months old
> > work perfectly in WinXP.
> > 
> > AVI files im creating with todays CVS version will not play under WinXP...
> > mplayer classic complains about missing codecs.
> > Apparently its because "Fourcc: FMP4" is not supported.
> > 
> > Anyone know why this is the case, and whats needed?
> 
> Before lavc used "DIVX" fourcc for its mpeg4, which was bad for
> several reasons:
> 
> - DIVX is actually a trademark of the lamers who made divx, not a
>   generic name.
> - DIVX fourcc means Divx4, and lavc is NOT divx4-compatible unless you
>   omit all the fancy options. You'd have to use DX50 instead if qpel,
>   bframes, etc. are enabled..
> - DIVX fourcc causes DIVX or XVID codec to be used for decoding on
>   windows, which are sometimes buggy.
> 
> The decision was made to make our own fourcc, FMP4, for ffmpeg mpeg4.
> In the long term this is the best solution, I think, but in the short
> term it's a pain if you're trying to make files playable by windows
> newbies without current ffdshow installed. Possible solutions:
> 
> - Tell the windows users to install latest ffdshow for decoding.
> 
> - Override the fourcc with -ffourcc option to mencoder. This can be
>   done without reencoding just by using -ovc copy -oac copy.
>   Recommended fourcc's would be XVID (probably safest), MP4S
>   ("official" MS fourcc for mpeg4, but this might cause broken MS
>   codec to try to decode it..?), or DX50.
> 
> Hope this helps... Someone should add this to the FAQ.

Yup, thats a great help, thankyou.

Thanks.