annotate DOCS/CODECS @ 1285:202d9e2dc202

-vcodec option (maybe some other name would be better though) to select between driver types without editing codecs.conf. mplayer will default to normal codec search loop if it does not find codec for the specified driver type. config range checking for the parameter (an integer) should be cleaned, IMHO

Status of codecs support:
=========================

See http://mplayer.sourceforge.net/DOCS/codecs.html

If your codecs isn't listed there then help us adding support for it:

Extracting codecs from Win32
============================

1. VfW
~~~~~~
  VfW (Video for Windows) is the old Video API for Windows. Its codecs have
the .DLL or (rarely) .DRV extension.
If MPlayer fails with your AVI:

        UNKNOWN video codec: HFYU (0x55594648)

  It means your AVI is encoded with a codec which has the HFYU fourcc (HFYU =
HuffYUV codec, DIV3 = DivX Low Motion, etc...). Now that we know this, we'll
have to find out which DLL Windows loads in order to play this file. In our
case, the system.ini contains this (with many others):
        VIDC.HFYU=huffyuv.dll
So we'll need the huffyuv.dll file. Note that the audio codecs are specified
with the MSACM prefix :
	msacm.l3acm=L3codeca.acm
This is the MP3 codec.

So, now we have all the info needed (fourcc, codec file, sample AVI), submit
your codec support request in mail, and upload these files to the FTP:
    ftp://thot.banki.hu/MPlayer/incoming/<codecname>/


2. DirectShow
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  DirectShow is the newer Video API, which is even worse than its predecessor.
Things are harder with DirectShow, since
 - system.ini doesn't contain the needed information, instead it's stored in
   the registry :(
 - we'll need the GUID of the codec.

  So let's search that goddamn registry..
 - Start 'regedit'
 - press ctrl-f, disable the first two checkbox, and enable the third. Type
the fourcc of the codec. (for ex.: TM20)
 - you should see a field which contains the path and filename
   (for ex. : C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\TM20DEC.AX)
 - now that we have the file, we'll need the GUID. Try searching again, but
now we'll search for the codec's name, not the fourcc. Its name can be acquired
when Media Player is playing that file, by checking File/Properties/Advanced.
If not, bad luck ;) Try guessing.
   (for ex. search for : TrueMotion)
 - if found (in registry), there should be a FriendlyName field, and a CLSID
field. Write down that 16 byte of CLSID, this is the GUID required by us.

NOTE : if searching fails, try to enable all the checkboxes.. you may have
       false hits, but maybe you'll have the right, too...
NOTE : dump that M$ shit.

So, now we have all the info needed (fourcc, GUID, codec file, sample AVI),
submit your codec support request in mail, and upload these files to the FTP:
    ftp://thot.banki.hu/MPlayer/incoming/<codecname>/


	Gabucino & A'rpi