comparison DOCS/video.html @ 4199:bcaf75e384d8

Added (sigh, reHTMLized;)) Nick's VIDIX patch

4198:7e2bf04c9a7c

  size=2><A HREF=#2.3.1.11>aa</A></TD><TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial,
  Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>textmode rendering with AAlib</TD><TR>
<TD></TD><TD VALIGN=top><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
  size=2><a href=#2.3.1.12>vesa</a></TD><TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial,
  Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>Output to VESA BIOS.</TD><TR>
<TD></TD><TD VALIGN=top><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
  size=2>directfb</TD><TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial,
  Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>Direct Framebuffer Device</TD><TR>

<TD COLSPAN=4><P><B><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"

it only from textmode console.</P>

<P>
<b>Conclusion:</b> I know there are lot of lacks and bugs. So if you are able
to improve something then simply send me your patches.
</P>


<P><B><A NAME=2.3.1.A>2.3.1.A. TV-out support</A></B></P>

<P>It means that if they open any TV-out related information then
hackers will be able to disable copy protection on their chips. Therefore
we have no chance to get working TV-out on ATI.</P>

<P>What's status of ATI's tv-out chips under Linux:
<LI><b>ATI Mach64</b> has <i>ImpacTV</i> which is supported by <A HREF="http://www.linuxvideo.org/gatos">gatos</A>.
<LI><b>ASIC Radeon VIVO</b> has <i>Rage Theatre</i> which is supported by <A HREF="http://www.linuxvideo.org/gatos">gatos</A>.
<LI><b>Radeon VE</b> and <b>Rage PRO LT</b> have <i>ImpacTV2+</i> which is not supported under Linux.
But with <B>MPlayer</B> you get <B>full hardware acceleration</B> and <B>TV out</B>
for Radeons !
Check <a href=#2.3.1.12>VESA driver</a> and <A HREF=#2.3.1.14>Radeon
acceleration</A> sections.</P>

4199:bcaf75e384d8

  size=2><A HREF=#2.3.1.11>aa</A></TD><TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial,
  Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>textmode rendering with AAlib</TD><TR>
<TD></TD><TD VALIGN=top><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
  size=2><a href=#2.3.1.12>vesa</a></TD><TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial,
  Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>Output to VESA BIOS.</TD><TR>
<TD></TD><TD VALIGN=top><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
  size=2><a href=#2.3.1.15>vidix</a></TD><TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial,
  Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>VIDeo Interface for *niX (this entry is not a
  real driver, but an explanation of VIDIX)</TD><TR>
<TD></TD><TD VALIGN=top><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
  size=2><a href=#2.3.1.15>xvidix</a></TD><TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial,
  Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>VIDIX in X window</TD><TR>
<TD></TD><TD VALIGN=top><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
  size=2>directfb</TD><TD></TD><TD><FONT face="Verdana, Arial,
  Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>Direct Framebuffer Device</TD><TR>

<TD COLSPAN=4><P><B><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"

it only from textmode console.</P>

<P>
<b>Conclusion:</b> I know there are lot of lacks and bugs. So if you are able
to improve something then simply send me your patches.
</P>

<P><B><A NAME=2.3.1.15>2.3.1.15. VIDIX</A></B></P>

<P><B><I>WHAT IS VIDIX</I></B></P>

<P>VIDIX is the abbreviation for <b>VID</b>eo <b>I</b>nterface for
  *ni<b>X</b>.<BR>
  VIDIX was designed and introduced as an interface for fast user-space drivers
  providing <b>DGA</b> everywhere where it's possible (<b>unlike X11</b>). I
  hope that these drivers will be as portable as X11 (<b>not only on
  *nix</b>).<BR>
  What is it:
  <LI>It's a portable successor of mga_vid technology, but it's located in
    user-space.</LI>
  <LI>Unlike X11 it provides DGA everywhere it's possible</LI>
  <LI>Unlike v4l it provides interface for video playback</LI>
  <LI>Unlike linux's drivers it uses mathematics library</LI>
</P>

<P>I can tell you in bold capital letters :<BR>
  <b>VIDIX PROVIDES DIRECT GRAPHICS ACCESS TO BES YUV MEMORY.</b>
</P>

<P><i>Well (it's in my todo) - implement DGA to MPEG2 decoder.</i></P>

<P>This interface was designed as an attempt to fit existing video acceleration
  interfaces (known as mga_vid, mga_yuv, radeon_vid) into a fixed scheme. It
  provides highlevel interface to chips which are known as BES (BackEnd
  scalers) or OV (Video Overlays). It doesn't provide lowlevel interface to
  things which are known as graphics servers. (I don't want to compete with X11
  team in graphics mode switching). I.e. main goal of this interface is to
  provide maximal speed of video playback but not putting video signal on
  screen of your TV or on tape of your VCR. Although these things are also very
  significant - it's perfectly other task. (However I guess that it would be
  possible to implement something like mini-X (don't mix it with Minix ;) in
  the future, if some number of volunteers will be found.
</P>

<P><B><I>USAGE</I></B></P>

<P>
  <LI>You can use standalone video output driver: <CODE>-vo xvidix</CODE><BR>
    This driver was developed as X11's front end to VIDIX technology.  It
    requires XServer and can work only under XServer.</LI>
  <LI>You can use VIDIX subdevice which was applied to several video output
    drivers, such as:<BR>
    <CODE>-vo vesa:vidix</CODE> and <CODE>-vo fbdev:vidix</CODE></LI>
  Indeed it doesn't matter which video output driver is used with <b>VIDIX</b>.
</P>

<P><B><I>REQUIREMENTS</I></B></P>

<P>
  <LI>video card should be in graphics mode (I write <b>should</b> simply
    because I tested it in text mode - it works but has awful output ;) Use
    AAlib for that).<BR>
    <I>Note: Everyone can try this trick by commenting out mode switching in
    vo_vesa driver.</I></LI>
  <LI><B>MPlayer</B>'s video output driver should know active video mode and be
    able to tell to VIDIX subdevice some video characteristics of server.</LI>
  I hope that probably every video output driver of <B>MPlayer</B> will
  recognize <CODE>:vidix</CODE> subdevice.
</P>

<P><B><I>USAGE METHODS</I></B></P>

<P>When VIDIX is used as <b>subdevice</b> (<CODE>-vo vesa:xvidix</CODE>) then
  video mode configuration is performed by video output device
  (<b>vo_server</b> in short). Therefore you can pass into command line of
  <B>MPlayer</B> the same keys as for vo_server. In addition it understands
  <CODE>-double</CODE> key as globally visible parameter. (I recommend using
  this key with VIDIX at least for ATI's card).<BR>
  As for <CODE>-vo xvidix</CODE> : currently it recognizes the following
  options: <CODE>-fs -zoom -x -y</CODE>.<BR>
</P>

<P>Also you can specify VIDIX's driver directly as third subargument in command
  line :<BR>
  <BR>
  &nbsp;&nbsp;<code>mplayer -vo xvidix:mga_vid.so -fs -zoom -double
    file.avi</code><BR>
  or<BR>
  &nbsp;&nbsp;<code>mplayer -vo vesa:vidix:radeon_vid.so -fs -zoom -double -bpp
    32 file.avi</code><BR>
  <BR>
  But it's dangerous, and you shouldn't do that. In this case given driver will
  be forced and result is unpredictable (it may <b>freeze</b> your
  computer). The Right Way is to use VIDIX without arguments to enable driver
  autodetection.
</P>

<P>
  VIDIX is very new technology and it's extremely possible that on your system
  (OS=abc CPU=xyz) it won't work. In this case only solution for you it's port
  it (mainly libdha). But there is hope that it will work on those systems
  where X11 does.
</P>

<P>And the last <b>WARNING</b>: (un)fortunately you <b>MUST</b> have
  <b>ROOT</b> privileges to use VIDIX due to direct hardware access. At least
  set the <b>suid</b> bit on the <B>MPlayer</B> excecutable.
</P>


<P><B><A NAME=2.3.1.A>2.3.1.A. TV-out support</A></B></P>

<P>It means that if they open any TV-out related information then
hackers will be able to disable copy protection on their chips. Therefore
we have no chance to get working TV-out on ATI.</P>

<P>What's status of ATI's tv-out chips under Linux:
<LI><b>ATI Mach64</b> has <i>ImpacTV</i> which is supported by <A HREF="http://gatos.sf.net">gatos</A>.
<LI><b>ASIC Radeon VIVO</b> has <i>Rage Theatre</i> which is supported by <A HREF="http://gatos.sf.net">gatos</A>.
<LI><b>Radeon VE</b> and <b>Rage PRO LT</b> have <i>ImpacTV2+</i> which is not supported under Linux.
But with <B>MPlayer</B> you get <B>full hardware acceleration</B> and <B>TV out</B>
for Radeons !
Check <a href=#2.3.1.12>VESA driver</a> and <A HREF=#2.3.1.14>Radeon
acceleration</A> sections.</P>