So far most mkv files I have won't play. I noticed that TI has an h.264 codec available. Is this already included in the community codec pack? If it isn't, has anyone has luck in sucessfully installing TI's codec?
H.264 Playback
- Thread starter SirisC
- Start date
WizardStan
Mega GP Mania
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- May 24, 2008
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Effective h.264 decoding requires access to the DSP processor, something that isn't currently available (at least not easily, maybe there are some hacks I'm not aware of) in the existing kernel.
Once they update the kernel (which may be a few months yet), we should see an immediate and automatic increase in playback.
Once they update the kernel (which may be a few months yet), we should see an immediate and automatic increase in playback.
The h.264 decoder available on the linked page decodes only Baseline Profile (according to the spec provided), so it is not suitable for general use anyway. I would guess most h.264 files floating around Internet are at least Main Profile. Even if TI eventually provide Main or High profile decoder it will not reach Level 3 (standard definition TV) decoding with Pandora hardware not to mention Level 4 (HDTV).
paulguy
Member
Kinda disappointing that a lot of embedded stuff isn't up to the point of useful h.264 decoding. I suppose they're made with current PCs in mind, where handhelds are for the most part, along the lines of 8-10 year old computers, but you'd think something as expensive as an iphone would have a specific hardware decoder for main and high profile...
Luckily a lot of bootlegs are still divx/xvid/ms mpeg4/etc, and youtube is baseline I believe, if not I'm pretty sure it doesn't use particularly aggressive h.264 features.
Luckily a lot of bootlegs are still divx/xvid/ms mpeg4/etc, and youtube is baseline I believe, if not I'm pretty sure it doesn't use particularly aggressive h.264 features.
Youtube uses more than one profile depending on format and resolution. Hardly a surprise since they goal is to support as many devices as possible. A quick investigation on one video (16:9) showed the following h264 Youtube formats:
1) format 18: 360x270 Baseline Profile, ~700kbps
2) format 34: 640x360 Main Profile, ~700kbps
3) format 35: 854x480 Main Profile, ~1Mbps
4) format 22: 1280x720 High Profile, ~2.4Mbps
Only the smallest resolution is BP, and with this bit rate it will easily decode on the CPU anyway. Formats 2 and 3 should be doable with a good DSP decoder (if exists), maybe even CPU. Format 4 is unlikely to ever decode on Pandora.
1) format 18: 360x270 Baseline Profile, ~700kbps
2) format 34: 640x360 Main Profile, ~700kbps
3) format 35: 854x480 Main Profile, ~1Mbps
4) format 22: 1280x720 High Profile, ~2.4Mbps
Only the smallest resolution is BP, and with this bit rate it will easily decode on the CPU anyway. Formats 2 and 3 should be doable with a good DSP decoder (if exists), maybe even CPU. Format 4 is unlikely to ever decode on Pandora.
