Mp4s

[Chipster]

Can the GP2X play MP4s
Don't want to play on mine

 

[ihate56k]

As far as I know the gp2x can't play ISO MP4 files....

its a shame really because there's a lot of mp4 files out there now the psp and Ipod can show them.

I know there's a lot of patents and royalty payments involved in MP4, AVC and AAC codecs, so I suspect this will be part of the reason...

 

[donny662]

The ISO MP4 container I believe is royalty free, but the codecs themselves that we have been using in the avi container for years are not all royalty free (i.e. DivX, AAC, MP3, AC3, H.264). I think the popularity of avi has slowed down the move to the, better, MP4 container.

 

[kounch]

MPEG-4 Visual has a relative lax license, depending on how many "decoders" (devices) GPH would sell:

"2. In the case of Internet (wired and wireless) or mobile, annual
royalties with annual limitations and thresholds will apply:
(a) for the manufacture and sale of decoders and/or encoders:
US $0.25 per activated decoder and/or encoder subject to an
annual cap per legal entity of $1,000,000 for decoders and
$1,000,000 for encoders (to be paid by the manufacturer that
offers functioning product for sale or distribution, either
directly or through a chain of distribution, to the end user),
but there is no royalty for the first 50,000 decoders and
first 50,000 encoders in a calendar year sold or distributed
by a legal entity (applies to no more than one legal entity in
an affiliated group);"
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_head...71502/221960498

This would cover MPEG-4 video codecs like DivX, Apple MPEG-4, 3ivX, and possibly including H.264 (also known as MPEG-4 Part 10). But, as donny662 has said, other codecs have a stronger license, (like AAC or MP3).

One intriguing question is that actually the GP2X can decode MP3 audio (either from an MP3 file or an AVI file) Is GPH paying the license to do that?

However, when the source code of the firmware is available, as it will include also the source code of the modified MPlayer, it will make it possible to try modifty and add the support for all these codecs, and then distribute it, at least, as source code.

 

[reallynotnick]

Has anyone tried changing the extension from .mp4 to .avi? I know the gp2x will only have things that end in .avi show up in the movie menu. It is worth a try.

 

[jaesond]

Has anyone tried changing the extension from .mp4 to .avi? I know the gp2x will only have things that end in .avi show up in the movie menu. It is worth a try.

​

Unfortunately, MP4s are encoded differently than AVIs are. Different codec, different file structure, wouldn't play unfortunately.