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MARCH 200 5 MA XIMUMPC 3
The Celebrity Codec Roundup
There are a number of codecs we think
everyone should have. Grab these, and
chances are slim you’ll ever face a blank
screen instead of your downloaded...
well, don’t ask, don’t tell!Divx: Once a hacked version of
Microsoft’s proprietary MPEG-4 V3
codec, it was developed from scratch
at version 4 and is now owned and
distributed by DivxNetworks. It’s the
most popular codec based on the
MPEG-4 spec, but losing ground to Xvid
and Windows Media. Still, this is a must
have. Files encoded with Divx can have
the extension of AVI or MPG. It’s now
at version 5.2.1, and a free version is
available at http://www.divx.com/divx/download/.Xvid: Xvid is an open-source
alternative to Divx and is kind of like
Divx’ evil twin. Like Divx, it’s based on
the MPEG-4 spec, and files encoded
with it will have either the AVI or MPG
extension. Source code and information
about the project is located at http://www.xvid.
org, but what you can get the compiled
binaries by downloading the strange-
sounding file Koepi’s Binary at http://www.
divx-digest.com/software/xvid.html.Windows Media
Video 9 series:
Microsoft’s home-
brewed codec is a
winner. File sizes
tend to be somewhat
smaller than Divx or
Xvid results, and it’s
very fast. Windows
Media 10 files have
the WMV extension.
If you have the latest
version of Microsoft’s Windows Media
Player (version 10), you already have
this one installed. If not, open Internet
Explorer and run Windows Update.RealMedia: Although not one of
the most popular codecs, RealMedia
files are common enough to make
downloading the free version of
RealPlayer worth the effort of finding
it on Real’s web site at http://www.real.com.
RealMedia files have the .RM or .RAM
extension.QuickTime: Apple’s proprietary codec
has seen its popularity plummet in the
last couple of years, but QuickTime is
still employed as a streaming-media
format, and for whatever reason, the
majority of movie trailers still use it.Files using this codec have either the
.MOV or .QT extension. You’ll find the
free version of the player at
http://www.quicktime.com.AC3 filter: Many video files on the
Internet are encoded with AC3 (Dolby
Digital) sound, so grab the AC3 filter at
http://ac3filter.sourceforge.net/.Vobsub: If your video clip has people
making strange, exotic noises, it
might be in a foreign language. That’s
why some of them come with subtitle
files (usually in SRT format). Installing
VobSub will allow media players that
support these formats, such as Media
Player Classic and BSPlayer
(www.bsplayer.org). ■http://www.videohelp.com
Indisputably the most compre-
hensive web resource for infor-
mation, tutorials, and software for
converting video from any source
into, well, whatever it’s possible
to convert it to. The catch? The
site’s design is hideous.http://www.doom9.org
Although somewhat less volu-
minous than Videohelp.com, it’s
much easier on the eyes. You’ll
find extremely detailed guides
here on ripping, converting, and
encoding, as well as helpful tuto-
rials dealing with subtitles and
audio processing.http://www.hydrogenaudio.com
The Betties and Bobbies over at
Hydrogen Audio are the fussiest
audiophiles on the planet, and the
forums are practically hemorrhag-
ing with the most-up-to-date chat
on audio-compression codecs,
encoding techniques, lossless
encoder formats, and even MPEG-4
video-compression advice.http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html
Curious about CSS encryption?
Want to know the difference
between closed captions and sub-
titles? Desperate for trivia to alien-
ate potential soul mates at cocktail
parties? The DVD FAQ is an all-you-
can-eat buffet of information on
DVD discs, formats, and players.http://www.eff.org
Even if you haven’t received a
subpoena from the MPAA or theRIAA, every geek ought to
troll the Electronic Frontier
Foundation’s web site at least
monthly. Here’s where you’ll find
the latest information on technol-
ogy legislation while you can still
do something about it: before
it becomes law. Better yet, be a
champ and donate your pocket
change to the organization that
successfully defended Grokster,
Dmitry Sklyarov, and someday,
maybe you.www .microsoft.com/windows/
windowsmedia/9series/encoder/
default.aspx
Sliced bread is good. Windows
Media Encoder 9 series is better.
Hey, we’re always game to humil-
iate the Beast of Redmond for
its many foibles, but Microsoft’s
home-brew codec is fast, easy to
use, and the results are stunning.Bypass the annoying “connecting to codec
server” screen by making sure you have all the
necessary codecs installed on your PC. This will
save you time and frustration.RESOURCES
Earn your BA in MPEG-4
with these helpful and
chatty web sites