Embed our patent compliant GStreamer codecs into your FFmpeg based applications
Fluendo ha desarrollado un decoder basado en GStreamer que permite el uso de nuestro completo set de plugins de audio y video en uno de los frameworks multimedia más utilizados en el mercado: FFmpeg.
El uso de FFmpeg en aplicaciones comerciales puede poner en riesgo a una organización, ya que sus librerías se valen de tecnologías de audio y video protegidas por patente. Nuestro Enabler para FFmpeg permite el uso de nuestro set de códecs basados en GStreamer acompañados por su correspondiente licencia de comercialización. De este modo, las organizaciones quedan protegidas frente a posibles acciones legales de los principales consorcios multimedia del mercado como MPEG LA, Via Licensing, Microsoft o Dolby.
El enabler de Fluendo para FFmpeg
Solución legal para FFmpeg
Los aspectos legales constantemente generan dudas y confusión en las empresas y desarrolladores que trabajan con FFmpeg.
Es bien sabido que utilizar FFmpeg en productos comerciales puede entrañar ciertos riesgos para las organizaciones, ya que este framework utiliza librerías que se valen de tecnologías de audio y video reguladas por patentes (por ejemplo, libavcodec). Por lo tanto, los principales consorcios de patentes multimedia, como MPEG LA, Via Licensing, Dolby o Microsoft están siempre atentos y son muy diligentes en lo que concierne a cobrar los royalties asociados a sus tecnologías.
El Enabler de Fluendo para FFmpeg permite el uso de nuestro completo set de codecs legales de audio y video, garantizando a los desarrolladores la creación aplicaciones comerciales basadas en FFmpeg completamente legales.
Backend GStreamer para FFmpeg
Fluendo ha desarrollado un decoder basado en GStreamer que utiliza el sistema de backend de FFmpeg.
El decoder de Fluendo para FFmpeg permite incorporar Fluendo Codec Pack de un modo sencillo y transparente en la aplicación desarrollada o entorno operativo. Además de los beneficios legales, nuestra solución ofrece las siguientes ventajas a los desarrolladores:
El enabler de Fluendo permite que las organizaciones que desarrollan apliaciones basadas en FFmpeg puedan incorporar codecs legales en su solución.
Por lo tanto, ni Product Managers ni departamentos legales necesitarán negociar acuerdos específicos con los consorcios de patentes más importantes (MPEGLA, Microsoft, Dolby, etc.) durante la fase de desarrollo. Esto agilizará la puesta en el mercado del producto.
Desarrolladores e ingenieros de software pueden contar con una solución multimedia legal desde la fase inicial de su nuevo producto.
Debido a que nuestra solución consiste en un nuevo backend en el framework FFmpeg, la integración es muy sencilla (plug and play).
No será necesario hacer complejas modificaciones software, y esto facilitará el desarrollo de la aplicación.
Preguntas Frecuentes
What is FFmpeg?
FFmpeg is a collection of software libraries and programs to record, convert and stream media.
FFmpeg contains more than 100 codecs, most of which use compression techniques of one kind or another. Many such compression techniques may be subject to legal claims relating to software patents. Such claims may be enforceable in countries like the United States which have implemented software patents, but are considered unenforceable or void in other countries.
This is where our Fluendo FFMpeg Enabler adds value. If you need to use multimedia formats covered by patent licenses, our solution allows the use of our patent compliant plugins in a commercial solutions based on FFmpeg.
FFmpeg or GStreamer? Why?
| FFMPEG | GSTREAMER | |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-platform support | FFmpeg cross-platform support is limited. Linux could be considered officially supported. However, other platforms builds (Windows, OS X, and Android) are maintained by volunteers. | GStreamer framework is fully compatible with all the major operating systems including Windows, MacOS, Android, OpenSolaris and Linux based distros like Ubuntu. |
| Documentation and Support |
The official documentation is not clear and can
be quite confusing. Mailing list is active, but you must be very specific in your question. |
Really good tutorials and general
documentation. You can access a general API. Very active development mailing list, with very helpful members (even questions for beginners). |
| Complexity |
It’s not easy for beginners to use and
implement. The API is huge, its use is often non-intuitive, and many important concepts are not explained clearly. |
Tutorials allow newbies to operate with basic
tools easily. GStreamer’s well defined architecture also allows to venture with more complex stuff without significant problems. |
| Codec support | FFmpeg strength lies on its extensive list of supported codecs. It renders an active support for almost all the required codecs including lossless FFV1, lossy snow codec, WebM, FFVP8, VP9, HEVC, AAC and FAAC. Besides, FFmpeg also provides video streaming and web hosting capabilities. It supports popular media libraries such as libavcodec and libavformat. | It depends on how it was compiled; generally, every known format is supported for decoding, and a large number of formats is supported for encoding. MIDI playback is supported but depends on 3rd party software, so realistically it is only semi-supported on Linux. |
| Filter support | A lot of filters of many kinds are available, from simple rotation and flipping to watermarking. | A lot of filters of many kinds are available, from simple rotation and flipping to watermarking, and even some exotic such as voice removal. |
| Audio and video I/O | It doesn’t provide audio/video I/O and so you need other SDKs for this purpose. | Supports all known audio and video outputs and inputs, you will seldom need anything else. |
| Framework redistributable size | It heavily depends on which codecs you want to support, (therefore) which libraries are included in the build. | Occupies larger storage space as compared to other frameworks. |
What are media codecs, and how do they work?
A codec is a device or computer program for encoding or decoding a digital data stream or signal. (codec is a portmanteau of coder-decoder). A codec encodes a data stream or a signal for transmission and storage, possibly in encrypted form, and the decoder function reverses the encoding for playback or editing. Codecs are used in videoconferencing, streaming media, and video editing applications.
Why do we need codecs?
Multimedia files (movies, music…) are huge, which means they are usually difficult to transfer over the network. To speed up downloads, codecs were built to encode, or shrink, a signal for transmission and then decode it for viewing or editing. Without codecs, downloads of video and audio would take three to five times longer than they do now.
What are the most popular video container formats?
There are hundreds of codecs in use out there, and you will need combinations that specifically play your files. There are codecs for audio and video compression, for streaming media over the internet, speech, video conferencing, playing MP3s, and screen capture. Selecting the right codec can depend on several factors. Target file size, output quality, and delivery method all factor in.
Some of the most popular codecs are:
- Audio: MP3, AAC, WMA, AC3
- Video: H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, MPEG-4 part 2, WMV
Because there are so many codec choices, codec packs are a convenient option.
Fluendo Codec Pack is our complete set of audio and video encoders and decoders especially created for Enterprise. However, if you only require codecs for playback purposes, as an End User, ONEPLAY Codec Pack is the solution for you.
Caso de Uso Real
Backend de GStreamer para Firefox
En 2016, Mozilla Firefox decidió cambiar su backend de GStreamer por FFMpeg (también se desactivaron las extensiones NPAPI). Este cambio afectó a un conjunto de formatos de audio y video cuyo soporte en el navegador tenía una limitación legal.
Como Firefox incorpora FFmpeg de manera dinámica, nuestro decoder mantiene la compatibilidad API/ABI de FFmpeg, pero apoyándose en el framework de GStreamer.
¿Interesado en nuestros plugins de GStreamer?
Si necesitas integrar nuestros plugins de GStreamer en algún framework específico, FFmpeg o DirectShow, contáctanos y cuéntanos cuál es el reto multimedia al que te enfrentas.
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