Fluendo Codec Pack，基于GStreamer的合法多媒体解决方案

GStreamer is an open source multimedia framework mainly used to create media applications. The GStreamer framework is designed to make it easy to write applications that handle audio or video, or both. It uses plugins providing codecs and other functionalities. Visit our GStreamer page for more details.

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.

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.

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.

There’s wide extended confusion when customers/end users ask for certain codecs. Most of them really refer to containers’ formats instead of audio and video codecs.

A container or wrapper format is a metafile format whose specification describes how different elements of data and metadata coexist in a computer file. Containers "contain" the various components of a video: the stream of images, the sound, and anything else. For example, you could have multiple soundtracks and subtitles included in a video file, if the container format allows it. They’re easy to distinguish because they determine the extension of your video file. Popular container formats include MP4 (.mp4), AVI (.avi), QuickTime (.mov) and Matroska (.mkv).

According to the previous explanation, we have the following:

• Codecs are ways of "coding" and "decoding" streams. Their job is typically to compress data (and decompress it when playing it back) so that you can store and transmit files with a smaller filesize.
• In comparison, a container is what holds the grouping of compressed video as defined by the codec. The container takes care of packaging, transport, and presentation.

The different container formats all have different strengths and weaknesses, with certain formats preferred by certain content providers. Not all containers support all compression standards or allow for secondary features like subtitles and chapters. The container itself doesn’t affect the quality of the video directly, but it can limit the compression codecs available for use.

If you’re choosing a container format to use for an encoded video, you’ll want to pick one that has the right mix of supported compression codecs and features.