Short:        WarpOS port of MPEG2 video decoder
Author:       frank@phoenix.owl.de (Frank Wille)
Uploader:     frank phoenix owl de
Type:         gfx/show
Version:      0.3
Requires:     CSPPC or BPPC, WarpOS V4 (powerpc.library V15), AHI
Architecture: ppc-warpup

vmpeg is another MPEG1/2 video player, based on the public source of
the MPEG Software Simulation Group.

The last days I checked all MPEG players for the Amiga, but found no
one which is able to play a standard 352x288 MPEG movie with sound
in real time. This one does - at least with a 604e/233 and a fast
graphics board (a 200 MHz 604e is already critical).


FEATURES

- Cybergraphics/Picasso96 support (8-bit dithered or 15/16/32 bit
  true color). Either by direct frame buffer access (-o4) or by using
  Cybergraphics (-o5, very slow).

- Picasso96 PIP support (-o6).

- Automatic centering on graphics boards, in case the screen mode is
  larger than the required display.

- Audio support via ahi.device unit 0.

- Tries to run at natural frame rate. When it's running too fast,
  the player will wait after every frame, and when running too slow it
  will start skipping B-frames. This should prevent interruptions of
  audio output.

- Option -a prevents frame-skipping and plays all frames. Sound will
  be disabled.

- User may define the fps-rate, used for replay (-d). Sound will be
  disabled.

- Fps counter display.

- Time code display.

- Backward/Forward seek function. You can scan through the whole
  movie by using the mouse.

- Several work-arounds to be compatible with all movies I have seen.

- Compiled by latest vbcc in highest optimization mode.

- Some PPC Assembler optimizations.


USAGE

To view a movie with sound enabled just type

  vmpeg -o4 -s -b cd0:movie.mpg

A screen mode requester will open where you can select your prefered
resolution. 8 bit screens automatically force dithering mode. You should
define a screen mode with a resolution of 352x288 pixels. vmpeg runs
best at 15/16 bits, which is even faster than 8 bit.

Pressing the right mouse button will display the current time code.
When moving the mouse right or left, while holding the right button,
you can seek for/backwards in the MPEG stream. Move the mouse very
slowly! The stream is seeked in multiples of 1 MB. By looking at the
time code you should easily find the position where you last stopped
watching the movie.

Backwards seeking is nearly unusable with FastFileSystem in large
files, but works very well with others, like a CD-FileSystem or PFS/SFS.

To quit, press the left mouse button or the ESC key.

For more options, you may start vmpeg without arguments to get a
complete list.


FIXED BUGS SINCE 0.1

- -m option to select screen mode id didn't work

- All screen modes only worked for some graphics boards (e.g. CV64
  and PicaossIV). On other boards, only a few modes worked (e.g.
  on CVPPC and BVPPC).


BUGS

- Slow down of fast movies could work better, when having sound enabled.

- True color display modes doesn't support other chroma formats
  or interlaced movies. Haven't seen those, though.

- Fps counter seems to be wrong in fast movies (?).


SOURCE

Full source code is included. To recompile, you need the latest vbcc
compiler and a make-program (the makefile is very simple, so that
most 'makes' should work). If you have problems, try a lower optimization
mode, or write me to get a compiler update.


LEGAL

vmpeg is freeware, of course.


Frank Wille                  27-Jun-1999                frank@phoenix.owl.de