TroikaTronix Forum: Isadora: User Patches, Tips & Tricks: interesting little codec


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interesting little codec

justruppert
Novice

Aug 9, 2007, 7:26 AM

Post #1 of 5 (1513 views)
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interesting little codec	Can't Post

Hi there
While playing around with different codecs and compressions (like so many others), I came across a codec that Canon uses to encode video clips on their line of compact digital cameras. The codec is usually referred to as OpenDML and it is a variant of the MJPEG codec. It has a very similar behavior to the Photo-JPEG codec preferred by Isadora, but the image quality is somewhat better and it creates smaller files. The main attraction however is that it manages to play back clips up to a resolution of 1024x768 quite smoothly in Isadora, which is great for those rare circumstances when resolution is an absolute priority.
A definite drawback is that I can find no way to render files with this codec in any other application other than Quicktime Pro. It will not show up as an option neither in Compressor nor in After Effects. Maybe someone here knows how to instal new codecs into these applications. So for the moment the only way to encode anything with this codec is to export it in Quicktime Pro as CANON MJPEG. To install it for QT Pro just drop the component file into the Library/Quicktime/ at the root of your system hard drive.
Anyway for those who want to give this a try you can find it here:
http://www.lolalux.com/stuff/OpenDML_QT.zip
Maybe this is useful for somebody
Best
Ruppert

(This post was edited by justruppert on Aug 9, 2007, 1:10 PM)

william
User

Nov 28, 2007, 7:10 PM

Post #2 of 5 (1300 views)
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Re: [justruppert] interesting little codec [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hey Ruppert -

Thanks for this tip. I'm installing it right now and giving it a shot in QT. I'll let you know if I can figure out installation for the other compression apps. Or have you figured it out since this post?

Also - does this codec retain alpha or just RGB? I'm currently looking for the fastest RGBA codec for Izzy, pass on any rec's if you got em.

Mark Coniglio
TroikaTronix / Moderator

Nov 30, 2007, 4:16 PM

Post #3 of 5 (1274 views)
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Re: [justruppert] interesting little codec [In reply to]	Can't Post

I'll try to check this out when I have a chance. But if others have a go, please report this back here.

Best,
Mark

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Mark Coniglio / TroikaTronix
Creator of Isadora

justruppert
Novice

Dec 1, 2007, 6:24 AM

Post #4 of 5 (1257 views)
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Re: [boys&murderers] interesting little codec [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi there
I haven't really played with this codec lately. Despite the fact that there is a marginal improvement in terms of performance (every little bit helps), the lack of a decent workflow integration with anything other than QT Pro has usually kept me from using it much.

As far as alpha channeled video goes I tend to use the Animation codec. File sizes are comperatively big, but whenever I need an alpha channel for a video clip, that clip is usually of relative modest dimensions.

Best
Ruppert

william
User

Dec 3, 2007, 12:49 PM

Post #5 of 5 (1192 views)
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Re: [justruppert] interesting little codec [In reply to]	Can't Post

Yeah, animation is the old faithful. I've managed to get it running smoothly at 640x480 with keyframing every frame. I'm also stacking the videos using multiple projectors with layer order, and it runs great.

I toyed around with the new Apple Pro Res 422 codec, but to no avail. It can playback up to 8 streams in FCP, but in Isadora no such luck. Scratch that one off the list.

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