Indeo(tm) Video R3.2 Update -- V3.22.01.30 June 27, 1994 ***************************************************************** * This is an update of the Indeo video driver responsible for * * software playback and offline compression. The Indeo video * * capture driver has not been updated and is not part of this * * release. To get full benefit of the improvements in Indeo * * Video R3.2, new and existing video clips need to be offline * * compressed using applications such as Microsoft's VidEdit. * ***************************************************************** Topics: ------- * Improvements * Indeo Video Drivers * System.ini Entries * Microsoft Setup Utility * Software Prerequisites * Optimum System Requirements * Updates * Developers of AVI Editors * Known Operating Characteristics * Technical Support * Copyright Notice Improvements: ------------- This software update is provided to enhance your existing Indeo(TM) Video drivers to the latest video technology for compressing, editing and playing back video on your Intel microprocessor-based desktop computer, using Microsoft's Video for Windows* Version 1.1. Indeo Video technology gives you the capability to capture and compress video in a single step using Intel's Smart Video Recorder, as well as, the ability to encode and/or decode (i.e. playback) video using only software on your PC. Intel's Smart Video Recorder product works with camcorders, VCRs and laser disks to capture Indeo Video. It immediately compresses NTSC or PAL format files at: 320x240 pixel resolution up to 15 frames per second (fps), 240x180 up to 24fps, and 160x120 up to 30fps. In addition, the built-in scalability of Indeo technology automatically adjusts the playback frame rate depending on your computer's performance capabilities. This allows you to play Indeo video files on any Intel Pentium(TM) or Intel486(TM) processor-based computer. This version of the Indeo Video R3.2 driver is an update to Indeo Video R3.1 and Video for Windows V1.1. It provides: * Improved visual quality. There is significantly more foreground and background detail for most sequences, particularly at 15 fps with data rates of 135KB/sec or higher. * Improved video playback performance at low data rates. * Improved 16-bit image quality and playback performance. * Improved audio playback at low data rates. * Compression and decompression of images up to 640x480 size in 4-pixel increments. Note: 640x480x10 video with a 240KB/sec transfer rate, has been measured to play back at close to 10 frames per second. * Improved software encoder performance (2 to 5 sec/frame on a Pentium processor system). * Faster initialization. Indeo Video Drivers: -------------------- Indeo(TM) Video R3.2 -- V3.22.01.30 incorporates the new Indeo Video R3.2 software codec that produces the highest quality video for software playback on Intel microprocessor based desktop computers. [filename: ir32.dll] Indeo(TM) Video Raw -- V1.10.1.4 incorporates the raw/YVU9 codec. [filename: iyvu9.dll] Indeo(TM) Video R2.1 -- V2.17.003 incorporates a decompressor only. It plays back files created with the older R2.1 codec. [filename: ir21.dll] System.ini Entries: ------------------- The Setup program installs the Indeo video drivers along with the latest Video for Windows runtime. It places the following entries in the system.ini file for the Indeo video drivers: [drivers] VIDC.RT21=ir21.dll VIDC.YVU9=iyvu9.dll VIDC.IV31=ir32.dll VIDC.IV32=ir32.dll Previously, the recommended system.ini entries looked as follows: [drivers] VIDC.RT21=indeov.drv VIDC.YVU9=indeov.drv VIDC.IV31=indeov.drv Indeov.drv was an "umbrella" driver that used a text file called indeo.ini to point to the various Indeo video drivers. The indeo.ini file had the following entries: [GLOBAL] DRIVERS=IV31,RT21,YVU9 [IV31] DEC=ir30.dll [RT21] DEC=ir21_r.dll [YVU9] DEC=ir21_r.dll Indeov.drv and indeo.ini are no longer used and may be deleted if desired. However, older applications, which install the Indeo video drivers, may still use indeov.drv and indeo.ini. Since the name of the latest Indeo video driver has changed from ir30.dll to ir32.dll, this would prevent IV31 files from accessing the latest driver. To avoid this problem, an exact copy of the latest ir32.dll file, named ir30.dll, is also installed by this setup program. It is hoped the ir30.dll file will not be used. But if another setup program should change the system.ini entries to point to indeov.drv, then the correct driver will still be accessed through ir30.dll. In the future, this precaution should not need to be taken. Microsoft Setup Utility: ------------------------ The Setup.exe used to install this update is a modified version of the Setup utility Microsoft provides to install the Video for Windows runtime. It is possible to make further changes to this program. The Microsoft Setup program used to come with V3.1 of the Windows SDK. It is now available to registered users of Visual C++ by calling Microsoft Product Support. Software Prerequisites: ----------------------- * Video for Windows V1.1 * Windows 3.1 Optimum System Requirements: ---------------------------- For the highest image quality and playback, the following system requirements are recommended: * Intel Pentium processor * System RAM: 12+ MB * PCI local bus graphics controller * SCSI hard drive For best frame rate performance, put the graphics card in 8-bit color mode. For best image quality, put the graphics card in 24-bit color mode. Based on the application and the size of the video file, some performance tuning of your computer's resources may be required. Updates: -------- As new Indeo video drivers are released, they will be available on CompuServe INTELARCH and Intel's Application Support BBS at (916) 356-3600. This software update to Indeo Video R3.2 is a software codec change only. There have been no changes to the Intel Smart Video Recorder Driver. If you do not have the latest version of the Intel Smart Video Recorder Driver, V2.00.009 it is available on CompuServe* INTELFORUM and on Intel BBS, (503) 645-6275. If you would like more information on Intel's Smart Video Recorder, call: U.S. and Canada (800) 538-3373 Europe +44-793-431155 Worldwide (503) 629-7354 Developers of AVI Editors: ------------------------------- The following recommendation is for developers of AVI file editors. To avoid unnecessary recompression, it is recommended the IV31 and IV32 video formats be treated as the same video format. This speeds up editing operations and improves video quality. When a video editor saves an edited AVI file, the video formats of the source video frames are compared to the video format chosen for the target file. Typically, any frames not in the target format are recompressed. If a clip contains a mixture of IV31 and IV32 frames, and the output format is IV32, it is not necessary to recompress the IV31 frames. The Indeo video R3.2 codec will play back both video formats. Known Operating Characteristics: -------------------------------- 1) This version of Indeo video supports an active or dynamic palette. However, a future update to the VfW runtimes from Microsoft is needed to use this feature. See item number 10 below for details on using Indeo video's fixed palette. 2) The new Indeo Video R3.2 driver can play back AVI files compressed using the older R3.0 and R3.1 drivers. However, AVI files created by the R3.2 software encoder cannot be played back using the Indeo video R3.0 or R3.1 drivers. Microsoft's Media Player will report the error "Video not available, cannot find 'vids.iv32' decompressor." 3) The latest R2.1 driver does not display a setup dialog box from the Control Panel. 4) ActionMedia(R) II boards and RT Video boards can not be used to provide hardware capture or accelerated playback of Indeo Video R3.x files. Intel is considering options to provide these hardware drivers; however, there is no specific timeframe to announce at this time. 5) Frames are dropped when capturing 320x240 or 240x180 images at frame rates greater than 15 or 24, respectively. With the current hardware and software technology, this is the maximum frame rate that can be captured with 0 frames dropped. 6) Using a Smart Video Recorder in systems with disk drives that have a transfer rate < 1.4 Mbytes/sec, random dropping of frames may occur. 7) In VidCap, the overlay option is not supported. 8) If you experience audio playback being out of synch with the video, try: a. Playing video from Media Player and configure playback (select Device/Configure...) to set "skip video frames if behind." b. Removing any TSRs. 9) If you have an ATI Mach 32 graphics board you may need to set the "Device Bitmaps" to OFF to utilize the correct palette. 10) On systems using 8-bit graphic displays, a paletted shift may be observed in some applications. To improve video performance, the Indeo video codec uses a fixed 8-bit palette. One way to minimize this color shift, is to capture the palette used by the Indeo video codec and apply it to the application that is incorporating video by: a) Loading an AVI file into media player. b) Selecting copy object c) Opening PalEdit program and pasting the copied object d) Saving the palette e) using this .pal file as the color palette in the presentation bitmap image. Technical Support: ------------------ For technical assistance with the USA call our Hotline number at 800-628-8686 (prompts 1,3,1). Outside the USA call 503-696-7003. Inform the dispatcher you have a question on "INDEO". If an engineer is available you will be connected, if not, you will be called back within an hour. Copyright Notice: ----------------- Copyright Intel Corp. 1992-1994 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED By using the files included with this notice, you agree to all the terms in this notice. If you or your company can not agree to these terms, do not use these files. Instead, immediately delete these files. This software is distributed only for use by Licensees of Intel Corp.'s Indeo(TM) Video Technology, and the use of this software shall be governed by the user's license agreement with Intel Corp. as well as the terms of this notice. No other licenses, either express or implied, or by estoppel, are granted by the distribution of this software. You may not disassemble, decompile, or reverse engineer this software. ALL SOFTWARE PROVIDED HEREIN IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITH NO WARRANTIES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. INTEL NEITHER ASSUMES NOR AUTHORIZES ANY PERSON TO ASSUME FOR IT ANY OTHER LIABILITY. In no event will Intel Corp. be liable for any loss of profits, loss of use, direct, indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages arising out of the use of the software distributed herein. _____________________________________________________________________ * Other brands and names are the property of their respective owners.