[vlc-devel] Re: Google Video Viewer released

[Ross Finlayson]

>There is not much new functionality (in fact, they cripple VLC a bit)

FYI, here is the "configure" line that they appear to use (for some odd 
reason, it's embedded as a string in the "googlevlc.exe" binary):

configure --disable-sdl --disable-gtk --enable-nls --disable-smb 
--disable-theora --with-freetype-config-path=/usr/win32/bin 
--with-fribidi-config-path=/usr/win32/bin --disable-livedotcom 
--disable-caca --with-xml2-config-path=/usr/win32/bin --disable-dvdnav 
--disable-dvdread --disable-cdda --disable-cddax --disable-vcd 
--disable-vcdx --disable-goom --disable-toolame --disable-mkv 
--disable-httpd --disable-screen --disable-quicktime --disable-libmpeg2 
--disable-vorbis --disable-speex --disable-png --disable-x264 
--disable-cmml --disable-x11 --disable-xvideo --disable-glx 
--disable-freetype --disable-fribidi --disable-libxml2 --disable-alsa 
--disable-waveout --disable-joystick --disable-skins2 --disable-dts 
--disable-mod --disable-faad --disable-flac --disable-smb --disable-dvbpsi 
--disable-libcdio --disable-libcddb --disable-ogg --disable-a52 
--without-a52 --enable-optimizations --enable-wxwindows 
--with-wx-config-path=/usr/win32/bin --enable-mozilla 
--with-mozilla-sdk-path=/cygdrive/d/gecko-sdk.1.7.6 --disable-debug 
--enable-release --disable-sout --enable-ffmpeg --disable-mad

Some comments:
- They don't include the LIVE.COM RTSP client code :-(, so apparently the 
client is intended to receive streams over HTTP only.  (This is a pity, 
because it will prevent their viewer from being used to play (e.g.) 3GPP 
and ISMA streams.)
- They omit many third-party codecs - in particular mpeg-2, faad, ogg, and a52
- However, they *include* FFMPEG, which gives them MPEG-4 video.  (I'm not 
sure what their audio is - perhaps MP3?)

This raises the big question: What has Google done about the (presumably 
numerous) patents covered by the FFMPEG code?  Google's a US company, so 
they can't ignore software patents.  Have they bought a license from 
MPEG-LA (covering the MPEG-4 video patents implemented by FFMPEG)?  If so, 
this is the first time I've heard of GPL MPEG codec software being legally 
licensed.

Can anyone tell us what the deal is here?

         Ross.


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