Too much talk of Pirate-Ware lately...

[zektor]

I keep seeing people recommending various codec packs to folks who are
having DVD playback issues and so on. All of these packs include a bunch of
illegal software. The k-lite codec pack absolutely does, as does the
various others I have investigated. For DVD playback it includes a pirated
version of the Cyberlink decoder. One of the versions I downloaded awhile
back included the pay version of Divx v5.11. Here is a good article on all
of this:

http://msmvps.com/chrisl/archive/2004/07/04/9546.aspx

So, on that note, my vote is as a FREEWARE newsgroup, we stop recommending
these packs. Here are good suggestions for people who want to do whatever:

For DVD playback:

Media Player Classic
Videolan Media Player

For Divx/Xvid decoding:

XviD v1.01

And for encoding videos:

XviD v1.01 (again, the best IMHO)
Lame v3.96.1 ACM (for combining MP3 sound with your video)


I personally use these along with a few other free codecs..and VDubMod and
TMPGEnc v.12a for my encoding/coverting. It IS possible to do it freeware!

 

[Roger Johansson]

I keep seeing people recommending various codec packs to folks who are
having DVD playback issues and so on. All of these packs include a bunch of
illegal software. The k-lite codec pack absolutely does, as does the
various others I have investigated.

So, on that note, my vote is as a FREEWARE newsgroup, we stop recommending
these packs.

I don't agree.
There are proprietary formats, like realmedia for which you need to
install realplayer, which are designed to force people to use certain
programs.

If we can overcome such a wicked scheme by telling people how to install
the needed codecs, like real-alternative, without having to install
adware and spyware infested programs, it is technically maybe not right
but morally it is right because it overcomes a bigger wrong.

Codecs are not programs, they are just decoding patterns.
Realmedia and other such companies have not been successful in stopping
the distribution of real-alternative, if they even tried, probably
because they would not win in a court of law. I doubt that they could
win such a case, and I think they doubt it themselves too, that is why
they don't even try.

 

[JanC]

Roger Johansson schreef:

Codecs are not programs, they are just decoding patterns.

That's not true: codecs *are* programs.

 

[Dave Arbok]

I keep seeing people recommending various codec packs to folks who are
having DVD playback issues and so on. All of these packs include a bunch of
illegal software. ...
So, on that note, my vote is as a FREEWARE newsgroup, we stop recommending
these packs. Here are good suggestions for people who want to do whatever:

And for encoding videos:
....
Lame v3.96.1 ACM (for combining MP3 sound with your video)

It IS possible to do it freeware!

Lame is feared to be Pirateware in most countries by Redhat and many
other people because of the Fraunhofer patents... So, don't pat
yourself on the back too much.

 

[M.L.]

Lame is feared to be Pirateware in most countries by Redhat and many
other people because of the Fraunhofer patents... So, don't pat
yourself on the back too much.

Aren't all Linux software DVD decoders technically illegal?

 

[Jarrod Cifer]

Dave Arbok, upon reaching nirvana, postulated:

Lame is feared to be Pirateware in most countries by Redhat and many
other people because of the Fraunhofer patents... So, don't pat
yourself on the back too much.

This is just plain wrong. It is possible that in some countries, Fraunhofen
might be eligible for patent license fees from LAME, but until tested in a
court we won't really know. In any case LAME is not 'Pirateware'