MPEG-FAQ 4.0:

MPEG_Play.app

[ This piece of software is now available in Version 2.5. Its usally ]
[ called MPEG_Play.*, but due of filename conventions its called     ]
[ MPPLAY, mpegplay.* or mpeg_play.* .                                ]

This is a new release of MPEG_Play.app, a threaded program for displaying multiple MPEG videos with capability for visual cueing ("scrubbing").  Release 3.0 is required to run the application, so it should probably be archived with other 3.0 binaries.

MPEG Play is in the process of evolving from a bare-bones MPEG animation
viewer into a full-fledged NeXT application.  The current version is multi-
threaded and supports the simultaneous loading and playback of multiple
"mini-videos" at different rates as high as 28 frames per second.  There
is a group of "live controls" in the Window Settings panel which can be
manipulated even while the video is playing.  There is also a Transport
panel with tape deck buttons.  Both can be found in the Tools submenu.

MPEG Play will keep track of different settings for each window, reflecting
the current values in the various information panels whenever you select a
new main window.  When playback is complete, a few interesting performance
statistics are shown in the Playback Statistics panel.  This panel, as well
as a File Info Panel, can be found in the Info submenu.

Notes:

You may have to wait some time after opening a new file before it will be
shown.  The MPEG file must be decoded into memory to allow rewind and random
access.  The frames will be counted as they are loaded.

Playback is slightly slower when the Transport panel is visible, simply
because it takes some CPU time to update the frame indicators.  For maximum
speed, close the Transport panel and use the menu options for Stop, Pause,
and Play.

This version is not recommended for NeXT systems without substantial system
RAM and swap space.  I have not personally used this software on anything
other than a NeXTdimension with 88 MB of RAM, but future versions of MPEG
Play will be adjusted for any problems with other systems.

I have updated to version 2.0 of the mpeg_play code from Berkeley.
B&W support is temporarily disabled.

You can reach me as brianw@sounds.wa.com


Official place for this pice of software is:

URL=ftp://ftp.CS.ORST.EDU/software/NeXT/binaries/graphics/MPEGPlay2.6.FAT.tar.Z

    Brian Willoughby	Software Design Engineer, BSEE NCSU
NeXTmail welcome here	Sound Consulting: Software Design and Development
BrianW@SoundS.WA.com	Bellevue, WA