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Linux 1394 Notes Page

Linux 1394 Notes Page

Contact:Brad Singletary

Getting A Setup Fast

To get started with linux IEEE 1394 and/or consumer grade DV, get a linux box with a linux compatible 1394 card. Next, go to Installing 1394 on Linux, and follow directions for getting the latest kernel (2.2.18 or 2.4.1), patching it with the ieee1394 patch, getting and installing libraw1394, and building. Note: since 1394 and dv are still severely beta on Linux, I highly recommend using the latests versions of all 1394 and dv tools obtainable from respective CVS trees.

Common Task Solutions

To Grab DV over 1394 to linux-specific formats (raw, AVI1, or AVI2), check out Arne's dvgrab program.

To code and decode PAL or NTSC dv frames, check out libdv. It can be optimized to take advantage of both MMX and libXv extensions for codec and display respectively. Note that this library needs a better API, is barely portable to C++, and is slower than what you'd see on Windows without a fast graphics card supported by libXv. On the other hand, it's the only solution I know of that does a good job of DV decode on linux.

To diagnose, understand, control or otherwise spy on your 1394 setup with a GUI, check out gscanbus.  It understands the protocols common to many consumer 1394 devices. To control remote DV cameras and decks from commandline programs: try coriander or dvcont. Coriander is based on libdc1394 and dvcont is based on gscanbus.   libdc1394 is an api/library for controlling cameras and decks in C.

To convert DV AVIs to mjpeg AVIs (which can then be converted to MPEG) see MJPEG Tools and the Linux Video and DVD Project for more information.

Software

Why compete with Arne? Go see his viewer reviewed software page. But here are some random packages:

dvgrab digital video grabbing program

Capture online DV capture program

dv_audio dv audio extractor program

gvplay GNOME AVI player from GA-Tech student

xdv decode dv live from ISO channel
 

Bill Alexander's1394 References and Programming examples

Learning About Firewire and Digital Video

SMPTE Standard 314M

IEC Standards 61384

1394 Trade Association: One of the main DV rallying sites for industry

Adam Wilt's DV Pages are wonderful. They have all sorts of useful DV knowlege including: cross-reference and description of physical media for consumer and pro grade digital video and media. Also, comparisons of BetaCAM and many others to DV

Engdahl's Video Technology Page

DV and Firewire Central: a video consumer's info site

Video University: DV consumer site with interesting articles

SONY DVCAM Format
This is a very good intro to the vanillas of the consumer DV format

IDCT porn

HP Tech Report :HPL-98-140Converting 2-4-8 transforms to standard 8-8 transforms.

SONY DVCAM Format
This document also has a good DV DCT usage basics section.

 
 
  


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