These factors and the fact that the codec is distributed for free has contributed to the success of the format. The video is usually combined with MP3 or AC3 audio to enable both high quality video and audio. Despite the fact that XviD movies offer higher quality video at smaller file sizes they take less time to encode than MPEG-2 due to the incredible compression technology.
The XviD codec makes it possible to compress a full-length DVD-quality movie enough to fit on a single CD (might require 2 CDs depending on the length of the movie), while still maintaining the original image quality. While XviD still isn't as widely used as the DivX codec, playback of XviD movies is usually supported in new DVD players nowadays. The format was created to offer a free alternative to other commercial video codecs, and despite being open source its quality and efficiency has made it one of the most popular video codecs online. XviD is the name of a popular new video codec being developed as an open source project by volunteer programmers from all over the world. For the complete story, have a look at the TeX-LaTeX.SE group.What is XviD? Xvid is a video codec library following the MPEG-4 standard.
This allowed me to play the media file embedded in the PDF document.
Problem solved! I ended up converting the WMV file to MP4 (a format that Adobe Flash Player and QuickTime understands). It seems like I will have to use Rich Media annotations to do this. While this solves my problem of being able to play WMV files under Mac OS, it does not solve my original problem concerning Adobe Acrobat Reader. While VLC seems like the most attractive alternative, the reason I chose flip4mac is because I do not wish to clutter my system with duplicate/redundant media players. Nevertheless, I appreciate the feedback that I received from each of you. In view of this reply, it's clear that I cannot view WMV files embedded in PDF files, no matter what third party software I have installed under Mac OS. Will continue to complain unless the add-on has changed the file typeĪssociations, so that WMV files +automatically+ open in Quicktime. Link to third-party add-ons for other software, and even with those installed it Primary players for WMV files on OS X, that's what it tells you. No registered handler understands that you're on a Mac - and as there are no The weblink fired by Reader when it encounters legacy media for which the OS has H.264 video and play cross-platform via an internal copy of Flash Player.
Authors should be using Rich Media annotations, which embed FLV or Versions of Acrobat and Adobe Reader unless the user changes their security You can't author it in Acrobat X, and playback is disabled in all current It's called "legacy media" and it's been discontinued for security reasons. This is the reply that I received: Putting it bluntly, you shouldn't be embedding WMVs in PDF files anymore. Just to let you know that I posted a similar question to the Adobe forum.
Also note that I am running Mac OS X Version 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard).Īny advice/suggestions/feedback would be appreciated. Perian, on the other hand, can be used with all QuickTime supporting apps like QuickTime Player, NicePlayer and QTAmateur, however, it does not support all formats.Īlso, would downloading them from the MacPorts Project suit my purpose, or would downloading the latest versions from their respective home pages be better? Note that this is more a question of compatibility than anything else. VLC seems to be the popular choice, however, does it include a plugin to Quicktime, or is this a stand-alone product? The developers, however, are currently working on improved Quicktime support, which will become part of the Xvid core code base. One caveat of Flip4Mac is that it cannot play WMV videos that use Windows Media digital rights management, so some videos may not be viewable even though Flip4Mac is installed.Īn Xvid quicktime plugin available for Mac but is not well maintained at the moment, according to the Xvid FAQ. Adobe, however, do suggest visiting the Apple web site for QuickTime….hence my reason for installing Flip4Mac!!!! Having decided on Flip4Mac, I discovered that while it does function according to specification, it does not interface with Adobe Acrobat reader. Since then, perian has also been suggested. In the original post, I mentioned that my options were Flip4Mac, Xvid or VLC. Essentially, I have created a beamer presentation using LaTeX that contains an embedded WMV file. In particular, I need something that will interface with Adobe Acrobat reader, as Adobe currently do not have a media player plug-in that supports the file format. I want to be able to play a WMV file on my Mac, but can't decide which plugin/software to install.