Mpeg 4 ASP Questions.

[iwod]

After reading the hardware player sections. I realize that there isn't much Mpeg 4 Player avalible ( or virtually None ) that is able to play Mpeg 4 ASP. ( At least none in UK, only ONE in Germany and ONE in austira )

I was wondering why is that? And would it be possible for a firmware upgrade to use currently mpeg 4 player to play Mpeg 4 ASP?

Becoz although Xbox is the uglyest console i have ever seen and it is huge. May be it is a real alternative to Divx Player. Since i could play DOA with it......... ^_^

P.S And does any of them play HE-AAC??

[Doom9]

So far, none is even known to play AAC.
If you want the mother of all players, then you have to get a PC (Xbox or whatnot), with the usual disadvantages (noise, etc).
It might be that the demand for DivX capable players is rather high in the German speaking countries, hence players are launched there (but there's also a player from a company based in Spain). Don't forget.. those players have just come out this week (the elta player isn't even out yet), so give it some time.

And would it be possible for a firmware upgrade to use currently mpeg 4 player to play Mpeg 4 ASP?

No, the hardware is not simply not powerful enough.

[The Edge]

I didnt realize that none can play AAC yet.

[Doom9]

AAC, as GMC and QPel is suggested by DXN, but not required. You saw the effects of a suggestion in the first two generation of players... Let's hope in time they up the notch a bit to demand MPEG-4 ASP@Level5 (higher bitrate, ASP features), and ass some alternative audio formats to the certification as well. At least a couple of players do ogg, srt, and ogm support is also in the works, so there is hope yet. DXn once offered MP4 output.. maybe they'll add it again in the future.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally posted by Doom9
...So far, none is even known to play AAC.

This is wierd!

I would have thought all the Kiss/Sigma chip-set players could play AAC in an MP4 container. In much the same way my Xcard can!

Cheers

[bond]

well, the current player are already able to decode AAC technically, but none of them does it because of licensing issues (not that much people use aac so that it would be worth paying all the licensing fees)
m$ goes a much wiser way imho by offering their codec for free (and thats why it is already supported that much in hardware devices)...

and because of that it would be great to have opensource firmwares:
people could just implement anything they need (mkv, ogm, mp4, aac, whatever)

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally posted by bond
well, the current player are already able to decode AAC technically, but none of them does it because of licensing issues (not that much people use aac so that it would be worth paying all the licensing fees)

I wonder why then the Sigma Xcard openly states it's able to decode such files. When the Kiss/Sigma standalones do not. And why software applications like QuickTime offer AAC encoding!

Originally posted by bond
m$ goes a much wiser way imho by offering their codec for free (and thats why it is already supported that much in hardware devices)...

Yes, this is one of Microsoft's better decisions. But I recon we are still a while away from WMV standalones being available, espically for HD encodes. I also get the feeling that such players will only exist if they are able to be connected to the net.

Originally posted by bond
and because of that it would be great to have opensource firmwares: people could just implement anything they need (mkv, ogm, mp4, aac, whatever)

This would be 'sub zero' cool!

Cheers

[bond]

Originally posted by SeeMoreDigital
I wonder why then the Sigma Xcard openly states it's able to decode such files. When the Kiss/Sigma standalones do not. And why software applications like QuickTime offer AAC encoding!

one guy from kiss once said that they have aac internally working but they can not sell it cause they dont want to pay the aac licenses (i guess this is a firmware and not a chip issue)
and quicktime is one of the companies that try to push aac (perhaps it also owns patents on aac? dunno...)

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally posted by bond
one guy from kiss once said that they have aac internally working but they can not sell it cause they dont want to pay the aac licenses (i guess this is a firmware and not a chip issue)

Must be then.

The Xcard uses Sigma's EM8475 chip. Dunno what Kiss uses!

Cheers

EDIT: I wonder if there's an unofficial AAC/MP4 upgrade for Kiss users?

[ChristianHJW]

Originally posted by SeeMoreDigital I wonder why then the Sigma Xcard openly states it's able to decode such files. When the Kiss/Sigma standalones do not. And why software applications like QuickTime offer AAC encoding!

.. read my other posts. Your X-card doesnt even get in touch with the contaienr of the audio format, this is all handled by software and the CPU of your PC plus soundcard ....

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally posted by ChristianHJW
.. read my other posts. Your X-card doesnt even get in touch with the contaienr of the audio format, this is all handled by software and the CPU of your PC plus soundcard ....

Well that's a bit wierd considering AAC can work without a sound card!

Cheers