While on it, a quick update to the previous post/application:
// Oprogramowanie Roman Ryltsov
While on it, a quick update to the previous post/application:
A variant of previous CaptureEngineVideoCapture demo application which features AMD Advanced Media Framework SuperResolution scaler for video. It is basically a live video camera application started in low resolution mode, and it enables you to switch between GPU (OpenCL probably?) implemented realtime upscaling modes. AMD scaler is wrapped into Media Foundation Transform and is applied…
Moving on with Widows Camera experiments. This time it is a Windows 11 Virtual Camera, a true one like this and this, and not this which should be totally archived despite people still keep on trying. So what we got this time? The application derived from old CaptureEngineVideoCapture sample still features IMFCaptureEngine API. However, it also intallls temporary…
Back to some experiments… The current video capture API in Windows is Media Foundation Capture Engine API (AKA IMFCaptureEngine and mfcaptureengine.h). Media Foundation is layered: you can work at lower level with video capture Media Sources, but if you don’t want to go into details you have the Capture Engine. The application continues a good…
In the past, GeekWire featured an article https://lnkd.in/d8FMf3mH on Rainway — a prominent Seattle startup with an ambitious mission: streaming games to any device.
Our role in this endeavor was to contribute essential components to Rainway’s game streaming technology. Among these, a pivotal piece involved transforming the audiovisual content generated by standard games into a format compatible with hashtag#HTML5. Our primary objective was to extend the gaming experience to remote web browsers.
To achieve this, we repurposed our existing technology and developed a subsystem, which efficiently converted monitor video into an H.264/AVC data stream, meticulously packaged for compatibility with HTML5 Media Source Extensions (hashtag#MSE). Through hashtag#WebRTC transmission, this stream seamlessly reached remote systems and integrated into web browsers.
Throughout our journey, we engaged in thoughtful experiments. Should audio be part of a joint stream with video, or should it be delivered separately? We delved into format intricacies and explored novel ideas. Notably, while some debated the idea of video remaining entirely within the GPU realm, including video encoding, we had already implemented this with production-quality results back in 2017.
The outcome was groundbreaking software that facilitated desktop Windows gaming streaming to HTML5 browsers, mobile devices, and even hashtag#Xbox consoles. ????????
So, hashtag#DirectShow virtual cameras — those elusive creatures that always turn heads. We’ve chatted about them before on LinkedIn (check out our post here https://lnkd.in/dYte5SQ5). But let’s rewind to 2011 when we decided to play mad scientist. Our mission? Whip up a batch of DirectShow filters that could snag JPEG and M-JPEG video streams from network sources (think IP cameras) and seamlessly slot them into DirectShow applications.
But wait, there’s more! We cranked it up a notch. Picture this: a secret lab, flickering monitors, and a dash of overengineering. Our filters cozied up to the stock Microsoft JPEG decoder — the one that’s been less than stellar since forever. And guess what? We wrapped it all in a nostalgic bow — a wrapper around the ancient VCM JPEG Decoder from 1992 https://lnkd.in/dYRUi84x. Yep, that’s right — the same decoder that predates most of us.
Why, you ask? Because that’s how Microsoft Windows rolls. It clings to legacy features like your favorite worn-out hoodie. The “MJPEG Decompressor” (sounds fancy, right?) is still documented https://lnkd.in/dBZzBbKK as a relic . But honestly, no one should touch it with a ten-foot pole. Not now, not 13 years ago — never.
And here’s the twist: Our Alax.Info IP Video Source DirectShow extension https://lnkd.in/diB_3vBf, born from this wild experiment, lives on. It’s like that quirky friend who insists on wearing mismatched socks. People still use it, still recommend it. Maybe it’s the retro charm or the sheer audacity. Who knows?
So next time you’re streaming video from a network source, tip your hat to those unsung heroes — the DirectShow filters that made it all happen. And raise a banana (yes, a banana) to the MJPEG Decompressor. It’s been around longer than your grandma’s favorite recipe.
There you have it — a tale of tech, tenacity, and a touch of madness. ????????????
A while back, we were working on a media subsystem for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They needed software-controlled multimedia playback with specific requirements for their temples worldwide.
Now, the attached image isn’t an exact representation of our work, but it captures the essence: LDS and technology go hand in hand.
Back in the day, we used #DirectShow as our multimedia framework, and boy, did we face some interesting challenges. One that sticks out in memory is related to audio delivery. Picture this: we had a multi-channel audio output card from AudioScience, Inc., and our task was to schedule audio delivery in perfect sync across multiple physical audio connectors. But wait, there’s more! We also had to toggle outputs on and off while others were already belting out sound. And when we turned on a fresh audio stream, it had to seamlessly match the signal already in play. Oh, and don’t forget — the video part of this signal was streaming nonstop and couldn’t be interrupted.
Now, let me tell you, this wasn’t a walk in the park. The multimedia framework was designed back in the ’90s, with the quaint notion that once you set up your playback topology, you couldn’t tweak anything while the show was running.
But guess what? Our software spread its wings and flew to over a hundred locations worldwide. Many moons have passed, but who knows — it might still be chugging along out there.