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VP3

Video codec by On2 Technologies

Video codec by On2 Technologies

On2 TrueMotion VP3 is a (royalty-free) lossy video compression format and video codec. It is an incarnation of the TrueMotion video codec, a series of video codecs developed by On2 Technologies.

There is no formal specification for the VP3 bitstream format beyond the VP3 source code published by On2 Technologies. In 2003, Mike Melanson created an incomplete description of the VP3 bitstream format and decoding process at a higher level than source code, with some help from On2 and the Xiph.Org Foundation.

History

VP3 was originally a proprietary and patented video codec. On2 TrueMotion VP3.1 was introduced in May 2000 followed three months later by the VP3.2 release.{{cite press release |access-date = 11 August 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071203062255/http://www.on2.com/index.php?id=486&news_id=401 |archive-date = 3 December 2007 |url-status = dead |access-date = 11 August 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071203064537/http://www.on2.com/index.php?id=486&news_id=407 |archive-date = 3 December 2007 |url-status = dead |access-date = 18 August 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071203061516/http://www.on2.com/index.php?id=486&news_id=397 |archive-date = 3 December 2007 |url-status = dead |access-date = 18 August 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071203062755/http://www.on2.com/index.php?id=486&news_id=396 |archive-date = 3 December 2007 |url-status = dead |access-date = 16 August 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071203063232/http://www.on2.com/index.php?id=486&news_id=376 |archive-date = 3 December 2007 |url-status = dead |access-date = 16 August 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071203060641/http://www.on2.com/index.php?id=486&news_id=372 |archive-date = 3 December 2007 |url-status = dead |access-date = 18 August 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071203060918/http://www.on2.com/index.php?id=486&news_id=377 |archive-date = 3 December 2007 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20011026032511/http://vp3.com/license/vp32_opensource_license_9-6-01.txt |archive-date = 26 October 2001}}{{Citation | access-date = 10 February 2008 | archive-date = 4 April 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160404101159/https://trac.xiph.org/browser/branches/vp32/vp32/VP32_license.txt | url-status = dead

Move to free software

In September, 2001 it was donated to the public as open source, and On2 irrevocably disclaimed all rights to it, granting a royalty-free license grant for any patent claims it might have over the software and any derivatives, allowing anyone to use any VP3-derived codec for any purpose. In March 2002, On2 altered licensing terms required to download the source code for VP3 to LGPL.

Theora

Main article: Theora#History

In June 2002 On2 donated VP3 to the Xiph.org Foundation under a BSD-like open source license to make VP3 the basis of a new, free (e.g. patent- and royalty-free) video codec, Theora.

The free video codec Theora was forked off from the released codebase of VP3.2 and further developed into an independent codec. On2 declared Theora to be the successor in VP3's lineage.

Theora developers declared a freeze on the Theora I bitstream format in June 2004, allowing other companies to start implementing encoders and decoders for the format without worrying about the format changing in incompatible ways. The Theora I Specification was published in September 2004. Any later changes in the specification are minor updates. A first stable release (version 1.0) of the Theora reference implementation (libtheora) was released in November 2008.{{cite press release

VP4

VP4 was announced in January 2001. On2 Technologies released the beta version of VP4 on May 21, 2001. In June 2001 On2 Technologies posted the production release of VP4 on its website. VP4 brought an improved encoder for VP3 bitstream format. So because of keeping the bitstream format VP4 can't be seen as an individual codec.

On July 19, 2001 On2 announced an agreement with RealNetworks to license its VP4 video compression technology, for set-top boxes and other devices. On2 enabled RealPlayer as the exclusive media player for the VP4 codec and the RealSystem iQ architecture became the only streaming media platform capable of delivering the VP4 codec. The first beta version of a plug-in for RealPlayer was announced in January 2002.

Lately AOL licensed VP4 and created the Nullsoft Streaming Video format. Now the VP4 codec is limited, but still used by AOL.

Later incarnations of this codec are VP5, VP6, VP7, VP8, and VP9.

References

References

  1. The Free Library (2001-06-27) [http://www.thefreelibrary.com/VP3+for+Windows+Now+Available+for+License+At+On2.com-a075947498 VP3 for Windows Now Available for License At On2.com.] {{Webarchive. link. (2012-10-19 , Retrieved on 2009-08-18)
  2. link. (2007-12-03 , Retrieved on 2009-08-16)
  3. CNET News (2001-08-07) [http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-271254.html?tag=mncol;txt On2's video codec to go open-source], Retrieved on 2009-08-16
  4. link. (2007-08-14 , Retrieved on 2009-08-16)
  5. link. (2007-12-07 , Retrieved on 2009-08-16)
  6. Linux.com (2001-09-06) [http://www.linux.com/archive/feature/16482 On2 Technologies Open-Sources VP3 video compression code], Retrieved on 2009-08-16
  7. lists.xiph.org (2001-09-09) [http://lists.xiph.org/pipermail/vorbis/2001-September/004554.html Vorbis mailing list - VP3.2 video codec open sourced], Retrieved on 2009-08-16
  8. Xiph. Org Foundation. (5 August 2009). "Theora Specification". Xiph. Org Foundation.
  9. Xiph.org [http://svn.xiph.org/trunk/theora/LICENSE libtheora license (Subversion - Trunk)] {{Webarchive. link. (2010-02-07 , Retrieved on 2009-08-16)
  10. Xiph.org [http://svn.xiph.org/trunk/vp32/LICENSE VP32 codec license (Subversion - Trunk)] {{Webarchive. link. (2009-10-03 , Retrieved on 2009-08-16)
  11. The Free Library (2002-03-28) [http://www.thefreelibrary.com/On2+Alters+Licensing+Terms+for+VP3%3b+Company+Responds+to+Open+Source...-a084233138 On2 Alters Licensing Terms for VP3; Company Responds to Open Source Community Demands.] {{Webarchive. link. (2010-12-04 , Retrieved on 2009-08-16)
  12. link. (2007-12-03 , Retrieved on 2009-08-16)
  13. InternetNews.com (2002-06-24) [http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/1370341 On2 Throws More Open-Source at MPEG-4], Retrieved on 2009-08-16
  14. Giles, Ralph. (1 June 2004). "Theora I bitstream freeze".
  15. Xiph. Org Foundation. (17 September 2004). "Theora I Specification, Xiph.org Foundation, September 17, 2004".
  16. Giles, Ralph. (3 November 2008). "Theora 1.0 final release!".
  17. On2 (2001-01-09) [http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20100108155245/http://www.on2.com/index.php?id%3D486%26news_id%3D385 On2 and Equator Enter Into a Formal Licensing Agreement], Retrieved on 2001-01-09
  18. link. (2007-12-03 , Retrieved on 2009-08-16)
  19. link. (2007-12-07 , Retrieved on 2009-08-16)
  20. (September 2025)
  21. link. (2007-12-03 , Retrieved on 2009-08-16)
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