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Intel Indeo® Video Interactive

Question: What is the difference between Indeo® video Release 3.2 and Indeo® video interactive (Release 4.1)?
Indeo® video interactive is the latest release of Indeo technology. A t a given data rate, it yields better image quality than Release 3.2. In fact, it often produces better image quality at lower data rates. It is optimized for playback on Pentium® processor-based systems.

Indeo video interactive also includes a wide variety of features to support developers of interactive multimedia applications. See the section entitled "Answers for Application Developers and Video Producers" for details on these features.

Release 3.2 is an older release of Indeo video, designed for Intel486™ processor­based systems, although it still provides good quality on Pentium processor-based systems.


Question: What computers and operating systems can use Indeo technology?
A video file compressed with the Indeo video Release 3.2 codec can play back on any system that supports QuickTime* for Windows* or QuickTime for Macintosh*. Videos compressed with the Indeo video interactive codec can play on systems that support Video for Windows* only. Video clips compressed with the Indeo video codec in the .AVI format can play back in Video for Windows (Windows* 95 and Windows* 3.x); and video clips compressed with the Indeo video codec in the .MOV format can play back in QuickTime. (See the section entitled "Cross-platform Development Questions" for information on utilities that can convert between these two formats.) In order for a computer to play video compressed with a given codec, that codec must be installed on the computer.


Question: What is the minimum supported system for playing video files compressed with Indeo video interactive?
The minimum supported system for Indeo video interactive is a Pentium processor-based PC, 75 MHz or faster, running Windows* 95 or Windows* 3.x, 8 MB of RAM, and a VGA monitor capable of displaying at least 256 simultaneous colors (8­bit color mode). Faster microprocessors can improve image quality and allow you to play files back smoothly that have larger frame sizes.


Question: What is the recommended system for playing video files compressed with Indeo video interactive?
The recommended system for Indeo video interactive is a Pentium processor-based PC, 120 MHz or faster, running Windows* 95 with DirectDraw* graphics support, 16 MB of RAM, and a VGA monitor capable of displaying at least 65,536 simultaneous colors (16­bit color mode).


Question: What kind of playback quality can I expect to see with Indeo video interactive?
When run on a 120 MHz or faster Pentium processor-based PC equipped with a DirectDraw*-enabled graphics card in Windows 95, Indeo video interactive can play at full-screen with near-VHS quality.

When run on a 75 MHz Pentium processor-based PC without DCI* or hardware acceleration, Indeo video interactive can play video of 320 by 240 resolution at 15 frames per second.


Question: What are the differences between Indeo® video interactive and Indeo video Release 3.2?
The main differences are higher quality video, processor scalability, and new features designed for interactive multimedia applications.

Indeo video interactive software uses a completely new compression algorithm, including advantageous features such as bidirectional prediction, to yield better image quality than Release 3.2, comparable to software MPEG. Indeo video interactive also encodes data at lower rates than Release 3.2, so more video of a given quality can fit onto a CD­ROM.

Indeo video interactive also allows image quality to scale according to the processor power available.

Finally, Indeo video interactive supports the development of interactive multimedia applications with features unavailable in Release 3.2. You can specify that portions of a video frame be rendered as transparent, or that only a portion of the frame be decoded. Users can change the brightness, contrast, and saturation of video files during playback. Key frames can be placed wherever they are needed, at arbitrary intervals. And video files can be protected from unauthorized access.


Question: I've been compressing clips with Indeo video interactive, and my results are not as good as they were with Indeo video Release 3.2. Why?
Indeo video interactive requires a more powerful processor, such as a fast Pentium processor, and more memory, especially when running under Windows 95.


Question: Can Indeo® video interactive deliver high-quality video at CD-ROM data rates?
When used on a Pentium® processor-based PC, Indeo video interactive supports smooth motion playback with excellent picture quality at 2X CD­ROM or higher data rates. Indeo video interactive produces better quality and at lower data rates than was typically possible with Indeo video Release 3.2.


Question: How does Indeo® video interactive compare to MPEG-1?
Video files compressed with Indeo video interactive require approximately 1.5 to 2 times the data rate of an MPEG­1 file compressed at the quality levels typical of professional compression facilities. When run on a 90 MHz or faster Pentium processor-based PC equipped with a graphics card having video acceleration, Indeo video interactive plays back at a quality comparable to software MPEG­1 players. Indeo video interactive, however, goes far beyond MPEG­1 in its support for features necessary to develop multimedia games or other titles incorporating interactive video.


Question: What about Indeo® video interactive and DCI or Direct Draw?
Indeo video interactive supports DCI for Windows 3.1 and Direct Draw for Windows 95. In Windows 3.1 with a DCI-enabled graphics system supporting hardware color space conversion and interpolation (resizing), Indeo video interactive can deliver full screen (640 by 480) video at near-VHS quality.

As Direct Draw drivers become available for graphics cards, Indeo video interactive will be able to take advantage of the additional acceleration capability provided in more capable, general-purpose graphics subsystems to provide even better full-screen video performance and quality.


Question: Is an Indeo® video interactive developer's kit available? How can I get it?
The Indeo video interactive developer's kit is available by calling 1-800-253-3696 and choosing prompt #1. The kit part number is IVIKITR4.1. The kit contains:
  • the Indeo video interactive developer CD, including both the 32-bit (for Windows 95 and Windows NT) and 16-bit (for Windows 3.x) Indeo video interactive codecs, as well as supporting documentation;
  • Indeo video interactive Fun Pack CD, including Intel and third-party demonstrations, an Indeo video interactive screen saver, additional documentation, and more;
  • a VHS videotape and printed copy of "Digital Video--The Search for Quality," a tutorial presented at the 1995 Multimedia Expo West Conference;
  • the Envisioneering Group Comparative Video Solution Analysis;
  • recent article reprints on Indeo video interactive and related topics; and
  • third-party hardware and software developer Indeo video interactive Tool and Service Provider Fact Sheet and associated documents.

NOTE: Bugs have been reported against the installation program included in the developer's kit, and the version of the Indeo video Release 3.2 codec that was included is no longer current. Please use the most current software drivers, which can be downloaded from Intel's ftp and World Wide Web sites.

A developer kit for Video for Windows provides information for developing video capture, editing, and playback applications. It is available for download at ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/developr/drg/Multimedia/Jumpstart.


Question: How can I create a palette file from the Indeo® video palette?
You don't need to. The document Using Palettes With Indeo Video describes how to use the Indeo video palette when Indeo video is incorporated into an application, including source code examples. And the three palettes associated with Indeo video are available to be downloaded as .PAL files:


Question: Is Indeo video interactive still a cross-platform solution?
Yes. Indeo video interactive drivers are available for Microsoft* Windows* 95 and Windows* 3.x. They will soon be available for Apple's QuickTime* 2.1 for Macintosh*.



* Legal Information © 1998 Intel Corporation