VP3
Encyclopedia
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 Xiph. Org Foundation.
and patented video codec.
On2 TrueMotion VP3.1 was introduced in May 2000 followed three months later by the VP3.2 release. Later that year, On2 announced VP3 plugins for QuickTime
and RealPlayer
. In May 2001, On2 released the beta version of its new VP4 proprietary codec. In June 2001, On2 also released a VP3 codec implementation for Microsoft
Windows
where the encoder was priced at $39.95 for personal use, and $2,995 for limited commercial use. In August 2001, On2 Technologies announced that they would be releasing an open source version of their VP3.2 video compression algorithm. In September 2001 they published the source code
and open source license for VP3.2 video compression algorithm at www.vp3.com. The VP3.2 Public License 0.1 granted the right to modify the source code only if the resulting larger work continued to support playback of VP3.2 data.
, and On2 irrevocably disclaimed all rights to it, including a royalty-free license grant for any patent claims it might have over the software and any derivatives their patent
s on the technology, 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
.
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 I saw its bitstream format freeze in June 2004. The Theora I Specification was completely published in 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.
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
through VP8
.
Video codec
A video codec is a device or software that enables video compression and/or decompression for digital video. The compression usually employs lossy data compression. Historically, video was stored as an analog signal on magnetic tape...
. It is an incarnation of the TrueMotion
TrueMotion
On2 TrueMotion Video Compression is a series of video codecs created by On2 Technologies Inc..- History :According to the company itself, development started in the early 1990s. The first versions of the codec were mainly targeted at and used for full motion video scenes in computer games....
video codec, a series of video codecs developed by On2 Technologies
On2 Technologies
On2 Technologies , formerly known as The Duck Corporation, was a small publicly-traded company , headquartered in Clifton Park, New York, that designs video codec technology. They created a series of video codecs called TrueMotion...
.
There is no formal specification for the VP3 bitstream format
Bitstream format
A bitstream format is the format of the data found in some stream of bits used in a digital communication or data storage application. The term typically refers to the format of the output of an encoder or the format of the input to a decoder when using data compression.Standardized...
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 Xiph. Org Foundation.
History
VP3 was originally a proprietaryProprietary software
Proprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.Complementary...
and patented video codec.
On2 TrueMotion VP3.1 was introduced in May 2000 followed three months later by the VP3.2 release. Later that year, On2 announced VP3 plugins for QuickTime
QuickTime
QuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
and RealPlayer
RealPlayer
RealPlayer is a cross-platform media player by RealNetworks that plays a number of multimedia formats including MP3, MPEG-4, QuickTime, Windows Media, and multiple versions of proprietary RealAudio and RealVideo formats.-History:...
. In May 2001, On2 released the beta version of its new VP4 proprietary codec. In June 2001, On2 also released a VP3 codec implementation for Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
where the encoder was priced at $39.95 for personal use, and $2,995 for limited commercial use. In August 2001, On2 Technologies announced that they would be releasing an open source version of their VP3.2 video compression algorithm. In September 2001 they published the source code
Source code
In computer science, source code is text written using the format and syntax of the programming language that it is being written in. Such a language is specially designed to facilitate the work of computer programmers, who specify the actions to be performed by a computer mostly by writing source...
and open source license for VP3.2 video compression algorithm at www.vp3.com. The VP3.2 Public License 0.1 granted the right to modify the source code only if the resulting larger work continued to support playback of VP3.2 data.
Move to free software
In September, 2001 it was donated to the public as open sourceOpen source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
, and On2 irrevocably disclaimed all rights to it, including a royalty-free license grant for any patent claims it might have over the software and any derivatives their patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s on the technology, 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
GNU Lesser General Public License
The GNU Lesser General Public License or LGPL is a free software license published by the Free Software Foundation . It was designed as a compromise between the strong-copyleft GNU General Public License or GPL and permissive licenses such as the BSD licenses and the MIT License...
.
Theora
In June 2002 On2 donated VP3 to the Xiph.org FoundationXiph.Org Foundation
Xiph.Org Foundation is a non-profit organizationthat produces free multimedia formats and software tools. It focuses on the Ogg family of formats, the most successful of which has been Vorbis, an open and freely licensed audio format and codec designed to compete with the patented MP3 and AAC...
under a BSD-like open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
license to make VP3 the basis of a new, free (e.g. patent- and royalty-free) video codec, Theora
Theora
Theora is a free lossy video compression format. It is developed by the Xiph.Org Foundation and distributed without licensing fees alongside their other free and open media projects, including the Vorbis audio format and the Ogg container....
.
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 I saw its bitstream format freeze in June 2004. The Theora I Specification was completely published in 2004. Any later changes in the specification are minor updates. A first stable release (version 1.0) of the Theora reference implementation
Reference implementation
In the software development process, a reference implementation is the standard from which all other implementations, with their attendant customizations, are measured, and to which all improvements are added...
(libtheora) was released in November 2008.
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
RealNetworks
RealNetworks, Inc. is a provider of Internet media delivery software and services based in Downtown Seattle, Washington, United States. The company is the creator of RealAudio, a compressed audio format; RealVideo, a compressed video format; RealPlayer, a media player; RealDownloader, a download...
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
RealPlayer
RealPlayer is a cross-platform media player by RealNetworks that plays a number of multimedia formats including MP3, MPEG-4, QuickTime, Windows Media, and multiple versions of proprietary RealAudio and RealVideo formats.-History:...
was announced in January 2002.
Lately AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
licensed VP4 and created the Nullsoft Streaming Video
Nullsoft Streaming Video
Nullsoft Streaming Video is a media container designed for streaming video content over the internet. NSV was developed by Nullsoft, the makers of Winamp....
format. Now the VP4 codec is limited, but still used by AOL.
Later incarnations of this codec are VP5
VP5
On2 TrueMotion VP5 is a proprietary 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.It was announced by On2 Technologies in February 2002...
through VP8
VP8
VP8 is an open video compression format released by Google, originally created by On2 Technologies.After purchasing On2 Technologies in early 2010, Google has provided an irrevocable patent promise for underlying patents for the VP8 format, and released a bitstream format specification under a...
.