VideoLAN Wiki - User contributions [en]

VLC Dev Projects

2012-01-01T23:04:44Z

This is a list of small independent improvements to {{VLC}} for which we are looking for interested developers, because we simply don't have enough time.

These do not require advanced knowledge of VLC internals but they can still vastly improve many parts of VLC

'''For each project''', we list a '''contact''' person, who knows the subject best and who will be able to assist you if you are interested in working on these. We generally are very often present on irc.videolan.org, chan #videolan, so please don't hesitate to drop by or to send a mail if you are interested in a given problem (our mail adresses are generally <nick>@videolan.org).

'''Be careful, some projects may be unrelated, or deprecated, because of fast evolving software! Ask before !'''

= Short projects =

These projects are junior projects, the most easy ones to do, that require minimum knowledge of VLC.

We also have a number of "easy" bugs. You can check them out [http://trac.videolan.org/vlc/query?status=new&status=assigned&status=reopened&difficulty=easy&order=priority` here]

== Code Janitorial ==

It basically means to clean the code, it is helpful for all programmers. It helps to find bugs, and is a good way to learn about VLC's internals.

It is covered in the [[Code Janitorial]] section.

== Video Filters ==

You can do video filters for {{VLC}}.

Cool ideas for video filters would be "old movie" or [http://akuvian.org/src/avisynth/hqdn3d/ hqdn3d] integration.

You can start the code [http://git.videolan.org/?p=vlc.git;a=tree;f=modules/video_filter here] and you should read the [[Documentation:Hacker%27s_Guide/Video_Filters| hacker guide]].

== Audio Filters ==

You can do audio filters for {{VLC}}.

A good idea would be to integrate [http://freeverb3.sourceforge.net/ freeverb3] or [http://www.ladspa.org/ LADSPA].

Porting the karaoke filter from MPlayer could be a good idea too.

You can start the code [http://git.videolan.org/?p=vlc.git;a=tree;f=modules/audio_filter here].

== Lua Playlist parsers for websites ==

VLC already supports youtube, dailymotion or other websites using the .lua scripts! Add new sites and new URLs support!

== Close bugs ==

Go to our bugtracker on http://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ and close a bug !

== Windows Media Center (WMC) IR Remote Control ==

Basic Controls work (e.g. Volume, Mute etc), but I would like to get Play/Pause/Stop/DVD Menu etc to work!

Contact: [[User:Some1|some1]]

= Normal projects =

== DirectWrite rendering ==

DirectWrite is another API introduced in Windows 7, used to write nicely shaped characters to screen. Someone should look into it, to see what could be done (like subtitles display).

Contact: [[User:Geal|Geal]]

== mozila and activex javascript api ==

Add a callback to signal playlist state changes such as item started, item ended, next item started, last item ended, and so on.

Contact: [[User:Jpsaman|jpsaman]]

== Improved Podcast support ==

Our current podcast support is very weak. We can read them, but that's all. We need a real infrastructure to handle them correctly. This will require some changes to the playlist code, so you will need to work closely with existing developers.

Contacts: [[User:Dionoea|Dionoea]] [[User:Zorglub|Zorglub]]

== Improved ASX support ==

ASX is a playlist format used by Microsoft stuff. We can read it but we could do much better. More information is available at https://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/20

Contact: [[User:Dnumgis|Dnumgis]]

== Hint MP4/MOV Files ==

Add video and audio hint tracks as the output file is muxed. Resulting files can be streamed from RTSP server with trickplay, like DSS/QTSS. Probably requires use of GPAC libraries.

== LastFM radios ==

http://gabistapler.de/blog/index.php?/archives/268-Play-last.fm-streams-without-the-player.html

Talk to dionoea or funman

== ASM optims ==

If you know how to code in x86 ASM, we have a few tasks for you

Contact [[User:J-b|jb]]

== SVCD/VCD improvements ==

Menus and such needs to be improvements and fixed.

Contact "fenrir"

== Multi-Angle DVD support ==
We need multi-angle DVD support.

Contact: Meuuh

== RTMP ==
Integrate librtmp in a correct way

== WiiMote control ==
Use the code from [[GSoC_2009]] for this

Contact [[User:J-b|jb]]

== Quicktime VR ==
Use the code from [[GSo_2009]] and integrate it to the mainline
Contact [[User:J-b|jb]]

== Remember Your Place in a Video==

Launching a new video while another is paused loses the place of the original video. There are a few ways to correct this. 1. If a video is open when you try to open another, VLC could ask you if you're sure you want to start a new video. 2. VLC could allow multiple video windows to be open at once. 3. A tab system could be introduced. 4. VLC could offer to remember your place in the video. If you close a video, or just open another one, you should be able to go back to the video you were playing and see a window offering to restore your position. *best option* Amazon VOD does this now and it's terrific. If I close a window playing a video, and then reopen the video later, Amazon will ask me if I want to start from the beginning or where it was last time.

= Long projects =

== DVD Audio ==

If you are a coder and fan of DVD-Audio, you can help to improve the support of DVD-Audio playback. Especially decryption.

Contact [[User:J-b|jb]]

== HD DVD support ==
Very difficult project for someone having the right hardware
''Proposed mentor: jb''

== Performant VLC streaming server ==

There are many bottlenecks currently limiting the performance and scalability of VLC as a streaming server:

*The I/O blocks are linear, which implies lots of avoidable memory copying and dynamic memory allocations (particularly in the streaming output).
*mdate() (the timestamping function) is invoked in too many places to count them; but it is not a cheap operation on modern systems and should be avoided on the fast path. Ideally, a single thread would only need to call mdate() at most once per wake-up. In some case, mdate() is only used for debugging purpose which is really inefficient.
*The HTTP/RTSP core is single-threaded. This prevents scaling to SMP systems (which are the norm on server-side nowadays) properly. This also implies not very scalable I/O event polling. Finally, this gets problematic if one HTTP/RTSP client triggers a computationally intensive operation (such as establishing a TLS context if HTTP/SSL is used).
*There are many dynamic memory allocations that could be avoided. Video filters and codecs are very careful about this, but the stream output plugins are not. In many case, a stack-based buffer can be used (stack buffer, has constant time fast lock-less allocation, and needs not be freed explicitly) instead.
*The messaging subsystems might be adding more locking (needs checking); this should be avoided particularly if the message is anyway ignord (e.g. debug message in non-debug mode).

Other improvements that would be particularly beneficial on the server side:

*Memory allocation failure are not always duly handled. In some cases, that could potentially be leveraged by a client to crash a VLC server by causing a very large allocation attempt.
*Rewrite and revive the root wrapper to allow VLC to bind to the RTSP (554) port while not retaining root privileges.

Contact: [[User:Courmisch|Courmisch]]

== AirTune streaming ==

We need to be able to stream everything to your iPhone.

== AirPlay Support ==

VLC should be able to push audio to AirPlay devices.

== BD-J / BD-Live ==

This is a project to go on the work of last year on Blu-Ray Menus

This project requires Java knowledge

Contact [[User:J-b|jb]]

== VideoLAN Subtitle Editor ==

The "VideoLAN Subtitle Editor" is runs on any OS that is supported by [[Libvlc]].

Features:
* Qt4 Interface
* Media playback based on [[Libvlc]]
* Multiple OS support (Linux, MacOS X, Windows, *BSD, ...)
* Internationalisation of subtitles
* Exporting to many subtitle formats (.srt, .ssa/.ass, .sub, .srt, .ssf, ...).

Examples of subtile editors:
* Subtitle Editor http://home.gna.org/subtitleeditor/
* Open Subtitle Editor http://opensubtitleed.sourceforge.net/
* Subtile formats: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtitles

Contact: [[User:jpsaman|jpsaman]]

= Finished projects =

== Audioscrobbler ==

An [http://www.audioscrobbler.net/ Audioscrobbler] VLC Plug-in for the social music network [http://www.last.fm Last.Fm]<br>

Plugin is finished, now part of vlc 0.9.0 (development version). Done by [[User:Funman|funman]]

== DVB support for Windows / BDA Drivers ==

DVB is the norm for :

*Digital Terrestrial TV (aka DVB-T)
*Digital Cable TV (aka DVB-C)
*Digital Satellite TV (aka DVB-S)

Several DVB input cards exist. We support these on Linux, but not on Windows. For Windows, we need to support so-called BDA drivers.

The problem is that we don't have both the time and the required hardware on Windows comps.

This project is probably not terribly complex, but you need the hardware.

Plugin is done and available in the current Git version. Code by kenS

== DBus Integration ==

[[DBus]] is a communication mechanism for Linux (mainly).

We would like VLC to be able to use it so that other programs can interact with vlc (start/stop, know what is being played, ...)

Work is well advanced, see [[DBus]], by funman and Mr_Mirsal

Contact: [[User:Xtophe|Xtophe]], [[User:Funman|funman]]

== V4L2 support ==

VLC currently has a pvr module and a v4l (video for linux) module. However

*some cards are only supported in the new v4l2 API
*The linux kernel will soon drop v4l support

So if someone could update VLC's current modules to work with V4L2 and the new ivtv api, this would be a welcome addition. This is not a very difficult project, but you will need to have the hardware to test against. The code has been began, so it should not be too difficult.

Plugin is done and available in the current Git version. Code by Richard Hosking, [[User:Dionoea|dionoea]] and Dennis Lou.

== RTCP support ==

Our RTSP implementation (for broadcasting and video on demand) does not support the RTCP protocol. This is a must to have a real support for RTSP. Some work has already been started, but there is still much to do.

Contact: [[User:JPSaman|JPSaman]]

== Windows port ==

Finish port libcddb and libcdio for Windows.

Port libzvbi for Windows

Contact [[User:J-b|jb]]

== Improvements to the X11 video output ==

Fullscreen support to improve .

[[Category:Coding]] [[Category:Activities]]

== Subtitles improvements ==

{{VLC}} does not support all the styles for a lot of subtitles type. Take a look at [http://trac.videolan.org/vlc/browser/trunk/modules/codec/subtitles/subsdec.c here] to start coding.

Contact bitmap

== Direct2D video output ==

Direct2D is a new API introduced in Windows 7. VLC could use a a Direct2D vout.

Contact: [[User:Geal|Geal]]

== DirectX 9 video output ==

DirectX 9 features some improvements that we could use in our video output

Contact: [[User:Geal|Geal]]

== Pixel shaders in OpenGL video output ==

It would be nice to have a small proof of concept video output which takes care of chroma conversion using pixel shaders.

Contact: [[User:Dionoea|dionoea]]

== WTV support ==

We would love to have a .wtv demuxer for the new wtv files from Windows Media center

Contact [[User:J-b|jb]]

== Interaction with online services ==
Hello, I would like to present their concept idea, it involves interaction with online services and some changes in the user interface of VLC Media Player.

On the first tab (Movie) is very straightforward, a user inserts a DVD, HD-DVD or BlyRay selects the desired slot and begin viewing.
In the future it will be possible to implement view of the disk image.

The second tab (Video), makes it possible to watch media files directly from the HDD.
Setting up a profile can be all sorted by category (Films, TV shows, etc.), the category of Films on (Action, Horror, Comedy), the category of TV show on (Lost, House M. D, X-Files), etc.
After watching a movie or TV show, you can not closing VLC media player immediately to share impressions with your friends on Twitter, MySpace, Facebook.

The third tab (Music), provides an opportunity to listen to music as a straight line from the HDD.
Similar to the previous tab, everything can be sorted into categories (Hip-Hop, R'n'B, Dance, Rock).

Another idea is to tab Online TV, where you can make a small internet browser tied to popular online Servas (YouTube) and send links to interesting videos to friends directly from the VLC Player.

Contact: [[User_talk:Jack.LJ|Jack.LJ]]

=Discussions on projects=

==Proposals==

* [[Newplaylist|Playlist improvement]]<br/>
* [[Newsoundslider|Soundslider improvement]]

Usability Complaints

2012-01-01T23:01:50Z

This page contains some usability complaints for VLC.

Let's start.

* Hard-to-guess shortcuts to operate with the movie. E.g. shift+arrows to rewind. -- it could be greatly improved with arrows-only navigation. => This should be easy to do in the new interface.

* Non-responsive shortcuts in WX interface. Sometimes they simply don't work (after moving out of the fullscreen). => Qt4 does work the same way ? -- no, seems like it somewhat better in QT4, still to test more.

* Unresponsive stop/play. Video stops after some amount of time. -- kinda better in QT4 interface.

* Preferences are way too big. You can navigate thru them all the day long and you won't find what you're really looking for. => [[Simple_Preferences]]

* Adding/removing a video filter during playback (i.e. enabling de-interlace or switching de-interlace methods), often causes video window to resize.

* Changing video aspect ratio disables video filters that have been added during playback (i.e. de-interlace)

* The fullscreen mode is always left between two videos, which is annpying when using playlists. It should only be disabled manually.

* Video lan is not accessible for blind people. Don't take avantage of the QT accessibility API.

* Cannot save a profile for capture device streaming. You must select video and audio device every time VLC is started. And you need to go thru all the Stream Output wizard pages to select output type and destination and encoding. Would be nice to be able to save a capture profile and just load it on the initial Open Capture Device dialog page (thereby skipping the wizard dialogs). This would be a nice productivity enhancement for people who use VLC to stream cameras, etc.

* Playlist sorts using computer method, ie it plays part 1, part 10, part 2. Actually it should sort using human method like part 1, part 2 ... part 10.

* Launching a new video while another is paused loses the place of the original video. There are a few ways to correct this. 1. If a video is open when you try to open another, VLC could ask you if you're sure you want to start a new video. 2. VLC could allow multiple video windows to be open at once. 3. A tab system could be introduced. 4. VLC could offer to remember your place in the video. If you close a video, or just open another one, you should be able to go back to the video you were playing and see a window offering to restore your position. *best option* Amazon VOD does this now and it's terrific. If I close a window playing a video, and then reopen the video later, Amazon will ask me if I want to start from the beginning or where it was last time.

* Audio cannot be pushed to an AirPlay device.

Usability Complaints

2012-01-01T22:57:49Z