Aware's MotionWavelets601 Video Decoder is designed to enhance applications that incorporate video capture cards embedded with an Analog Devices ADV601 wavelet-based video compression ASIC. It provides a fast and flexible, software-only solution for the decompression and display of ADV601 compressed video data.

Aware's MotionWavelets601 video decoder is available as a Microsoft Video For Windows installable codec or as an application programming interface (API) for software developers.

Installable Codec
The Video For Windows (VFW) installable codec and Direct Show filter provide fast playback of ADV601 compressed video files or video streams through any device or application that is VFW compliant. This includes Microsoft Media Player, which is distributed free of charge with the Microsoft operating systems. The codec self installs from Aware's CD-ROM and requires no software development to use. It can provide an immediate video decompression solution on remote PC's through a standard MS Windows application or a web browser based viewing application.

API
The API is designed for software developers that seek to design custom software applications to decode and display ADV601 compressed video data. The API includes full documentation, a function library (DLL), and a COM interface for easy object oriented application development. Example programs with source code and project files are also included so that developers can quickly build applications that best suit their requirements. The API provides a level of flexibility and an enhanced feature set not available with the installable codec.

AVI File Support
The Aware MotionWavelets601 decoder includes a software utility to convert raw ADV601 compressed files to standard compliant AVI files. Installation of the Aware codec will provide instant playback and viewing of these AVI files through Microsoft Windows Media player. The Aware Direct Show filter enables native hardware video acceleration for optimized frame rates.

Toolkit Features

The Aware MotionWavelets601decoder includes:

• A standard C callable function library. Example programs with source code are included.

• A COM interface designed to provide for easy object oriented application development.

• A MS Video For Windows installable codec. This provides playback of ADV601 sequences in Windows Media player as a stand alone player or as a player embedded in a web browser.

• AVI file support including functions and utilities to convert ADV601 raw files into standard compliant AVI files for playback in any application that supports an installable codec and AVI files.

• The ability to decompress a native ADV601 frame into a 24 bit BMP file.

• The ability to decompress full resolution video to sub resolutions of single pixel boundaries in the vertical dimension and 8 pixel boundaries in the horizontal dimension. This feature supports file to display card (compressed to decompressed) and file to file (compressed file to smaller compressed file without recompression.)

• Regional extraction of rectangular image once a frame is decompressed.

• Dual field or single field decompression and playback.

• Interpolation of the second field to enable fast, full resolution, decoding and display. This feature provides an additional way to conserve bandwidth for high resolution interlaced video by compressing only one field (e.g. 640x240) and decompressing it to a full resolution video stream (640x480).

• The ability to insert an audio stream into the AVI file.

• The ability to non-destructively add text (time, date stamp, comment) into the AVI file.

The diagram below illustrates a multi-input web application with sub-resolution decoding

1. 360x243 video stream,
   400 MHz processor and higher
   30 frames/sec

2. 720x486 video stream
   (second field interpolated)
   400 MHz processor => 27.9 frames/sec
   600 MHz processor => 30 frames/sec

3. 720x486 video stream
   (both fields decompressed)
   400 MHz processor => 15.8 frames/sec
   600 MHz processor => 21.6 frames/sec

The second field interpolation method provides very good video quality and very fast frame rates for high resolution video sequences. It will support the resolution of any input file that can be generated by an ADV601 based video capture card.

Specifications

For more information regarding Aware's Video Compression Software products, contact us today.