[vorbis] MOre streaming media to ponder

[Segher Boessenkool]

Darren Meyer wrote:
> 
> On Sat, Dec 16, 2000 at 03:43:46AM +0100, Segher Boessenkool wrote:
> > > That aside, I think it would be interesting for Xiph to look into becoming a
> > > member/being an advisor to this new group.  Having input to standards based
> > > on experience with Vorbis would benefit everyone.
> >
> > I _think_, looking at the members, that this group is more interested
> > in the psysical media streaming itself, than in the prticular encoder
> > used. I may be wrong. Who is kasenna, btw.?
> >
> > > All in all, any open standards group is a good thing.
> >
> > Not to be cynical, but MPEG is an "open standard" as well.
> 
> True, true... but having MPEG as an open standard _has_ been a good thing.

To some degree, yes. It all depends on what you call "open". MPEG
is not "open" in the sense "open for anyone to use it anyway they want".

> I wonder -- if MPEG had =never= existed, would Vorbis have been envisioned?

MPEG is not a wonder the gods bestowed upon us. MPEG is an industry
collaboration to make a standard streaming media format. The industry
wanted it, so they designed it. I think perceptual codec technology
would have been _better_ now, if MPEG hadn't existed. If there exists
a well-accepted standard way to do something, innovation is slowed; you
need a _very_ good reason to make something different.

> Also, knowing how MPEG works (without reverse engineering) does help expose
> errors that can be fixed by other encoders.

You need more experience than with just one codec to design something
good.

> So, MPEG hasn't worked out ideally, but I still hold that any kind of open
> standard is better than a closed one.  Thus, open standards groups are
> generally good things.

Most of those "open standards" will be very committee-designed, if
you get my point. So we're all stuck with a six-bumped camel that only
goes sideways, but hey let's use it 'cause everyone does. Closed
standards are much more easily ignored. Bad standards are a very
annoying thing.

> Let's just hope they don't get a patent and use it to go after
> "non-conforming" codecs (*cough* Frauenhofer *cough*). :)

To get a patent they will have to design something _new_, while
actually all they need is a stream format and some protocols. If
they _do_ invent something great && new for streaming media, why
shouldn't they get a patent? It's their legal right, after all.

Dagdag,

Segher

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