Free BBC Dirac Codec in Version 1.0
Version 1.0 of the free Dirac video codec is now available.
Dirac is a video codec data compression technique first developed by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that is under Mozilla Public License Version 1.1. According to the Dirac FAQ, the BBC intentionally released the product under the Mozilla license because it allows re-licensing. Their related Schrödinger project is a homegrown research implementation of Dirac that is variously available under MPL, LGPL und MIT licensing. The Schrödinger variant is written in C while the initial development of Dirac was written in C++ and known by the name dirac-research.
The robust Version 1.0 complies with Dirac Bytestream specification 2.2.2 and adapts itself to the frame types in the frame sequence of a film. The three-step research-intensive motion estimation was improved, along with pre-filtering. A DirectShow filter was also developed that allows playback of raw Dirac bytestreams and Dirac data packaged as AVI containers in Windows Media Player und MPlayer.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
KDE Sets Ambitious Goals for 2026 and Beyond
KDE Connect reveals the goals for the Linux desktop darling, with one of those goals long overdue.
-
It’s Time to Test Fedora 45 Beta
Fedora 45 beta has been released with updated Gnome, KDE Plasma, and kernel.
-
Ubuntu Stonking Stingray Gets Even Rustier
Ubuntu 26.10 has completed its migration to the Rust-based coreutils.
-
AI Fixes Linux Bottlenecks Using “Hideous” Code
A Linux developer used AI to fix bottlenecks that caused problems when building the kernel. The resulting AI-generated code needed a lot of work.
-
Advanced Video Coding Still Under Patent
Brazilian patent BRPI0109962B1 has expired, which means that DivX and Xvid are no longer problematic for Linux, but it doesn’t mean that video is all of a sudden fully unleashed.
-
2,000 Vulnerabilities per Linux Release
Thanks to AI bug hunters, the Linux kernel is seeing record numbers of vulnerabilities, and it's overwhelming developers.
-
Linux Exempt from California’s Age Verification Law
So long as Linux is distributed under the GPL, MIT, BSD, and Apache licenses, the OS is exempt from being required to verify the age of its users in California.
-
Roll Out the Cake: Linux Turns 35
35 years ago, a Finnish student began a humble project that would forever change the course of technology.
-
China Switching from Windows to Linux
China has ordered several government agencies to drop a Chinese-developed version of Windows 10 in favor of either KylinOS or UOS.
-
Pine64 Halts Production of Linux Devices
With continued DRAM and eMMC shortages, Pine64 has decided to discontinue production of Linux devices.