================================================================ ==== VideoPlex XPress SDK Version 2.0 (Release 1, build 8) ===== ==== ===== ==== Optibase Ltd. ===== ==== March 15th, 2001 ===== ================================================================ *** For best view check Word Wrap in the Edit menu *** Contents ======== 1. Overview 2. Minimum system requirements 3. Features 4. VGA cards supported 5. Installation requirements 6. Installation Process 7. Known bugs 8. Features not supported 9. Additional information and latest drivers 1. Overview =========== The VideoPlex XPress SDK is a Software Development Kit for developing applications over the VideoPlex XPress MPEG decoder. The SDK interface provided is a general SDK for developing applications over Optibase's decoders. The VideoPlex XPress is a half-size PCI MPEG decoding board. It is a high quality decoder that supports MPEG-2 and MPEG-1 with Video-In-A-Window and full-screen capabilities for Windows. SDK 2.0 supports Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT4, and Windows 2000. 2. Minimum system requirements ============================== The requirements listed below are minimum system requirements for using Optibase's VideoPlex XPress SDK 2.0. These are not optimal configuration recommendations, which depend on the tasks you perform. You may acquire the optimal system parameters for the tasks you perform via Optibase's Progression Club site (http://progression.optibase.com). Playback quality depends not only on the playback engine, but also on network specifications (if you play from the network) and on VGA Card and drivers used (if Video-in-A-Window is used). * Pentium II 233 MHz or higher or Pentium 200MMX or higher (Pentium 450 MHz for Multibhoard) * One free half-size PCI slot for the VideoPlex XPress and one free slot (PCI or AGP) for the VGA card * A DirectX compliant VGA board with at least 8 MB RAM (16MB RAM for Multiboard) * 32 MB RAM (64MB RAM for Multiboard) * The following Operating Systems are supported: - Windows 98 Second Edition - Windows Me - Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4 or above - Windows 2000 * DirectX 6.0 or later. * Visual C++ 6.0 Run Time Libraries. The SDK doesn't use these Run-Time Libraries, though the samples provided do. Note: Smooth operation of the VideoPlex XPress decoding board depends on correct configuration of your PC and correct installation of VGA drivers. Please follow the installation instructions carefully to be sure that you have the correct VGA drivers installed. 3. Features =========== * Multiboard playback support * OSD (On Screen Display) * VPE support for Windows 98 and Windows 2000 (single board) * Support for different VGA boards using the PCI and AGP inlay method. * MPEG Format Support for: - System - Program - Transport - Video Elementary * Video-in-a-Window and full screen playback * Video over the Desktop (Single Board) 4. VGA cards support ==================== VGA cards that were tested in Inlay mode: ----------------------------------------- * Matrox Millennium G-400 16MB RAM AGP * Matrox Millennium G-450 Dual Head 32MB RAM AGP * ATI Radeon DDK 32MB RAM AGP * ATI XPERT 128 (RAGE 128 GL) 16MB RAM AGP * ATI 3D RAGE PRO TURBO 8MB RAM both AGP and PCI * ATI XPERT 2000 PRO 32MB RAM AGP * Diamond Viper 770 Ultra 32MB RAM AGP * NVIDIA TNT2 32MB RAM AGP VGA cards that were tested in VPE mode: --------------------------------------- * ATI boards based on the 'Rage' chipset: - ATI XPERT 128 (RAGE 128 GL) 16 MB RAM AGP - ATI 3D RAGE PRO TURBO 8 MB RAM both AGP and PCI Other VGA Cards --------------- There is a possibility to support any VGA card by writing the Decoded video frame buffer to RAM (and then to the VGA memory) rather than directly to the VGA memory (using DMA transfers). Please note that this option will cause increased CPU usage. This option is enabled through the 'UseCopy' registry entry, as described in the SDK documentation. 5. Installation requirements ============================ * The "BUS Master" in the "Advanced" Setup of the system BIOS must be enabled. 6. Installation Process ======================= Installing the VideoPlex XPress SDK involves 2 steps : 1. Installing Hardware (VideoPlex XPress PCI Board) 2. Installing Software (VideoPlex XPress SDK) The installation process varies with the current status of your PC: a. If you install on a PC where a VideoPlex Xpress decoding board with the VideoPlex Xpress SDK was never installed, proceed with Step 1 (Installing the VideoPlex Xpress board). b. If ypou install on a PC with previous VideoPlex Xpress installations, first uninstall previous SDK versions and filters (e.g. VPXP 1.2 or Filter 1.2) and run RemoveOldInf.bat from the installation folder. Using SDK 2.0 side by side with Filter 1.2 (not recommended): ------------------------------------------------------------ The following is valid for Windows NT only: SDK 1.2 and SDK 2.0 use different drivers for the VideoPlex XPress decoding board, therefore you cannot run them simultaneously. To be able to have them both installed and running (not simultaneously), you have to be able to start and stop the correct device driver. In Windows NT you can start/stop drivers by using Devices in the Control Panel without having to restart your PC. Step 1 - Installing the VideoPlex Xpress Board (Hardware) --------------------------------------------------------- 1. Switch your PC off. 2. Insert the VideoPlex XPress Board into a free PCI slot. 3. Switch your PC on again. 4. If your operating system does not support Plug & Play, proceed to installing the VideoPlex Xpress SDK. If your operating system supports Plug & Play, you will be asked for UnifiedVPXPress.inf, which is located on your installation folder. 5. If requested, point to the requested driver file, which resides also in the installation folder. To complete installing the SDK and start working, proceed to installing the VideoPlex Xpress SDK.. Note: If your operating system supports Plug & Play and you had previously a VideoPlex Xpress board installed, the operating system may not ask for an *.inf file as it remembers and uses the previously installed driver. This may cause your operating system to use the wrong *.inf. In this case, remove the previously installed driver run RemoveOldInf.bat from the installation folder prior to starting the installation. Step 2 - Installing the VideoPlex XPress SDK (Software) ------------------------------------------------------- 1. Switch your PC on. 2. Run Setup from your installation folder. 3. Accept License Agreement 3. Choose destination folder for installation 4. Choose the components to install 5. Click Finish; VPXP SDK 2.0 is installed on your PC. 7. Known Bugs ============= * While playing back a file, not in full screen mode, a small black square (~3x3mm) appears on the upper left corner of the VGA screen. The square disappears by clicking once on the desktop and then pressing the refresh button (F5). * When opening a file, a Black&White splash on the TV monitor might appear for a short moment. * After initializing the stream properties, the clip's first frame may not be displayed. * Best performance for long-time playback is achieved with 3 boards and less. Additional boards may require fine tuning of the system. * When using some systems with a PCI bus of 133 MHz and interrupt sharing enabled at BIOS level, long time playback might not be stable and tearing on 2nd instance might occur. * Long time playback causes "File Cache" of PC under Windows 98. * Frame Accuracy - Play API (frame count) may miss a frame. * When switching between consecutive PAL and NTSC clips in Playlist sometimes green blocks may appear. * AutoInstallation of VPXPress driver (VPXPress.sys) : When the VPXPress driver (vpxpress.sys) in absent from the system, the SDK will install it automatically. This is an important feature when SDK users want to redistribute the software to a 3rd party, and don't want to be bothered with driver installation. This feature is done through the XPressRtd.dll. The XPressRtd.dll distributed with the Release version installs a wrong driver version. (special build 2.04b). This driver may cause unstability to the system, and should not be used. The correct driver, which is installed by the Install Shield wizard (and available uncompressed in the installation folder) is Special Build 2.04. DemoPlayer application known bugs --------------------------------- * When selecting the 'TV Only' option, DemoPlayer will not open, if you run the software the next time. Refer to documentation for Re-Enabling the VGA output. Solution : in CDemoPlayerDoc::VgaInit() when VGA is disabled - m_fEnableVGA is false, function should return 'True'. * "Film" format is not supported and will cause a general protection error, if invoked. * Detection of clips larger than ~1GB fails under Windows 98 and will cause a general protection error * On Pause, after Seek-back the audio might disappear and is restored after Loop or Stop/Start sequence. PlayList application known bugs ------------------------------- * Under Windows NT and during playback, the wrong MFC422.dll may cause that only the "Start" button is enabled (refer to the System Requirements section in this Readme file). * After VGA is turned off and on (screen saver or power management saver), or "ALT+CTRL+DEL" pressed and desktop restored, the VGA playback window will not be displayed, until PlayList is executed the next time. * Detection of clips in the size of ~1GB fails under Windows 98, and clip will not be played. 8. Features not supported ------------------------------ * Dolby * Layer 1 and layer 3 audio * VOB extension files * Fast forward not supported 9. Additional information and latest drivers ---------------------------------------------- Optibase home page http://www.optibase.com Progression home page http://progression.optibase.com