|
TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION
This white paper explains the file formats and codecs that Helix Mobile Server can stream. It also explains the formats and codecs used by Helix Mobile Producer to encode content for mobile devices. Below is an excerpt.
File Formats
The following table lists common file formats used for audio and video. A Yes value indicates that Helix Mobile Server can read this file format using one of its standard file format plug-ins. Keep in mind that this table is a guide to file format support, not codec support. For example, although Helix Mobile Server does not stream the raw AAC file format (.aac), it can deliver content encoded with AAC codecs into other file formats, such as MPEG-4 (.mp4). Subsequent sections explain codec support for the various file formats.
| File Format |
Common File Extensions |
Supported? |
| 3GPP Release 5/6 |
.3gp |
Yes |
| 3GPP2 |
.3g2 |
Yes |
| AIFF |
.aiff |
Yes |
| 3GPP2 |
.3g2 |
Yes |
| AU |
.au |
Yes |
| AVI |
.avi |
Yes |
| MP3 |
.mp3 |
Yes |
| MPEG-1 |
.mpg |
No |
| MPEG-2 |
.m2p, .m2v, .mpv |
No |
| MPEG-4 |
.mp4 |
Yes |
| Qualcomm QCELP |
.qcp |
No |
| QuickTime |
.mov |
Yes |
| Raw AAC |
.aac |
No |
| Raw AMR |
.amr |
No |
| RealMedia |
.rm, .ra, .rv, .rmvb |
Yes |
| WAV |
.wav |
Yes |
| Windows Media |
.asf, .wma, .wmv |
Limited* |
*Note: Support for desktop players only. See "Windows Media" on page 5 of the Helix Mobile Server File Format & Codec Support white paper.
Proprietary Codecs
The following table summarizes the popular proprietary file formats that Helix Mobile Server can stream without the addition of third-party file format plug-ins.
| Format |
File
Container |
Use |
Notes |
| Flash |
.swf |
Animation |
Support for Flash version 4 only. Later versions of Flash and Flash video are not supported. |
| QuickTime |
.mov |
Audio, video |
Support for proprietary codecs such as Sorenson, Cinepak, Qualcomm PureVoice, and Qdesign, as well as standards-based codecs such as MP3, H.263, and H.264. |
| RealMedia |
.rm, .ra, .rm, .rmvb |
Audio, video |
RealMedia formats are compatible with RealPlayer and media players based on Helix DNA. Clips can be single rate, or encode multiple rates using SureStream. |
RealPix
GIF
JPEG
PNG |
.rp, .gif, .jpeg, .jpg, .png |
Still images |
Still images in the three common Web formats can be streamed from within a RealPix slideshow. |
| RealText |
.rt |
Text |
RealText provides a mark-up language to stream text to RealPlayer. |
| Secure RealMedia |
.rms |
Audio, video |
Secure RealMedia can encode a variety of media formats in a secure container accessible using Helix DRM. |
| SMIL |
.smil |
Multimedia presentations |
SMIL is a standards-based mark-up language for synchronizing media presentations. It is available for use with desktop versions of RealPlayer. |
| Windows Media |
.asf, .wma, .wmv |
Audio, video |
Streaming to desktop players only. Mobile devices not supported. MMS support for desktop Windows Media Player versions 6.4 through 10. HTTP support for versions 11 and later. MBR version 9 is not supported. |
Standards-Based Codecs
Helix Mobile Server can deliver content encoded by standards-based codecs into a variety of file formats, including MPEG-4, 3GPP, 3GPP2, and QuickTime. (MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 are not supported.) The following table summarizes commonly used codecs that Helix Mobile Server supports.
| Format |
File
Container |
Use |
Notes |
| AAC |
.mp4, .3gp, .3g2, .mov. The raw AAC format (.aac) is not supported. |
Voice, music |
Also known as MPEG-4 AAC. Low-complexity (LC) encoding in mono or stereo at 8 to 320 Kbps. Hinting is not required. |
| AAC Plus (HE-AAC), Enhanced AAC Plus (HE-AAC, v.2) |
.mp4, .3gp, .3g2, .mov. The raw AAC format (.aac) is not supported. |
Voice, music |
Encodes at various bit rates. Hinting is required. |
| AMR-NB, AMR-WB |
.mp4, .3gp, .3g2, .mov. The raw AMR format (.amr) is not supported. |
Voice |
Narrowband codec (AMR-NB) encodes at 7.4 to 12.2 Kbps. The AMR-WB codec, also known as G722.2, encodes up to 23.85 Kbps. Hinting is not required. |
| DV14 |
.mov |
Wideband |
|
| G.711 |
.mov |
Voice |
Encodes at 64 Kbps. |
| G.722 |
.mov |
Voice |
Encodes at 32 to 64 Kbps. |
| G.726 |
.mov |
Voice |
Encodes at 16 to 40 Kbps. |
| H.261 |
.mov |
Video |
Encodes at multiples of 64 Kbps. |
| H.263 |
.mp4, .3gp, .3g2, .mov |
Video |
Hinting not required for profiles 0 and 3. |
| H.264 |
.mp4, .3gp, .3g2, .mov |
Video |
Also known as MPEG-4 AVC or MPEG-4 Part 10. Hinting is required. Maximum supported streaming speed is 384 Kbps. |
| H.723.1 |
.mov |
Voice |
Encodes at 5.3 or 6.3 Kbps. |
| MP3 |
.mp3, .mov |
Voice, music |
Streaming of .mp3 files is supported only for RealPlayer and Helix-based players. |
| MPEG-4, Part 2 |
.mp4, .3gp, .3g2, .mov |
Video |
Simple video profile encoded using the ISO/IEC video codec. The advanced simple profile is supported only with hinted content. |
| QCELP |
.3g2. The QCELP format (.qcp) is not supported. |
Speech |
Encodes at 14 Kbps (full-rate) or 6.8 Kbps (half-rate). Must be hinted. |
|
Contact Us
