Advantages of Bink and Smacker:
Bink and Smacker are unusual codecs.
The video compression products that we make here at RAD are unusual. No other
way to put it, they just aren't what you're used to: We import AVI and
QuickTime files, but we aren't an AVI or QuickTime codec. We use the latest
Microsoft technologies in DirectX, but we aren't COM-based. We support
DirectDraw, the Miles Sound System, DirectSound, YUV hardware, and more, but we
don't require any of them.
The important point here is that Bink and Smacker are this way on purpose. We
believe we know the right way to integrate video into your applications. Using
Bink or Smacker is like using a video codec you wrote yourself - everything
just works as you expect. We don't introduce artificial complexities, because
we focus on one specific area - video. We aren't trying to play your audio,
display 3D objects, or handle your interface - we just play great looking
video, simply.
Smacker and Bink provides both file-format and API multi-platform
compatibility.
Unlike Video for Windows (which is only available for Windows environments),
and unlike pre-3.0 QuickTime (which is available for several platforms, but the
API is different), Smacker and Bink allow you to use the same compressed files
and the same video playback code under DOS (Smacker), 32-bit Windows, Windows
64, Mac 68K (Smacker), PPC Mac, Linux (Bink), or any of the modern game consoles
(Bink). Converting applications based on the our video SDKs to other platforms
is trivial.
For example, using Bink, you can use the exact same Bink code for your
Windows, Sony PLAYSTATION (R) 3, Sony Playstation Portable (PSP), Xbox, Xbox
360, Nintendo Wii, GameCube, DS and Sony PS/2 games - all that would change is the blitting
code!
Interestingly, with QuickTime, Apple made a cross-platform API, but it did
so in a strange way. Rather than provide just the playback API (which is all
that most people need), it provides almost all of the graphics portion of
MacOS 9 itself (and requires you to use it!)
This means that, when you write a Windows QT app, you are required to write
as much or more MacOS code than Windows code! Now you need to learn both MacOS
and Windows. This design decision also makes using QT very expensive RAM-wise -
the QT DLLs is over 6 MBs! Just loading this DLL with InitializeQTML() takes 4
seconds on a Pentium II/300.
Our codecs were written for speed.
Every feature that our codecs have and don't have is based on the effect
that the feature would have on playback speed. Compression speed is completely
irrelevant in RAD's view - playback speed is paramount. It is this mindset that
makes Smacker the fastest codec out there, and makes Bink the fastest true
color codec available.
Our codecs are written for the advanced user.
Bink and Smacker were written with experienced compression users and
developers in mind. There are many options in our codecs that would never find
themselves in a general purpose codec: data rate and variable bit rate
compression settings, control of compression settings down to a single frame,
CD-ROM playback simulation, batch files for overnight compression,
sophisticated on-the-fly processing, ability to touch-up a compressed file,
specific palette position controls, and powerful scripting...to name just a
few.
We support the latest technologies faster than anyone.
Our codecs have supported operating system advances far ahead of other
codecs. Even today, we are adding support for new platforms like Xbox 360 and
Nintendo DS. In the past, we were among the first
applications that supported DirectX, the Miles Sound System, pixel shaders, and
the new game consoles. RAD is committed to supporting technologies that your
games require.
Our codecs are licensed on a flat-fee basis. RAD doesn't
charge royalties - period. You pay one flat-fee to use Bink or Smacker in your
product. 'Nuff said.
We know what we're doing.
RAD has been selling game development technology for eleven years now!
Smacker has been used in over 2,000 games since 1994 and Bink in over 4,000 since 1999 - we
know how to support game companies integrating video because we've done it for
a long time!
And even before RAD provided game technologies, we were involved in many
high-profile games and multimedia products, such as Microsoft Golf, Under a
Killing Moon, and Norton Desktop. We know the process of creating multimedia
titles, because we've been there, too. We know the problems you're likely to
encounter, because we've had them too. And finally, we know the technologies
and products that will be important to you, so our products will support them -
now and in the future.
Specific Smacker Advantages:
Smacker is very unusual for a video codec - it was designed for 8-bit mode (256 colors). Pretty much all other codecs (including Bink) are high-color codecs. Being a 256-color codec gives Smacker several advantages over other high-color codecs in several situations:
256 Color Games
If your game is 256-color, then your codec should be 256 color. Period. If your game is 256 color, then your video will look better with Smacker than anything else. High-bit codecs must convert each and every frame down to an 8-bit format before they can be displayed. There are two reasons why this on-the-fly color reduction isn't a great solution.
First off, it's slow - not only do the codecs have to read from the CD, decompress, and copy to the screen, but now they have to convert the graphic data back to 256 colors too. This is why Smacker is so much faster than 24-bit codecs - it gets to skip an entire step in the decompression process.
The second reason why on-the-fly color reduction stinks is related to these same speed constraints. Modern codecs have made great strides in their color reduction, but they are still hampered by the fact that the color reduction has be done in real-time. That's why powerful graphics converters such as the ones in Smacker and Debabilizer can create such terrific 8-bit videos - they have plenty of time to think about it ahead of time - not during playback!
To perform color reduction during playback, 24-bit compressors use a fixed, general-purpose palette. This is fine for some videos, but for others, it means that significant portions of the palette will go completely unused. For example, a video of rolling hills with green grass needs many more greens in the palette than reds. With a 24-bit compressor's fixed palette, a 2/3rds of the palette will be wasted on blues and reds that won't be used. This is why Smacker will look better on 8-bit devices - its palette will be optimized for that particular video - no wasted palette entries. If your game is 256-color, then you have your solution - Smacker.
Smacker is really fast!
Another advantage for Smacker is that it is really, really fast. No other codec is even close to Smacker in raw speed. On a P3/750, playing a 640x480 Smacker movie only uses 10% of the CPU! This is three or four times the speed of other codecs - the overhead is so low that Smacker is often used for playback of not just cinematic sequences, but also sprites, textures and objects during game play. You could never use an AVI file for an animated 3D texture because it would be far too slow - with Smacker, it's easy. If you value speed more than anything, then Smacker is the solution.
Transparencies and video sprites are much easier!
Transparency is much, much easier to perform in 256 color mode than high-color. If 256-color mode, transparency can be done with very little overhead. Even better, 256-color transparencies can be easily accelerated with MMX, to improve the speed even more. If you are doing lots of transparent video or video sprites, then Smacker is the answer.
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