Video formats supported by CEDAR Cambridge



CEDAR Cambridge uses two Windows APIs to play video files and extract their audio - Widows Media Foundation and Direct Show. For engineering reasons, we have precluded the use of both APIs at the same time to decode a video file (i.e. audio from one and video from the other).

Both architectures are extensible. In general, Direct Show is updated by downloading third party codecs, while Media Foundation is extended by operating system updates.

To the best of our knowledge, Windows Media Player uses the same APIs to play audio and video files so, broadly speaking, CEDAR Cambridge should be able to play the same set of files as Windows Media Player. However, there are special cases - such as DRM protected files, those that use codecs that have been licensed only for Microsoft's use, and those (unknown) boundary cases which require special programming - that will not play in CEDAR Cambridge. In addition, some file types are designed for linear playback and are not suited to the random access environment of CEDAR Cambridge.

Microsoft details the capabilities of Windows Media Player here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316992

DVD files

VOB (i.e. DVD) files do not play on the CEDAR Cambridge system as supplied by CEDAR Audio, but they have been found to play on systems that have a suitable third party codec pack installed. For an example, see:

http://shark007.net

CEDAR Audio does not actively recommend this or any other 3rd-party products of this type, so any download, installation and usage is entirely at the user's risk.


For further information, please contact support@cedaraudio.com.


Engineering notes