Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 23:31:50 -0500
From: "David I. Lehn" <dlehn@vt.edu>
To: lwn@lwn.net
Subject: [ANNOUNCE] First OMS Release

The LiViD team is proud to release the first official version of
the Open Media System, our OpenSource media and DVD player!  This
release has been in development for more than a year by many
developers from around the world.

This first release allows Linux systems to play DVDs and has
growing support for other formats as well.  The application is
split into a backend library and drivers (OMS) and a user
interface front end (OMI).  

Download information: http://www.linuxvideo.org/oms/
HOWTO: http://www.linuxvideo.org/docs/wiki/moin.cgi/OmsHowTo

OMS Features:

 * most features provided via a plugin system
 * direct DVD access (no mounting needed)
 * software MPEG2 decoder: http://www.linuxvideo.org/mpeg2dec/
 * software AC3 decoder:  http://www.linuxvideo.org/ac3dec/
 * internet chapter listings via DVDDB
 * subtitle support
 * multiple audio and subtitle stream support
 * support for various front end user interfaces
 * video output drivers for SDL, X11
 * accelerated YUV conversion and scaling in SDL and X11 drivers
   done via Xv:
     * Matrox
     * 3dfx
     * ATI
     * others with Xv support (see http://www.xfree86.org/)
 * audio output drivers for basic system output (OSS)
 * support for hardware decoders in progress (Dxr2,Dxr3,etc)

OMI Features:

 * currently main interface is Gtk+ based: http://www.gtk.org/
 * skin support
 * basic playlist
 * DVD chapter navigation
 * multiple audio and subtitle stream selection

Platform support:

 * Linux/i386 based systems works for sure
 * in progress support for FreeBSD, PPC, Alpha, Sparc, and others
 * specific CPU codec acceleration (MMX, 3dnow, SSE, MediaLib)

Coming Soon to a player near you:

 * DVD navigation improvements (menus, more working DVDs)
 * audio/video sync
 * fixed VCD support
 * UI improvements
 * fix features not listed here because we were too embarrassed
   to list them as "working" ;)

and of course:

 * polish the many rough edges
 * fix lots of bugs

Download, install, and enjoy your DVDs in Linux!

Please visit http://www.linuxvideo.org/ for more information.

A big Thank You to everyone who has helped make this release
possible!

-The LiViD Team