Playing YouTube videos on 68k

Just for fun, I thought I see if I could download & play YouTube videos using only tools available for 68k.

Turned out to be pretty simple.

I started with the getVideo utility from Aminet and then downloaded the latest verion of ffmpeg (which can convert flv files to various formats).

Basically, I just set up getVideo as descibed in the instructions (you'll end up with a "getVideo" menu option in IBrowse). Then use ffmpeg to convert them to mpeg format (which I view with Frogger)

Syntax for converting flv files with ffmeg:

ffmpeg -i source.flv result.mpeg

OR

ffmpeg -i source.flv -sameq result.mpeg

The first way creates a very small version - and the second creates a much larger/better quality version.

@klesterjr

It sure is cool how many modern things can be done on the old 68k machines.

@klesterjr
That's the method i use to watch youtube videos on my Amiga 1200 for a long time now. With some videos, it's necessary to use the -r option to set the fps to a correct value.
I wish there was a damn flv player, so we could skip the converting part which tends to be time-consuming with big videos! Afterall, youtube videos have low resolution and A/V bitrate. It's nothing that a classic Amiga can not handle!

@Amigamancer

Quote:

Imho, you're wrong there: the decompression _and_ displaying at real time is the problem.
68060@50MHz forks out ~40MHz to play mp3 audio @128Kbps at full quality, pretty illustrative imho.

Jack

@Jack

Well, an Amiga with a 68060/50 and a GFX card (or even with AGA using Riva and b/w display) can play MPGs of similar specifications with the youtube videos. You get some frame-skipping of course, but it's not unbearable.
So, i don't see how i'm wrong.. UNLESS the flv format is much more harware demanding than the MPG one. In this case, yes, i'm wrong. I doubt it because the quality of the flv videos are clearly inferior from the MPGs.
Does anyone here know that for sure?

@Amigamancer

What kind of mpeg?
It depends. Mpeg2/Mpeg1 is playable on classic.
But Mpeg4 needs much more cpu for decoding and playback.
And the question how much will one compromise on.

Just checked one parameters and done the arithmetics as I undertand them:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xmpDSBAh6RY

7.6MB, 7 minutes:
7.6*1024*8/7/60=148Kbps

Audio is compressed at 8x compression, assuming video is at more or less same compression (I suppose it's "more", and considerably), then it's at least 1.20 times more decompression load when comparing to 128Kbps mp3 audio.
I think it'll require a considerable frameskip.

More 68k Tricks ...



Tubexx on 68k

Origyn Browser on 68k

@klesterjr

Uh Tubexx on 68k ?

Where I can find that ?

@samo79
Quote:

It's the OS4 version (Tubexx is an Arexx script).

I hunted down 68k versions of the various required libraries, etc. -- just wanted to see what would happen, and to my surprise, it worked!

It's definitely not practical and crashes a lot -- but it IS cool.

@Amigamancer

On an AmigaOne G3 800, MPlayer cannot read Hi Res FLVs (640x480) at full speed (far from it, to be honest), I have to convert them into AVI thanks to FFMpeg and use DvPlayer.

I cannot imaghine how slow it would be on a 68060 (again, for the high quality ones).

@Jack


Eh!


Well I can assure you my 50Mhz 060 in my A4000
can play 3 instances of Songplayer1.53 at the same time
ALL at full quality , no problems.



1 thro Paula 14bit 128k 22000 khz

1 thro Prelude 16bit 128k 22000 Khz

1 thro Toccata 16bit 128k 22000 Khz


I tried this just for a laugh, it worked fine.


Checking CPU load with Songplayer 1.53 using Paula
14bit++ shows only 25% usage (mp3 128k Stereo 22000Khz).

Playing mp2 190K 22000Khz stereo shows only 21% load.


Wol..


PS: Use Songplayer 1.53, It's fast and produces exellent
sound quality.

@klesterjr

Looks quite impressive :) but may I ask where did you find 68k version of MPlayer? AFAIK there is no 68k at least yet, or maybe you used something instead?

The reason I'm asking is that I have problems running Mplayer and looking for a substitute to run with Tubexx.