See also: Video Formats | AV Software
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Home Page: http://www.matroska.org
An open source, patent–free video container file format. It is based in EMBL, a kind of binary version of XML. It aims to replace existing container formats, such as AVI, which cannot properly handle variable bitrate compressed audio.
Matroska’s planned features, not all of which are implemented at this time, include:
- Extensability for future use
- Menus (like DVDs have)
- Chapter entries
- Selectable sub-title streams
- Selectable audio streams
- Fast seeking in the file
- High error recovery
- Streamable over Internet (both HTTP and RTP)
The founders of Matroska have the following goals :
- Create and document a modern, flexible, cross-platform compatible Audio/Video container format
- Establish Matroska as the open-source alternative to existing containers such as AVI, ASF, MOV, RM, MP4, MPG
- Develop a set of tools for the creation, editing and implementation of Matroska files, under the GNU GPL license
- Develop libraries and tools for software developers to be able to support Matroska in their applications
- Prepare hardware support of Matroska files in next generations standalone units, in close cooperation with device manufacturers
- Support adaption and implementation of Matroska’s libraries into OpenBeOS Mediakit and GStreamer (Multimedia framework for Linux, equivalent to Microsoft DirectShow for Windows)
- Launch a set of DirectShow filters for playback and creation of Matroska files on Windows Operating Systems.
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