xawtv: legal question

[Hans de Goede]

Dmitry Butskoy wrote:
> I'm going to package "xawtv"
> (A TV application for v4l compliant devices, was in Fedora until FC2, 
> http://linux.bytesex.org/xawtv )
> 
> Xawtv can record TV into raw or avi file, including formats:
>>   raw - single file, raw video data
>>     video formats:
>>       rgb     24 bit TrueColor (BE: rgb)   [raw]
>>       gray    8 bit StaticGray             [raw]
>>       422     16 bit YUV 4:2:2 (packed, YUYV) [raw]
>>       422p    16 bit YUV 4:2:2 (planar)    [raw]
>>       4mpeg   yuv4mpeg (mpeg2enc >= 1.6)   [yuv]
>>       4mpeg-o yuv4mpeg (old mpeg2enc)      [yuv]
>>     audio formats:
>>       mono8   8bit mono                    [wav]
>>       mono16  16bit mono (LE)              [wav]
>>       stereo  16bit stereo (LE)            [wav]
>>
>>   avi - Microsoft AVI (RIFF) format
>>     video formats:
>>       rgb15   15 bit TrueColor (LE)        [avi]
>>       rgb24   24 bit TrueColor (LE: bgr)   [avi]
>>       mjpeg   MJPEG (AVI)                  [avi]
>>       jpeg    JPEG (JFIF)                  [avi]
>>     audio formats:
>>       mono8   8bit mono                    [avi]
>>       mono16  16bit mono (LE)              [avi]
>>       stereo  16bit stereo (LE)            [avi]
> 
> It seems that "yuv4mpeg" is some kind of raw formats, but what about 
> "mjpeg" (motion jpeg) in avi files? I've found that only ffmpeg-based 
> plugins can play it then...
> 

the 2 4mpeg formats definetely are a patent problem, mjpeg OTOH is fine. 
I don't know what the status as a container format is.

Regards,

Hans