Forum:Video Files

Forums: Index > Village Dump > Video Files

Note: This topic has been unedited for 6800 days. It is considered archived - the discussion is over.

Is there any special reason (technical maybe) why we dont have video files in uncyclopedia?--Rataube 17:06, 23 March 2006 (UTC)

You can save Ogg Theora as .ogg files. Dunno if there's some patent issue with MPEG files — that being why we don't just allow MP3 uploads — but if there isn't then it's a question of asking a Wikia sysadmin to add .mpg/.mpeg and MPEG to the permitted file upload types. Thumbnailing could be ... interesting. - David Gerard 22:04, 23 March 2006 (UTC)

Oh, it's even better. I asked on #mediawiki what Mediawiki uses to check allowed filetypes. It checks both extension and 'magic number', i.e. what the file content appears to be. The trouble with MPEG is that it's a container format - the codec inside might be encumbered or it might not. It's a nightmare of idiocy caused by your silly country deciding patents on equations make any damned sense to anyone. (And I know mine have too.)

The only video format allowed on Wikimedia Commons is Ogg Theora. This is a somewhat bigger pain in the arse to view or make than Ogg Vorbis. Commons:Media Help and Help:Converting Video cover the how-to. Looks icky.

UnNews audio is so unbelievably wonderful that people are willing to fuck around installing plugins and players and whatnot to listen to Ogg Vorbis, and Audacity to create it. (Which is good, 'cos Audacity is incredibly cool. I managed to make something decent with it never having touched it before, just knowing what I wanted to do.) Perhaps they will be equally willing for the horrors of Ogg Theora. Anyone want to volunteer as technology guinea pig?

(Isra is also gonna see if Wikia can be convinced to allow other formats, cos fucking around enough to get Theora sounds like NO FUN AT ALL.) - David Gerard 01:10, 24 March 2006 (UTC)

We'll generally allow formats that are safe and not too likely to include malicious code. We don't intend to enforce unencumbered formats as strictly as Wikimedia does, though individual communities within Wikia might decide they want to do that. Angela 01:50, 24 March 2006 (UTC)

Ah ... could be cool. Note that I do still strongly discourage allowing Windows Media - Microsoft, being Microsoft, put in a facility for active content in WMA files, i.e. code. And malicious examples have been found in the wild. Love ya, Bill! - David Gerard 02:19, 24 March 2006 (UTC)

I would like to see .mov added to the list of acceptable files. Because of iTunes, most people can play them and they appear to be royalty free from everything I see on apple's website. ---Rev. Isra (talk) 02:43, 24 March 2006 (UTC)

I am strongly opposed to .mov; it requires iTunes, QuickTime, or the quasi-legal QuickTime Alternative and is most assuredly not an open format. QuickTime formats are an incredible pain in the neck for those of us that have not yet bought into this whole Apple thing. If I can't play it in Winamp, it's not a good format. --Sir gwax (talk) 15:16, 24 March 2006 (UTC)

Is there some other royalty-free format that people can actually play that can be encoded in for free? If there is then suggest it. ---Rev. Isra (talk) 22:08, 25 March 2006 (UTC)

Let's see if Theora is in fact as easy to get working as Ogg. i.e., I will see if I can get it to go on the Mac any time soon - David Gerard 01:58, 26 March 2006 (UTC)

Documentary-style movies of some of the better articles would be cool, but woulod take a lot of work to look any good. -- » Sir Savethemooses Grand Commanding Officer ... holla atcha boy» 14:41, 25 March 2006 (UTC)