View source for Xine

{{short description|Multimedia playback software for Unix-like systems}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Refimprove|date=June 2008}}
{{Primary sources|date=June 2011}}
}}{{Lowercase|title=xine}}
{{Infobox software
| name                 = xine project
| developer            = <!-- Something more informative than the obvious "xine team" -->
| programming language = [[C (programming language)|C]]{{Citation needed|date=September 2013}}
| operating system     = [[Cross-platform]]{{Which|date=September 2013}}
| genre                = [[Media player (software)|Media player]]
| license              = [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]<ref name="features">{{cite web |url=http://www.xine-project.org/features |title=the xine project - Features |publisher=xine-project.org |access-date=2010-05-28 }}</ref>
| released             = {{Start date and age|2000|08|15}}
| repo                 = {{URL|https://sourceforge.net/project/xine/}}
| website              = {{URL|xine.sourceforge.net}}
}}
{{Infobox software
| name                 = xine-lib
| repo                 = {{URL|https://sourceforge.net/p/xine/xine-lib-1.2/ci/default/tree/}}
}}
{{Infobox software
| name                 = xine-ui
| repo                 = {{URL|https://sourceforge.net/p/xine/xine-ui/ci/default/tree/}}
| screenshot           = Xine screenshot.png
}}
{{Infobox software
| name                 = gxine
| repo                 = {{URL|https://sourceforge.net/p/xine/gxine/ci/default/tree/}}
| screenshot           = Gxine-screenshot.png
}}
{{Infobox software
| name                 = xine-plugin
| repo                 = {{URL|https://sourceforge.net/p/xine/xine-plugin/ci/default/tree/}}
}}
'''xine''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|s|iː|n}}<ref name=pronunciation>{{cite web | url=http://www.xine-project.org/faq#pronounce | title=xine FAQ, ''How do I pronounce "xine"?'' |publisher=xine-project.org | access-date=2006-08-03}}</ref> is a [[multimedia]] playback engine for [[Unix-like]] [[operating system]]s released under the [[GNU General Public License]]. xine is built around a [[Library (computing)#Shared_libraries|shared library]] (xine-lib) that supports different frontend player applications. xine uses libraries from other projects such as [[liba52]], [[libmpeg2]], [[FFmpeg]], [[MPEG Audio Decoder|libmad]], [[FAAD2]], and [[Ogle DVD Player|Ogle]].<ref name=about>{{cite web | url=http://www.xine-project.org/about | title=About xine |publisher=xine-project.org | access-date=2006-11-14}}</ref> xine can also use binary Windows codecs through a wrapper, bundled as the w32codecs, for playback of some media formats that are not handled natively.<ref name="features" />

== History ==
The xine project was started in 2000 by Günter Bartsch shortly after [[LinuxTag]]. At that time playing [[DVD]]s in [[Linux]] was described as a tortuous process since one had to manually create audio and video [[named pipe]]s and start their separated decoder processes.

Günter realized the OMS (Open Media System) or [[LiViD]] approach had obvious shortcomings in terms of audio and video synchronization, so xine was born as an experiment trying to get it right. The project evolved into a modern media player [[multi-threaded]] architecture.<ref name=architecture>{{cite web | url=http://www.xine-project.org/hackersguide#AEN467 | title=The xine hacker's guide - Engine architecture and data flow |publisher=xine-project.org | access-date=2007-02-06}}</ref>

During xine development, some effort was dedicated to making a clear separation of the player engine (xine-lib) and [[Front-end and back-end|front-end]] (xine-ui). Since the 1.0 release (2004-12-25) the API of xine-lib is considered stable and several applications and players rely on it.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}}

Günter left the project in 2003 when he officially announced the new project leaders, Miguel Freitas, Michael Roitzsch, Mike Melanson, and Thibaut Mattern.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}}

== Supported media formats ==
*'''Physical media''': [[compact disc|CDs]], [[DVD]]s, [[Video CD]]s<ref name=xinemrlman>{{cite web | url=http://www.thelinuxblog.com/linux-man-pages/5/xine | title=Xine(5) MRL Man Page | publisher=thelinuxblog.com | access-date=2008-06-09 | archive-date=2009-02-07 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207025509/http://thelinuxblog.com/linux-man-pages/5/xine | url-status=dead }}</ref>
*'''[[Container format (digital)|Container format]]s''': [[3gp]], [[Audio Video Interleave|AVI]], [[Advanced Systems Format|ASF]], [[FLV]], [[Matroska]], [[QuickTime|MOV (QuickTime)]], [[MP4]], [[FFmpeg#NUT|NUT]], [[Ogg]], [[OGM]], [[RealMedia]]
*'''Audio formats''': [[Advanced Audio Coding|AAC]], [[Dolby AC-3|AC3]], [[Apple Lossless|ALAC]], [[Adaptive Multi-Rate|AMR]], [[FLAC]], [[MP3]], [[RealAudio]], [[Shorten (file format)|Shorten]], [[Speex]], [[Vorbis]], [[Windows Media Audio|WMA]]
*'''[[Template:Compression Formats|Video formats]]''': [[Cinepak]], [[DV (video format)|DV]], [[H.263]], [[H.264/MPEG-4 AVC]], [[HuffYUV]], [[Indeo]], [[MJPEG]], [[MPEG-1]], [[MPEG-2]], [[MPEG-4 ASP]], [[RealVideo]], [[Sorenson codec|Sorenson]], [[Theora]], [[Windows Media Video|WMV]] (partial, including WMV1, WMV2 and WMV3; via [[FFmpeg]])
*'''Video devices''': [[Video4Linux|V4L]], [[Digital Video Broadcasting|DVB]], [[Digital video recorder|PVR]]
*'''Network protocols''': [[Hypertext Transfer Protocol|HTTP]], [[Transmission Control Protocol|TCP]], [[User Datagram Protocol|UDP]], [[Real-time Transport Protocol|RTP]], [[Server Message Block|SMB]], [[Microsoft Media Services|MMS]], [[Netpbm format|PNM]], [[Real Time Streaming Protocol|RTSP]]

== DVD issues ==
Since it is not a member of [[DVD Forum]], the xine project is not contractually obliged to insert [[user operation prohibition]] such as disallowing fast-forward or skipping during trailers and ads. However, without membership in the Forum, the project also cannot make xine play DVDs [[encryption|encrypted]] with [[Content Scramble System|CSS]] except by using reverse-engineered code. xine therefore uses the [[libdvdcss]] library, which was created by reverse engineering. The legal status of libdvdcss is questionable in several nations; in the [[United States]], for example, the [[Digital Millennium Copyright Act]] [[Universal v. Reimerdes|arguably prohibits reverse-engineering]] of CSS. Virtually all commercial DVDs are encrypted with CSS.

== Other issues ==
To prevent a screensaver from starting, xine sends a [[scroll lock]] key signal to the environment to pretend keyboard interaction took place. This can often lead to issues with other programs running as they receive the scroll lock key as normal input. One example is the [[Konsole]] terminal emulator, which changes the behaviour of the arrow keys when scroll lock is used.{{Citation needed|date=November 2008}}

== Graphical user interface ==
The xine project offers graphical front-ends for xine, including one based on [[Xlib]] and another on [[GTK+]], along with a browser plugin.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://xine-project.org/releases|title=the xine project - Download}}</ref> Other front-ends for xine are available from other projects.

== xine backend ==
The shared library 'xine-lib' used and developed by xine is also used by other projects. For example, it can be used instead of [[GStreamer]] as a backend for the [[Phonon (KDE)|Phonon]] media framework used by [[KDE]] and [[Qt (software)|Qt]].

== See also ==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
*[[List of codecs]]
**[[Open source codecs and containers]]
**[[Comparison of video codecs]]
*[[Comparison of audio coding formats]]
*[[Comparison of container formats]]
*[[Screencast]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Media player (application software)|free}}

[[Category:2000 software]]
[[Category:Cross-platform software]]
[[Category:Free media players]]
[[Category:Free software programmed in C]]
[[Category:Free video software]]
[[Category:Linux DVD players]]
[[Category:Linux media players]]
[[Category:Multimedia frameworks]]
[[Category:Software that uses FFmpeg]]
[[Category:Video software that uses GTK]]
[[Category:Video software that uses Qt]]