REQ: Software player / Freely distributable / No Install!

[midimidi]

Getting into video with the company I work for, and I'm looking for something very particular. A lot of our clients are not able to install software on their machines, but we want to go with MPEG-2, which requires an installed codec.

Recently, we received an outsourced Video CDR that had a built-in player, decoding an mpeg-2 file. The software that this disc was authored with appears to be Pinnacle's Impression:

http://wwwus.pinnaclesys.com/ProductPage_n.asp?Product_ID=464&Langue_ID=7

This $200 suite includes a program that appears to build an MPEG-2 inside of a freely distributable software player that is all on the CD. There is no installation required - the disc just autostarts a built *.exe program that then plays back the *.dat, either in VCD or SVCD format. What's nice is you could then make a compliant SVCD, with this included and the disc would be fully compatible with any SVCD set top player, as well as any computer, even if an mpeg-2 codec is not installed! Very nice. I have only seen one instance where the file didn't play back right, but I think that had something to do with that particular machine...everything played fine, but the screen was out of horizontal sync - kind of sort of like seeing an s-video signal on a video signal...


Question - does such a thing exist in any freely available software? I didn't see anything like this in the Tools section. We have all kinds of DVD Authoring software, so having some kind of freely distributable software player is all I need, not requiring any kinds of installation!

Otherwise...we're stuck with VCD and MPEG-1...NO!!!!

THANKS.

[Supreme2k]

Possibly Media Player Classic?
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=82303&release_id=170921

I'm not sure if you have to have the codecs installed, but it's still a great player.

[evilwarmaster]

All the SVCD/DVD software players that I've seen require a MPEG-2 codec to be installed. However, you could offer an option to install a free MPEG-2 codec, which can be found on the internet if you look hard enough. Once a MPEG-2 codec is installed or is already on the system, a program like Windows Media Player could be called to play the file.

A free MPEG-2 codec can be downloaded from:
http://codeccorner.com/file/_mpeg2_filter_for_wmp.zip

You could create a AUTORUN.inf file on the CD, then run a batch file calling install.bat then running Windows Media Player to view the file. This would automatically install a MPEG-2 codec on their system, and then play the file in Windows Media Player.

[midimidi]

Please note - there are clients who are NOT able to install anything on their systems...I need something that doesn't require any installation...A good example is a locked computer in a library, where all admin rights are removed from the user, including just copying files for a HD.

Will look at Classic Player, though I think it requires a codec.

Just talked with the person we outsourced to and used Impression. It does not require the mpeg-2 codec, and is somehow included with the program. Since it IS then possible, I'm just curious if there's anything out there for less / free. I guess I'm surprised there's not...

Thanks for the replies though!

[chargin]

Freind have I got the answer for you!!
http://www.radgametools.com/bnkdown.htm
Download the rad tools, 1.2 meg file, it takes a while to work out but its awesome. Standalone .exe video files with a heap of customisation options, accepts nearly any input file and the files arent any bigger! I just got it today and Im amazed, I just handed 20 svcd's to a customer today and I wished I had used a bink file on them along with the svcd for the computer compatablity thing, not all pc's are mpeg2 able. This tool needs to be in the tools section. Its free also, has a small graphic at the end of the video. Quick tut: Highlight file, "bink it", then you have to "mix in sound" highlight same file again and it adds the sound, then you highlight the file this gives you and go advanced play and pick setts and "make .exe" the resulting file is smaller and looks great!
Let me know what you think.....