Creating a Codec --- HELP?

[jecoconut]

I have to create an mpeg4 and mp3 codec for my thesis project and I don't know how to even go about it.

Does anybody know of any websites for a newbie like me?
Or at least offer any information that could help?

[leo77]

I'm working with mpeg2, and I found something at http://www.mpeg.org/MPEG/MSSG/
they mention something about Mp3 and mpeg4, but I didnt read it all...
unfortunatelly, they dont answer e-mails and dont update the website anymore...

[vcdforme]

Why don't you just get a disassembler, and reverse engineer some
code. Isn't that all Microsoft does?
Write some good compression schemes and you'll be rich
beyond your wildest dreams as all of the TV stations are
gearing up to go digital. They will have to pay huge license fees for
the codec of choice. Good luck.
In 2007 they're supposed to pull the plug on analog TV.
Maybe you'll be ready by then, and waiting with your codec.
(we're talking U.S. of course)

[leo77]

I found a mpeg4 souce code at http://www.doom9.org/sources.htm.
I tryed to test it but it didnt work in the very first time, and as I was already working with mpeg2 I stoped trying.
if you try it and make it work let me know... I was curious 8) ...

[trossin]

I've seen books on the subject at Barnes and Nobel. I would do an Amazon search for books and learn about the algorithms instead of just stealing code from other people and getting a degree for it.

Maybe you can find papers on the subject from NAB conferences or the like. When I did my thesis I read boat loads of papers and had references galore. You won't learn a thing by just doing a web search for source code. Learn about the math. DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform), FFT (Fast Fourier Transfrom), motion estimation vectors and the like. Cool stuff that you would never understand by just looking at code.

[Ufit]

As far as I know http://www.projectmayo.com/ has the open source code
for mpeg4 and even divx. I was curious too and analyzed mpeg2 codec
source. Funny thing is mpeg4,divx, xvid and others follow the idea from
mpeg2 macroblock motion prediction coding. The difference is only in scalability and more complex dynamical change of the frame structure.
Im still not that far but at least I understand how the codec actualy works.
Also funny thing is - those algorithms were mostly written by some chinese,
japanese or other similiar guys. But the source code is pretty messy and disorganized (.