Obscure Video Encoding

[zuk1]

This may sound extremely weird but bare with me.

I need a way to encode a video into an obscure format so that they have to install a codec to play the video. It must be a codec which very few people will have. I'm a noob to all this kind of stuff so I'd be very grateful for any information or help!

[guns1inger]

Unless you are prepared to write your own, or use something that creates huge files, you are pretty much out of luck. There are codecs that aren't used much, but they tend to either produce poor quality, or very big files.

[jman98]

Are you prepared for your potential viewers to instead say "Screw that!" and NOT install the codec and NOT watch your video? Are you prepared for them to think that you're an idiot because you encoded the video in a way that required them to load a codec to watch it? Are you prepared for the codec to not work correctly on some systems? Are you prepared for people to accuse you of trying to put spyware or viruses on their computers because they were asked to install a codec and they are suspicious of that?

I am assuming that your motivation is to "protect" your video this way. If that's your motivation, I'd suggest that maybe you really shouldn't make it available to anyone else to watch.

[tomlee59]

This may sound extremely weird but bare with me.

I'll keep my clothes on, thank you.

But to answer your question, of course there are obscure codecs, but you must understand why they might be obscure. Obsolescence and poor performance are frequently the reasons. Encode your movies in Cinepak, and have your viewers watching videos the way multimedia games looked in the early 1990s. Huge files, low quality. Yeeha!

And modern playback software can have difficulty with these older formats. If you are trying to make it difficult for people to watch your videos, just damage the file. Get a hex editor and change some bits. Then tell your user (the number will be reduced to about that number) to go and change those back manually. Done.

If you can say a bit more about what you're trying to accomplish, maybe folks here can suggest a more sensible method than the one you've initially settled on. Or not.

[bendixG15]

spy videos ?

[ron spencer]

LOL......

[edDV]

I read this as mini stealth. An interesting low level strategy. Hope the NSA is listening. As for me "no comment".

[greymalkin]

your efforts are in vain..someone will surely convert the video and upload it to youtube and you'll be shamed for all the world to see.

If it's that private you should have private showings and deny physical access to the digital/disc media.

[Cornucopia]

Porn sites do this all the time.

...Oops, how would I know that--I've never been to one!

Also, lots of security software (the kind that have multiple tiled views, etc) do this alot--specifically so that you HAVE to use THEIR player (partly for "security" reasons, but mainly to charge an arm & a leg).

What you do there is install the software (trial period) in virtual machine, along with Fraps/Camtasia/etc and cap it as it plays and save it to a NORMAL codec. Then just dump the VM.

Scott

[zuk1]

People are going to see this, I just want them to have to download a codec to see it. Can't go into detail.

[deadrats]

People are going to see this, I just want them to have to download a codec to see it. Can't go into detail.

i know exactly how you can accomplish this but i can't go into detail, you will have to download the instructions from my web site, which is obscure, and i can't go into any details about how you can go about finding the link to.

sorry, it's a secret.

[Cornucopia]

Look, it's

1. A F*****G waste of people's time to have to DL an obscure codec. IT's hard to find. IT usually COSTS something, whereas most regular codecs DON'T. IT's only useful for a handful of clips, so takes up space and bloats the registry otherwise. IT has an unknown pedigree, so could have viruses/spyware hidden inside AND it may be badly written, buggy and of poor visual quality. WHY USE IT? Are your clips that good? (I doubt it, Hollywood's clips are better and THEY use standard codecs).

2. You make people go through all this extra work just to see your clip (whether you charge or no). Don't do that. That's why I wrote the part above. So that somebody who doesn't like this BS way of working can decode it once and convert it to something normal and not have to play by YOUR RULES anymore (and I will continue to give helpful advice like that just because I don't like media/copyright bullies). You ARE trying to get it watched, aren't you?

If this is NOT what I think it is, then why don't you just "bare" all and clearly and fully explain your business model and type of media and content market, and there are a number of people here who can give great suggestions both technical and businesswise.

If this IS what I think it is, ...would you like me to continue?... Mr. 2-post Man.

Scott

[zuk1]

Look, it's

1. A F*****G waste of people's time to have to DL an obscure codec. IT's hard to find. IT usually COSTS something, whereas most regular codecs DON'T. IT's only useful for a handful of clips, so takes up space and bloats the registry otherwise. IT has an unknown pedigree, so could have viruses/spyware hidden inside AND it may be badly written, buggy and of poor visual quality. WHY USE IT? Are your clips that good? (I doubt it, Hollywood's clips are better and THEY use standard codecs).

2. You make people go through all this extra work just to see your clip (whether you charge or no). Don't do that. That's why I wrote the part above. So that somebody who doesn't like this BS way of working can decode it once and convert it to something normal and not have to play by YOUR RULES anymore (and I will continue to give helpful advice like that just because I don't like media/copyright bullies). You ARE trying to get it watched, aren't you?

If this is NOT what I think it is, then why don't you just "bare" all and clearly and fully explain your business model and type of media and content market, and there are a number of people here who can give great suggestions both technical and businesswise.

If this IS what I think it is, ...would you like me to continue?... Mr. 2-post Man.

Scott

I'm also going to be providing them with the codec...

I'm not going to go into detail, either there is an answer and someone can give it to me or there isn't and I'll have to find an alternative, which it's looking like I'll have too. So cut the BS, if you don't have an answer, don't reply.

[guns1inger]

You have been given the answer - you need to look at all the codecs you can find and work out which is is a) able to provide you with a quality outcome, b) produce a video small enough to download, and c) is obscure enough that the average user can't just find it themselves.

The reason people are so suspicious is because the only time you see this type of thing out in the wild is from scammers who force you to download their propriety codec to view (generally pirated or pornographic) videos, and in the meantime they are stealing your credit card numbers.

[jagabo]

IT has an unknown pedigree, so could have viruses/spyware hidden inside

That is probably his intent.

[zuk1]

IT has an unknown pedigree, so could have viruses/spyware hidden inside

That is probably his intent.

Vicious claim.

[TBoneit]

The only time I've seen "You need to download this codec to view this content" it is always malware attached to the codec and then the computer comes into work to be cleaned up. If that isn't your intent why the secrecy?

Sorry if that seems harsh but reality often is & in the real world downloaded codecs to view a video are malware infested.

If you want control over the viewing of a video add DRM to a WMV format video. Not that I'd ever use them either but someone must be doing it since they are still being produced.

Cheers

[Cornucopia]

I actually DO know how to do this (as I have had to do this for a number of clients at my former production company), but I'm not telling you without much more openness on your part.

And I'm not fooling about "seeing this on porn & security sites". They use a very similar setup. Maybe you should try out one of theirs, reverse-engineer it, and come up with your own variation. But use a VM-condom!!

Scott

[lordsmurf]

I'm not watching your videos, period. Most intelligent people will be the same way.

This is one of those questions where, if you have to ask the question, you're not smart enough to implement it. Either write your own proprietary codec, or use something standard.

[gll99]

My first thoughts were this: An unsuspecting person is told to download a codec installer containing an embedded mal-ware.

I came to the conclusion that it doesn't require anything so elaborate to create the video to pull this off. Similar bait tricks have been used many times before in one form or another.

I don't really know your reasons but if you want to control video playback, then you might have limited success with the uninformed. If you are trying to hide your personal video collection that's your business as long as they are legal but why be so elaborate. If you plan on increasing site visitations or trying to force paid membership before supplying the codec it won't work long. People talk and Google spreads it fast. Unless you can find one that is guaranteed abandon-ware or public domain, it's probably not even legal to distribute any proprietary codec with financial conditions attached.

Nothing I say here will increase any existing risk that isn't already in use.

On that basis check this list
http://www.fourcc.org/codecs.php

Ok, I know all that writing for just a link. But that list contains crucial information

Here's a a little extra:
Find an old one on the list but don't choose any MS codecs that may be installed with the OS or some of the more commonly used mpeg2, rm, divx, xvid etc... Avoid any of those listed in ffdshow that someone could easily flag those libraries to decode.

btw) Many old codecs have limitations and produce cr@ppy video.

[pippas]

Why not encode the video with an common codec, then encrypt the file with something like Iron Key ?

That way your viewers can download the file, but need a password to activate it, which you can then charge for - or whatever your intention is.

No other software needed at the receiving end.