Introduction

DirectShow filters are multimedia components that can be used to process or enhance video and audio multimedia streams. The LEADTOOLS Multimedia SDK includes full or evaluation versions* of the key DirectShow filters listed below. Browse the Table of Contents for a complete listing of all filters included and covered by this help file.

Codecs (Compressers-Decompressers) are required for encoding (creating) and decoding (playing) audio and video files. With LEAD iCompress™ codecs, you can compress large media files with no perceivable loss of quality. LEAD Codecs with iCompress™ technologies are the unprecedented leader in audio and video compression technology. LEAD codecs deliver the highest quality sound and high definition images to your multimedia formats. Supporting both industry standard formats, as well as integrating our own industry leading compression algorithms, LEAD codecs can produce the highest quality formats at the smallest file size. This provides you with opportunities compress any video content up to only 20% of its original file size, making it easier to stream online, place on popular handheld devices (such as the PSP™ or iPod®) or share. LEADTOOLS Multimedia includes evaluation versions* of the key LEAD Audio/Video Codecs listed below. Browse the Table of Contents for a complete listing of all codecs included and covered by this helpfile.

Also included are evaluation versions [*] of the DVD writer, DVD burner, MPEG-1 multiplexer , MPEG-2 multiplexer, ISO multiplexer, Screen capture filter, Network filters (source, mux, sink and protocol manager), and DICOM medical toolkit filters.
 

[*] Evaluation versions included with LEADTOOLS Multimedia toolkit. For pricing on filter and codec client licenses, contact sales@LEADTOOLS.com .

Key Features:

Video Filters - Enhancements

Video Filters - Special Effects

Audio Filters

Other Filters, Multiplexers, Demultiplexers, and DICOM

LEAD Audio Codecs featuring iCompress™*

LEAD Video Codecs featuring iCompress™*

Requirements

Supported Environments

Video Filters - Enhancements

• LEAD Video Add Filter - Brightens a frame by adding two or more frames. Useful in correcting video taken in low-light conditions. For example, astronomers or video surveillance applications should find this filter useful.

• LEAD Auto Contrast Filter -Changes the contrast without changing colors (hue). It makes the dark values darker and the light values lighter, which automatically enhances shadows and brightens the video stream.

• LEAD Auto Intensity Filter - Performs color leveling on the RGB channel (the sum of the R, G, and B channels), without changing colors. It makes the dark values darker and the light values lighter, which automatically enhances shadows and brightens the video stream. It also maximizes the tonal range of the image and enhances the contrast and intensity using the image's histogram and a color distribution-based algorithm.

• LEAD Auto Level Filter - Performs color leveling on the individual R, G and B channels, treating each of the R, G and B channels as a separate entity, without changing colors. It makes the dark values darker and the light values lighter, which automatically enhances shadows and brightens the video stream.

• LEAD Color Space Converter - Converts between numerous YUV and RGB data. Supported YUV formats: YUY2, UYVY, YV12, YVYU, IYU2, IYU1, Y41P, YVU9, IY41, IUYV, I420, IYUV, V210, v210, NV12. Supported RGB formats: RGB24, RGB32, ARGB32, RGB565, RGB555, ARGB1555, RGB8, RGB4, RGB1, LGRY.

• LEAD Video Color Replace Filter - Replaces any range of colors in a video stream with another range of colors.

• LEAD Video Color Filter - Adjusts Hue, Saturation, Brightness, Contrast.

• LEAD Video Deblocking Filter -Smoothes edges and removes the blocky artifacts present in highly compressed MJPEG or MPEG movies. Extremely useful for improving movies created by digital cameras that can take highly compressed, small video clips.

• LEAD Video Deinterlace Filter [*] - Deinterlaces video with a pattern, deinterlaces only a region of interest (rectangle), and specifies segments in the video to deinterlace and how to deinterlace the segment (no deinterlace, interlace, deinterlace with pattern).

• LEAD Video Resize Filter [*] - Resizes the video by adjusting the width and height of the frames using normal resize, resample (bilinear interpolation), bicubic interpolation.

• LEAD Video Crop Filter [*] - Play, convert or capture only a specific rectangular area within the video.

• LEAD Video Rotation Filter [*] - Flips, Reverses, Rotates 90, 180, and 270 degrees. Very useful when certain devices capture video in a rotated state.

• LEAD Video Unsharp Mask Filter [*] - Powerful algorithm for edge enhancing. Improves the quality of some movies that look "washed out" because of resizing. The Video Unsharp Mask Filter produces better results than Video Edge Enhance.

• LEAD Video Edge Enhance Filter - Improves the quality of some movies that look "washed out" because of resizing. The LEAD Video Edge Enhance Filter is similar to Video Unsharp Mask Filter, but much faster.

• LEAD Video Mosaic Filter - Conceals a specific area in the video by making it blocky.

• LEAD Video Gamma Correction Filter - Applies Gamma Correction (nonlinear brightness) to a video.

• LEAD Video Histogram Equalize Filter [*] - Automatically increases the contrast and details in videos by using the histogram. This effect enhances videos that are too dark or too bright.

• LEAD Video Histogram View Filter [*] - Draws the running histogram of a video stream. The filter also provides access to the histogram array through its programming interface. The histogram can be viewed for a single channel or for all channels.

• LEAD Video Text Overlay Filter [*] - Adds static or moving text to videos with control over the font, font size, border and background. Additionally, an external XML file can be used to specify text to appear on specific frames.

• LEAD Video Overlay Filter [*] - Superimpose a logo over a video or play a video inside a video (PiP).

• LEAD Still Image Reader - Adds support to DirectShow to read any file format supported by LEADTOOLS. (For example, open CMP or TIFF files in Media Player.) The filter registers the following extensions with DirectShow: pict, pct, pic, dib, gif, cmp, png, jpg, jff, jpe, jtf, fjif, tiff, tif, pcd, but can be customized to register any of the 120+ file formats supported by LEADTOOLS.

• LEAD Still Image Writer - Adds support to DirectShow to save any file format supported by LEADTOOLS. It can save several single images (movie0001.cmp, movie0002.cmp, etc) or, it can save all images in one multi-page file (movie.tif).

• LEAD Video Callback Filter [*] - Each video sample is provided in a callback for additional processing before being forwarded to the next component in the graph. The filter can be used during capture, playback or conversion.

• LEAD Video Motion Detection [*] - Motion is emphasized by a frame around the motion and/or displaying a frame of only the motion (areas of the frame without motion are black). Programmatically, the filter will fire a callback each time a frame is received. If motion is detected, the bounding rectangles containing the motion can be retrieved. The possible notifications received with each frame are motion has started, motion, motion has stopped and still. Filter settings include object size, sensitivity and more.

Video Filters - Special Effects

• LEAD Video Emboss Filter - Creates an emboss or bumpmap effect. Can also be used as a DirectX filter with in DirectShow Editing Services (DES).

• LEAD Video EFX Aging Filter - Adds random scratches and noise to the movie giving it the appearance of old film.

• LEAD Video EFX Brightness Filter -"Hides" moving objects. In places where there is movement, the brightness of the background changes allowing you to see that there is movement, but you can only guess what it is by the shape

• LEAD Video EFX BumpMap Filter - Applies a bumpmap effect to the video stream.

• LEAD Video EFX Dizzy Filter - Applies an effect to the movie that simulates a dizzy feeling.

• LEAD Video EFX Fire Filter - Makes moving objects appear to be on fire.

• LEAD Video EFX Ghost Filter - Renders moving objects as invisible.

• LEAD Video EFX Glass Tile Filter - Makes the video appear as if it is being viewed through glass tiles.

• LEAD Video EFX Hologram Filter - Draws a holographic-like shadow of moving objects.

• LEAD Video EFX Lens Filter - Adds a fish eye-like effect to the movie. Can also be used to magnify an area in a video.

• LEAD Video EFX Lightning Filter - Draws lightning sparks around moving objects.

• LEAD Video EFX Maze Filter - Distorts the movie into a crystal maze.

• LEAD Video EFX Motion Blur Filter - Makes moving objects blurry. It gives the appearance of a random glow around the motion.

• LEAD Video EFX Motion Emboss Filter - Makes moving objects embossed.

• LEAD Video EFX Motion Mosaic Filter - Makes moving objects blocky.

• LEAD Video EFX Motion Scan Filter - Scans one line per frame and draws it to the destination (Radar effect), distorting the moving objects.

• LEAD Video EFX Particles Filter - Renders moving objects into small particles, joining the particles to reform the object when it stops moving.

• LEAD Video EFX Predator Filter - Create video effects similar to the Predator movies.

• LEAD Video EFX Rain Filter - Adds rain drops to the video as if the video is a pool of water.

• LEAD Video EFX Streak Filter - Simulates very fast movement.

• LEAD Video EFX Wave Filter - Renders waves around moving objects. The video is the surface of a body of water and moving objects will generate concentric waves as if something touched the surface of the water.

 Audio Filters

• LEAD VUMeter Filter - Detects the strength of an audio stream. Provides a visual indication of the audio level.

• LEAD Echo Filter - Adds an echo audio effect.

• LEAD Volume Control Filter - Adjusts the volume. Useful for bringing audio files to the same level so audio from one source is not louder than audio from another source.

• LEAD Chorus Filter - Create several layers of the same sound. This effect adds depth and resonance to a sound.

• LEAD Flanger Filter - Ghosting effect.

• LEAD Phaser Filter - Makes the audio thinner or fuller.

• LEAD Audio Detection* - Detects audio silence/noise. Very useful for applications such as security (starts capture when there is noise and stops capture when there is silence).

• LEAD Audio Callback - Each audio sample is provided in a callback for additional processing before being forwarded to the next component in the graph. This filter can be used during capture, playback or conversion.

• LEAD Ogg Splitter - Play and convert OGG files.

• LEAD OGG Mulitplexer - Create OGG files using the LEAD Capture or Convert modules.

 Other Filters

• LEAD MPEG-1 Multiplexer A module that combines audio and video into one file. - Create MPEG-1 files.

• LEAD MPEG-2 Multiplexer - Create MPEG-2 files.

• LEAD Frame Rate Control Filter [*] - The Frame Rate Control filter provides changes the frame rate of the passing video stream.

• LEAD Dynamic Rate Control Filter [*] - The Dynamic Rate Control filter provides changes the playback rate of the passing video stream.

• LEAD RGB Converter - Converts to and from RGB1 grayscale, RGB1 color, RGB4 grayscale, RGB4 color, RGB8 color, RGB8 grayscale, RGB15 (5:5:5), RGB16 (5:6:5), RGB24, RGB32 and 12 and 16 bit grayscale color spaces.

• LEAD Screen Capture Filter – Captures the screen. Use this filter to record video files for training or technical support purposes.

• LEAD Screen Capture Codec A COmpressor combined with a DECompressor, or encoder and a decoder, which allows you to both compress and decompress that same data. – Lossless video compression filter designed to be used with the screen capture filter. Provides very high compression ratios without any loss of quality.

• LEAD Windows Media Reader – Plays Windows Media files from a local file or URL. It is required for playing Windows Media files from a URL under Vista.

• DICOM Filters Evaluation - Create and play DICOM files without programming!

  • Register the DICOM reader and view any DICOM file in LEAD's MM player or Windows Media Player.

  • Use the DICOM writer filter to capture straight into a DICOM file or convert any video to a DICOM file. The writer uses a template DICOM file containing the non-image DICOM tags needed to create valid DICOM files. The writer also has built-in data compression support. The writer is also designed to integrate seamlessly with LEADTOOLS Medical Imaging toolkits where it can stream directly into a LEADTOOLS DICOM DataSet

  • DICOM and 16 bit grayscale functionality require a LEADTOOLS Medical Imaging product in conjunction with a LEADTOOLS Multimedia product. Contact Sales@LEADTOOLS.com for more information.

LEAD Video Codecs featuring iCompress™*

• H.264 Codec

• H.264 Transcoder

• MPEG-4 Codec

• MPEG-2 Codec

• H.263 Codec

• MCMW Codec

• MCMP/MJPEG Codec

• MJPEG2000 Codec

• MPEG-2 Transport Demultiplexers

LEAD Audio Codecs featuring iCompress™*

• AAC Codec

• AAC Transcoder

• AMR Codec

• Vorbis Codec

Requirements

LEADTOOLS Multimedia features require that DirectShow 8.0 to be installed. There are also a number of files that you must include when you build your application . To use the filters in your application, you must expose the ILMMCommon Interface .

Certain filters and codecs require runtime licenses for inclusion with your application. For information on licensing the LEADTOOLS Filters and Codecs, refer to Multimedia Filters and Codec Licensing .

Supported Environments

The Multimedia features come in a WIN32 edition that can support development of software applications for any of the following environments:

Windows 98
Windows 2000
Windows Me
Windows XP
Windows Vista