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    1) Introduction
    ---------------
    
    ffmpeg is a hyper fast realtime audio/video encoder, a streaming
    server and a generic audio and video file converter. 
    
    It can grab from a standard Video4Linux video source and convert it
    into several file formats based on DCT/motion compensation
    encoding. Sound is compressed in MPEG audio layer 2 or using an AC3
    compatible stream.
    
    What makes ffmpeg interesting ?
    
    - Innovative streaming technology : multiformat, real time encoding,
      simple configuration.
    
    - Simple and efficient video encoder: outputs MPEG1, H263, Real
      Video(tm), MPEG4, DIVX and MJPEG compatible bitstreams using the
      same encoder core.
    
    - Real time encoding (25 fps in 352x288 on a K6 500) using the
      video4linux API.
    
    - Generates I and P frames, which means it is far better than a MJPEG
      encoder.
    
    - Hyper fast MPEG audio layer 2 compression (50 times faster than
      realtime on a K6 500).
    
    - Hyper fast AC3 compatible encoder.
    
    - simple and very small portable C source code, easy to understand and
      to modify. It be may the smallest decent MPEG encoder :-)
    
    - optional non real time higher quality encoding (different motion
      estimators available).
    
    - Audio and Video decoders are in development.
    
    ffmpeg is made of two programs:
    
    * ffmpeg: soft VCR which encodes in real time to several formats. It
      can also encode from any supported input file format to any input
      supported format.
    
    * ffserver: high performance live broadcast streaming server based on
      the ffmpeg core encoders.
    
    2) Documentation
    ----------------
    
    * Read doc/ffmpeg.txt and doc/ffserver.txt to learn the basic features.
    
    * Read doc/TODO to know what are the know bugs and missing features.
    
    * Read doc/README.dev if you want to contribute or use the codec or
      format libraries.
    
    3) Licensing:
    ------------
    
    
    * See the file COPYING. ffmpeg and the associated library EXCEPT
      liba52 are licensed under the Lesser GNU General Public
      License. liba52 is distributed under the GNU General Public License.
    
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    * This code should be patent free since it is very simple. I took care
      to use the same video encoder/decoder core for all formats to show
    
      that they really are mostly the same.
    
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    Fabrice Bellard.