How to disable i.MX6DQ video/audio codec.

[satoshishimoda]

Hi community,

Our partner want to disable some specific video/audio codecs of i.MX6DQ.

(e.g. MPEG-2: Support,  mp3, h.264: Not support )

We understand video/audio codec is disabled if a library is removed in host PC (e.g. device/fsl-proprietary/codec/lib/xxx.so when using android_4.4.2_1.1.0-ga BSP).

And it is also disabled if a library is removed in target board (/system/lib/xxx.so).

Then, is there any other method to disable video/audio codec?

Best Regards,

Satoshi Shimoda

[satoshishimoda]

According to Android BSP build procedure, it seems that there is no way to disable a specific video/audio codec individually, right?

If there is any other smarter method than removing each codec libraries, would you let me know it?

Best Regards,

Satoshi Shimoda

[jamesbone]

Hello Satoshi San,

I do not know any good method beside the one you mention of removing the libraries of the CODECs but I do not understand why this are problem if the license it is available from the Android License.

DaianeAngolini​, joanxie​, do you know if there is another method?

Have a great day,
Jaime

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: If this post answers your question, please click the Correct Answer button. Thank you!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[daiane_angolini · Accepted solution]

Hi jamesbone​, the problem may not be related with license issue, but with customer autonomy to decide which pieces to include or not. I mean, it would need to be up to user to decide what to use and what not to use.

However, satoshishimoda​, I have never saw (in all back releases I've worked with) a makefile for multimedia plugins which you can actually --disable-mp3 or --disable-h264. The configure option is there (if you ./configure you can see them) but it only do nothing - no effect.

So, Freescale does not provide a clean way to customize the multimedia packages, only the dirty workaround of removing the libraries on target rootfs.

At least, not in back releases... Maybe they have something planned for future, this I don't know.

[DiegoFSL]

Hi Daiane and Freescale,

having a feature to easily disable unwanted / unused codecs would be nice, especially knowing that most of them require patent license to be acquired when distributing to end users, as explained here:

Re: Freescale Android Media codecs and patents: is there any patent to pay before releasing to third...

So, if any "Vote your feature for next Freescale Android BSP" I would vote for having the option to remove codecs.

Bests,

Diego

[satoshishimoda]

Hi DaianeAngolini

Thank you for your reply.

OK, I understand there is no way to remove audio/video codecs.

> the problem may not be related with license issue,

Was this meaning "there is no legal risk even though our partner don't remove the unused codec libraries from BSP if their application don't use the codecs"?

Best Regards,

Satoshi Shimoda

[daiane_angolini]

Please, do not advice customer in legal stuff.

The legal risk is not for use to tell, but for him to take. I am an engineer, not a lawyer, I cannot say what exactly the risks are.

I was only trying to explain to Jamesbone sometimes customer does not want one of freescale plugins, but a community one, and this "choice" may not be involved with legal stuff.

And please, do not convert "may not be related" with "there is no legal risk". I *do not* advice on legal issues.

[satoshishimoda]

OK, I understood your advice did not involve with legal stuff.

So I will not tell about it.

Thank you for your support.

Best Regards,

Satoshi Shimoda