Google Discontinues On2 Flix Engine Video Encoder

trawg writes "Google have recently discontinued sales of the Flix Engine, the last remnants of the purchase of On2 that they were selling directly to users. On2, developers of the VP8 video codec that formed the basis of their new WebM video format, was bought by Google early in 2010. The Flix Engine was a comprehensive API for Windows and Linux that allowed integration of On2 encoders directly into any software product. While you can still buy some On2 products from another company, it's not clear what effect this will have on Google's ultimate video strategy."

And all the FCP types use it all the time

[Sycraft-fu]

Borrowed a video camera from people in another department, but it's firewire output was borked. They then went to dump the tape for me. I got asked at least 4 times if ProRes was ok and said "no we aren't Mac, I edit in Vegas it reads native files, HDV format please." What did I get in the end? ProRes. Of course Vegas can't read that because, as you noted, Apple doesn't release it.

Google doesn't sell many products

[Animats]

Google sells very little, other than advertising. If they sold something for money, customers would insist on support. Almost the only thing Google sells directly to customers is the Google Search Appliance, which is available as a 1U or 4U rackmount server. The low-end version, the Google Mini, is sold with no support and a two-year replacement warranty. After two years, you're supposed to replace the entire unit. Google tried selling phones directly, and that lasted only for five months of 2010.

So it's not surprising that Google would drop a commercial software product. They don't sell any.

Re:Watch this, large tech companies

[jo_ham]

The codec is available for both Mac and windows on apple's site. Yes, a true example of "lock in".

Re:Good riddance

[DontLickJesus]

You, my friend, are a moron. At the time digital video equipment was in a deciding moment. I personally suggested this format to a company, and it completely changed the game for them. Their storage space increased by over 10x, while resolution stayed the same. This was a vendor of security surveillance systems, and I was fired months later. The company blossomed due to my suggestion, even dropping an in-house developed MPEG codec.

VP6 was ahead of its time. It's deserved the money. Codecs involve more than web, and their development involves very specific knowledge in both high level math and computers. It's hard work that take loads of time. They deserved the money.

PS: My wife asked me to add an appendage about sucking a certain appendage.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion