Information

MainConcept ShowCase provides a simple and efficient way to evaluate MainConcept codecs for decoding on your Windows PC. It enables experts and developers to play back videos from numerous formats and streams:

• Blu-ray Disc*
• SVC Baseline/High Profiles
• Adobe Flash F4V streams
• AVC-Intra Class 50 and Class 100
• DVD*
• Sony XDCAM HD, XDCAM EX, XDCAM DV and XDCAM IMX
• Panasonic P2 DVCPRO and AVC-Intra
• Sony PSP
• Apple iPod
• JPEG2000 DCI
• AVCHD*
• … and many more!

MainConcept ShowCase frees developers from integrating MainConcept’s Codec SDK decoding components into their own development for just testing the features, performance and quality. The evaluation process can now start right away by downloading our player application. MainConcept ShowCase comes for free and has all MainConcept DirectShow filters included. It is the perfect way to evaluate the MainConcept DirectShow filters, because the player includes the same filter versions as our renowned Codec SDK, and it gives an idea of their versatile functionalities.

The easy-to-use software player includes some new features that makes decoding even more convenient, such as a scrubber framewise stepping through a clip, etc.

ShowCase now also allows DXVA 2.0 Hardware Acceleration for H.264/AVC, MPEG-2 and VC-1 streams to enhance decoding performance on many systems. The new ShowCase now also includes a SVC Decoder, so that you can have a look at this exciting format. SVC (Scalable Video Coding) is a new extension to the H.264/AVC standard that allows a video stream to be encoded with multiple quality layers.

If the DivX Decoder filter is registered on your system, you can use it for playing back DivX encoded clips in MainConcept ShowCase as well.

In case of VC-1 decoding, MainConcept ShowCase uses the WMA Audio Deocder and ASF Reader that comes with the Windows operating system.

MainConcept ShowCase comes with MeritMe! This easy-to-use tool enables uses to change the usage priority of the filters, so that these will be definitely used for playing back your footage.

The new version of ShowCase allows users to install all demo decoders separately without the need to install the player GUI. You simply select the Demo Decoder Pack you need, in order to test it in the Windows Media Player. And if you do not need ShowCase, simply do not select it, and it is not installed. This makes it more convenient to evaluate the MainConcept Decoder Packs also in other media players than ShowCase.

* If a DVD, Blu-ray or AVCHD file contains Dolby Digital (AC-3), audio cannot be played back and has to be muted, so that only video is decoded in ShowCase.

MainConcept ShowCase is currently available for Windows only (32-bit/64-bit). The 64-bit version is only available for Windows 7 and Vista. Please note that the player is only a demo version, i.e. it adds a watermark to the decoded picture and has an audio limitation of 30 seconds for AAC (Advanced Audio Coding). The available codecs are:

• H.264 / AVC
• SVC
• MPEG-1/2
• MPEG-4 Part 2
• JPEG2000
• VC-1
• VC-3
• DV/DVCPRO 25/50/HD
• Motion JPEGMPEG Audio
• LPCM
• AAC

Interested parties that have evaluated MainConcept decoding products and want to license them or MainConcept ShowCase for integration into their own solution should contact their local sales representative or simply use our evaluation registration area on our web site.

You have the opportunity to turn some of the demo version DirectShow filters into full versions. Purchasing the new MainConcept Decoder Packs you can now play back your favorite videos in ShowCase without distracting watermark or similar restrictions. Here are the MainConcept Decoder Packs at a glance:

• Decoder Pack MPEG-1/2
• Decoder Pack H.264/AVC Pro
• Decoder Pack H.264/AVC Broadcast
• Decoder Pack DVCPRO HD
• Decoder Pack MPEG-4 Part 2/H.263
• Decoder Pack JPEG2000

The included DirectShow filters can also be used in the Windows Media Player for playback.

Features

Tech Specs

Operating system: MainConcept ShowCase is currently available for Windows only (32-bit and 64-bit), using DirectShow filters. The 64-bit version is only available for Windows 7 and Vista.

Processor: For HDV playback, the recommended minimum requirements are an Intel® Pentium® 4 processor 3.06 GHz or faster with Hyper Threading Technology. For HD and AVCHD decoding, the recommended minimum requirements are an Intel® DualCore processor 2.4 GHz or faster.

We also recommend to install always the current Service Pack for the used operating system.

RAM: 1 GB or more

Update

ShowCase 2.8 includes the following newfeatures and improvements:

• VC-3 Decoder filter added.
• All components included are based on the current Codec SDK 8.8.

ShowCase 2.7 includes the following new features and improvements:

• Implemented "Open with..." functionality.
• Remote graph now displays the native filter name, i.e. inclusive the "(Demo)", "Broadcast", etc.
• InfoAbout screen displays the process architecture (32-bit or 64-bit).
• Network source mode takes into account the new possibility of asynchronous engine initialization.
• Video preview sometimes staid black under certain circumstances though the playback is running.
• Playback now really starts with the 1st frame instead of the 2nd.
• Seeking to the first and last frame.
• Correct start position when user seeks in Stop mode.
• Fixed a potential seeking, slider-related crash in network source mode.
• Fixed a button focus issue causing malfunctions when using the space key for play/pause.
• Small correction for the SVC dialog positioning.
• Implemented "Recent file list…" option.
• Improved SVC playback, among others attempts to always show the best SVC layer in the main preview window.

ShowCase 2.6 includes the following new features and improvements:

• New seeking/scrubbing slider and media duration display add, incl. frame forward/backward stepping via arrow keys.
• "Windowless" video rendering added replacing deprecated IVideoWindow usage.
• EVR and DXVA 2.0, resp. playback added (if the active video decoder supports this hardware acceleration).
• Preview window is now freely resizable, accepts drag'n'drop and key events, such as the main window, preserves aspect ratio.
• Application has been ported to Qt4.x GUI framework.
• Application is now fully "Restart Manager aware" (Vista, Windows7)
• Support for the new SVC decoder filter API.
• The GUI state reflects stop/paused/run changes via the remote graph.
• Fixed InfoAbout crash in case of very long execution path name.
• Fixed a couple of fullscreen mode issues in multi-monitor environment due to "windowless" video rendering.
• Multiple fullscreen switches under Vista are now allowed.

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