

- #Do i need raspberry pi codecs how to
- #Do i need raspberry pi codecs license key
- #Do i need raspberry pi codecs license
Also remember that if you are running NOOBS, and have multiple systems installed which may use MPEG-2, you have to add the key to the config file for each of them separately.

Remember that you have to reboot after adding the key to the config file. None of these methods is particularly difficult, so pick the one which you like best, or which seems least intimidating to you. The 'trick' here is that the boot filesystem is normally mounted read-only, so you have to remount it read-write, edit the file, and then put it back to read-only.

It actually took a lot less than that my first order was for MPEG-2 only, made on a Thursday night, and I got the licence key on Friday the second order, for VC-1, was made on Monday morning, and I got the key that afternoon. I got an email confirming the order, and another confirming the payment (via PayPal) almost immediately, along with a statement that the licences would be emailed within 72 hours. In fact, the codecs only cost me £2 and $1 - I suppose because I am outside the UK or EU and they removed the VAT from my order. The MPEG-2 codec costs £2.40, and the VC-1 codec costs £1.20, including VAT.
#Do i need raspberry pi codecs how to
You will need the serial number of your Raspberry Pi, because the licence is keyed to it the order page explains how to read that from the system. If you want/need these codecs, all you have to do is go to the and spend a very small amount of money. My next question was, 'how do I use these codecs'? Obviously they have to be installed somehow/somewhere, but where and how? Figuring that out, and getting it done, turned out to be a bit more trouble than actually buying them. I know that there are various ways to rip/copy/convert such things so that they might play another way, but besides the fact that I will always choose the path of least resistance - especially when the cost involved is $2 - I simply don't do that kind of thing. Fortunately, there are a couple of good explanatory posts on the Raspberry Pi website - first, the, and then a, including a nice table that shows what plays and what doesn't with which decoder(s).įor my purposes, the important fact was that I needed an MPEG-2 codec to play commercial DVD movies. My first question when I heard about these codecs was, 'what do I need or want these codecs for'? As I have said many times, I am not a multimedia expert or even enthusiast, so the various formats and decoders often baffle me. It didn't take long before it was clear that both of those assumptions were wrong the Pi was wildly popular not only for educational purposes, and especially with the various Media Centre packages the demand for codecs was substantial. The decision was based on a combination of the cost involved - the licences required would have raised the unit price significantly - and their belief that the Pi would be primarily an educational tool, so there wouldn't be a lot of demand for these codecs. The creators of the Raspberry Pi initially decided not to include MPEG-2 and VC-1 codecs with every unit.

I've had a bit of a struggle getting this post written, because I have been fluctuating between: 'Wow, Look, that's really great!' And 'Why the heck doesn't that work?' But I think that I have enough of it figured out now to make it useful to others - so here we go.
#Do i need raspberry pi codecs license
Do I still need to purchase the MPEG-2 and VC-1 license keys for the Raspberry Pi 2? What kind of data rate can I expect from the Raspberry Pi's MPEG Hardware codec? Render a HTML5 Website with no interface. Why does the Raspberry Pi need a MPEG-2 licence? Up vote 39 down vote favorite.
#Do i need raspberry pi codecs license key
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