Xtheater is a GTK+ software that enables the playback of MPEG-1 format streams from various sources including files, http, and VCD. It provides the functionality of seeking within the playback.
Xtheater is a media player for Linux with seek capability. It supports playing MPEG-1 format streams from file, http, and VCD. It can also handle MPEG video and audio files, network streams, and VCDs, as well as AVI and ASF files. Xtheater utilizes libaviplay and smpeg to achieve this functionality. The player aims to keep things simple and straightforward, offering a nice featureset while delivering stable performance.
The installation process for Xtheater is not the simplest, but it is also not the most difficult. Before installation, ensure X11, Glib/GTK, SDL, SMPEG, and Avifile are installed. Binary packages are available for some of these requirements. For AVI/ASF playback, however, the package must be obtained from the CVS repository. Note that for correct performance, libaviplay must be linked with libXxf86vm on some systems.
Once all prerequisite packages are installed, run ./configure in the Xtheater directory. If desired, enable GL support at this stage. After running ./configure, run make install to put all necessary files in the correct directories. By default, the configuration is stored at /usr/local/Xtheater/config.
In version 1.0.0 pre1 release, the player features enhanced flexibility of MPG/VCD fullscreen with scaling options. Bugs with smpeg plugin and opening too many files sequentially have also been addressed. New support for XVideo extension for player plugins allows scaling to take advantage of XVideo overlays, with automatic fallback to software scaler if unavailable. In version 0.9.2 release, fixes include the Seekbar not updating while being dragged and memory leak issues. Additionally, the player has been updated to support the latest stable avifile release.
Xtheater is a robust MPEG-1 player with added capabilities for playing other formats. It is not the easiest player to install, but the process is manageable with the appropriate prerequisite packages. The player performs well and offers a range of features, as detailed in the software review.
The installation process for Xtheater is not the simplest, but it is also not the most difficult. Before installation, ensure X11, Glib/GTK, SDL, SMPEG, and Avifile are installed. Binary packages are available for some of these requirements. For AVI/ASF playback, however, the package must be obtained from the CVS repository. Note that for correct performance, libaviplay must be linked with libXxf86vm on some systems.
Once all prerequisite packages are installed, run ./configure in the Xtheater directory. If desired, enable GL support at this stage. After running ./configure, run make install to put all necessary files in the correct directories. By default, the configuration is stored at /usr/local/Xtheater/config.
In version 1.0.0 pre1 release, the player features enhanced flexibility of MPG/VCD fullscreen with scaling options. Bugs with smpeg plugin and opening too many files sequentially have also been addressed. New support for XVideo extension for player plugins allows scaling to take advantage of XVideo overlays, with automatic fallback to software scaler if unavailable. In version 0.9.2 release, fixes include the Seekbar not updating while being dragged and memory leak issues. Additionally, the player has been updated to support the latest stable avifile release.
Xtheater is a robust MPEG-1 player with added capabilities for playing other formats. It is not the easiest player to install, but the process is manageable with the appropriate prerequisite packages. The player performs well and offers a range of features, as detailed in the software review.
What's New
Version 1.0.0 pre1: N/A