Demultiplexer (media file)
A demultiplexer for digital media files, or media demultiplexer, also called a file splitter by laymen or consumer software providers, is software that demultiplexes individual elementary streams of a media file, e.g., audio, video, or subtitles and sends them to their respective decoders for actual decoding.[1] Media demultiplexers are not decoders themselves, but are format container handlers that separate media streams from a (container) file and supply them to their respective audio, video, or subtitles decoders.[2]
Notable file splitters
- Microsoft AVI splitter - Part of Microsoft Windows.[3][4][5]
- Haali Media Splitter - demultiplexes MP4 (MPEG-4), M2TS (MPEG transport stream) and MKV (Matroska) files.[6]
- FLV Splitter - demultiplexes Flash video files.[7]
- Gabest splitter (part of Media Player Classic) - demultiplexes e.g. 3GP, MP4
- LAV Splitter - part of the LAV Filters project (open source DirectShow media splitter and decoders).[8]
- libavformat (part of the FFmpeg project) - demultiplexes many formats e.g. 3GP, ASF, AVI, FLV, SWF, M2TS, MKV, MOV, MP4, MPG, NSV, NUT, Ogg, RM, AIFF, AU, WAV, etc.[9]
- e.g. used in MPlayer and GOM Player
- libvlc (part of VideoLAN project and VLC Media Player) - demultiplexes many formats e.g. MPEG transport stream, MPEG program stream, MP4, MOV, 3GP, Ogg, OGM, ASF, WMV, WMA, MKV, FLV, etc.[10]
- Nero Splitter
- Ogg DirectShow Filters[11] - demultiplexes Ogg container
- tsMuxeR, using the Demux output option
- MP4Box, command line MP4 multiplexer/demultiplexer with GUIs like My MP4Box
Playback issues
Playback difficulties (such as no playback, no audio, or no video) may result from several or legacy file splitters for a particular file format being installed on an operating system. This causes decoder-to-file-splitter mismatch resulting in playback failure on media players.
References
- AfterDawn.com – Demux
- AfterDawn.com – Guides - Introduction to Haali Media Splitter
- Windows Media Developer Center - AVI Splitter Filter
- Windows Media Developer Center - MPEG-2 Splitter
- Windows Media Developer Center - MPEG-2 Demultiplexer
- Haali Media Splitter
- SourceForge.net - FLV Splitter
- "lavfilters - Open-Source DirectShow Media Splitter and Decoders". Retrieved 2013-01-05.
- FFmpeg General Documentation - File Formats, Retrieved 2009-09-02
- VideoLAN Project VLC playback Features, Retrieved 2009-09-02
- Xiph.org Directshow Filters for Ogg Vorbis, Speex, Theora and FLAC, Retrieved 2009-09-02