[Request] Opus Codec implementation in Steam Voice Chat.

[FrEnK]

The Opus Codec is a Open Source codec for real time audio communications, it is going to be standardized by the IETF and incorporates technology from Skype's SILK codec and Xiph.Org's CELT codec.
The first stable release will be available very shortly, I ask Valve to consider the possible implementation of this codec into Steam, since now the actual codec for voice communications is Celt (Opus predecessor).

Website: http://www.opus-codec.org
SourceCode/Encoder/Decoder download: http://www.opus-codec.org/downloads
Opus Codec comparison: http://www.opus-codec.org/comparison
IETF draft: http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-codec-opus

[LadyMarth01]

As far as I'm aware, Steam doesn't use CELT, but instead uses SILK. http://store.steampowered.com/news/5100/

That said, once there's a stable release, I see no reason for Valve not to change over to Opus, considering it's likely that people will use Steam Voice Chat for in-game realtime communication.

[FrEnK]

SirMarth01 の投稿を引用：

As far as I'm aware, Steam doesn't use CELT, but instead uses SILK. http://store.steampowered.com/news/5100/

That said, once there's a stable release, I see no reason for Valve not to change over to Opus, considering it's likely that people will use Steam Voice Chat for in-game realtime communication.

Sorry you are correct, actually DotA 2 is using Celt for real time audio communication so I get confused.

[cascardian]

Well, DOTA 2 (in fact, all video games with their own voice chat feature) might as well also switch over. Opus 1.0.1 is simply superior in nearly every way to its predecessors.

Thanks for requesting this.

[LadyMarth01]

Just to make clear: the IETF has standardized Opus[www.xiph.org], and libopus 1.0.1 is available for download[opus-codec.org]. Opus is already supported by Mozilla Firefox, GStreamer, FFmpeg, foobar2000, and more, with support planned for VLC, Rockbox, and Mumble.

[FrEnK]

Great news, I hope that the adoption will come fast then :)

[Brian K9]

I cant agree more. This will prevent quality drops within games.

[Omega X]

Just to add more information:

VLC and Mumble now officially support Opus. Google Chrome and TeamSpeak has support in development. Skype will transition from SILK to Opus in the near future. Opus is also the required codec for the WebRTC internet standard which both Microsoft and Cisco Systems supports.

DOTA2 uses CELT 0.11 but should be moved to Opus obviously since Opus is CELT.

Wikipedia has a nice article about Opus and a growing list of support from software and hardware providers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opus_codec

[LadyMarth01]

Omega の投稿を引用：

Just to add more information:

VLC and Mumble now officially support Opus. Google Chrome and TeamSpeak has support in development. Skype will transition from SILK to Opus in the near future. Opus is also the required codec for the WebRTC internet standard which both Microsoft and Cisco Systems supports.

DOTA2 uses CELT 0.11 but should be moved to Opus obviously since Opus is CELT.

VLC does currently support Opus. Mumble 1.2.4 will implement Opus as its primary codec, but it is currently in the release candidate stage. Support for Opus in TeamSpeak is only available if the clients are all using 3.0.10 beta or later and the server is running 3.0.7 PreRelease 2 or later[forum.teamspeak.com].

Google Chrome stable release and Mozilla Firefox nightly releases[www.webrtc.org] both currently support WebRTC. Opera at least partially implements it currently, and I imagine that it will have a complete implementation when they switch over to WebKit. Microsoft hasn't implemented WebRTC in Internet Explorer, as far as I'm aware, as they're working on the competing CU-RTC-Web standard. Opus may be mandatory to implement, but I don't believe that means that it's mandatory to use Opus when communicating via WebRTC.

Opus isn't really CELT. It's a hybrid of SILK and CELT. The Hydrogenaudio Knowledgebase[wiki.hydrogenaudio.org] has a few nice tables that help to clarify when each is used. They also have a lot more information on how Opus works and how it compares to other codecs. (There's also examples of how Opus handles varying bitrates and packet loss[opus-codec.org] that are pretty interesting.)

[Omega X]

- Yes, as I said before, Teamspeak support is still in development. Mumble 1.2.4 still in RC on the other hand is what I was not aware of.

- Firefox Nightlies has had WebRTC support in some fashion for a while. The problem was that Google and Mozilla had slightly different implementations that kept them from talking to each other until very recently. Opera will use Chromium which will already have that work done.

- Microsoft has supported Opus as the "Mandatory To Implement" or MIT codec for WebRTC. As in, it does not have to be used, but it has to be included in order to have spec compliance. They did have a proposal for changing the current WebRTC spec but it has fell on deaf ears since the proposal arrived late(That particularly irritated a Cisco rep). Its not known whether or not some of the spec will be changed at a later date to match CU-RTC-Web, but as it currently stands Microsoft has no issue with the codec being MIT and has approved of it in the WebRTC mailing list.

- Hybrid components aside, Opus is CELT as of version 1.0.1 and RFC 6716 IETF ratification. CELT in any other form is considered obsolete by Xiph and all parties involved. I've been aware of both Hydrogen Audio and the Opus samples for some time now. I'm also aware of its history and its hybrid nature with a heavily modified SILK.

[Pepe]

Opus +1

[HNIC]

+1 for Opus

[aiusepsi]

Weird, I'm subscribed to this thread but haven't posted. Anyways, yes, Steam should switch over to Opus. There is simply no argument to be had here. It's just clearly and obviously better.

[Typhooni]

Gogogogo!

[haboutnnah]

+1

[garry]

+1