LiVES was nominated for the category of Best Project for Multimedia in the SourceForge Community Choice Awards 2009.
The LiVES application allows the user to manipulate video in realtime and in non-realtime. The application also has features which go beyond traditional video editing applications - for example, it can be controlled and monitored remotely over a network, and it has facilities for streaming to and from another copy of LiVES. It is resolution and frame rate independent.
LiVES uses a system of plugins for effects, decoders, encoders and video playback. The APIs for these are now well defined, and the application can be easily extended.
Actual Version 3.2 is based on GTK+ 2.16+ or 3.[5]
Interface
LiVES has two main interfaces: the clip editor, which serves as a repository of video and audio material, and the multitrack window, where multiple clips can be positioned on the timeline.
The clip editor allows free playback at variable play rates, applying of multiple realtime effects and mixing of clips. This mode is mainly used by VJs. Video editors can also use this interface to prepare the clips before entering into multitrack mode.
In multitrack mode, the individual clips can be arranged in layers on the timeline. Further effects and transitions can be applied here, and the audio can be mixed down. The entire timeline can then be rendered, creating a new clip.
Rendering previews are shown in real time.
Features
The LiVES Multitrack Window
LiVES' features include:
Near-instant opening for most audio / video formats via libav.
Smooth playback at variable frame rates, forward and in reverse. Display frame rate can be controlled independently of playback frame rate.
Frame accurate cutting and pasting within and between clips.
Saving/re-encoding of clips, selections, and individual frames.
Lossless backup/restore.
Streaming input and output.
Real time blending of clips (various chroma and luma blends).
Ability to edit many file types and sources including remotely located files (with mplayer/ffmpeg libraries), and directories of images (rotoscoping).
Real time capture/recording of interactive (via mouseclicks) external windows.
Resampling of video (time stretching) to any frame rate (1 to 200 frame/s - accurate to 8 decimal places); option to auto-resample or speed up/slow down between clips.
Rotation, resizing and trimming of video clips.
Deinterlacing, subtitle removal. Auto deinterlacing for dv can be enabled.
Channel mixer volume control + fine grained, time variable per-channel volume and pan control.
Auto-transitioning of audio with video (selectable).
Full crash recovery.
Configurable multi-monitor screen placement.
Simple and intuitive menu layout.
Drag and drop interface.
Remote monitoring and control (via Open Sound Control) of the application can be enabled.
VJ functions can be controlled via keyboard, joystick or MIDI controller.
I18N text support. Translations into at least French, Czech, German, Japanese, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Turkish, Hungarian, Slovak, Simplified Chinese, Finnish, Ukrainian, Arabic, Estonian, Uzbek and Hebrew are included.
Internal support for RGB24, RGBA32, YUVA, YUV, YUV422, YUV420 (jpeg and mpeg), YUYV, YUV411, and UYVY palettes; one step conversion with chroma super and subsampling is implemented.
RFX builder allows rapid prototyping of new effects, transitions, generators, utilities and tools. Custom RFX scripts can be exported to share with others or downloaded and imported. Test scripts are run in a sandbox to allow safe testing of new plugins.
/ 8 November 2020
