User Guide - Playing Multimedia

Fedora includes several tools for listening to audio and viewing video. You can access sound and video applications through the Applications > Sound & Video menu.

By default, Fedora provides the following applications for audio and video:

• CD Player is an application for listening to audio CDs in GNOME.
• KsCD is an application for listening to audio CDs in KDE.
• Sound Juicer is an application for converting CDs to music files (also known as ripping) in GNOME.
• Rhythmbox is a music player that features tools for organizing music, CDs, Internet radio stations, and more, and is included in GNOME by default.
• Amarok is a music player that features tools for organizing music, CDs, Internet radio stations, and more, and is included in KDE by default.
• Totem Movie Player is an application for viewing videos in GNOME.
• Kaffeine is an application for viewing videos in KDE.

Media formats not supported by default in Fedora
Because of licensing and patent encumbrances, Fedora cannot ship with certain audio and video playing capabilities, known as codecs. An example is the MP3 codec. Refer to the section Fedora Project's Approach to Multimedia Support, located below, for more information.

Fedora Project's Approach to Multimedia Support

In short, the Fedora Project encourages the use of open formats in place of restricted ones.

Fedora includes complete support for many freely-distributable formats. These include the Ogg media, Vorbis audio, Theora video, Speex audio, and FLAC audio formats. These freely-distributable formats are not encumbered by patent or license restrictions, and provide powerful and flexible alternatives to popular yet restricted formats such as MP3 that are not legally distributable with Fedora. For more information, refer to the Fedora Multimedia wiki.

Playing Audio CDs (CD Player)

File:Docs Drafts DesktopUserGuide Multimedia cdplayer.png CD Player is the default application for playing CDs in GNOME. Audio CDs begin playing automatically when the disc is inserted into the CD-ROM drive.

In GNOME, this program can be launched by clicking on the menu entry Applications > Sound & Video > CD Player. In KDE, this program can be launched by clicking on the menu entry KMenu > Applications > Multimedia > CD Player.

Playing Audio CDs (KsCD)

File:Docs Drafts DesktopUserGuide Multimedia ksCD.png KsCD is the default application for playing CDs in KDE. Audio CDs begin playing automatically when the disc is inserted into the CD-ROM drive.

In KDE, this program can be started by clicking on the menu entry KMenu > Applications > Multimedia > CD Player. In GNOME, this program can be started by clicking on the menu entry Applications > Sound & Video > KsCD.

Converting Audio CDs to Music Files

File:Docs Drafts DesktopUserGuide Multimedia soundjuicericon.png Sound Juicer is an application in GNOME that rips the CD into audio files on your hard disk. Ripping is the word for converting audio files from CD to an audio file, with each music track on the CD being saved as a single file. The default file format is Ogg Vorbis, a free and open alternative to the MP3 format; Vorbis often offers better sound quality in a smaller file than MP3. While ripping from a commercially produced CD, Sound Juicer displays the music track names by downloading the information from a free database on an available Internet connection.

Vorbis is a lossy format
Similar to MP3, Vorbis compresses the music track to a smaller file with very little loss of musical range or quality; converting from one lossy file format to another results in a degradation of quality. Files can also be saved in the lossless WAV or FLAC formats, however, the resulting files are much larger.

The Sound Juicer Manual is available within the application under the menu entry Help > Contents.

Organizing your Multimedia Files (Rhythmbox)

File:Docs Drafts DesktopUserGuide Multimedia rhythmbox.png To organize multimedia files, you can use Rhythmbox. It is accessed by clicking on Applications > Sound & Video > Rhythmbox Music Player in GNOME.

Rhythmbox provides a front-end for music services, Internet radio stations, podcasts, and your own library of multimedia.

To learn more about using Rhythmbox, you can access the Rhythmbox Music Player Manual through the Help > Contents menu entry.

Organizing your Multimedia Files (Amarok)

File:Docs Drafts DesktopUserGuide Multimedia amarok.png To organize multimedia files, you can use Amarok, accessible in KDE by clicking KMenu > Applications > Sound & Video > Amarok.

Amarok provides a front-end for music services, Internet radio stations, podcasts, and your own library of multimedia including any videos you have.

To learn more about using Amarok, you can access the Amarok Manual through the Help > Amarok Handbook menu entry within the program.

Playing Videos (Totem)

File:Docs Drafts DesktopUserGuide Multimedia totem.png The Totem Movie Player can play a variety of videos. Found at Applications > Sound & Video > Movie Player, Totem plays any format that can be legally supplied with Fedora. For help with Totem, click on the Totem Movie Player Manual, accessible through the Help > Contents menu.

Playing Videos (Kaffeine)

File:Docs Drafts DesktopUserGuide Multimedia kaffeine.png The Kaffeine Movie Player can play a variety of videos. Found at Applications > Sound & Video > Kaffeine, Kaffeine plays any format that can be legally supplied with Fedora. For usage help, the Kaffeine Player Manual is accessed through the Help > Kaffeing Player Handbook menu.

iPod Connectivity

File:Docs Drafts DesktopUserGuide Multimedia gtkpod.png The Fedora Project does not by default offer the ability to connect your iPod. To install the program required to do so, select Applications -> Add/Remove Software. Next, click on the Search panel and enter Gtkpod. Check the box next to the program name that appears, and then click the [Apply] box at the bottom of the window. After completing the installation, Gtkpod will enable you to connect your iPod to your Fedora system.

Alternatively, you may install Gtkpod using the console. To do so, type the following into the console:

su -c 'yum install gtkpod'

Further Information

For more information on freely-distributable formats and how to use them, refer to the Xiph.Org Foundation's web site here.

For further help on iPod support, you can go to the Gtkpod website.

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