Vivo Software
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Internet streaming media |
| Defunct | 1998 |
| Fate | Acquired by RealNetworks |
| Products | Vivo Video/Audio platform, VivoActive Player |
| Parent | RealNetworks (from 1998) |
Vivo Software was an early innovator in the internet streaming media sector, later acquired by RealNetworks in March 1998. The company was responsible for creating the Vivo Video/Audio platform, which encompassed encoding utilities and the user-facing VivoActive Player.
The Vivo format, now considered outdated, was among the initial streaming formats developed for online media and saw widespread use on adult websites during the mid-1990s. As streaming technology progressed, platforms such as RealPlayer, QuickTime, and Windows Media rose to prominence. Development on Vivo ended in 1997, with RealNetworks' RealPlayer taking its place.
VivoActive
VivoActive refers to an audio/video format developed by Vivo Software and acquired by RealNetworks in 1997. It utilizes H.263 for video compression and G.723 ADPCM for audio encoding (which differs from the G.723.1 speech codec). This format employs inter-frame coding but contains only one initial key frame, restricting the ability to seek within streams efficiently. Subsequent versions of the VivoActive Player addressed this limitation by decoding frames sequentially to reach desired playback points.
Playback and conversion of Vivo video files are supported by MPlayer.
Playback
The original client, VivoActive Player, offered limited features. Present-day compatible players include:
- Mplayer
- RealPlayer
- VivoActive Browser Plug-in