DirectShow is a Microsoft framework and API for working with multimedia data. It supports a variety of formats. You can use the IG_mult_...() functions to access still images, animations, movies with video and audio, and audio-only files loaded and exported on the fly from DirectShow. Each video frame will have the same dimensions and bit depth. The bit depth will be 24bpp.

To open files using DirectShow, you must have the MULT component attached. Also, you must have DirectX 8.0 or later installed. DirectX 8.0 or later comes standard as part of modern versions of Windows such as Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP and Windows Vista.

Support for DirectShow in ImageGear is primarily intended for AVI and MPEG files, but other formats may also be accessible depending on the codecs installed on the system. If a file is compressed with a codec not installed on the system, ImageGear will not be able to open it.

See the Global Control Parameter, MULT.PREFER_DIRECTSHOW_FOR_AVI_MPEG.