Microsoft WMP9: Embrace and Extend?

[MacRumors]

MacWorld.co.uk provides some quotes from Apple's quicktime chief Frank Casanova regarding Microsoft's attempt to create a Windows Media 9 "standard".

Our previous report noted that WMP9 had been submitted for review by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. By providing an open specification, Microsoft hopes to increase adoption of the media format.

Casanova, however, is critical of Microsoft's approach:

"Do you think for a second that Microsoft will stop working on WM9? I don't think so. So suddenly you've got two standards, and the company will continue to evolve its own version. That's not what we are doing."

Casanova also claims that the upcoming (open) H.264 codec will be better than WM9. H.264 is said to offer "great coding efficiency".

 

[DeusOmnis]

He's right... Microsoft is all about *incompatability* in order to force you to use thier products.

 

[zim]

Microsoft will push WMP even if it is not accepted as a standard, I see them making it a standard by pushing it on their users. Actually this could also be why it was said that MS rolled over in the recent IE case: http://www.zdnet.com.au/newstech/ebusiness/story/0,2000048590,20278616,00.htm

If say that MS was forced to remove all plug-ins from their browser and they do select to go the root of an embedded WMP then MS will have accomplished this without blinking an eye.

I personally feel that standards should not to be owned, as in the case of MS and their WMP format, standards should be open to the public and governed by committees.

 

[homeshire]

embrace, extend and extinguish

 

[singletrack]

Isn't this just the usual MS tactic?

Once WMP9 format is in Quicktime and on Linux, the format becomes ubiquitous. There's then less push for websites to publish video in Quicktime or other standards based formats as WMP9 now covers the other 5% of the market as well. Quicktime and MPEG withers on the vine and MS is then open to bring in WMP10 on Windows only and they have successfully wiped out the competition - stuck on WMP9.

It sounds fluffy and nice originally that MS are opening up the format but it's a play for more power underneath.

Plus, it'll be interesting to see if WMP9 relies on some windows technology that Apple and Linux can't replicate.

 

[slightly]

Effectively, this is already the case. WMP 9 (with its DRM capabilities) and Mac OS aren't compatible (we're stuck on 7.1), so online music providers like BuyMusic can't serve Mac users.

However, just because a format is supported everywhere doesn't mean it becomes the only format in use. Multimedia producers aren't stupid, and they want to provide content that looks the best. At the moment, that's Quicktime (for those who can afford the hosting space) and/or MP4 (for those who can't).

I have a website client who asked for content to be provided in Mac-readable and Windows-readable format. When I showed him the resulting Quicktime MP4 and Windows Media videos, he was shocked at the difference in quality. WMV just looks bad, and extending version 9 to the remaining 5% won't change that.

 

[Stella]

No one company should be able to own universally used audio or video formats. Otherwise its open to much abuse and leverage of the companys own products.

Just like what Microsoft want.

Such standards should be open.

 

[tpjunkie]

I agree. This seems like a sinister move on microsoft's part.

 

[Photorun]

"sinister" and "microsoft" is redundant, they're synonymous.

WMP9 "standard" which of course will suck in quality (like everything Microsoft does) will then somehow be hard coded into the XP or whatever their blatent OS X rip off they'll have and then they'll squeeze out every other format. Microsuck doesn't do anything without some evil long term monopolistic goal in mind.

 

[Fukui]

Originally posted by slightly
However, just because a format is supported everywhere doesn't mean it becomes the only format in use.

You've never been to Korea then...

 

[SiliconAddict]

News flash......

News flash......

Microsoft WMP9: Embrace and Extend?

In other news air found to be a popular breathing medium and Jobs's Reality Distortion Field has increased by 26.78% leading people to speculate that there is a direct correlation between MS FUD and Apple FUD. Scientists are currently working on a Unified FUD Theory that can explain this.


PS- Rule number 1. Trust nothing Microsoft says or does at face value. Rule number 2....repeat rule number 1.