Apple today announced that the DVD Forum has ratified the H.264 Advanced Video Codec (AVC)
to be included in the next generation High Definition (HD) DVD format. The H.264/AVC codec was jointly developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and has been ratified into the MPEG-4 specification as the next-generation video codec. H.264/AVC is based on open standards and will ship in Apple’s QuickTime
software in an upcoming release next year.
“Apple is firmly behind H.264 because it delivers superb quality digital video and is based on open standards that no single company controls,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing in the press release. “QuickTime 6 has already topped 250 million downloads, making it one of the most successful media standards ever, and we will be adding support for H.264 to QuickTime next year.”
H.264/AVC is an extremely scalable video codec, delivering excellent quality across the entire bandwidth spectrum-from high definition television to video conferencing and 3G mobile multimedia. As shown in a preview at the National Association of Broadcasters convention in April, video encoded at full high definition resolution (1920×1080 24p) was played back between 6.8
and 8 Mbps on a dual-processor Power Mac G5 delivering full HD quality at up to half the data rate of MPEG-2.
As the platform of choice for content creators worldwide, QuickTime delivers the full media experience for thousands of unique software titles, enhanced music CDs and hundreds of digital camera models. More than 250 million copies of QuickTime 6 have been downloaded in less than two years since its release. According to Frost & Sullivan’s 2004 Global Media Streaming Platform Report, between 2002 and 2003 Microsoft’s and Real Networks’ worldwide market share percentages were either stable or declining while QuickTime’s market share increased to 36.8 percent, a close second to Microsoft. Real Networks came in third place with less than 25 percent of the worldwide streaming market share. QuickTime 6.5, which also includes enhanced support for 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and 3GPP2 mobile networks, is available as a free download for Mac and Windows users at http://www.apple.com/quicktime
According to all of the “experts”, Windows Media was going to roll over QuickTime like a tidal wave in digital video. Guess what- they were wrong.
Sometimes you can’t underestimate your enemies, this is what happened to MS, now Apple’s Quicktime is breathing on MS’s neck!
“According to all of the “experts”, Windows Media was going to roll over QuickTime like a tidal wave in digital video. Guess what- they were wrong.”
Yup you’re right, especially when you look at this list:
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“Sometimes you can’t underestimate your enemies, this is what happened to MS, now Apple’s Quicktime is breathing on MS’s neck!”
Not for long! Soon, MS will be eating QuickTime’s dust.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” /> I think Apple will equal or surpass MS within six months, and QT will put some GOOD distance between the two formats in about one year.
This should really help to make it clear that Apple is about the technology, MS is about the money. Plain and simple. Apple is very careful to only release the best of any technology, while MS wants to release any technology, flood the market, and win market share. It’s clear to me, but Windows users need to be able to see a comparison between their product and Apple’s products. They will quickly realize there is no comparison and that their junky windows boxes are just low-grade, consumer crap that is barely “good enough”. If you want to be with the technological leaders, get a Mac.
Someone correct me if I am wrong but I thought that Windows Media Video was selected by the DVD Forum months ago as the video format for the blue-ray DVD players. This is very confusing. Are the two competing next-gen DVD formats using different video codecs?
Microsoft spent hundreds of millions of dollars developing Windows Media 9 and submitted it to the SMPTE standards body — [Society of Motion Picture Television Engineers]. That means open license terms, though Microsoft would be able to collect royalties and sell associated technologies such as DRM — both of which could be very lucrative. They say WM_9 not bad from a technological viewpoint, so why can’t this get off the ground?
Phil Schiller: Apple is firmly behind H.264 because it delivers superb quality digital video and is based on open standards that no single company controls.”
The sticking point is the developer of the codec — Microsoft, not the most conscientious or trustworthy of companies. Good examples are how WMV is supported poorly on the Mac and how I.E. broke web standards and became a stagnant technology…. You see, what goes around, comes around.
With H.264/AVC, Apple’s future in video software and hardware [your Mac] is secure.
Moooo.
[Microsoft…. You see, what goes around, comes around.]
And not too late either.
My kid and I were having a political discussion yesterday. And we came to the conclusion that if you have malice intent then you will reap the exact opposite of what you sow.
Well, it’s harvest time for M$. Come winter solstice (metaphorically), M$’s wine will be vinegar and the banquet will be unfit for pigs.
“Someone correct me if I am wrong but I thought that Windows Media Video was selected by the DVD Forum months ago as the video format for the blue-ray DVD players. This is very confusing. Are the two competing next-gen DVD formats using different video codecs?” – Sol
No, blue ray DVD is backed by Sony. HD-DVD is backed by DVD forum. They are two competing technologies.
Windows Media Series 9 VC-9, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) were all ratified for inclusion in HD-DVD by DVD Forum. That is, you can use one of the three codecs in HD-DVD format and it should work anywhere. DVD Forum has nothing to say to what should be included in blue-ray DVD.
technology is so cool: “video encoded at full high definition resolution (1920×1080 24p) was played back� up to half the data rate of MPEG-2.”
MicroSofties are very good at copying, or “imivating,” so why do they seem to do worse with open standards? Do they just think droping a new turd on the computer world with thier name on it will roll over all the good technology out there?
thurrott’s not gonna like this…