Microsoft Launches Windows Media 9, Updated Player and Movie Maker Thou Shalt Have No Other Format Eric Grevstad
Tue 1/7/03 -- It's no secret that Microsoft Corp. wants PC multimedia buffs to use its Windows Media format (and its built-in digital rights management or anti-copying technology) instead of rival audio and video formats like MP3 and MPEG-4. Now the software giant is making its biggest push yet, unveiling a new Windows Media 9 platform, snazzy new versions of Windows XP's Media Player and Movie Maker, and even licensing its media-delivery software for non-Windows operating systems for the first time.
Microsoft says that Windows Media 9 offers high-definition video at up to six times the resolution of DVD; the first 5.1-channel surround-sound streaming audio at bit rates as low as 128Kbps; 96kHz/24-bit audio fidelity;, and a faster, more TV-like Web media experience.
The new Windows Media Player 9 for Windows XP offers faster, more flexible playback, with features like support for instant-on, always-on Fast Streaming for broadband users (when playing content from Microsoft's own .Net Server 2003 streaming server); 20 to 50 percent higher video quality than previous versions; and up to a 50-fold increase in speed when searching across song and media-clip libraries. Auto Playlists provide intelligent music mix management, while Auto Info can automatically update a digital music collection with correct track, artist, and album names.
Windows Movie Maker 2 for Windows XP offers a new, more intuitive, task-based interface, improved timeline and storyboard views, and an AutoMovie feature that promises to create professional-looking home videos in minutes. The program takes on Apple's touted iMovie with nearly 30 video effects, 60 transitions, and over 40 titles and credits, with Windows Media Video 9 compression storing the equivalent of 15 hours -- versus DV-AVI's 45 minutes -- of DV tape in just 10GB of hard disk space.
Windows Media Player 9 will be available for download starting this afternoon and Windows Movie Maker 2 starting tomorrow afternoon, as will Microsoft's first Web-distributed retail product -- Microsoft Plus Digital Media Edition, a $20 add-on for Windows XP that features a party jukebox with visual effects and interactive guest book; high-definition, 3D on-screen dancers that groove along with the music playing; an analog recorder to make clean digital copies of cassette tapes or vinyl LPs; a CD label maker; and 50 additional effects and transitions for Movie Maker 2.
For multimedia developers, even Linux and Mac OS developers, Microsoft's new licensing system will offer the Windows Media Audio and Video 9 codecs -- used either with or without Microsoft's ASF container or file format -- with no content use fees, at lower prices than other technologies such as MPEG-4.
