Win Media Player -- upgraded audio, video.......
news.com
Microsoft releases new Net audio technology
By Brooke Crothers
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
August 17, 1999, 8:55 a.m. PT
Microsoft updated its Windows multimedia software today as it pushes a new
standard to improve audio and make video more viable on the Internet.
Microsoft announced Microsoft Windows Media Technologies 4, which includes audio
technology based on a new standard for CD-quality audio on the Net.
Windows Media is a group of technologies comprising a multimedia player, dubbed
Windows Media Player, and software and services: Windows Media
Services, Windows Media Tools, and Windows Media Audio, a software
development package.
The software is one of many ways to listen to audio or watch video via
the Internet. Microsoft, which does not have the most popular
multimedia player, is devoting considerable resources to developing this
technology. (See related story.)
Microsoft said that Sony Music Entertainment and software "jukebox" developers such as
Sonic Foundry and MusicMatch are supporting the standard.
Makers of digital audio players are also behind it, including Nullsoft's WinAmp and
MediaScience's Sonique.
Microsoft touted its support by pointing out that yesterday Columbia Records debuted
Mariah Carey's new single HeartBreaker on Windows Media.
New Windows Media technologies enables the "delivery of Internet
CD-quality audio with unprecedented [data] compression...[and]
accelerates the availability of a whole new class of applications," said
Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, in a statement.
MusicMatch said it dropped rival technology RealAudio because of the
technology. "It was an easy choice for us to drop support for RealAudio
in favor of Windows Media in our newest release, MusicMatch Jukebox 4.1," said Dennis
Mudd, chief executive of MusicMatch, in a statement.
Microsoft also claims that video on the Net--which on a standard dial-up connection is
typically anything but a smooth, clear picture--will get a boost too. On these slower
connections Microsoft says image quality will "improve." On higher speed connections
such as cable or corporate networks it is claiming "near broadcast-quality video." Capitol
Records is using Windows Media for the Internet premiere of a Garth Brooks-Chris Gaines
music video, Microsoft said.
Windows Media Player is available through Windows Update. |
