Petteri Pyyny
28 Mar 2001 13:08
Microsoft has released a final version of their Windows Media Audio and Video 8 format family. WM8 offers yet again better video and audio quality compared to previous, WM7, version -- compression of the video is based on MPEG-4 routines, but has also ("surprise!!") Microsoft's own propietary code in it just to make life little bit more difficult.
CODECs work nicely with Windows Media Player 7 and 6.4 and are also available for Mac. Actually, at the same time Microsoft also launched final version of their Media Player 7 for Mac which allows using the WM8 format.
Just to make it clear for you guys who are still a bit confused -- Windows Media and Windows Media Player are two different things. So, MS didn't release a new Media Player for Win platform, but a new audio and video format.
New Scour Exchange uses WM8 as a secure way to distribute video and audio content and more companies are joining to the team.
Read more about this one and download the stuff:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/en/default.asp