Microsoft
Announces Windows Media Encoder Studio Edition Beta
“Today at the National Association of Broadcasters
convention, NAB2006, Microsoft Corp. announced availability this week of a new
addition to the Windows Media tools family, Windows Media Encoder Studio
Edition. The beta encoder is a powerful tool for video professionals, optimized
for the creation of high-quality offline encoding using Microsoft’s
implementation of the VC-1 video standard (Windows Media Video). Windows Media
Encoder Studio Edition beta provides the key features necessary to create next-generation
video content and capitalize on the growing importance of optical media and
video-on-demand scenarios.” More
Microsoft
and Universal Pictures Collaborate to Release HD DVD Titles Using VC-1 and iHD
“Today at the National Association of Broadcasters
convention, NAB2006, Microsoft Corp. and Universal Pictures announced their
collaboration on the release of next-generation HD DVD discs using VC-1, the
video compression standard recently approved by the Society of Motion Picture
and Television Engineers (SMPTE) and one of the mandatory codecs in the HD DVD
specification. Universal will also use iHD for the interactive features of the
new titles. The launch of HD DVD players and titles last week in the U.S.
represents the first broad market availability of high-definition optical media
for consumers.” More
SMPTE
VC-1 Receiving Industrywide Support
“Today at the National Association of Broadcasters
convention, NAB2006, Microsoft Corp. showcased how Windows Media Video (WMV),
Microsoft’s implementation of SMPTE VC-1, is being adopted across the industry
to power a range of next-generation content creation and playback scenarios,
from mobile content for wireless devices to high-definition video delivered by
next-generation DVD or to IP set-top boxes. Earlier this month Society of
Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) released the VC-1 standard, and
Windows Media Video, the first implementation of VC-1, is licensable from
Microsoft today.” More
Microsoft
and Ascent Media Europe Collaborate to Deliver Significant Cost Savings to the
Media Industry
“Today at the National Association of Broadcasters
convention, NAB2006, Microsoft Corp. and Ascent Media Europe, a leading
provider of content creation, management and distribution solutions for the
media and entertainment industries, announced a new alliance to deliver one of
the United Kingdom’s first implementations of a distributed digital media
archive, designed to enable content owners to significantly speed up the
overall production process across multiple locations and help reduce operating
costs. Combining Microsoft Connected Services Framework and Ascent Media’s
Atlas services, this advanced new system will be made available to media and
entertainment customers across the U.K.
and Europe, transforming their businesses to
run on digital-file-based workflows and archives.” More