01-03-2005, 08:00 PM
|
|
Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
|
|
Why Photostory 3 Video Won't Play on your Pocket PC Without WMP10 Mobile
When PhotoStory 3 came out, and I saw that it had video export templates for Pocket PCs and Smartphones, I immediately whipped up a video and tried to play it on my Orange C500 Smartphone...and only got audio. Puzzled, I started to dig deeper, and I eventually found the answer - and I wasn't pleased about it.
When Windows Media 9 Series came out, it introduced a series of new codecs that completely broke the Windows Media platform when it came to mobile devices. People using Windows Media Player 8 Mobile couldn't get a new version of the player, or the codecs, so there was a period of frustration and users had no choice but to buy new devices if they wanted to play back Windows Media content based on the 9 Series codecs. It was a frustrating period of time, and it upset a lot of people who felt they weren't getting the full benefit of their investment, but I thought that sort of thing would only happen once. I should have known better. :?
The exact same thing is happening again now with Windows Media Player 10 Mobile and certain types of video files. With no fanfare, two new types of video codecs were introduced to the Windows Media family: Windows Media Video 9 Advanced Profile and Windows Media Video 9 Image Version 2. The latter one is causing the problem, because that's the codec that Photo Story 3 uses. Here's a description of that codec and what it does:
"With this new codec, still images can be transformed into video by using pan, zoom, and various transition effects. By combining transitions with pans, zooms, and cross-fades, an almost unlimited number of effects can be created. The results can then be delivered at data rates as low as 20 kilobits per second (Kbps). These files, compressed using either constant-bit-rate (CBR) or one-pass variable-bit-rate (VBR) modes, can be shared easily because they are much smaller than the original image files. Note that Windows Media Video 9 Image version 2 is not compatible with the previous version of the codec."
So, in essence, this codec was needed in order for Photo Story to use the transitions from Windows Movie Maker. My question is, why? The Ken Burns-style photo zooms and pans are a perfect way to present photos. Cheesy video transitions might look good on a marketing bullet list, but in real life they should be avoided.
The story for owners of Pocket PCs without Windows Media Player 10 Mobile is grim: unless the OEM who made your device decides to release an update, you'll never get the player. And even though the codec is all you need, Microsoft has no system in place to update WMP9 Mobile with the new codec - even though, technically, it should be possible because it has a codec-pluggable architecture.
This is yet another sign that the OEMs who make and sell the devices want us to think of them as appliances, like a microwave, instead of real computers that can be updated with new software. :?
|
| |
|
|
|
01-03-2005, 08:07 PM
|
|
Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
|
|
Re: Why Photostory 3 Video Won't Play on your Pocket PC Without WMP10 Mobile
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
This is yet another sign that the OEMs who make and sell the devices want us to think of them as appliances, like a microwave, instead of real computers that can be updated with new software. :?
|
... and another example of how Microsoft is hurting adoption of the Windows Media formats.
Another example: as far as I know, there is no chance I'll have a media player on my existing Pocket PC or Smartphone that'll be capable of Janus DRM-based (i.e., rental service) music. I'd love to have that service, but I guess I won't. I know I won't be buying a new Pocket PC for it. (In comparison, Apple released updates for all their iPods, including their oldest, when they unveiled FairPlay DRM.)
(In case one's wondering, this MVP isn't happy with the lack of support of Windows Media Player upgrades on Pocket PCs...)
--janak
|
| |
|
|
|
01-03-2005, 08:10 PM
|
|
Ponderer
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 76
|
|
The same problem exists with Media Player for the Mac. The Mac version lags the Windows version, and newer video won't play on the latest Mac version. You get directed to a page that tells you to upgrade, and then in the same breath tells you're at the latest version.
|
| |
|
|
|
01-03-2005, 09:17 PM
|
|
Ponderer
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 57
|
|
Photostory 3 does not work well with my Axim X50v as the resolution choice given for the pocket pc is QVGA and comes out way too small on my unit. If I try to use the desktop version it is jumpy on the X50v. I tried installing OZVGA and then playing the desktop resolution version but that blew my unit and I had to do a hard reset.
I can't believe that a program team working on PhotoStory 3 which has WM output as an option, did not seek to include a pocket pc VGA resolution option in this new version of their software.......its not as if they didn't know it was out there!
|
| |
|
|
|
01-03-2005, 09:22 PM
|
|
Pupil
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 35
|
|
I've seen a tricked out microwave before. Some guy thought his software which controlled the microwaves' radiation could be BIOS flashed. So he found the chip from another microwave which was newer, and soldered it in. It made his microwave super powerful. But of course, I guess that's a hardware upgrade. Heh, speaking of 'tricking out', he also added a neon underglow to the microwave plate, along with spinners and hydraulics.... 8)
|
| |
|
|
|
01-03-2005, 09:30 PM
|
|
Neophyte
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 4
|
|
Janak, as an MVP I'm fairly certain you're aware of and understand how the OEM/Microsoft partnership works with regard to the ROMs, so I find it hard to believe you're blaming Microsoft for not providing the updated codecs to the public. The blame should be pointed squarely at the OEMs for failing to live up to your perception of their obligation to you.
Microsoft owns the code, sure, but the individually designed ROM packages are owned by the OEM. Microsoft is obligated to NOT offer updates to the software provided in the ROMs to the public. It's up to the OEM to provide updates.
Personally, I'm angry with HP that my h6315 doesn't have all the latest software, since at the price it was offered it SHOULD have been state-of-the-art. Instead, it's one OS version behind and buggy as heck. But the blame goes where it belongs for both software and hardware - HP.
It's quite a bit different from Apple and the iPod - Apple owns and controls both the hardware and software, there aren't 50 different hardware versions of the iPod built by third parties (all with very different hardware and different drivers) that have to be considered.
With regard to Mac, well, it seems that Microsoft doesn't put a high priority on freebies for the Mac beyond a certain point. I'm not saying I think that's good, but I guess I understand it.
|
| |
|
|
|
01-03-2005, 09:38 PM
|
|
Neophyte
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2
|
|
Is it possible to run Windows Media Player 10 Mobile on WM2003 as opposed to WM2003SE? I use an Axim X5 and I'll probably be using it for a while. I think it would be nifty if I could make small little slideshows and use my axim to shot them to people.
|
| |
|
|
|
01-03-2005, 09:40 PM
|
|
Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by SpaceDust
Janak, as an MVP I'm fairly certain you're aware of and understand how the OEM/Microsoft partnership works with regard to the ROMs, so I find it hard to believe you're blaming Microsoft for not providing the updated codecs to the public. The blame should be pointed squarely at the OEMs for failing to live up to your perception of their obligation to you.
|
Oh, I'm fully aware, but I'm not happy with that arrangement. In Pocket PC 2002, we had "End-User Updates", or EUUs, in which Windows Media Player updates were delivered -- using CABs that were untouched, straight from Microsoft. We've regressed from there to the situation where OEMs have to assemble and distribute the ROM, which they tend to be less proactive in doing.
Also, it's in Microsoft's interest to promote Windows Media, right? Why not at least provide a RAM installer for WMP10? That would sidestep the whole issue (it'd bring up the RAM issue, but at least that's mitigable). Again, Microsoft used to do this: WMP 7 (or was it 7.1)? was released as a RAM download.
So it's not quite open-and-shut as you suggest. OEMs often won't bother, because they don't have a vested interest in Windows Media. But Microsoft does.
I'm also aware that Apple is a different situation, but currently their approach is winning in the media space. If Microsoft hopes to compete they've got to change tacks from alienating customers in the portable media space. Pocket PCs aren't that cheap.
--janak
|
| |
|
|
|
01-03-2005, 09:41 PM
|
|
5000+ Posts? I Should OWN This Site!
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,067
|
|
Re: Why Photostory 3 Video Won't Play on your Pocket PC Without WMP10 Mobile
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Jason Dunn
"With this new codec, still images can be transformed into video by using pan, zoom, and various transition effects. By combining transitions with pans, zooms, and cross-fades, an almost unlimited number of effects can be created. The results can then be delivered at data rates as low as 20 kilobits per second (Kbps). These files, compressed using either constant-bit-rate (CBR) or one-pass variable-bit-rate (VBR) modes, can be shared easily because they are much smaller than the original image files. Note that Windows Media Video 9 Image version 2 is not compatible with the previous version of the codec."
|
What's so revolutionary about this?  Tons of PPC slideshow viewers are capable of this. Just a quick list of the PPC slideshow'ers and the transition effects + special features they have off my forthcoming picviewer/editor roundup:
Spb Imageer 1.2: 24 transition effects
XnView 1.20: Creates an .EXE slideshow ( watchable w/o any kind of pic viewer). There're a lot of transition effects (even if their speed can't be set (and may be, therefore, anningly slow) and can only be applied randomly); specifiable background MP3 music
Resco Picture Viewer 5.1: 16 transition effects; (even several; even MP3's) background music,
Fujitsu-Siemens Album: 52 transition effects
|
| |
|
|
|
01-03-2005, 09:43 PM
|
|
5000+ Posts? I Should OWN This Site!
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,067
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by unuselessj
Is it possible to run Windows Media Player 10 Mobile on WM2003 as opposed to WM2003SE? I use an Axim X5 and I'll probably be using it for a while. I think it would be nifty if I could make small little slideshows and use my axim to shot them to people.
|
Nope, the x5 won't get the WMP10 upgrade. Only the X30/X50 devices and the iPAQ 37xx have it; and, prolly, the A730(w) will also get it.
BTW, just check out my prev post: image viewers are FAR better solutions pic quality-wise.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Linear Mode
