Apple gets ready to release next MPEG-4 Part 10

[James Fee]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.internetnews.com/infra/article.php/3366831' target='_blank'>http://www.internetnews.com/infra/article.php/3366831</a><br /><br /></div><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/qt_logo.gif" /> "Apple Computer is currently testing new video compression software that will eventually improve its QuickTime Player. The company said the technology, known as MPEG-4 part 10 or H.264/AVC, is the next-generation video compression technology in the MPEG-4 standard. Already ratified by both the ITU and ISO MPEG, Frank Casanova, Apple Senior Director, QuickTime Product Marketing, told internetnews.com that the company is pole-positioning the improvements as the standard for video encoding for everything from 3G to High Definition (HD) broadcast. <br /><br />Earlier this year, Apple demonstrated MPEG-4 part 10 showing content encoded at full HD resolution (1920x1080 24 frames progressive) and played back between 6.8 and 8 Mbps on one of Apple's current dual-processor computers. The company suggests that H.264/AVC is the likely successor to MPEG-2, which is still the industry standard."<br /><br />I have been pretty disappointed with the quality of <a href="http://www.apple.com/mpeg4/">MPEG-4</a> so far, but the demos I've seen of MPEG-4 part 10 look really good. It remains to be seen though if <a href="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/">QuickTime</a> and MPEG-4 can move beyond a "Movie Trailer" delivery system. 8O

[Jason Dunn]

MPEG-4 Part 10? What the hell kind of a name is that? I thought it was a joke when I first saw the post... :roll:

[James Fee]

Expect you forget MPEG-4 is a JOKE! :twisted:

[Felix Torres]

The issue with MPEG4 is boiling down to credibility.

The MPEG4 guys are in a very uncomfortable spot right now in that a *lot* of companies have literally bet the farm on the spec and there is a whole lot to lose if they can't deliver.

Most of what they have been doing over the last 18 months is basically waving the flag of "standards" and talking numbers and specs instead of just demonstrating a truly superior product.

It is worth noticing that in all the anti-MS carping from the MPEG4 crew you hear talk about standards, openess, and how MS is undercutting pricing.
No mention of image quality.

MPEG4 to date can deliver beautiful video that matches the best WMV can deliver.
MPEG4 to date can also deliver excellent image compression as good as WMV can deliver.
They just can't deliver both at the same time.
Not today.

So they tweak the spec and muddy the waters and kill for time, hoping they can finally deliver a competitive product before WMV gets established.

24 companies in the consortium are sweating bullets.
A lot is at stake.
Not a good place to be at all.
Not when WMV is about to be certified an open standard by SMPTE.
Not when WMV royalties are less than half those of MPEG4.
Not when the HD-DVD spec was finalized last week with WMV in it.
Not when the first HD-DVD drives are due late this year.
Not when the first red-laser HD disks start shipping in asia this fall.
WMV is coming to consumer devices and the window of opportunity for MPEG4 is shrinking.

And the best they can ofer is "currently testing new video compression software that will eventually improve" the product?

Oh, boy.
Credibility...

[Jason Dunn]

Heh. Nice summary of the situation Felix. :lol: