Despite the DVD Forum's reluctance to embrace the new Windows Media technology (dubbed "Corona"), the folks in Redmond still think their new package of codecs, players, and tools has a big part to play in the future of DVD.
Corona's biggest bragging point is the efficiency of its video codec, which promises to deliver high-definition video compression (up to 720 lines per inch) at 1/2 to 1/3 the bandwidth required by MPEG-2, according to Michael Aldridge, lead product manager of Microsoft's Windows Digital Media Division. Though it's content-dependent (video with more action requires more bandwidth), Aldridge said it can deliver the DVD-standard 480 lines per inch (lpi) with ease, meaning that in hard storage (rather than streaming) applications, Corona would let DVD manufacturers put more movies at 480lpi on a single DVD, or put higher-definition movies on standard consumer DVDs all without switching to blue-laser technology.
Therein lies the rub. Earlier this year, the DVD Forum agreed to pursue a blue-laser standard and continue using MPEG-2. While the forum—of which Microsoft is a member—hasn't rejected Corona outright, it hasn't exactly embraced it, either. "We've been developing a DVD-related format using MPEG-2 and some public open technology," said DVD Forum secretariat Hideyuki Irie. "Our policy is to keep standardization as open as possible. Currently, we don't have interest in adopting a new format other than the MPEG standard."
EmediaLive.com
Written by: Lasse Penttinen @ 7 Jul 2002 13:42
MS pushes Windows Media technology (Corona) to the DVD standards
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seanbyrne
What ever happened to MPEG-4? This would seem like a better format for the next generation of DVD than Microsofts own propriety format as MPEG is an open standard. From what I read before in articles, Windows Media Corona format will still be backwards compatible with Windows Media Video, although its sound will be 6 channel 128kbps WMA audio. If this is true, then I would prefer MPEG-4 over WMV.
I've seen MPEG-4 video clips and WMV clips. Although each clip encoded in both codecs were of similar size, MPEG-4 handled action better than the WMV clip, i.e. the MPEG clips were less 'blocky'. I have so far never came across a WMV clip without any 'metallic' artifacts in the audio.
8.7.2002 05:07 #1
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dRD
Actually I'm disgusted with both ideas -- WMV _AND_ MPEG-4. I would much prefer seeing blue-laser DVD technology to be implemented using MPEG-2 format, just like the current DVDs use, just with helluva lot higher bitrate.
Damnit, we need to buy new hardware anyway, whether its going to be MPEG-4 based on current red-laser technology (9GB per side) or MPEG-2 based on blue-laser technology (27GB per side), so why to stick with something that restricts the bitrate and try to tweak with new compression methods, when virtually all video/TV/movie industry already uses MPEG-2 in their productions.8.7.2002 15:36 #2
