PlaybackTime

Category: MPEG-4

  • First baby-step to MPEG-4 DRM

    ISMA (Internet Streaming Media Alliance) has completed its MPEG-4 Content Protection Specification, and it’s now available for peer review for experts in network security, content protection and cryptography. The encryption method chosen for the new specification is based on the National Institute of Standards & Technology’s (NIST) 128-bit AES encryption standard. Importantly, this method is…

  • An MPEG-4 iPod? No, but…

    One of the more interesting smart storage devices introduced at CeBIT was the Archos AV340, a 40 GB video player and recorder with a 640×368 screen. It stores up to 80 hours of content — that’s a minimum datarate of around 1 Mbit/sec — for viewing on the device’s 3.8″ screen or a television. It…

  • Apple to introduce Mac-only music service, MPEG-4 AAC support for iPod

    The L.A. Times is reporting that Apple will be introducing a Mac-only music service, using iTunes as the client and MPEG-4 AAC (rather than MP3) as the delivery format. A source told the L.A. Times: This is exactly what the music industry has been waiting for. It’s hip. It’s quick. It’s easy. If people on…

  • MPEG-4 Systems license released

    MPEG LA — one or two “one-stop shops” for MPEG-4 patent licensing (erm, isn’t that a “two-stop shop”, then?) — has released the MPEG-4 Systems license. The Systems license the last piece of the long-in-coming patent portfolio puzzle. The Systems license covers the MPEG-4 file format, MPEG-4’s interactive features, the MPEG-4 scene description language (BIFS),…

  • ISMA sets schedule to finalize MPEG-4 DRM spec

    This week, ISMA (Internet Streaming Media Alliance) shared their roadmap for the digital rights management technical specification they’ve been working on for MPEG-4. It uses MPEG-4’s IPMP (Intellectual Property Management Protection) standard, and will work for both realtime and progressive (a.k.a. downloaded, a.k.a. shared) streaming content. They intend to make it available for review at…

  • Next-gen DVD: There can be only one (standard)

    The DVD Forum has announced that they’ll be choosing the video codec for the next-generation, high-definition DVD standard (tentatively called HD-DVD) by March. Here are the four options in the running: AVC Also known as H.264, this is the next MPEG-4 video codec. It was created by The Joint Video Team (JVT), which is a…

  • "Mastering Compression" class

    My friend and streaming expert Ben Waggoner will be holding his next two 5-day Mastering Compression classes on June 30 and August 11. These classes are held on the Stanford University campus. They’re part of Stanford’s Digital Media Academy program, so you get Stanford Continuing Education credits for taking the class — that means that…

  • Beware first "MPEG-4" DVD player

    Tom’s Hardware Guide (THG) has always confused the DivX codec (once a hack of an old version of the Windows Media Video codec, now an actual MPEG-4 Video codec) with the MPEG-4 format (which supports several codecs, including the MPEG-4 Video codec). The cluelessness continues in their review of the KiSS Technology DP-450. THG’s review…

  • Winner of "NerdTV" MPEG-4 encoder showdown

    Ben Waggoner has been helping Robert X. Cringely with an MPEG-4 encoder evaluation for NerdTV. Ben did all of the encoding, and then stepped out of the way to let Robert and his team pick the best. Sorenson’s forthcoming Squeeze 3, a $199 MPEG-4 encoder, was unanimously (all viewers determined it did best on all…

  • Via Licensing chosen as administrator for MPEG-4 audio patent pool

    The MPEG-4 Audio Licensing Committee (ALC) have selected Via Licensing as the licensing administrator for the MPEG-4 Audio patent pool. This is a good thing, I suppose, but it’s troubling that MPEG-4 technology and content developers will have at least two “one-stop shops” for MPEG-4 patent portfolio licensing — MPEG LA for video and Via…