Compression for Great Video and Audio, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 16 Windows Media

This chapter is about Windows Media the format, not about media on Windows the platform. Windows playback of other media types is covered in Chapter 28.

Windows Media is Microsoft’s first-party digital media platform. Like many a Microsoft technology, the first few versions (known as NetShow) were weak. But over time, it matured into a true powerhouse and the eventual victor of the turn-of-the-millennium QuickTime—RealMedia—Windows Media streaming wars. And needless to say, it’s something I’ve worked with quite a bit myself, both before and during my own time at Microsoft. But I was a fan well before I worked on it, and I think it remains the most complete end-to-end media delivery architecture. Windows Media does a great ...