Web Design in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

Windows Media (.wmv or .asf)

Windows Media is a new standard for audio and video, created by Microsoft and therefore very closely integrated with the Windows OS. The Windows Media Player is capable of playing Microsoft’s proprietary Windows Media Video (.wmv) and Advanced Streaming Format (.asf), as well as a number of other formats such as AVI, MPEG, MP3, and QuickTime.

Windows Media movies are encoded using the proprietary Windows Media Video codec designed especially for the Windows Media system. They may also feature DRM (digital rights management) capabilities.

In addition to the player, the Windows Media 9 Series platform includes Windows Media Encoder, Windows Media Rights Manager 9 Series SDK, Windows Media Services, and a collection of audio and video codecs.

For more general information about Window Media, visit Microsoft’s site at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/. Resources related specifically to codecs (video and audio) are available at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/mp10/codecs.aspx. If you want to create and stream Windows media, the book Microsoft Windows Media Resource Kit, by Tricia Gill, Bill Birney, and the Microsoft Windows Media Team (Microsoft Press) offers a comprehensive overview.

The following summarizes the Windows Media format:

Good for...	Delivering video to a wide audience (very good support).
Delivery	Streaming or download.
Creation tools	Windows Media Encoder for converting to Windows Media format, Windows Movie Maker ...