Pioneer to support WM9
http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/News...RelatedID=4224
My question to Pioneer is why WM9 only? Why not support AAC 5.1 as well. What scares me here is "Computer Politics" moving over to the Audio/Video realm.
We know that Digital Downloads are picking up stream. The Services are going to fall generally into three formats. MP3, WM9 and AAC. Only WM9 and AAC support 5.1 multichannel.
WM9 is fine but adding AAC should have trivial. Plus ..how will the receiver handle files with DRM?
It is important that the Industry does not let Microsoft co-opt digital playback. There is room for choice here. Pioneer don't betray your fans who may prefer Macs or PC's running Linux.
Quote:
The new amplifier model, VSA-AX10Ai-N, also uses Pioneer's Advanced Multichannel Acoustic Calibration system, which allows sound adjustments at the same professional level as the monitoring methods of recording studios. The unit is scheduled to be available in Japan in December 2003 and in North America as the receiver model VSX-59TXi in January 2004.
Pioneer's VSA-AX10Ai-N can play back music files encoded with Windows Media Audio 9 Professional from a Windows(R)-based PC using the Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF). The S/PDIF is an audio transfer file format interface for audio bitstreams that enables the delivery of digital audio from one device to another without the need to convert to analog; it is transferred as a digital compressed format and is decoded by the AV amplifier, therefore maintaining maximum quality. Microsoft has proposed to IEC-TC100 that Windows Media Audio 9 Professional be considered as a format for inclusion in the IEC61937 (S/PDIF) Standard.
The VSA-AX10Ai-N is compatible with existing package media as well as with the increasingly popular nonpackage media such as 5.1 surround sound audio downloads from the Web. For example, to add value to existing releases, music labels are releasing multichannel audio tracks in Windows Media Audio 9 Professional format from artists such as Peter Gabriel, Sting, Pink Floyd and DJ Andy Hunter.
In addition to the playback of audio content, a growing number of video-on-demand services already exist that will enable the new VSA-AX10Ai-N to play back movie soundtracks encoded in Windows Media Audio 9 Professional. The broadband distribution service WOWOW NEXT ENTERTAINMENT GENETICS, produced by WOWOW Inc., will be offering music and movies in high-definition, 5.1 channel surround sound Windows Media 9 Series to bring its customers the highest-quality digital media experience.
The new amplifier model, VSA-AX10Ai-N, also uses Pioneer's Advanced Multichannel Acoustic Calibration system, which allows sound adjustments at the same professional level as the monitoring methods of recording studios. The unit is scheduled to be available in Japan in December 2003 and in North America as the receiver model VSX-59TXi in January 2004.
Pioneer's VSA-AX10Ai-N can play back music files encoded with Windows Media Audio 9 Professional from a Windows(R)-based PC using the Sony/Philips Digital Interface (S/PDIF). The S/PDIF is an audio transfer file format interface for audio bitstreams that enables the delivery of digital audio from one device to another without the need to convert to analog; it is transferred as a digital compressed format and is decoded by the AV amplifier, therefore maintaining maximum quality. Microsoft has proposed to IEC-TC100 that Windows Media Audio 9 Professional be considered as a format for inclusion in the IEC61937 (S/PDIF) Standard.
The VSA-AX10Ai-N is compatible with existing package media as well as with the increasingly popular nonpackage media such as 5.1 surround sound audio downloads from the Web. For example, to add value to existing releases, music labels are releasing multichannel audio tracks in Windows Media Audio 9 Professional format from artists such as Peter Gabriel, Sting, Pink Floyd and DJ Andy Hunter.
In addition to the playback of audio content, a growing number of video-on-demand services already exist that will enable the new VSA-AX10Ai-N to play back movie soundtracks encoded in Windows Media Audio 9 Professional. The broadband distribution service WOWOW NEXT ENTERTAINMENT GENETICS, produced by WOWOW Inc., will be offering music and movies in high-definition, 5.1 channel surround sound Windows Media 9 Series to bring its customers the highest-quality digital media experience.
My question to Pioneer is why WM9 only? Why not support AAC 5.1 as well. What scares me here is "Computer Politics" moving over to the Audio/Video realm.
We know that Digital Downloads are picking up stream. The Services are going to fall generally into three formats. MP3, WM9 and AAC. Only WM9 and AAC support 5.1 multichannel.
WM9 is fine but adding AAC should have trivial. Plus ..how will the receiver handle files with DRM?
It is important that the Industry does not let Microsoft co-opt digital playback. There is room for choice here. Pioneer don't betray your fans who may prefer Macs or PC's running Linux.
Comments
Monopoly power...gotta love it.
Originally posted by Eugene
The WM9 and WM9 Pro audio codecs have already been proven to be inferior to AAC at 64 kbps and 128 kbps. Pioneer's probably getting a hefty chunk of change from Microsoft to spearhead the advancement of WM9 into the CE world.
Monopoly power...gotta love it.
No doubt. I'm curious to know Pioneers reasons for not supporing AAC. That answer would let me know more than a press release. I think i'll email then and see what response I get.
its really that easy... really
Apple wont do that.
what will happen? apple stays stubborn, MS wins, yet another "battle" lost. MS has too much money for their own good (and in the end, our own as well)