What does Windows Media 9 mean for Apple?

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2014
So does anyone in this forum know what it means to Apple's pro production plans if Windows Media 9 Series becomes the standard for digital theater systems?



http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030403/sfth027_1.html



Quote:

For the first time, a critical mass of the independent film industry's infrastructure will be wired for digital distribution. This helps address the escalating costs of releasing theatrical films, which weighs heaviest on the independent sector, as it must pay the same costs to release a film as the major studios. The creation of a complete digital alternative represents a major breakthrough in these economies that will help guarantee greater diversity and access to the marketplace for independent filmmakers and distributors alike.



The newly outfitted theaters will be able to screen films encoded digitally in Windows Media 9 Series, which enables high-resolution, theater-quality experiences with up to 7.1 channel surround sound. The network rollout is expected to be completed by the end of this year.



The DCS Cinema System employs a networked PC architecture that integrates into existing theater infrastructure. Once the network is in place, Windows Media 9 Series allows films to be sent to theaters over private networks, on CD-ROM or on DVD-ROM, all protected with Windows Media Digital Rights Management technology.



Will this put Apple-based productions at a disadvantage or will everything be put into standards so that it won't make a difference?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    aquaticaquatic Posts: 5,602member
    Definitely. Windows Media Player for Mac hasn't changed in years. Very bad. This is why monopolies are illegal and why Microsoft should be split up. This will be a big development I think. One more industry bites the dust...and another bites and another one bites...Maybe they'll just buy Lowes Theaters, however it's spelled, and all movies will be encoded in WiMP.
  • Reply 2 of 12
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacGregor

    So does anyone in this forum know what it means to Apple's pro production plans if Windows Media 9 Series becomes the standard for digital theater systems?



    http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030403/sfth027_1.html







    Will this put Apple-based productions at a disadvantage or will everything be put into standards so that it won't make a difference?




    I think a new Windows Media Player is on the way. ESPN Motion uses Windows Media codes for version8 or 9. There is a Mac OS X version on the way. We're going to see an update. It's been long over due.
  • Reply 3 of 12
    spotcatbugspotcatbug Posts: 195member
    Apple's gonna die!!!!



    ...again...







    j/k - it was the first thing that popped into my head.



    I think it'll be a real shame if M$ manages to stomp around and break things even more.
  • Reply 4 of 12
    jaredjared Posts: 639member
    Well, we will see light of QuickTime news at WWDC I am sure and it better be something to drool over otherwise we are in for it
  • Reply 5 of 12
    kraig911kraig911 Posts: 912member
    Interesting to say the least, but remember what reigns supreme right now? Apple is embedded in the creative industry... Also this might be one of those specialized things where it will only work if you pay microsoft money, also remember they aren't throwing away their legacy systems too, what sux is Microsoft and all these other theaters seem to hate film when film is higher quality, the artistic medium of choice to present it on, and also no prone to internet security heh. Its gonna wierd when someone hacks that stuff. I recall when Boeing (SP?) did all that digital theater crap when star wars came episode one or two came out, where it digitally feeds the movie to a screen via satellite, well many thunderstorm interruptions, computer problems later, I havn't heard anything of it since. Let it play out.
  • Reply 6 of 12
    dfilerdfiler Posts: 3,420member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacGregor

    Will this put Apple-based productions at a disadvantage or will everything be put into standards so that it won't make a difference?



    I doubt this will have much of an impact since projector hardware will set the standard. Thankfully, hardware interfaces seldom change for expensive products that are not frequently replaced. There are very few independent film houses that can afford to buy a digital projector with a propriety interface which could only be fed MS content. Projectors are really really expensive.



    To tear apart the press release a bit more: ...

    Quote:

    The newly outfitted theaters will be able to screen films encoded digitally in Windows Media 9 Series, which enables high-resolution, theater-quality experiences with up to 7.1 channel surround sound. The network rollout is expected to be completed by the end of this year.



    Up to 7.1 channels? The .1 makes me think this is the LFE signal encoded in DD or DTS formats. 7.1 is actually 5.1 with a matrixed rear channel AND one additional rear channel. The matrixed rear channels of 5.1 are un-matrixed, and the sixth channel is substitutued for both rear surround channels. Hmmm... sounds like my living room experience off of a consumer DVD player, HT receiver, and DLP projector.



    So... sounds like MS just invented a proprietary distribution format that doesn't have much of an advantage over a plain old DVD. Either that, or they figured with so many HDTV formats used for distribution, no one would notice if they slipped another, incompatible format into the mix.
  • Reply 7 of 12
    aquaticaquatic Posts: 5,602member
    Um just like Apple was "embedded" in education? That was their last hope.. I don't mean they're going to die they're just going to always be less than 5 or 10% market share unless something drastic happens, like 970 this summer. They were embedded in education, and now Dartmouth has kicked Apple in the ass. They replaced Cubes with ugly-ass Dell pieces. And their Apple are old pieces of poorly configured crap I always have to "fix". They have iMac 500s with 9.0 (they just recently upgraded to 9.2 how sad) and they have NVIDIA drivers on, bunch of other crap on like Airport drivers for machines that do NOT have Airport. 128 RAM of course. Bleh... OS X came too late for education. Apple needs to aggresively (needed to?) market to education. And they need to keep agressively pushing at the creative market too or they will lose it. It does not MATTER that Apple is BETTER. Ever watch Pirates of Silicon Valley?
  • Reply 8 of 12
    macgregormacgregor Posts: 1,434member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by dfiler

    [B]I doubt this will have much of an impact since projector hardware will set the standard. Thankfully, hardware interfaces seldom change for expensive products that are not frequently replaced. There are very few independent film houses that can afford to buy a digital projector with a propriety interface which could only be fed MS content. Projectors are really really expensive.



    dfiler: I think you are right about hardware driving that particular content delivery industry. I work at a museum with an Omnimax theater and the hardware is so expensive, that it drives the standard by simple dollars.



    What concerns me is that those first theaters buy their $100k's systems with M$'s "help" then they can't afford to change again for 50 years! Then the hardware WILL drive the need for software, but right back to Microsoft. At least in the consumer computer industry, the average person or family can buy a new computer or PlayStation every 5 years or so. This is M$ gambit into an industry like business that means long term stability and monopoly .... and even if Apple owns FCP and Shake and much of the production side of the process, I don't want the entire industry to have to tithe Redmond just to get it on the screen!



    This is the model M$ used for the desktop. M$ convince the industry and the courts that the computing experience is the start up screen and not the box. In the same way it may make sure that the words "Microsoft" are the first things you see before the trailers even run....like THX and the wierd Pepsi girl commercials only more insidious!
  • Reply 9 of 12
    wmfwmf Posts: 1,164member
    Luckily the MS system is just a DVI projector with a PC attached to it. It should be easy enough to unplug the PC and plug in a Mac.
  • Reply 10 of 12
    curiousuburbcuriousuburb Posts: 3,325member
    a microsoft network for distribution and security



    holy oxymorons batman



    << virus writers and script kiddies worldwide wet themselves with anticipation >>
  • Reply 11 of 12
    whisperwhisper Posts: 735member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by curiousuburb

    a microsoft network for distribution and security



    holy oxymorons batman



    << virus writers and script kiddies worldwide wet themselves with anticipation >>




    Yeah, no kidding. As much as I hate to see MS get their hands on anything, at least we'll get free high quality movies out of it .
  • Reply 12 of 12
    kelibkelib Posts: 740member
    Code:


    What does Windows Media 9 mean for Apple? _



    Keep it alive, it's as simple as that
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