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DVD Player Chipsets To Support Windows Media Files

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the shaking-the-devil's-hand dept.

An Anonymous Coward writes: "According to this article in EETimes, Microsoft previewed its next generation Windows Media technology, and said that chipset makers that account for 90% of home DVD players will be including the technology in their upcoming chipsets. I hope the various courts looking into Microsoft's monopoly examine this closely, there is a lot of potential for Microsoft to extend its monopoly here. The next logical step would be for them to pay movie studios to produce Windows Media format movies that are available before or cost less than regular DVD format, that is, if they are made available in regular DVD format at all! This would also be a neat way for studios to force us all to upgrade our existing DVD players use the now-cracked CSS." Ton van der Liet points out this article on ZDNet, writing: "Microsoft touts the advantages of Windows Media, such as longer playback. Wasn't MPEG-4 supposed to do this? And aren't the newest Windows Media codecs based on a draft of the MPEG-4 standard?"

4 of 407 comments (clear)

  1. I DO NOT want WMP technology in my DVD player... by microbob · · Score: 4, Funny

    I DO NOT want WMP technology in my DVD player...

    I'll refuse to buy one that includes.

    You DVD manufactures listening to me? I *know* you read slashdot.

  2. Re:I'm pleased... by 32xts · · Score: 4, Funny
    It'll be interesting to see if Ogg Vorbis comes up with a better codec to compete against the WMA 8 format.
    Maybe, maybe not. You can, however, rest assured that they will come up with a sillier name.
  3. Re:It's for a new version of WMP by nsanit · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's double the DVD quality and 5.1 sound.

    You only get 5.1 sound if the movie was recorded that way, and most DVD's (at least in my collection) are already 5.1 sound (assuming the movie was recorded with the eoncoding).

    A new media format alone cannot add sound that's not in the recording. Anyone can remaster the sound track and add the other channels with current media formats.

    Better quality? I dont see how it's possible to get better picture quality with same antiquated technology that is inside most people's TV.

    Everyday I think M$ is turning out to be more analageous (sp) to Taco Bell in the movie Demolition Man.

    --
    They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.-Franklin
  4. Re:I DO NOT want WMP technology in my DVD player.. by tenman · · Score: 4, Funny

    would you WMP in a house,
    would you WMP with a mounse?
    ...
    I would not buy them in the rain,
    I would not buy them on a train,
    I would not could not with a mouse,
    I would not could not with in a house,

    I DO NOT want WMP technology in my DVD player... sam I am!