WMP for Mac, Solaris, and Win32/WinCE are available free for download from MS. There are no CALs (Client Access Licenses) needed for WMS clients.
WMS has never had any *additional cost* beyond the NT/W2K license. The post I was replying to was clearly in error.
Any further insistence that somehow Windows Media has or ever has had unique costs (CALs, per-stream server licensing) is indicative of stupidity.
Client: free.
Any HTTP server on the OS you already have: free.
A dedicated Windows Media Server: free for usage on NT Server.
That's been the case for ~5 years now. If you're not going to back up your facts, I will assume you are just further trolling.
Are you trolling a troll? Windows Media Server has always been free. You might be thinking of the NetShow Theater Server (aka Tiger), but Tiger was a VOD server and most definitely is not the Windows Media Server (nee NetShow Server).
WMP 6.3 for the Mac was outsourced and a great job wasn't done. They inhoused it, fixed it up as much as worthwhile, and shipped WMP 6.3 release. WMP7 for the Mac was rewritten all inhouse. The beta is a true beta, but have you seen the post-beta version that was shown at MacWorld? It's looking pretty good now. It might be a necessary evil to MS, but they're actually committed to delivering a solid Mac client.
I'm pretty sure MS was first to have streaming MP3 audio over a non-HTTP protocol - you can stick an MP3 on a Windows Media Server and then suck it down on the client via the mms protocol. Of course Windows Media has supported MP3 audio within ASF for years, but as far as actual MP3 files - that works too, it's just not really documetned.
DivX;-) isn't a 'variant of MPEG-4', it's a hack of the Microsoft MPEG4 video codec, usually found within the AVI file format which isn't really suitable for streaming. You'd need to convert the file to ASF, and then why not just use the superior Windows Media Video codecs...
Confusion is kind of the point here, though: "DivX;-)" is the pirate/warez redist of hacked Microsoft and stolen FhG codecs, representing no independent work. OpenDivX may indeed be legitimate, but without them lying to people that they were the "developers of DivX" they wouldn't be getting any press. Like P.T. Barnum says, there's a sucker born every minute. Suuuuure they're legitimate. Wink wink nudge nudge. Just like They Created "Divx;-)". So far all they've proven is that they're lying weasels, they can steal other people's work and pretend it's their own, and they're semi-successful at running a Get Rich Quick scheme.
There's multiple sets of compression/decompression calls, though. The VfW interface, the QuickTime interface, DShow, etc.
Only the DivX hack of MS MPEG4 will support the VfW codec interface (presumably what you're referring to) with AVI files. Sorenson is implemented as a QuickTime codec, and TMK doesn't at this time have a VfW compatible codec available. The Windows Media video codecs only work within Windows Media files, same as the RealVideo and QuickTime Sorenson codecs. You couldn't accomplish what you're referring to with a simple VfW wrapper. Maybe what you're referring to does more than providing a wrapper for VfW, but the proof is in the pudding: abstractly, a simple VfW wrapper for Linux will technically not be able to support Sorenson or non-hacked Windows Media video codecs more recent than MS MPEG4 v2.
As Anonymous Coward already said, you're referring to the file format question rather than the encoding/decoding. If you compare clips at equivalent bitrates, the new WMV8 codec should compare very favorably to the latest Sorenson (the best codec I'm currently aware of for usage within QuickTime).
No: DivX is a hack of MS MPEG4 v3 and lower. Windows Media Video 7 and the new v8 codecs aren't playable via that codec. Sorenson also requires its own decoder, hacked or otherwise.
None of these guys had anything to do with "DivX" codec development, though, and they're lying if they said they did. They're just hackers/pirates. It'll be interesting if they can pull something legit off, but they've proven zilch to date.
-Zach (who last he checked had code in the three codecs DivX is ripping off)
DivX is just a warez collection of hacks to the Microsoft MPEG4 video codec, WMA audio codec, and the FhG MP3 codec. Gej and Max pretend it's theirs so they can gain street cred and hopefully $$$.
Anyways, when you're comparing the WMA v8 codec to DivX, you're either comparing it to FhG's MP3 codec or to WMA v1 (IIRC). People just cloud the codec field by claiming "DivX" is a new codec. (And likewise, WMV v8 vs. "DivX" is just WMV v8 vs MS MPEG4 v3.)
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WMP for Mac, Solaris, and Win32/WinCE are available free for download from MS. There are no CALs (Client Access Licenses) needed for WMS clients. WMS has never had any *additional cost* beyond the NT/W2K license. The post I was replying to was clearly in error. Any further insistence that somehow Windows Media has or ever has had unique costs (CALs, per-stream server licensing) is indicative of stupidity. Client: free. Any HTTP server on the OS you already have: free. A dedicated Windows Media Server: free for usage on NT Server. That's been the case for ~5 years now. If you're not going to back up your facts, I will assume you are just further trolling.
Are you trolling a troll? Windows Media Server has always been free. You might be thinking of the NetShow Theater Server (aka Tiger), but Tiger was a VOD server and most definitely is not the Windows Media Server (nee NetShow Server).
Vivo got bought and shot by RealNetworks. I've seen a new ".viv" player, but I believe RealNetworks still owns all the VivoActive code.
WMP 6.3 for the Mac was outsourced and a great job wasn't done. They inhoused it, fixed it up as much as worthwhile, and shipped WMP 6.3 release. WMP7 for the Mac was rewritten all inhouse. The beta is a true beta, but have you seen the post-beta version that was shown at MacWorld? It's looking pretty good now. It might be a necessary evil to MS, but they're actually committed to delivering a solid Mac client.
I'm pretty sure MS was first to have streaming MP3 audio over a non-HTTP protocol - you can stick an MP3 on a Windows Media Server and then suck it down on the client via the mms protocol. Of course Windows Media has supported MP3 audio within ASF for years, but as far as actual MP3 files - that works too, it's just not really documetned.
Somebody else already mentioned the ability to play back ASF on Linux, and WMP7 for Mac is also pretty good.
DivX ;-) isn't a 'variant of MPEG-4', it's a hack of the Microsoft MPEG4 video codec, usually found within the AVI file format which isn't really suitable for streaming. You'd need to convert the file to ASF, and then why not just use the superior Windows Media Video codecs...
Confusion is kind of the point here, though: "DivX ;-)" is the pirate/warez redist of hacked Microsoft and stolen FhG codecs, representing no independent work. OpenDivX may indeed be legitimate, but without them lying to people that they were the "developers of DivX" they wouldn't be getting any press. Like P.T. Barnum says, there's a sucker born every minute. Suuuuure they're legitimate. Wink wink nudge nudge. Just like They Created "Divx ;-)". So far all they've proven is that they're lying weasels, they can steal other people's work and pretend it's their own, and they're semi-successful at running a Get Rich Quick scheme.
Only the DivX hack of MS MPEG4 will support the VfW codec interface (presumably what you're referring to) with AVI files. Sorenson is implemented as a QuickTime codec, and TMK doesn't at this time have a VfW compatible codec available. The Windows Media video codecs only work within Windows Media files, same as the RealVideo and QuickTime Sorenson codecs. You couldn't accomplish what you're referring to with a simple VfW wrapper. Maybe what you're referring to does more than providing a wrapper for VfW, but the proof is in the pudding: abstractly, a simple VfW wrapper for Linux will technically not be able to support Sorenson or non-hacked Windows Media video codecs more recent than MS MPEG4 v2.
As Anonymous Coward already said, you're referring to the file format question rather than the encoding/decoding. If you compare clips at equivalent bitrates, the new WMV8 codec should compare very favorably to the latest Sorenson (the best codec I'm currently aware of for usage within QuickTime).
No: DivX is a hack of MS MPEG4 v3 and lower. Windows Media Video 7 and the new v8 codecs aren't playable via that codec. Sorenson also requires its own decoder, hacked or otherwise.
-Zach (who last he checked had code in the three codecs DivX is ripping off)
DivX is just a warez collection of hacks to the Microsoft MPEG4 video codec, WMA audio codec, and the FhG MP3 codec. Gej and Max pretend it's theirs so they can gain street cred and hopefully $$$. Anyways, when you're comparing the WMA v8 codec to DivX, you're either comparing it to FhG's MP3 codec or to WMA v1 (IIRC). People just cloud the codec field by claiming "DivX" is a new codec. (And likewise, WMV v8 vs. "DivX" is just WMV v8 vs MS MPEG4 v3.)