Apple Previews QuickTime 6 with MPEG-4
Release Awaits Changes to MPEG-4 License
QUICKTIME LIVE, LOS ANGELES-February 12, 2002-Apple=AE today previewed
QuickTime=AE 6, featuring full support for MPEG-4, the emerging standard for
streaming high quality content to computers and other digital devices.
QuickTime 6, along with Apple’s new QuickTime Streaming Server 4 and the
new QuickTime Broadcaster (see related release “Apple Previews New
QuickTime Broadcaster Software”), enables the first complete MPEG-4 based
streaming media solution.
Although the QuickTime 6 software is complete and ready for release, Apple
is delaying its release until MPEG-4 video licensing terms are improved.
The MPEG-4 licensing terms proposed by MPEG-LA (the largest group of MPEG-4
patent holders) includes royalty payments from companies, like Apple, who
ship MPEG-4 codecs, as well as royalties from content providers who use
MPEG-4 to stream video. Apple agrees with paying a reasonable royalty for
including MPEG-4 codecs in QuickTime, but does not believe that MPEG-4 can
be successful in the marketplace if content owners must also pay royalties
in order to deliver their content using MPEG-4.
“MPEG-4 is the best format for streaming media on the web, and QuickTime 6
is the first complete MPEG-4 solution,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s
senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “MPEG-4 is poised for
great success once the licensing terms are modified to allow content
providers to stream their content royalty-free.”
QuickTime 6 provides a fully scalable, ISO compliant MPEG-4 solution for
streaming media to the widest range of devices. Key features of QuickTime 6
include:
* Apple-developed video codec for encoding and decoding MPEG-4 video content=
;
* support for Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), the next generation audio format;
* support for CELP, the MPEG-4 speech codec for reproduction of natural spee=
ch;
* adherence to the Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA) 1.0 specificatio=
n;
* MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 playback, ideal for content creators who wish to
preview and share work throughout the production process;
* Flash 5 support;
* DVC Pro (PAL) support;
* updated user interface with a new, easy-to-use “Favorites” interface and
easier access to QuickTime content; and
* skip protection enhancements.
QuickTime is Apple’s industry-leading, standards-based software for
developing, producing and delivering high quality audio and video over IP,
wireless and broadband networks. Last year, 80 million users downloaded
QuickTime Player via the Internet while tens of millions more copies were
distributed via digital cameras, software titles and enhanced music CDs.
As the platform of choice for content creators worldwide, QuickTime
delivers the full media experience for thousands of unique titles of
enhanced music CDs and software titles. Additionally, QuickTime ships on
more than 150 digital camera models to provide consumers with the highest
quality media playback experience.
Apple also announced the immediate availability of QuickTime Streaming
Server 4, Apple’s advanced open-source, standards-based streaming server,
now with MPEG-4 and MP3 streaming capabilities. QuickTime Streaming Server
4 does not require a MPEG-4 license and is therefore immediately available.
QuickTime Streaming Server 4 features include:
* full MPEG-4 support, allowing MPEG-4 content to be streamed live or
on demand;
* ability to serve MP3 files or playlists to standard MP3 players,
such as iTunes=81, QuickTime player or WinAmp;
* enhancements to the web-based administration tool; and
* quality of service and skip protection enhancements.
QuickTime Streaming Server 4 is available as a free download at
www.apple.com/quicktime/products/qtss.
Apple is a co-founder of the Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA),
which is dedicated to the development of products and technologies that
adhere to industry standards. QuickTime was chosen by the International
Organization for Standards (ISO) as the file format for MPEG-4, providing
the software with a deep level of compatibility with the standard.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple
II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh.
Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to
students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world
through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings.