#vc-1

VC-1

By Numerical Audio

Vintage voiced multiband chorus.

I learned it here - now, much can change in beta but it's still a strong statement that resonates with other information. I heard rumors around NAB that the Microsoft streaming team was dropping support for VC-1 in favor of H264, dramatically changing the codec landscape if true. It also signals an end of an almost 20 year battle between Apple's Quicktime and Microsoft's media experiments. 

  This three year old article from Roughly Drafted gives an amazing historical overview of the importance of this battle. 

  Microsoft's wishy-washy commitment to media helps explain its ultimate demise. Just look at the naming conventions to see the focus:

  * Apple Quicktime version 1 through 10 - 1991 to 2010

  * Microsoft

* Windows 3.0 with MultiMedia Extensions - 1991

* Video for Windows - 1992  

* ActiveMovie - 1996 

* DirectShow Media Player (renaming of ActiveMovie) - 1996  

* Windows Media Player (rebranded as v 6.4) - date???

* Windows Media Video (v7) - 1999

* Windows Media Video 9 advanced profile - PlaysForSure - 2003  (ie PrayForSure)

* Windows Player for Mac - 2003

* VC-1 - 2006

* Windows Media Components for QuickTime by Flip4Mac - 2006

* Silverlight - 2007

I forgot where to put AAF, but I think the point is clear. Even looking up the dates within Wikipedia, I still don't quite understand all the moving parts here, so please help out if you know the answer. 

  Image from VideoMaker

  A few years back we hired a Windows Media consultant to help us understand why Windows Media Player had no scrub bar - making frame advancement and frame jumping impossible for clients on the web. Actually, I asked how to set up Fast Forward within the player, to which he replied, "Well, it depends on how you define Fast Forward." Ummmm yeahhh...