VOOM to employ Windows Media 9

[Seanb61]

Rainbow DBS's Satellite Service VOOM, U.S. Digital Television and Akimbo
to Support Windows Media 9 Series;
Submission of VC-9 to SMPTE Reaches Committee Draft Status

LAS VEGAS, April 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today at NAB2004, Microsoft
Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) announced that leading broadcast companies are developing
or deploying tools and services that support Microsoft(R) Windows Media(R) 9
Series. Among the companies adopting Windows Media 9 Series for its high
quality and compression efficiency are Rainbow DBS, the satellite services
division of Cablevision Systems Corp.; Akimbo Systems; Shanghai Broadcasting
Lab; and U.S. Digital Television Inc. (USDTV).
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO )
Rainbow DBS's satellite service, VOOM, is the first television service to
offer a comprehensive array of high-definition (HD) programming to customers
throughout the continental United States. VOOM will use Windows Media 9 Series
as one of the compression technologies to expand its available satellite
capacity for HD offerings from more than 30 to more than 60 channels. VOOM
plans to roll out advanced codecs beginning with standard definition (SD)
later this year and HD next year.
"We are extremely impressed by the compression capabilities of Windows
Media 9 Series," said Bill Casamo, executive vice president of sales and
marketing at Rainbow DBS. "With over 30 HD channels, VOOM is already
delivering far more HD programming than any other cable or satellite provider.
Utilizing these codecs, among others, within our network will allow VOOM
customers to experience even more high-quality HD programming, as well as SD
programming, and will support the growth and addition of new services over the
next few years."

 

[madpoet]

Hrm... very interesting. I wonder what that means for their MPEG4 plans.

-MP

 

[Ken F]

Some more information from Microsoft right here with mention of VOOM (Rainbow DBS).

Some other WM9 announcements from NAB2002:

Microsoft Announces Breakthrough High-Definition Video Production Solutions for Windows XP

Microsoft and Sonic Unveil DVD Authoring Application For Windows Media Video High-Definition

 

[Ken F]

It sounds like they may have determined to adopt WM9 instead, at least for HD. This makes sense, as WM9 was voted #1 for HD picture quality by the DVD Forum (studios) when they were choosing codec(s) for the future HD-DVD standard.

It's still not clear to me whether MPEG-4 or WM9 will be used initially for SD. Industrial equipment for real-time WM9 encoding for HD is probably at least 12-18 months out. Note that both Harmonic and TANDBERG are demonstrating real-time encoders for WM9 SD at NAB2004.

Some more information from Microsoft right here with mention of VOOM (Rainbow DBS). Some other WM9 announcements from NAB2002:

Microsoft Announces Breakthrough High-Definition Video Production Solutions for Windows XP

Microsoft and Sonic Unveil DVD Authoring Application For Windows Media Video High-Definition

 

[Sean Mota]

VOOM plans to roll out advanced codecs beginning with standard definition (SD) later this year and HD next year.

This statement sounds like the one that Wilt released for MPEG-4 back in November. Not clear what this means for MPEG-4.

 

[rang1995]

hey Microsoft has 50 BLN.. in cash...,hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[compurocker]

We will get more channels, hopefully a better picture across all channels, and VOOM might even get some free publicity out of Microsoft (hopefully more besides this one press release) since they are one of the early adoptors of the WM9 technology. Sounds good to me.

 

[A_Noland]

We all know how long Microsoft stays with this stuff. Dishplayer, Ultimate TV ring a bell. And is their compression lossless?

 

[DarrellP]

We all know how long Microsoft stays with this stuff. Dishplayer, Ultimate TV ring a bell. And is their compression lossless?

Microsoft won't abandon WM9, they want to rule the HD world as well, the greedy bastards.

 

[rang1995]

We will get more channels, hopefully a better picture across all channels, and VOOM might even get some free publicity out of Microsoft (hopefully more besides this one press release) since they are one of the early adoptors of the WM9 technology. Sounds good to me.

and as i said MSFT has 50 BILLION yes in cash whats a billion for a takeover and getting them into the SAT business???

 

[Lucky]

and as i said MSFT has 50 BILLION yes in cash whats a billion for a takeover and getting them into the SAT business???

How about Microsoft buys into VOOM as a partner, and
VOOM gets needed cash and credibility from a Microsoft partnership ?

Just a thought...

 

[Sean Mota]

With over 30 HD channels, VOOM is already
delivering far more HD programming than any other cable or satellite provider.
Utilizing these codecs, among others, within our network will allow VOOM
customers to experience even more high-quality HD programming, as well as SD
programming, and will support the growth and addition of new services over the
next few years."

So how many more HD channels are we talking about? Anyone would like to estimate. The current MPEG2 configuration will give them 39 HD channels. How many HD channels with WM9?

 

[Ken F]

Sean,

The current spec is 39 1080i HD channels with MPEG-2. The press release says more than 60 HD channels with WM9. That's not necessarily 60 1080i HD channels, however.

 

[red ufo]

This scares me.

Bill looked at the 15 billion a year in video games and figured he'd muscle his way into that billion dollar pie, then muscle everyone out later.

Someday if he hasn't already, he'll see the money made from satellite and muscle his way in, then nickle and dime our ass like he does. Under the M$ flag we'll pay for several tiers of sloppy service. I'm sure the package I have now would cost close to 200 a month.

As for updates. They'd charge us for DLC thru the system like they do on Xbox Live.
I'd rather have a sh*tter codec with large bandwidth than anything M$ makes to futher the monopoly on our lives.

 

[Lucky]

Would we need a new box to run WM9 or would our current VOOM box work ?

 

[DarrellP]

In a different thread, Sean stated that the empty slot on the right side of the box was for an MPEG-4 expansion module, I wonder if they could make a WM9 module for that slot?

 

[Lucky]

In a different thread, Sean stated that the empty slot on the right side of the box was for an MPEG-4 expansion module, I wonder if they could make a WM9 module for that slot?

That's what I was wondering. We have an MPEG-4 slot, but if now they are going to WM9 we may need new boxes. I wonder if we have an WM9 slot ready ?

 

[Sean Mota]

That's what I was wondering. We have an MPEG-4 slot, but if now they are going to WM9 we may need new boxes. I wonder if we have an WM9 slot ready ?

Maybe that slot could be used for either MPEG4 or WM9 or we can be looking at new boxes in the horizon and not necessarily from Motorola. I'll be happy to get rid of these DSR550 boxes!

 

[madpoet]

Or maybe we won't see it until PVR time....

 

[vurbano]

Maybe that slot could be used for either MPEG4 or WM9 or we can be looking at new boxes in the horizon and not necessarily from Motorola. I'll be happy to get rid of these DSR550 boxes!

I think motorola has the unfortunate experience of being the box that they started the software with. I think its a good box but very early software. When it took 7 seconds to change a station was it the box or the programming? The stuttering, are we too blame the box? I bet it isnt the box. I think we would be screaming "sony sucks" if they had started with a sony and bad software programming too.