From Wednesday's Hollywood Reporter
Download a feature film in 30 minutes? It's here
Microsoft Corp. releases Windows Media Audio and Video 8, the latest version of its digital media delivery technology, today. One of the major distinctions between the new WMAV8 and its predecessor is improved encoding methods that result in higher quality and smaller file sizes at all bandwidths -- a technology the company calls "the first motion picture-ready codec." A codec is a system for compressing and decompressing graphic information. Dave Fester, Microsoft general manager of marketing, digital media division, said that by using WMAV8, "Consumers can download a near-DVD-quality feature film in only about 30 minutes over a DSL line, and it will take up just 500 megabytes of space." Fester said such providers as Intertainer, Sightsound.com and CinemaNow are already releasing full-length films on a pay-per-view basis via the Internet using Windows Media. AlwaysI, Cinema-Pop, FilmSpeed, iFilm, Imax, MTV.com and Pathe's Net Cine are among others that have declared their support for the new product.
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