Hollywood, California: September 5, 2002

The gala premier had a projected logo visible to the "American Idol" big night (coincidentally running the same night at the same complex), 50 feet below in the plaza of the monstrous new entertainment complex at Hollywood & Highland Streets. Launch party attendees walked an outdoor bridge, giving a spectacular view. Photo Credit: (c) Jim Massey, 2002

Microsoft, this week, kicked off their Beta release of Windows Media 9 Series – due in final version later this year. This includes a player, server component, new codecs and a nice encoder. Mr. Gates tells us, “Windows Media 9 Series is the culmination of years of research and development designed to realize the true potential of digital media on the PC. Tonight we join our partners across the computer, entertainment and consumer electronics industries to celebrate the release of software that will help power the next wave of digital media.”

We start by wondering if this is just more hype in a world of hype from the king of hype. It didn’t take long to find some substance behind the familiar claims of “welcome to the future”. Media Player 9 is the culmination of a 3-year 500 million dollar project and the end result is more than a little bit impressive. It looks like Windows Media 9 Series is the milestone turning point for Hollywood getting substantive tools that solve major, painful intractable problems. One painful problem solved is the ability of content publishers to negotiate meaningful contracts with content consumers and then track the consumer’s compliance with the contract.

Steven Rounds (right), Sony Corporation's Top Tech Gun on Encoder Technology inspects the Microsoft technology offering to make sure Sony remains the world leader in feature film sound encoder technology. Jim Massey, Editor-In-Chief, International News Agency (INA) is on the left. Photo Credit: Taken by John Massey. (c) Jim Massey, 2002

The world of digital media lives and dies on a small software component called a “codec” which encodes data, allowing it to be transferred at a much smaller size and then reassembled or “decoded” on the other side. Windows Media comes with a handful of new codecs that top anything out there to date. The Windows Media Audio 9 codec offers, “high quality sound at less than half the bit rate of MP3”

Windows Media Audio 9 Professional Codec.

This codec offers, “The web’s first 5.1 surround sound technology and 24-bit, 96 KHz encoding”. Simply, click a few buttons to enable this codec on your Windows Media Player 9, plug in your 5 speaker surround sound system and off you go, experiencing advanced audiophile-pleasing, 5.1 surround sound. An expected hot selling gift item for the December 2002 holiday season is a set of 5.1 surround sound speakers for millions of consumers taking advantage of this newly simplified PC-based 5.1 surround sound codec.

The Windows Media Video 9 Professional codec gives us a replacement for MPEG 2, with a comparable quality in both sound and video at about half the file size. MPEG 2 is the codec used in DVD technology. Don’t be surprised if all DVD players in the future also read files made from this codec. With the same size file as MPEG 2, you can have about 2.5 times the pixels with the new codec.

The days of long waits staring at the computer while it tells you, “I’m buffering” may well come to an end. With this new technology anyone with DSL or a cable modem should be able to get rapid video with high-quality sound. A few seconds of buffering is all it should take. For people with phone modems (narrowband), the audio is fully clear while the video is switched to a series of still images. By playing the video clip a second time, the sound quality remains the same yet the number of still images coordinated to the sound track increases dramatically. Therefore, it is advised to play the clip at least 2 times to get the best narrowband experience available. (Editor’s Note: People at narrowband speeds may prefer to download-and-play, in order to get the full quality effect. This can be preferable to live, instant-play streaming.)

This beta release is near final. Over 170 devices are already supported, including everything from DVD players to MP3, like personal belt style players that will hold eight thousand songs (see the Creative Labs’ Nomad Jukebox Zen player). This sort of a gala-Hollywood first class world-premier opening could only be put together by the likes of Microsoft. Even for them it was a major effort. (Editor's Note: INA is nominating the outsource meeting event coordinator company hired for behind-the-scenes detail work, CRG Total Events Solutions, for an industry excellence award.)

The Gala Launch.

Highland Boulevard balcony view of the distant Los Angeles city skyline by day. Photo Credit: (c) Jim Massey, 2002

From the dramatic, multi-screen Kodak Theater stage, Bill Gates advised launch night attendees, “If you are looking for the American Idol gathering, you are in the wrong room”. The final crowning of the American Idol winner was in the magnificent courtyard physically located on the pathway between the two major parts of the premier launch.

Part One of the launch saw presentations by James Cameron, producer of the movie “Titanic”; Sir. George Martin, producer of the Beatles, and currently the movie soundtrack for Lord of the Rings II; LL. Cool J. rap artist; Bill Gates, Chief Software Architect; Will Poole, V.P., Windows New Media Platform Division; and Dave Fester, General Manager of the Windows Digital Media Division.

The audience saw on a large screen a hilarious BMW mini-ad, the type of which viewers see before watching any of the five short films by top name Hollywood directors produced by the BMW Films Digital Cinema Series. The bmwfilms.com site generated over 13,000,000 registered online film viewers last year. Before and after the Kodak Theater presentation were hands-on, real product demonstrations by 25 of the top 60 first level, 3rd party, partners.

John Massey, Network Editor, INA, MCSE (left); Robert L. Fitzsimmons (2nd from left); Rich Lappenbusch, Microsoft (3rd from left); Jim Massey, Editor-In-Chief, INA (2nd from right); and Dave Fester, General Manager, Windows Media Division (right); enjoy the rooftop launch party towering over world famous Hollywood Blvd. Photo Credit: (c) Jim Massey, 2002

Part Two, was the exclusive party in the Highlands Boulevard nightclub – featuring a dramatic outdoor balcony setting, showing off the famous street view of Hollywood Boulevard and the skyline view of distant downtown Los Angeles.

Hollywood Boulevard as seen from the launch party balcony in a day photo. This gave attendees the feeling of being in the center of the historic Hollywood. Photo Credit: (c) Jim Massey, 2002

Party entertainment was provided by a 20 piece band called the Funk Brothers, who are the subject of BMW Films’ first feature-length film titled, “Standing in the Shadows of Motown”. BMW Films is to exhibit the film digitally in 25 USA theaters starting November 15th – using the Windows Media Audio and Video 9 Series codec. Long time musician, and now veteran new media entrepreneur, Scottie Page played the saxophone with the Funk Brothers for the partygoers. Catering was by famous restaurateur Wolfgang Puck. The food was inspired and extraordinary.

Two-Day Technical Summit Hands Tools to Producers, ISPs, ICPs and Plug-In Developers.

Will Poole, V.P., Windows New Media Platform Division, teaches standing room only audience of producers and developers at the 2 day Tech Summit. Photo Credit: (c) Jim Massey, 2002 (A flash was used in this photo.)

Following the gala launch was a two-day Technical Summit that gave techies, of various degrees, the tools handoff needed to start using the new products. (Editor’s Note: The beta-tester license agreement states that commercial product producers are to base their products on the final product and not the beta version. The end of 2002 expects the final version.)

These already mentioned products are only a part of what a half a billion buys you. In addition to the above, you have a great front-end player with all the whistles and bells that you have come to expect and a few more. It is much easier than ever before to find, download and organize your music and videos. Finally, the player will minimize into your task bar when playing a song and give you the control buttons right there in the task bar. (Editor's Note: Read follow-on articles from the INA Labs providing tips on how to use the products.)

Dave Fester, General Manager, Windows Digital Media Division, advocates the possibilities that the producer/developer audience can do with the WM9 series. Photo Credit: (c) Jim Massey, 2002

Educational content is expected to have a boost from the new technology because the Windows Player 9’s Media Center automatically catalogs, lists and gives access to each individual piece of audio and video content. The auto-play-next feature allows the listener to experience each piece of a teaching product suite by pushing only one button and then leaning back in their seat and listening to the entire library of educational content. Smart education content producers (like Microsoft Money) give appropriate directory names to their content so that it comes out alphabetized and playing in the best order in the Windows Media Player 9.

Conclusion:.

It is all way too much to put into one short article, but after being bombarded with it all for a couple of days, I do see that the world of multimedia has been moved forward by a pretty good leap. Other INA articles will tell the various parts of the Microsoft Windows Media 9 Series – a family of technologies promising end-to-end services for seamless integration of content delivery. The best part of it all is that after a half a billion dollars spent on research and development, it is all free for us, the end user, to take advantage of.

The consumer, of course, needs some kind of player device (PC with speakers, or handheld PC) and the Windows operating system. The content publisher (ICP) needs the Windows .NET Enterprise Server in order to host the Windows Media Server 9, which delivers the content to the customer. The content publisher may choose to use outside hosting services (ISPs) to reduce the expenses of large Internet connectivity and for data center costs. Companies that do it all (ASPs) can allow "arm waving producers" to skip hiring, supervising and managing a technical staff.

Will Poole, V.P. Windows New Media Platforms Division (left) with Jim Massey, Editor-In-Chief, International News Agency (right). Photo Credit: (c) Jim Massey, 2002

A whole industry is expected to build on this platform (digital media platform) similar to the way a whole industry grew in the 80's and 90's on the Microsoft MS-DOS operating system, for which later generations of the technology changed the name to Microsoft Windows operating system. The software engineers who design those add-on products are called software developers. Microsoft spokesman Will Poole, Vice President of the Microsoft New Media Platform Division stated, "Microsoft is not in the content business. We are in the technology enablement business."

John Massey

Network Editor

International News Agency

http://inewsagency.com

“Covering Internet Authoring Tools Since 1995”

John Massey is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer focused on simplifying the educational requirements to move users up the learning curve. A part-time digital media producer, he and his professional computer programmer wife live in Burbank, California.

Editor's Note: Jim Massey, Editor-In-Chief, made notes, additions, links and changes to the original article by John Massey, Network Editor, before publication.

How The Photo's Were Done

Editor's Note: The photos used in this story were taken on an HP Photosmart 715 camera, set at web resolution (very small file size). They were uploaded, for viewing on the web, without editing them or retouching, re-codecing, recompressing, croping or changing them in any way. No photo editing software was used in the process between capture and viewing. These photos demonstrate the sheer force, advanced engineering capability build into the HP Photosmart product line. The entire file size - uncompressed - is usually around 60K to 80K per photo (very small).

Where the HP 715 Camera Came From: The camera was given to Jim Massey, Editor-In-Chief, INA, by Carla Fiorini, Chairwoman of HP, at her 2002 Consumer Electronics Show keynote speech in which she demonstrated how to use this model of the HP digital photography product line. Jim Massey is building a photo-journalism story focused on "How this Camera Changed My Life". The essay is schedule for release at the 2003 CES show in Las Vegas.

Engineering Feat: Many of the photos used in this story were taken WITHOUT FLASH, while in a darkened theater room (see photos #2, #3, #9, #13). It is only by the advanced engineering put into the camera that the photos were possible. See especially photo #5 of the Microsoft Windows Media 9 Series logo projected on the Hollywood & Highland Entertainment Complex, an outdoor building, at night. The details seen, AT NIGHT WITH NO FLASH! while at the lowest resolution setting on the camera, are remarkable. The three resolution settings on the HP 715 range from web resolution (low file size) to 3.3 megapixel (largest file size). Photo #5 was taken from the skywalk foot bridge over the courtyard holding the "American Idol" winner ceremony on September 5th, 2002.

Recommendation: Jim advocates using the HP line of digital cameras and digital photo printers.

Smart Buying Tip: Buy the top of the product line on both the HP Digital Camera and the HP Digital Photo Printer (currently, the HP 7550). The prices are artificially low by using the traditional "razor and razor blade concept". The top priced printer - HP 7550 - sports a screen that allows viewing. The ability to view photos without printing the photos is a very important capability.

Smart Using Tip: Through using rechargable batteries, Jim Massey has achieved 1,000 photo captures for 3 cents total. Through a strategy of digital viewing only (without ink-based printing), Jim Massey has reduced the cost of looking at the photos to zero. Through a policy of "Print photos only when intended for framing and displaying.", the price of printout is recaptured many times over by the value of the displayed photos. The digital negatives of the photos are of such high quality that even at the lowest resolution - web resolution - the prints of the photos are worthy for framing and wall mounting for longtime display.

Note: Jim Massey studied photo-journalism, as an undergraduate, at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Coincidental Note:While writing this "How the Photo's Were Done" section, I got an instant message from my teenage niece 3,000 miles away. She asked for copies of the hundreds of Summer 2002 Vacation in California photos I took with the HP 715 camera. She said she wanted copies of all the photos...for the memories. I asked her that when she is looking at the photos, to send her ideas and impressions for my essay. She agreed to send material for the January 2003 release of the essay.