Microsoft Previews the Next Version of Windows Media Technologies, Code-Named "Corona"

"Corona" to Power the Third Generation of Streaming on the Web,Delivering Instant-On, Always-On Streaming and BringingHome-Theater-Like Audio and Video Quality To Broadband Users

NEW YORK--In a keynote address at Streaming Media East 2001, WillPoole, vice president of the Windows Digital Media Division atMicrosoft Corp., addressed the role of digital media in re-energizingthe market for Web-based services and previewed the firstthird-generation streaming platform technologies that will be includedin the next version of the Microsoft Windows Media Technologies,code-named "Corona."

Poole demonstrated how "Corona" dramatically improves Internetstreaming by introducing Fast Stream, which gives an instant-on,always-on experience, bringing home-theater-like audio and videoquality to broadband PC users. Far surpassing the capabilities of anyother similar technology, "Corona" is poised to lead the thirdgeneration of streaming on the Web, which Poole defined to includebroadcast-quality experiences for end users and enhanced profitabilityfor the entire digital media ecosystem.

"The features of this new platform provide both an improved economicproposition for advertisers and capabilities that will move streamingtruly into the mass market, such as TV-like responsiveness and greataudio and video quality," said Larry Gerbrandt, chief content officerfor Kagan World Media.

Microsoft also today announced that the first of the "Corona"technologies, Windows Media Services in Windows .NET Server, isimmediately available for beta testing and is already delivering themost powerful streaming solution available today. The remaining"Corona" technologies, including new versions of Windows Media Player,Windows Media Audio and Video codecs, and Windows Media Encoder, aswell as a new Windows Media Software Development Kit (SDK), arescheduled to be available for beta testing early next year.

"In addition to other 'Corona' capabilities, Microsoft is showinghow Windows Media supports DVD- and HDTV-quality programs at vastlyreduced data rates, setting the stage for new networked and personaldigital media storage capabilities and markets," said Richard Doherty,director of research at The Envisioneering Group.

"For streaming on the Web to reach its full potential, it needs tobreak through today's limitations and provide a true broadcast-qualityexperience for broadband users who expect instant results andoutstanding video quality," Poole said. "Windows Media 'Corona' willdeliver on this promise, and in so doing create profitable andcost-saving opportunities for companies looking to develop and deliverWeb-based digital media services."

The following key "Corona" capabilities were previewed in today'skeynote address:

* Fast Stream, which delivers an instant-on, always-on streamingexperience for broadband users, effectively eliminating theever-present buffering delays. Fast Stream also automatically optimizesthe delivery of streaming audio and video to take advantage of the fullbandwidth available to the user, which vastly reduces or eliminates theimpact of congestion on the Web for broadband users.

* Home-theater-like experiences. Building on the industry-leadingWindows Media Audio and Video codecs, "Corona" introduces two newprofessional level audio and video codecs. The new Windows Media AudioProfessional is the first codec to enable Web-based delivery of 5.1channel surround sound with full-spectrum, full-resolution audio (24bit/96 kHz sampling). A new version of the Windows Media Video codecprovides a 20 percent efficiency boost compared with the previousversion and now introduces the ability to provide HDTV-like videoquality at file sizes half that of today's DVDs, for local playback onthe PC.

* Improved economics. "Corona's" new dynamic content programmingcapabilities, with server-side playlist support, enables real-time adinsertion and, when combined with Fast Stream, delivers the premieruser experience for ad-driven streaming media business models."Corona's" advances in compression technology help lower bandwidthcosts, and with twice the server scalability compared with the previousversion, "Corona" answers the call for a cost-effective platform thatcan be used to build a profitable streaming business, or to usestreaming to reduce costs of high-quality enterprise communication.

* An extensible platform. "Corona" enables application developers todeliver exciting new products and services built on Windows MediaTechnologies via a state-of-the-art plug-in model for the player,server and encoder. A vastly improved software development kit willallow developers to easily incorporate digital media into theirapplications and solutions, using the programming languages with whichthey are already familiar. Overall, "Corona's" flexibility andextensibility will provide the foundation for a new generation ofclient-side and server-side digital media solutions.

More information about Windows Media can be found athttp://www.microsoft.com/windowsmedia/.