Foreword

The digital media revolution that began a decade ago with a handful of enthusiasts has become a full-blown phenomenon. The proliferation of top-tier entertainment content combined with the growing availability of broadband access has a new generation of users flocking to the Internet for digital movies and music. Our research indicates that six out of ten U.S. households use digital media each month, including downloading or streaming audio or video.

The corporate demand for digital media is growing just as fast. Enterprise customers are augmenting traditional means of corporate communication with live CEO broadcasts and “enterprise TV”; classroom training is being repackaged into Web-based interactive video training sessions that employees can attend from their desktops; and distance learning opportunities mean that employees can receive the training they need without the associated travel costs.

Several years ago, we embarked upon a mission to develop new technologies that would enable content providers, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), content delivery networks (CDNs), enterprises, and consumers to enjoy the best digital media experience available today. Windows Media 9 Series is the culmination of many years of work by a team of world-class professionals who have been dedicated to achieving this goal. From Fast Streaming, which can deliver an instant-on, always-on streaming experience, to the new professional-level audio and video codecs, Windows Media 9 Series delivers better sound quality and clearer video more reliably than ever before.

New dynamic content programming capabilities in Windows Media 9 Series, such as server-side playlists, enable content providers to change broadcast programming on the fly, or to insert advertisements in real time. This capability is of enormous value to advertisers who demand an experience much like you find on television: full-fidelity video with seamless playback.

Improved video-compression technology in Windows Media 9 Series helps lower bandwidth costs by 20 percent. The Windows Media Audio 9 Professional codec is the first technology to enable Web-based delivery of six-channel discrete surround sound, and the new Windows Media Video codec provides high-definition TV-like video quality in the same space as today’s standard-definition DVD compression. And securing intellectual property is easy using built-in digital rights management (DRM) technology.

The open architecture of Windows Media 9 Series enables application developers to deliver exciting new products and services built upon Windows Media Technologies, using a state-of-the-art plug-in model for Windows Media Player, Windows Media Services, and Windows Media Encoder.

A vastly improved software development kit will allow developers to easily incorporate digital media into their applications and solutions, using the programming languages with which they are already familiar. Overall, the flexibility and extensibility of Windows Media 9 Series will provide the foundation for an entire new generation of client-side and server-side digital media solutions.

Understanding all that Windows Media 9 Series has to offer is the first step toward participating in the phenomenon that is digital media. This book, the Windows Media Resource Kit, uses an innovative, scenario-based approach to take you step-by-step through all the key features of Windows Media 9 Series. We have included detailed roadmaps for deploying Windows Media 9 Series in the enterprise and over the Internet. Along the way, we offer best practices, tips, and tools that will get your content streaming in no time.

So sit back, relax, and prepare to be amazed. I think you’ll find that Windows Media 9 Series is packed with innovations that increase productivity and deliver the highest-quality entertainment while enabling you to operate your digital media system at lower costs than ever before.

Will Poole
Senior Vice President, Windows Client
Microsoft Corporation