[M4IF Discuss] Apple announces MPEG4 support in QT 6 - won't ship with current license

[Kevin Marks]

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2002/feb/12qt6.html
Apple Previews QuickTime 6 with MPEG-4
Release Awaits Changes to MPEG-4 License
QUICKTIME LIVE, LOS ANGELES—February 12, 2002—Apple® today previewed 
QuickTime® 6, featuring full support for MPEG-4, the emerging standard 
for streaming high quality content to computers and other digital 
devices. QuickTime 6, along with Apple’s new QuickTime Streaming Server 
4 and the new QuickTime Broadcaster (see related release “Apple Previews 
New QuickTime Broadcaster Software”), enables the first complete MPEG-4 
based streaming media solution.
Although the QuickTime 6 software is complete and ready for release, 
Apple is delaying its release until MPEG-4 video licensing terms are 
improved. The MPEG-4 licensing terms proposed by MPEG-LA (the largest 
group of MPEG-4 patent holders) includes royalty payments from 
companies, like Apple, who ship MPEG-4 codecs, as well as royalties from 
content providers who use MPEG-4 to stream video. Apple agrees with 
paying a reasonable royalty for including MPEG-4 codecs in QuickTime, 
but does not believe that MPEG-4 can be successful in the marketplace if 
content owners must also pay royalties in order to deliver their content 
using MPEG-4.
“MPEG-4 is the best format for streaming media on the web, and QuickTime 
6 is the first complete MPEG-4 solution,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s 
senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “MPEG-4 is poised 
for great success once the licensing terms are modified to allow content 
providers to stream their content royalty-free.”
QuickTime 6 provides a fully scalable, ISO compliant MPEG-4 solution for 
streaming media to the widest range of devices. Key features of 
QuickTime 6 include:
*	Apple-developed video codec for encoding and decoding MPEG-4 video 
content;
*	support for Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), the next generation audio 
format;
*	support for CELP, the MPEG-4 speech codec for reproduction of 
natural speech;
*	adherence to the Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA) 1.0 
specification;
*	MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 playback, ideal for content creators who wish to 
preview and share work throughout the production process;
*	Flash 5 support;
*	DVC Pro (PAL) support;
*	updated user interface with a new, easy-to-use “Favorites” 
interface and easier access to QuickTime content; and
*	skip protection enhancements.
QuickTime is Apple’s industry-leading, standards-based software for 
developing, producing and delivering high quality audio and video over 
IP, wireless and broadband networks. Last year, 80 million users 
downloaded QuickTime Player via the Internet while tens of millions more 
copies were distributed via digital cameras, software titles and 
enhanced music CDs.
As the platform of choice for content creators worldwide, QuickTime 
delivers the full media experience for thousands of unique titles of 
enhanced music CDs and software titles. Additionally, QuickTime ships on 
more than 150 digital camera models to provide consumers with the 
highest quality media playback experience.
Apple also announced the immediate availability of QuickTime Streaming 
Server 4, Apple’s advanced open-source, standards-based streaming 
server, now with MPEG-4 and MP3 streaming capabilities.  QuickTime 
Streaming Server 4 does not require a MPEG-4 license and is therefore 
immediately available. QuickTime Streaming Server 4 features include:
*	full MPEG-4 support, allowing MPEG-4 content to be streamed live or 
on demand;
*	ability to serve MP3 files or playlists to standard MP3 players, 
such as iTunes™, QuickTime player or WinAmp;
*	enhancements to the web-based administration tool; and
*	quality of service and skip protection enhancements.
QuickTime Streaming Server 4 is available as a free download at 
www.apple.com/quicktime/products/qtss.
Apple is a co-founder of the Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA), 
which is dedicated to the development of products and technologies that 
adhere to industry standards. QuickTime was chosen by the International 
Organization for Standards (ISO) as the file format for MPEG-4, 
providing the software with a deep level of compatibility with the 
standard.