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OverlordMC - 01 Dec 2005 05:24 GMT

i was just wondering why windows media connect only supports basic audio file
formats such as .mp3 .wave .asf and .wma. that is a ridiculously short list
for all the actual formats out there. i own a xbox 360 and i would really
like to be able to stream my music over but unfortunatly 90% of it is in
.m4a. Anybody know when or even if they plan to add support for files like
mpeg4 and vorbis?! i dont know if its just me but i think limiting file types
like that is really limiting its uses. Especially when all high-def video is
going to be streamed as mpeg4. And i thought microsoft wanted to be ahead of
the game :/

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Alan Ludwig [MSFT] - 01 Dec 2005 18:54 GMT

Sorry, We're not currently planning to support additional audio formats in
future versions of WMC. We do want to be ahead of the game, but the issues
surrounding multimedia codecs are many and complicated. What codec to
include or not is often much more determined by legal and financial reasons
than any particular technical one.

Basiclly, we included support for all of the formats that we legally could
without charging for the product.

Sorry,

Signature

Alan Ludwig
Software Design Engineer
Windows Media Devices Group
Microsoft Corp.

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

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OverlordMC - 01 Dec 2005 22:57 GMT

> Sorry, We're not currently planning to support additional audio formats in
> future versions of WMC. We do want to be ahead of the game, but the issues
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Sorry,

Thanks

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Alan Ludwig [MSFT] - 04 Dec 2005 16:11 GMT

Media Center Eddition isn't a free product. You pay for it when when you
buy your computer.

Sorry,

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Alan Ludwig
Software Design Engineer
Windows Media Devices Group
Microsoft Corp.

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

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TheBarrow - 29 Dec 2005 21:11 GMT

I have a followup question specifically about the m4a format. My entire
music collection is in this format, since it was created using iTunes for my
iPod. Now I'd like to broadcast my songs via media connect so I can listen
to them on my stereo.

I've already downloaded a m4a codec which allows windows media player to
play the songs, but i still cannot get them to appear on my receiver. And I
don't want to convert them all to MP3 or something similar because I am
concerned about size/quality - m4a is better for both, right?

So, is there something I am doing wrong? Or does media connect not work w/
the codecs that seem to work for media player?

> Sorry, We're not currently planning to support additional audio formats in
> future versions of WMC. We do want to be ahead of the game, but the issues
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Sorry,

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Alan Ludwig - 30 Dec 2005 07:16 GMT

Codec licensing is a subtle and complex thing. Things that may well be easy
techinically are impossible legally. Just because you have a license to
decode and play the content on your computer doesn't mean autmoatically that
WMC could then use that codec to decode the file and transport it across the
network to a second player.

WMC supports a broad set of well known and popular formats that we have
appropriate licenses for. For audio, this includes the full range of WMA
cocdecs as well as a few MP3 codecs as well. I don't anticipate support for
additional audio formats in the current release.

Sorry,

Signature

Alan Ludwig
Lead Software Development Engineer
Windows Core Operating System
Microsoft Corp.

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

>I have a followup question specifically about the m4a format. My entire
> music collection is in this format, since it was created using iTunes for
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
>>
>> Sorry,

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mailinator - 21 Mar 2006 01:26 GMT

AAC is an open source and freely distributed codec, which is one of th
most widely used formats aroun today.

the xbox360 already supports it with the download giving in th
marketplace, and there is no reason for you not to include it, as yo
do not need to pay a licence for it!
btw im talkign about unprotected aac/m4a files, not DRM'd ones

-
mailinato

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