Official FAQ about WMV9 Advanced Profile transport, anything, designed, required

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Q: What exactly is Advanced Profile codec (4:2:0 8-bit), is this a new codec in WM9S? When do you expect to have a 4:2:2 10-bit codec?

A: Windows Media Video 9 Advanced Profile is an 8 bit 4:2:0 codec that is designed to support interlace mode and is transport independent (no container is required to deliver the data). We do not have anything to discuss at this time on 4:2:2.

Q: When you say this new #8220;advanced profile#8221; codec now enables WM to be delivered over IP networks and now via the MPEG-2 Transport Stream (TS) natively for delivery to set-top boxes for TV delivery, what exactly does this mean? It does not require a container?

A: It means that Windows Media Video 9 Advanced Profile elementary streams can be delivered over conventional MPEG-2 Transport Streams. Today, most of the digital cable, satellite and over-the-air services use MPEG-2 Systems for packetization, multiplexing and synchronization of Audio and Video. Consequently most of the Set-Top-Boxes have the capability to process MPEG-2 Transport Streams. Carriage of WMV9 Advanced Profile elementary streams over an MPEG-2 Transport allows re-use of this capability. Additional benefits include the capability to re-use the Conditional Access technologies and the Electronic Program Guide protocols that have been traditionally used in MPEG-2 Transport Streams.

Q: How can vendors get the new codec? Is this available now?

A: The Windows Media Video 9 Advanced Profile will be available via a porting kit in the next few months for non-Windows platforms (i.e., Harmomic, Tandberg, etc). It will be available for Windows platforms later this year. When it is in RTM it will be available as part of the regular licensing agreement which is available to the public here: LicenseR...seRequest.aspx

Q: When is RTM?

A: Before the end of the this year but we do not have a specific date.

Q: Can you tell me more about what Tandberg is doing with Swisscom?

A: Tandberg and Swisscom#8217;s Bluewin are working on a deployment of advanced compression technology based on dedicated hardware. Swisscom, Switzerland's leading telecommunications company, Bluewin will be the first company in the world to conduct a commercial trial of TV services over an IP broadband network using IPTV technology from Microsoft TV and TANDBERG#8217;s EN5920 encoder using Windows Media 9 Series. The EN5920 is based on TANDBERG#8217;s Intelligent Compression Engine (ICE), a powerful and sophisticated video and audio compression platform that provides a modular and upgradeable solution for high quality implementations of Windows Media 9 Series and MPEG-4 part 10 technologies.

Q: Tandberg is demo#8217;ing this new profile #8211; what exactly does this enable them to do that they could not do or provide before?

A: Windows Media Video 9 Advanced Profile provides enhanced interlace mode support and improves mixed format quality. Additionally, it is transport independent (no container is required to deliver the bits) so Windows Media Video 9 Advanced Profile elementary streams can be delivered over conventional MPEG-2 Transport Streams.

Source: Microsoft User Network