RSSApple Announces QuickTime 6 Public Beta
By Nate Mook | Published June 4, 2002, 11:06 PM
Despite ongoing negotiations with MPEG LA over MPEG-4 licensing fees, Apple on Tuesday issued a Public Preview of QuickTime 6 - the first mainstream media player to support MPEG-4. For both Windows and Mac, the beta includes instant-on streaming and support for AAC, the next generation MPEG-4 audio format.
"QuickTime 6 delivers the world's first complete media solution for creating, streaming and viewing MPEG-4 content," said Apple CEO Steve Jobs in the announcement. "MPEG-4 is an open standard being adopted by wireless, computer and entertainment companies around the world because it delivers the highest quality digital video, and allows content creators to scale the quality/bandwidth tradeoff all the way from MPEG-2 quality to dramatically lower bandwidths for streaming over the Internet."
Jobs stressed that any licensing issues over MPEG-4 will be worked out by the time the final version of QuickTime 6 makes an appearance in Jaguar - the next version of Mac OS X slated for late summer. Apple on Tuesday also released a small update to OS X -- version 10.1.5 -- which features bug fixes and interface tweaks.
Microsoft is expected this summer to release a beta of its own next-generation digital media technology, code-named Corona. But Microsoft has not yet pledged its support for MPEG-4, initially focusing only on its own Windows Media codecs.
The QuickTime 6 Public Preview is available for all versions of Windows except 95, and may be downloaded via FileForum. For more information on QuickTime 6 and for Mac OS downloads, visit apple.com.
New features I liked with quicktime.
Instant-On: Instant-On means instant gratification for broadband users. Instant-On gives you an immediate and smooth playback experience — and instant access as you jump or “scrub” through a movie using the time slider. Tour the Instant-On Gallery.
Skip Protection: Apple's patent-pending technology for preventing interruptions or skips in streaming media just got better. QuickTime 6 and QuickTime Streaming Server 4 iron out the bandwidth bumps on the “information super-highway.”
What I didn't like.
The resizing feature is busted and they have it fixed to some ratio of the actual movie. It's nice they didn't bloat the screen like MS's Media Player, but when maximized i cant get the stupid the to resize to smaller. there are no resize bars to grab on the edges of the window. bad move.
And where is the OSX update? I want to see a change log or a list of updates but there isnt even a mention of the upgrade on the site. they still refer to it as 10.1
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|What I don't like: No Linux version.
What's up with that? (Again, the no apps no viable desktop circle.)
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|Just like when I called Apple to be an authorized Apple/Mac parts reseller: "We are sorry, but there is already someone within at least 150 miles of you, so NO."
James Wheat
http://belprecomputerwizard.com
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|No, that's very different form what I am referring to. :-P It's still a problem though I suppose.
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|quicktime is some of the best software out there. Its been around far longer than WMP has and has a much better native file format. The quicktime format was the format that they used to come up with the standards for MPEG-4 and Quicktime is currently the only mainstream player (Apple, Microsoft, Real) that supports mpeg-4.
Try this: open any MPEG movie in Quicktime 6-choose export from File menu. Export to MPEG-4. You've got yourself a fully standards complient MPEG-4 movie. This is why WMP and Real will never be as good as Quicktime.
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|Of course, everyone else says that QT is a pile of junk, especially there native file formats....
Exactly how are they better to say, Windows Media? You flat out can't get any better compression. Plus all these new features are part of the Corona beta as well.
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|Put the pipe down, all the big MPAA companies wouldn't use it if it was crap like you claim.
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|I wouldn't be too quick to claim that "Quicktime is the only mainstream player that supports MPEG-4"
Depending on how the licensing negotiatiosn go, it is entirely possible that Quicktime 6 will end up shipping without MPEG-4 support and/or that another player will complete negotiations and reach market first.
Remember, all you have in your hands is a beta...a preview. If negotiations with MPEG LA fall through, Quicktime's MPEG-4 support will evaporate.
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|Wow fewt, can we apply your same logic there to Windows?
All these big corporations wouldn't be using it if it were crap like you claim?
Face it, just like with Windows, there are a LOT more considerations involved in what they use other than just technical quality.
The fact that the big MPAA companies use it doesn't automatically make it good.
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|What viable alternatives are there? Lets start by naming OS's that offer Office, Photoshop, Quickbooks, and Notes.
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|Back when they made the decision to go with Windows, there was no alternative. There is now, and there has been a substantial s*** towards alternative OS's.
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|6.0 better than 5.02 in its lighter stuff.
as long as u got good enough system resources.. it runs pretty smoothly.
lots of bugs still... I open a file.. it nearly froze on me for about 50 seconds
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|Viable alternatives?
I don't recall you putting any qualifiers in about viable alternatives when you made the blanket statement "Put the pipe down, all the big MPAA companies wouldn't use it if it was crap like you claim. "
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|Just remember Fewt, according to a Federal Judge, there is NO VIABLE ALTERNATIVE to MS Windows OS. Both Linux and Mac are way to expensive in hardware and software replacement, plus all the extra $$$ for training, hehe.....
James Wheat
http://belprecomputerwizard.com
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|Windows Media and Real are viable alternatives. Quicktime is used because of it's quality. Apple is known for it's work in video. Your reply made no sense.
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|He has a point, until big software houses jump on board, there will be no viable alternative. (Mac is expensive, and Linux has no commercial software market yet.)
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|I am ready for Mac prices to get reasonable, or even have OSx work with my current AMD system (I know, keep dreaming on both!). I will try playing with ELX Linux tomorrow....
James Wheat
http://belprecomputerwizard.com
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|Can't get any better compression?
For streaming WMP8 requires 250kilobits to stream VHS quality
RealOne requires only 160.
I realize its great because it comes with windows, but if its so much better.. can you explain the requirements?
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