[vorbis] [Fwd: Re: File formats (RE: MP4 Player Available for Download)]

[Marshall Eubanks]

I'm forwarding this to the vorbis list FYI.
I'll also forward the reply.

Marshall

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: File formats (RE: MP4 Player Available for Download)
Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 10:29:20 -0500
From: Marshall Eubanks <tme at 21rst-century.com>
Reply-To: tme at 21rst-century.com
Organization: Multicast Technologies
To: philippe.gentric at philips.com
CC: rem-conf at es.net
References: <0056900016627917000002L072*@MHS>

philippe.gentric at philips.com wrote:

> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: robla at real.com [mailto:robla at real.com]
> > Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2001 18:55
> > To: hari at FLAVORSOFTWARE.com; BNowicki at Omneon.com
> > Cc: rem-conf at es.net
> > Subject: File formats (RE: MP4 Player Available for Download)
> >
> >
> >
> > At 11:54 AM 3/13/01 -0800, Bill Nowicki wrote:
> > >We just tried the obvious experiment.
> > >
> > >The ".mp4" files on the "Flavor" site do not play with the
> > >Philips player, and the Philips ".mp4" files do not play with
> > >the Flavor player. Sounds like a litle inter-operability
> > >testing might have been in order before calling them the same
> > >name!
> > >
> > >(and of course file format standards are outside the charter
> > >of IETF, but are still useful)
> >
> > Not that I'm disagreeing with you here, but an honest question for
> > you:  whose charter includes specifying file formats?  Clearly, ISO/MPEG
> > have taken it on, but they've also created a situation where I think
> > genuine interoperability is out of the question for anyone who either
> > doesn't have a patent licensing agreement from 30 different companies, or
> > who chooses to ignore the issue.
> >
>
> Wow ?
>
> Exactly like for MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 there is a patent pool system
> to make MPEG-4 licensing really easy
> ( see http://www.mpegla.com and http://www.m4if.org).
>
> Now I am always surprised to see how naive people
> seem to be about patent issues.
>
> (I am actually certain that many are not so naive ;-)
>
> The truth is that research on these subjects
> as been fueled by large corporations for more than
> 30 years. Hundreds of millions have been spent,
> resulting in *thousands* of patents, and
> rocketing up.
>
> The technology coverage of this miriad of patents
> is such and some of these patents are so "basic" i.e.
> tackle so fundamental issues
> (for example go to www.mpegla.com for the
> short (but long !) list of "essential" patents
> which affect DCT, VLC, quantization,
> motion compensation, etc)
> that there is *extrememely little chance*
> that *any* technology/product related to
> A/V is not covered by *some* patent.
>
> In this context "unencumbered" is *meaningless*,
> i.e. seeking that is a very difficult winding road
> (around patents) and therefore actually
> very probably a lost-in-advance battle.
>
> Instead using well characterized
> (standard) technologies such as MPEG-4
> with open, cheap, clear, safe and simple licensing
> is the way to go.
>

Hello Philippe;

I hate to disagree with you here, but the current situation around MPEG 1/2 Layer 3
streaming licenses indicates that the MPEG process does not lead to
"cheap, clear, safe and simple licensing". I don't know what this license will be, what the
terms will be, whether it will be imposed at all or whether it will be changed at whim
in another year or two.

Can you _guarantee_ that MPEG-4 licensing will be better ? Can anyone ?

                                 Regards
                                 Marshall Eubanks

>
> Amen,
>
> Philippe Gentric
> Software Architect
> PHILIPS DIGITAL NETWORKS
> Broadcast & Internet Delivery Solutions
> Laboratoires d'Electronique Philips
> B.P. 15 - 22, Av. Descartes
> 94453 Limeil-Brevannes Cedex France
> Phone  :   33 (0)1 45 10 68 12
> Fax    :   33 (0)1 45 10 69 60
> philippe.gentric at philips.com
> Check our web site at: www.mpeg-4player.com

T.M. Eubanks
Multicast Technologies, Inc
10301 Democracy Lane, Suite 410
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Phone : 703-293-9624
Fax     : 703-293-9609
e-mail : tme at on-the-i.com     tme at multicasttech.com

http://www.on-the-i.com http://www.buzzwaves.com

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