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Topic: Microsoft joins World DAB Forum (Read 4009 times) previous topic - next topic
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Microsoft joins World DAB Forum

"For Microsoft, digital radio also offers an opportunity to promote its Windows Media 9 Series software.  The forum, whose members include broadcasters and audio gear makers, is working to push the adoption of digital radio globally, aiming to achieve commercial success for the DAB transport mechanism. In addition to the promise of distortion-free audio, digital radio technology could also let broadcasters offer new services like the delivery of text, data, pictures, surround sound and video over radio waves."

Microsoft joins DAB

Current list of members:

        AER     Belgium
   Alpine Electronics    Japan
   ATMEL    Germany
   Bakom/Ofcom    Switzerland
   Associacao Portuguesa de Radiodiffusao    Portugal
   BBC Radio    United Kingdom
   Bayern Digital Radio    Germany
   BLM    Germany
   Bosch/Blaupunkt    Germany
   Clarion Europa    Germany
   Club DAB Italy    Italy
   Coding Technologies    Germany
   Commercial Radio Australia    Australia
   Communication Authority (Hirkozlesi Fofelugyeld)    Hungary
   CRCA    United Kingdom
   Crown Castle UK    United Kingdom
   Danish Broadcast Corporation    Denmark
   Deutsche Telekom    Germany
   Digital One    United Kingdom
   Digita Oy    Finland
   Digital Radio Südwest    Germany
   DRRI    Canada
   Dutch DAB Foundation    The Netherlands
   EICTA    Belgium
   EBU    Switzerland
   ETSI    France
   European Commission    Belgium
   Factum Electronics AB    Sweden
   Foro de la Radio Digital    Spain
   Fraunhofer-Institut fur Integrierte Schaltungen IIS-A    Germany
   Frontier Silicon    United Kingdom
   Fujitsu Ten Europe GmbH    Germany
   Grundig Car Audio    Germany
   GWR Group plc    United Kingdom
   Harman/Becker    Germany
   Harris Broadcast Europe    France
   Irdeto Access    Netherlands
   IRT    Germany
   ITU    Switzerland
   JVC Technology    Germany
   Kenwood Electronics    Netherlands
   KETI    South Korea
   LogicaCMG    United Kingdom
   Loughborough University    United Kingdom
   Media Development Authority    Singapore
   Ministry of Telecommunications and Post    Netherlands
   Morphy Richards (Glenn Dimplex)    United Kingdom
   NAGRA Futuris S.A    Switzerland
   NTL    United Kingdom
   Norkring    Norway
   Nozema    Netherlands
   NRK    Norway
   P4 Radio    Norway
   Panasonic Europe    Germany
   Personal Telecom    Korea
   Pioneer Electronics    Belgium
   PURE Digital / Imagination Technologies    United Kingdom
   Radio France    France
   Radio Romania    Romania
   Radioscape    United Kingdom
   Renesas    United Kingdom
   RTHK    Hong Kong
   SADIBA    South Africa
   Secretariat of Telecommunications and the Information Society - 
Government of Catalonia    Spain
   Sentech PTY Ltd    South Africa
   Sony International Europe    Germany
   SRG SSR    Switzerland
   Sveriges radio    Sweden
   Swisscom    Switzerland
   SWR    Germany
   TDF/CETT    France
   Teracom    Sweden
   Texas Instruments    USA
   TTP PLC    United Kingdom
   UK Ofcom    United Kingdom
   Unique Interactive Limited    United Kingdom
   VDO Dayton    Netherlands
   VRT    Belgium
   Yleisradio    Finland

Microsoft joins World DAB Forum

Reply #1 –
<horror>
It´s okay if they choose WMA for future digital-radio standards. WMA is open and well documented.
</horror>

Eeeek.... another step towards Microsoft-World-Domination™.

Microsoft joins World DAB Forum

Reply #2 –
It's not >that< bad,  there are at least 6 companies in member list that would rather see AAC in the next DAB standard.

And, anyway, it seems quite natural to use (HE)-AAC as it would share the same logic as DRM receivers.

Microsoft joins World DAB Forum

Reply #3 –
At least Microsoft seems to push WMA Pro for broadcasting.

Microsoft joins World DAB Forum

Reply #4 –
Anything is better than what DAB is now.

Microsoft joins World DAB Forum

Reply #5 –
Quote
Anything is better than what DAB is now.

I disagree. It would be a Bad-Thing™ if future DAB uses a codec which is not open even if it delivers better quality/bitrate ratio. There are enough open alternatives.

Microsoft joins World DAB Forum

Reply #6 –
Ehm,  Microsoft announced plans to open their specifications if they get into worldwide standards (like HD-DVD) - I believe that DAB also has an policy of requesting solutions to be open, like ITU or MPEG have - so that's not a problem in this case.

However, I believe that AAC and HE-AAC solutions are of higher quality than WMA - and the fact that DRM (digital AM) receivers use HE-AAC  would make a clear choice for harware vendors planning to support digital AM and digital FM in the future.

Microsoft joins World DAB Forum

Reply #7 –
Quote
Ehm,  Microsoft announced plans to open their specifications if they get into worldwide standards (like HD-DVD) - I believe that DAB also has an policy of requesting solutions to be open, like ITU or MPEG have - so that's not a problem in this case.

Ok... doesn´t seem to be the end of the world then...

<paranoid>

However - it seems Microsoft wants to get rid of MPEG... that could be "dangerous" for the development of future (open) coding standards.

</paranoid>
 

Microsoft joins World DAB Forum

Reply #8 –
Nah, not really - according to this press release:

http://www.mpegla.com/news/n_04-03-26_vc9.pdf

Titled: "MPEG LA Announces Plan for Joint VC-9 Patent License"

If this proves to be fruitful (i.e. other companies announce essential IPR over MS Windows Media Video)  MS won't be in position to control the WMV pricing model completely - and this could also end up alleged dumping pricing strategies in order to wipe out competiton, as claimed by some news sources.

Same could apply for WMA in the near future.