[plug] Fwd: [link] NTT DoCoMo dumps Microsoft for open format

[Leon Brooks]

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Subject: [CS-FSLUG] NTT DoCoMo dumps Microsoft for open format
Date: Sat, 21 Dec 2002 01:21:10 -0500
From: "Fred A. Miller" <DESPAMMED>

DoCoMo is a technical leader.

See: http://www.idg.net/go.cgi?id=776944

NTT DoCoMo dumps Microsoft for open format
ITworld.com 12/18/02
Martyn Williams, IDG News Service, Tokyo Bureau

"NTT DoCoMo Inc. is switching from a Microsoft Corp. video format
to an open industry standard for its video-on-demand service
offered over its third-generation (3G) cellular network.

The company is dropping the use of ASF (Advanced Streaming Format)
on its I-motion service in favor of MP4, a wrapper format for
MPEG4 video and audio and text, because of the cost of licensing
fees levied for use of the system by Microsoft, according to an
NTT DoCoMo spokeswoman.

I-motion, first launched in November 2001, is a video-on-demand
service available via the company's 3G network. Content ranging
from news bulletins and music videos to animation and video of
cover-girls in bikinis is available via I-motion, which is offered
over the 3G packet network. In addition to packet charges, some
content has additional charges ranging from 100 yen per month for
news to 300 yen per month for the bikini-clad girls.

To accommodate the switch, the company will begin offering
I-motion content in MP4 in addition to ASF from this month, it
said.

With the change to MP4, NTT DoCoMo is also increasing the maximum
size of video clips that can be downloaded from the service from
100K bytes to 300K bytes. For users this means better quality and
longer video clips, from a current maximum of 15 seconds to 40
seconds, said NTT DoCoMo. The MP4 files also support the inclusion
of text, which can be scrolled across the cell phone screen at the
same time as the video is being played.

At the same time, the company is introducing a new service called
I-motion Mail that allows users to take short video clips and send
them to other subscribers and personal computers via the e-mail
function on their telephones. Apple Computer Inc.'s new version of
Quicktime supports the MP4 file format and allows PC users to see
the files.

- --
"DRM.. Digitally Retarded Media. That's exactly what it is - content
that cannot reach its full potential because of artificial restraints." -Paul
Rickard

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Cheers; Leon