Apple's Reply, QuickTime vs. AAF and ASF

CobraBoy (tbyars@earthlink.net)
Mon, 6 Apr 1998 08:38:16 -0700


(Proving that we all just can't get along...)

Date: Sun, 5 Apr 1998 19:06:04 -0700
To: Ric Ford
From: Charles Wiltgen
Subject: Re: AAF, etc.

Ric,

I encourage everyone to check out http://www.microsoft.com/aaf/
[Advanced Authoring Format.]
Microsoft says:

"The QuickTime file format, created by Apple Computer, is
widely used in content
creation but it is not suitable for cross- platform
multimedia file interchange"

In fact, the QuickTime Movie file format is the only suitable method
for cross-platform, rich-media
file interchange. And although (as Microsoft says) QuickTime Movies
are widely used in content
creation now, that was *before* we introduced Windows authoring.

Let's look at ASF http://www.microsoft.com/asf/ [Advanced Streaming
Format] Microsoft's
previous foray into partner-rich file formats: A HotBot search shows
322 files. The problem is that
those files are now obsolete, since Microsoft wants everyone to move
to ASF 2.0 (which, BTW,
won't be supported on your old, obsolete Windows 95 and Windows NT
4.0 systems).

On the other hand, HotBot shows 123,230 QuickTime Movie files.
Heck... there are exponentially
more QuickTime Movies with the *wrong extension* (.qt/.qtvr) than
there are ASF files (6,352).

Also consider that we've continually and aggressively (but too
quietly?) improved the QuickTime
API and the QuickTime Movie file format -- without forcing
obsolescence -- since 1991. That's an
*incredible* return on investment for software and hardware vendors
who support QuickTime.

Microsoft's issue with the QuickTime Movie file format stems from
Microsoft's not-invented-here
syndrome. I also doubt that they're thrilled that the QuickTime
Movie format was chosen over its
challengers for the basis of MPEG-4 because of its scalability,
flexibility and extensibility.

In the same way that OpenDML files, GeoTIFF files, AVI-wrapped DV
files, etc. are as native to
QuickTime 3 as QuickTime Movies, we (or any developer) can support
AAF with a QuickTime
Import component. If AAF becomes a standard, developers using
QuickTime won't have to do any
extra work in order to support it.

Whatever happens, software/hardware developers and end-users who
continue to adopt and invest in
QuickTime will be way ahead of the game, as usual.

Thanks,

--
Charles Wiltgen
The QuickTime guy "Don't compromise. Use QuickTime."
Apple Computer, Inc. http://www.QuickTimeFAQ.org/
cwiltgen@apple.com http://www.apple.com/quicktime/

--

Go sell crazy somewhere else, we're full up here. ...Nicholson

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