The Best Video You've Ever Seen
04/30/2005 01:02 Filed in: Technology
Quicktime 7 & H.264
Desktop Video advanced to the next stage yesterday with the release of QuickTime 7 . The new version of QuickTime comes standard with Mac OS X: Tiger which debuted on April 29. Owners of previous versions of Mac OS X were able to download Quicktime 7 for free, and Windows users will still have to wait a few days. Users can upgrade to Quicktime Pro , which allows you to save video off the internet and edit Quicktime files without having to first load it into another program such as iMovie or Final Cut Pro . You can also view Quicktime files full screen with the full version. The Pro upgrade will cost you $30, but it is arguably worth it for the reasons just mentioned.
The most exciting thing about QuickTime 7 is a new video technology called H.264 . This allows you to play high definition video on your computer and the results are absolutely stunning. H.264 is explained on the Apple website with the following description:
H.264 delivers stunning video quality at remarkably low data rates, so you see crisp, clear video in much smaller files. Chosen as the industry standard codec for 3GPP (mobile multimedia), MPEG-4 HD-DVD and Blu-ray, H.264 represents the next generation of video for everything from mobile multimedia to high-defintion playback. Numerous broadcast, cable and video conferencing groups consider H.264 the video codec of choice for their deployments.
Currently, on the QuickTime movie trailer website, there are a handful of new high-definition movie trailers available for download. QuickTime 7 is required for viewing. I took a screenshot (pictured above) of the Batman Beyond hi-def trailer playing on my Powerbook, but the picture doesn't do it justice at all.
If you've been impressed by the video quality of DVD's over VHS, this will blow you away. H.264 is actually four times the resolution of current DVD video. You won't find this level of video playback in Windows Media Player or RealPlayer (at least for the moment).
All this paves the way for video download services. Imagine downloading current movies the same way you can currently download songs from the iTunes Music Store . You could purchase (or perhaps rent) a movie (old or recent), download it over a broadband internet connection, and burn it to a recordable DVD to watch in your living room. Or you could just watch it on your laptop while on the road. H.264 represents the convergence of high definition video quality and smaller file size.
I wouldn't recommend investing in brick and mortar movie rental stores from this point on...
____________________________________________________________________________
Corrected at 5:28 PM. Thanks to those who emailed me.
Desktop Video advanced to the next stage yesterday with the release of QuickTime 7 . The new version of QuickTime comes standard with Mac OS X: Tiger which debuted on April 29. Owners of previous versions of Mac OS X were able to download Quicktime 7 for free, and Windows users will still have to wait a few days. Users can upgrade to Quicktime Pro , which allows you to save video off the internet and edit Quicktime files without having to first load it into another program such as iMovie or Final Cut Pro . You can also view Quicktime files full screen with the full version. The Pro upgrade will cost you $30, but it is arguably worth it for the reasons just mentioned.
The most exciting thing about QuickTime 7 is a new video technology called H.264 . This allows you to play high definition video on your computer and the results are absolutely stunning. H.264 is explained on the Apple website with the following description:
H.264 delivers stunning video quality at remarkably low data rates, so you see crisp, clear video in much smaller files. Chosen as the industry standard codec for 3GPP (mobile multimedia), MPEG-4 HD-DVD and Blu-ray, H.264 represents the next generation of video for everything from mobile multimedia to high-defintion playback. Numerous broadcast, cable and video conferencing groups consider H.264 the video codec of choice for their deployments.
Currently, on the QuickTime movie trailer website, there are a handful of new high-definition movie trailers available for download. QuickTime 7 is required for viewing. I took a screenshot (pictured above) of the Batman Beyond hi-def trailer playing on my Powerbook, but the picture doesn't do it justice at all.
If you've been impressed by the video quality of DVD's over VHS, this will blow you away. H.264 is actually four times the resolution of current DVD video. You won't find this level of video playback in Windows Media Player or RealPlayer (at least for the moment).
All this paves the way for video download services. Imagine downloading current movies the same way you can currently download songs from the iTunes Music Store . You could purchase (or perhaps rent) a movie (old or recent), download it over a broadband internet connection, and burn it to a recordable DVD to watch in your living room. Or you could just watch it on your laptop while on the road. H.264 represents the convergence of high definition video quality and smaller file size.
I wouldn't recommend investing in brick and mortar movie rental stores from this point on...
____________________________________________________________________________
Corrected at 5:28 PM. Thanks to those who emailed me.