As we suggested it would (CI No 3,343), ISO has chosen an implementation of Apple Computer Inc’s QuickTime movie format over the Microsoft/Progressive Networks ASF Active Streaming Format as the basis of its MPEG-4 file format. MPEG-4 will define multimedia application specifications for video, audio, arbitrary shapes, animation, some meta information, and other functionality when it is ratified at the end of next year. MPEG-4 improves on the current MPEG-2 standard in a number of areas – it can accommodate data transfer at any bit rates – and is expected drive the use of applications such as web-based training and internet video streaming. Apple gathered a bunch of heavyweights including Sun, IBM, Oracle, Silicon Graphics and Netscape around it to develop and support the specification against its erstwhile new friends in Redmond. QuickTime is just the starting point for the full-blown MPEG-4 spec which is being worked on by Microsoft, Apple and other vendors are working on. Microsoft ships QuickTime products in addition to ASF software. MPEG-4 products are not expected for another couple of years.
