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Gently Down the Stream (12/30/98)
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"QuickTime doesn't stream, QuickTime doesn't stream..." Sure, it's a valid complaint, but if you're anything like us, you're still awfully tired of hearing about it. Big websites like CNN's who have to distribute video content to relatively large audiences found that serving pre-fab QuickTime footage was slowing their servers to a crawl when hordes of video-hungry surfers all tuned in at once. And worse yet, QuickTime wasn't even an option when it came to serving up live video streams. For those reasons, several big-name sites were swearing off QuickTime entirely and sticking with alternative media formats from Microsoft or Real Networks.
We were treated to a demonstration of QuickTime's forthcoming streaming technology way back at the last WWDC, but haven't seen hide nor hair of it since. However, it's no secret that it's the big new feature in QuickTime 4.0, which should be unveiled at the Expo next week. But just because QuickTime will finally be able to stream doesn't mean that Apple will be able to win back the users it lost to Real and Microsoft-- there have to be some compelling reasons to switch back. Luckily, according to Mac OS Rumors, it sounds like Apple knows that; in an attempt to raise QuickTime's profile, they're reportedly already hammering out partnerships with "at least two major computing companies" to optimize their streaming media servers for use with QuickTime 4.0's engine. And possibly even better than that, Apple may be planning to release the source code for their streaming server, which would let third parties develop their own software that could serve streaming QuickTime content.
Apple's got some hurdles to clear if it's serious about establishing QuickTime as the definitive standard for the delivery of online video content, but it sounds like they're serious and up to the challenge. Who knows? Maybe a year from now AtAT will be brought to you live via a multicast QuickTime feed. 'Course, then we'd actually have to clean up the offices every so often, so probably not. In HTML, Nobody Can See Your Mess.
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SceneLink (1242)
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 12/30/98 episode: December 30, 1998: According to sources, Apple edges ever closer to the promise of selling iMacs "every color of the rainbow!" Meanwhile, the P1 gets stage fright and won't be making a surprise appearance at the Expo next week, where QuickTime 4.0 (with New Streaming Ability™!) will make its public debut...
Other scenes from that episode: 1240: Collect Them All! (12/30/98) It's baaaaack... The rumor of forthcoming iMac color choices seems to have more lives than Chucky. (The evil doll from the Child's Play movies, not the Rugrat.) Ever since the Bondi Blue Wonder was first revealed to the public way back in May, a common response has been, "Cool... 1241: Still Under Wraps (12/30/98) Just because Steve Jobs says something about Apple in public, does that make it "official"? We ask only because he mentioned several weeks ago during his CAUSE98 keynote address that he would not be introducing the anxiously-awaited "consumer portable" Macintosh at next week's Macworld Expo...
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
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