H2 2011 Product Update Roundup
It’s been a while since I updated the blog, so I will take this opportunity to bring everyone up to speed on the more recent Microsoft Media Platform product updates:
November 9, 2011
Player Framework version 1.0 for HTML5 is released to Codeplex. Download it here.
This new player framework implements basic video playback functionality using the HTML5 Video tag, and features JavaScript API and control UI consistent with the Silverlight version of the Player Framework. For a complete list of features visit http://playerframework.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=Features.
November 8, 2011
IIS Media Services version 4.1 is released to Microsoft Download Center. Install it via the Web Platform Installer, or download it separately for x86 and x64 platforms.
This release adds support for REST services APIs for management of publishing points as well as performance improvements for both on demand and live scenarios. The recently released Expression Encoder 4 SP2 makes use of the new APIs so that one can easily manage publishing points directly from within Expression Encoder. For more information on the new features visit http://blogs.iis.net/akucer/archive/2011/11/09/iis-media-services-4-1-released.aspx.
November 2, 2011
Player Framework version 2.6 for Silverlight and Windows Phone is released to Codeplex. Download it here.
This release includes significant performance improvements, updated support for WP 7.5 “Mango”, the latest version of the Smooth Streaming Media Element (SSME), and several new features and bug fixes.
November 2, 2011
Expression Encoder 4 Service Pack 2 (SP2) is released to Microsoft Download Center. Download it here.
New features include support for Intel QSV GPU-accelerated encoding, 1 and 2-pass VBR H.264 encoding, more AAC audio options, SRS audio encoding, built-in management of IIS publishing points, live video cropping, live multi-bitrate Windows Media encoding, etc. SP2 also removes the screen capture limit in the free version of the Encoder. You can find a detailed list of features in this blog post.
The Expression Encoder team has also updated their GPU encoding recommendations. Note that H.264 codec support is still only available in the commercial Pro edition of Expression Encoder.
October 26, 2011
Content Manager version 1.1 is released to Microsoft Download Center. Download it here.
This release fixes compatibility issues with Windows Vista and Windows 7, and provides additional code samples.
The open-source Microsoft Media Platform Content Manager pulls together an end-to-end video workflow that allows you to create live streaming events, transcode on-demand content, manage and publish video, edit video, and insert mid-roll advertisements. Watch the MIX11 session on Content Manager for an overview.
October 17, 2011
Enhanced Movies 1.0 Beta is the latest addition to the Microsoft Media Platform family of frameworks. Download it here.
Microsoft Media Platform Enhanced Movies provides a framework for delivery of rich interactive movie experiences that go far beyond any streaming experience today. The “enhanced movies” feature set enables studios and distribution houses to package HD movies with special features, multiple languages, interactive games, social media, advertising and more — as complete, downloadable, rights-protected applications.
The beta release provides a plug-in for the Player Framework which enables offline playback of video by implementing a media downloader and Smooth Streaming cache.
October 6, 2011
Video Editor (f.k.a. Silverlight Rough Cut Editor) version 2.0 is released to MSDN. Download it here.
The new version requires Silverlight 5.
New to MMP Video Editor? Take it for a test drive using our demo deployment hosted on Windows Azure: http://videoeditor.cloudapp.net/
August 31, 2011
Silverlight 5 Release Candidate (RC) is released to Microsoft Download Center. Download it here.
New media features include GPU-accelerated H.264 video decoding, low-latency sound effects, variable speed playback (trick play) support, and remote control and media keys support. For a complete list of new Silverlight 5 RC features check out http://10rem.net/blog/2011/09/04/the-big-list-of-whats-new-or-improved-in-silverlight-5.
Silverlight 5 runtime is now also available as a native 64-bit plugin for 64-bit browsers on Windows and Mac operating systems.
Curious about SL5 RTW release dates? Stay tuned because it is coming very soon…