Developers, Get Ready to Build Smooth Streaming Solutions

At the International Broadcasting Conference (IBC), Sept.11–15 in Amsterdam, Microsoft revealed its plans designed to nothing less than raise the bar for the delivery of Live HD online video via HTTP connections. In addition to the imminent release of Internet Information Services (IIS) Media Services 3.0 in the next 30 days, and the upcoming media features that will be introduced into Silverlight 4, the Redmond-based company is also welcoming third-party developers with open arms and even more open protocols to take advantage of the Smooth Streaming and Live Smooth Streaming technologies.

In this regard, the software giant revealed that it released both IIS Smooth Streaming Transport Protocol and Protected Interoperable File Format (PIFF) specification to developers under the Microsoft Community Promise. The move, Microsoft noted, is designed to guarantee openness, as well as to drive industry interoperability.

Access to the IIS Smooth Streaming Transport Protocol means for developers a chance to put together third-party client implementations that will interoperate seamlessly with the company’s IIS Media Services. Furthermore, the publication of the PIFF specification ensures that devs will be able to leverage the standards-based file format which comes with DRM interoperability support. This means that third parties will be able to create content with Microsoft PlayReady protection or integration non-Microsoft DRM technologies. PIFF can also be used for audio and video content encoding in accordance with Smooth Streaming

But of course, there is more. Concomitantly with the availability of IIS Media Services with Live Smooth Streaming, Microsoft will also release the Smooth Streaming player development kit within the next 30 days. Offered at first as a Beta build, the Smooth Streaming player development kit will streamline the development of custom players by integrating templates in the building process.

“Microsoft Silverlight allows us to extend our investment in Windows Media Player and provide more accessibility and simplicity to our users. With Silverlight and PlayReady, we can run our Web TV services such as Foot+ on most Internet browsers, as well as PCs and Macs, while maintaining a high level of content security,” explained Frederic Vincent, business development manager of Canal+. “Canal+ is also very excited about Microsoft’s innovative IIS Smooth Streaming technology, which will allow us to deliver an incredible video experience on the Web to our customers.”