Microsoft ''Corona'' Demo Available
Microsoft | at | by Mike
"Corona" dramatically improves Internet streaming by introducing Fast Stream, which gives an instant-on, always-on experience, bringing home-theater-like audio and video quality to broadband PC users. "Corona" is poised to lead the third generation of streaming on the Web, which includes broadcast-quality experiences for end users and enhanced profitability for the entire digital media ecosystem.
"Corona" introduces two new professional level audio and video codecs. The new Windows Media Audio Professional is the first codec to enable Web-based delivery of 6-channel surround sound with full-spectrum, full-resolution audio (24 bit/96 kHz sampling). A new version of the Windows Media Video codec provides a 20 percent efficiency boost compared with the previous version and now introduces the ability to provide HDTV-like video quality at file sizes half that of today's DVDs, for local playback on the PC.