An Inside Look At Microsoft's DirectShow
by Terry E. Mercer, Pacific Buyer's Group (c) 1999
Published by Replication News
"Come on over talk to us about what you are planning... or invite us over and
we'll even buy the pizza" was Microsoft's marketing push to developers regarding the
new DirectShow program prior to Christmas '98. Pretty enticing, as most developers fit the
stereotypical diet (pizza and caffeine) while hammering away long hours on a project.
According to Microsoft's website, the company aimed to have at least 1,000
"programs" using DirectShow not developed by Microsoft staffers or large
companies, and it was willing to help, advise, and suggest for little or no money. A DVD
disc is available with examples, samples and tutorial-type information explaining the
purpose, goals, advantages and implementation of DirectShow in a developer's latest
creation. How can any serious DVD-ROM/CD-ROM publisher pass up Microsoft's invitation?
Microsoft DirectShow (formerly known, in part, as ActiveMovie) is touted as one of the
most powerful multimedia tools made to date. DirectShow is designed to integrate Internet
content viewing, computer-based training and desktop video conferencing. This is only the
first step Microsoft is taking to improve existing tools, challenge the competition, and
to give the end-users more of a reason to spend time with a computer. Microsoft envisions
DirectShow will become the market leader and standard that other companies will have to
beat. It's significant that Microsoft's MS Audio 4.0, its bid for a piece of the online
audio downloading market came out of DirectShow R&D.
Many of the largest interactive movies on DVD-Video currently support DirectShow.
Offering both the end-user and developer (any level--beginner thorough expert) greater
control of the output and user interface. It will easily work with a wide variety of
existing applications, even more seamlessly with both software and hardware in the future.
DirectShow is designed to run on top of the DirectX video control as a "master
filtering system." DirectX (now on version 6.x) is invisibly accessed by hundreds of
programs and thousands of games without end-user intervention or awareness (providing a
compatible version is installed).
From a technical standpoint (layman's version), the first thing to understand is the
order in which information is processed. From last to first, the Hardware Layer or WDM
(Windows Driver Model) will control the actual output of the video, audio and data to the
screen, speakers, printer or elsewhere. It is the API (Application Interface), handled by
DirectX (composed of DirectDraw, DirectSound, etc.), that interfaces between the hardware
layer and the actual application (that is wanting to deal with data of a certain variety).
Many types of data, particularly MPEG and high-resolution video/audio data, require
another program between the actual application and the API, this is called a
"codec" (COmpressor/DECompressor). A codec is either an additional hardware
circuit or software routine (software codec running invisibly in the background) used to
compress and decompress digitized audio, video or images. Popularized with MPEG video,
codecs are a requirement in the DVD-Video world.
Remember the old Veg-a-Max commercials, well Microsoft has effectively brought that
concept to the software world. First, you take different programs and filters... toss them
into a blender, add some features, a few new problems (to be expected with any new
program--but fewer because most of the programs previously existed), turn the switch, and
out comes DirectShow. Microsoft has thrown ActiveMovie, ActiveX control, DVD Navigator,
nearly 50 different filters (to pull video, graphics, and data information from virtually
any major application--particularly Web-based products and Microsoft products) into the
mix. Then, they added a run-time version "player" with royalty-free distribution
(which will likely be integrated in Windows 2000). With DirectShow embedding and
controlling the ActiveMovie, Video capture, ActiveX Control for universal playback via
scripting languages, Visual Basic Scripting Edition, JavaScript Using COM interfaces from
Visual C/C++. DirectShow features additional interactive DVD support. All types of local
media files (word processing documents, spreadsheets, databases, still graphics, animated
graphics, Java, HTML pages, and many other file types, styles, and formats are all ready
to run through DirectShow. This includes DVD-Video and all popular types of streaming
media (such as AVI, MOV, MPEG) NetShow, Real Audio, MS Audio, WAV, and MP3. There is a
totally customizable user interface and ASF support. Data subsystems are separate entities
in the PC Multiplexing schemes. DirectShow features additional interactive DVD support
that does not exist in most programs.
MCI (Media Control Interface) has been abandoned by most of the movie studios (such as
Warner Bros., and one of the world's largest DVD title developers, "Interactual"
from Mountview, CA) because it was not flexible enough to deal with the expanding DVD
needs. Hardware drivers from specific hardware manufacturers are still a little slow in
coming; however, according to Hughes, the six most popular software decoders do support
DirectShow. There are currently more than 100 different hardware decoders that support
DirectShow. Hopefully the above information will give you a better understanding of both
DirectShow and Microsoft's focus on the DVD
market.
When I was asked to research and write this article my editor raised a few interesting
points, which I felt should be pointed out--as they are important, and the answers might
be enlightening.
| First, "are there any "bugs" that might be responsible for a lack of
wide-scale usage?" The answer is yes and no--yes, there are still a few bugs that are
important. According to their online developer's network, Microsoft is busy solving them
as quickly as the bugs are reported. Obviously, no program is perfect, and no developer
thinks of everything. As a small developer with limited funds, I would be hesitant to
replicate even 1,000 discs using their new technology for at least two or three more
months. At the same point, I firmly believe that this new "tool" will be
something that most developers will gobble up and actively incorporate into their software
and DVD media.
|
Microsoft is not the best at everything; however, they do maintain an innovative
technology base that no developer can ignore or overlook. At the writing of this article,
all major problem tickets were addressed with updates and patches available on Microsoft's
website. Yes, I believe that developers working for the future will make the move, and
end-users will blindly be led down the path of DirectShow, currently one of the best and
most powerfully flexible options available.
| The second question, "Has Microsoft re-thought the market and perhaps concluded
that it's not worth going after (with other Web-based multimedia programs so
entrenched)?" It's nearly impossible to guess whether they have simply continued down
the path they initially planned or if they have actually "re-thought" the
direction, commitment, and their marketing. Nearly 15 years ago I heard Bill Gates say
that he had a vision of having a computer in every home. An estimated seven out of 10
people having access to a computer system at least once a week. Gates' strategy is to
passively encourage users to WANT to upgrade, but not to require it for at least two or
three years when the end-user could readily understand the benefits of more speed, power,
automation, integration, memory and storage.
|
With the release of MS Front Page, many companies have virtually copied the
point-and-click, theme-driven, easy-to-up-load design. Some have improved portions, but
none have matched it thus far. Adding the spell checking, link processing, and
synchronized uploading gives virtually all HTML designers (even the hard headed manual
coders) reason to use FrontPage (despite its limitations and problems). Microsoft
purchased Hotmail--one of the top free email companies. Add the Visual design packs,
Visual Basic, Visual C++, Visual J++, IE 5, all of this points to a solid commitment to
further develop the Internet. Back Office and Web page integration into the Windows OS is
only the icing on the cake.
Kilroy Hughes, Microsoft's Direct Show DVD Evangelist, told Replication News that
Microsoft's recent restructuring is related to moving to a consumer-driven company, rather
than the technology-focused company, as had been the case in the past. According to
Hughes, there will be a distinct division between home user needs and business needs.
Microsoft, as the world's leading software provider, has a substantial investment in
research and development, along with nearly 30,000 people developing, supporting, writing
and trying to stay ahead of the industry (in most cases ,"blazing the trails").
The company believes firmly in using customer feedback. "Integrated home
entertainment and information systems are the wave of Microsoft's future," said
Hughes, adding that DirectShow provides the technological support for this next generation
of technology.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions please direct them to Terry E.
Mercer via email at: terry@helpus.com
|