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H.264 Video Codec Adopted for Next Generation DVDs

MPEG Developed Video Codec Key to Future High Definition DVDs

CUPERTINO, Calif., June 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Apple(R) today
announced that the DVD Forum has ratified the H.264 Advanced Video Codec (AVC)
to be included in the next generation High Definition (HD) DVD format. The
H.264/AVC codec was jointly developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group
(MPEG) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and has been
ratified into the MPEG-4 specification as the next-generation video codec.
H.264/AVC is based on open standards and will ship in Apple's QuickTime(R)
software in an upcoming release next year.
"Apple is firmly behind H.264 because it delivers superb quality digital
video and is based on open standards that no single company controls," said
Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.
"QuickTime 6 has already topped 250 million downloads, making it one of the
most successful media standards ever, and we will be adding support for H.264
to QuickTime next year."
H.264/AVC is an extremely scalable video codec, delivering excellent
quality across the entire bandwidth spectrum-from high definition television
to video conferencing and 3G mobile multimedia. As shown in a preview at the
National Association of Broadcasters convention in April, video encoded at
full high definition resolution (1920x1080 24p) was played back between 6.8
and 8 Mbps on a dual-processor Power Mac(R) G5 delivering full HD quality at
up to half the data rate of MPEG-2.
As the platform of choice for content creators worldwide, QuickTime
delivers the full media experience for thousands of unique software titles,
enhanced music CDs and hundreds of digital camera models. More than 250
million copies of QuickTime 6 have been downloaded in less than two years
since its release. According to Frost & Sullivan's 2004 Global Media Streaming
Platform Report, between 2002 and 2003 Microsoft's and Real Networks'
worldwide market share percentages were either stable or declining while
QuickTime's market share increased to 36.8 percent, a close second to
Microsoft. Real Networks came in third place with less than 25 percent of the
worldwide streaming market share. QuickTime 6.5, which also includes enhanced
support for 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and 3GPP2 mobile
networks, is available as a free download for Mac(R) and Windows users at
http://www.apple.com/quicktime.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple
II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Apple
is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students,
educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its
innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings.

NOTE: Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, Mac, Mac OS, QuickTime and Power
Mac are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Apple. Other company and
product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.