Microsoft Windows Media Audio 9 in consumer electronics

More than 400 devices support the Windows Media standard, including the latest Pioneer AV Multichannel Amplifier. This will certainly open more space for streaming to other devices like mobile phones - including non-Windows Mobile devices, since Oplayo announced earlier that it will be incorporating Windows Media player into its player for Java-based mobile phones.

During the latest CEATEC (Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies Show), Analog Devices demonstrated the first Windows Media Audio 9 Professional decoder chip, SHARC Melody Ultra, in conjunction with Pioneer's new VSA-AX10N-i AV amplifier. Hitachi is announcing that its BroadGear Digital Media Processor now supports Windows Media Video 9 encoding and decoding for implementation in digital television solutions, set-top boxes, video-editing equipment and more. The following device manufacturers also are announcing support for Windows Media 9 Series at CEATEC:

NEC will demonstrate the Express 5800/Internet Streaming Server DS, the applicant server for Windows Media Services 9 Series, and NEC Technica is unveiling an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) set-top box built on Windows CE .NET 4.2 with Windows Media Video 9 playback at D1 quality at 1.5 Mbps.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. (Panasonic) is unveiling a new portable CD player with Windows Media Audio 9 playback that is the first portable device with support for HighMAT (TM) technology and a reference build of the Broadnow Mini, a broadband television tuner with support for Windows Media Video 9.

SANYO will demonstrate the new HDD Voice Recorder/AV Player, a portable media player and digital recorder built on Windows CE .NET 4.2 with a 20GB hard disk drive. The device will support Windows Media Audio and Windows Media Video 9 playback as well as the transfer of media from a PC. Even more, a built-in USB hosting function enables the ability to save photos from a USB Mass Storage Class digital camera and the ability to record pictures taken by a cellular phone via an SD card.