Quicktime to Support 3GP Movies
Thank goodness. This eWeek story writes that the next version of Quicktime is going to support the 3GP file format, a variation on MPEG4 that my Nokia 3650 uses.
Apple Computer Inc. is reportedly preparing to extend the reach of its QuickTime multimedia software to mobile devices. According to sources, the company this month is expected to wrap up development on QuickTime 6.3, code-named "Sidecar."
QuickTime 6.3 will be the first release to include a 3GPP component, first promised late last year. 3GPP is a new standard from the 3rd Generation Partnership Project that was developed to deliver multimedia wirelessly to cell phones and PDAs. Like QuickTime, it has strong ties to the MPEG-4 video standard.
In December 2002, Apple announced that it would release a QuickTime update in the ensuing weeks that supported creation of 3GPP content. Japan's NTT DoCoMo also unveiled its Mobile MP4 i-motion service for 3G networks, using 3GPP to provide multimedia to wireless subscribers. Additionally, NTT DoCoMo announced support for Apple's QuickTime-powered 3GPP content-development efforts.
Apple initially indicated that it would include 3GPP support with QuickTime 6.1, which it delivered in January. In a 3GPP fact sheet Apple released in December, the company said QuickTime's 3GPP support would include export capabilities to the .3gp file format, as well as an interface for video, audio and text settings. According to the fact sheet, supported formats for 3GPP would include the MPEG-4 and H.263 video codecs; Adaptive Multi-Rate (AMR) audio; and 3G Text.
This is awesome (and about time). I knew this would shake out eventually... Now when I post some great videos of Alex, you'll be able to see them without having to download Nokia's Media Player. Come on Apple, get that code out here!
:-)
-Russ