| With the increase in CPU power and the availability | | | | Other third party applications that can view WMV |
| of high speed Internet connections, watching | | | | files include Zoom, KMPlayer, and Power DVD. |
| movies on PCs has become the norm. These | | | | There are also some portable music players that |
| videos can come in different formats, but one of | | | | support this file format. |
| the most widely recognized is WMV. | | | | There are also several programs, from full blown |
| What WMV is | | | | to shareware to freeware, that allow for the |
| WMV stands for Windows Media Video, and it is | | | | export of video into the WMV format. They |
| the name of the video encoder that was created | | | | include Windows Movie Maker, Sorenson Squeeze, |
| by software giant Microsoft. A video encoder is | | | | Adobe Premiere Pro, and Microsoft Expression |
| the file that makes it possible to watch videos on | | | | Encoder. |
| computers. | | | | WMV Specifications and Features |
| WMV is part of Microsoft's Windows Media, a | | | | All these files end in the .wmv extension. There |
| series of files, formats and encoders aimed at | | | | are several components in each one, and some |
| integrating sound and video. These include the | | | | of them include ASF files, Sipro ACELP.net audio |
| Advanced Systems Format (ASP), High Definition | | | | codes. Most versions of .wmv can also be |
| Photo (HDP), and Windows Media Audio (WMA), | | | | converted to avi files. |
| which is used for playing music files (similar to the | | | | With each new upgrade and release, Windows |
| mp3 format). | | | | Media Video increases its features and capabilities. |
| WMV uses several technologies, but mainly it | | | | Among them is the ability to process the data |
| serves as Microsoft's own version of the popular | | | | with a wide range of network protocols. WMV |
| MPEG - 4 encoder. | | | | can also be played locally, and you can also |
| History and Development | | | | download updates and components from the |
| WMV was developed by Microsoft in the 1990s | | | | Internet. |
| and made its debut in 1999. It has undergone | | | | WMV files can also be scaled, and offers support |
| several version upgrades and changes, and today | | | | for several languages. It also supports constant bit |
| it functions mostly to distribute video on the | | | | rate, variable bit rate and average bit rate, frame |
| Internet and also in some CDs and DVDs. This | | | | interpolation, interlaced video high definition video |
| codec (as video encoders are called), while | | | | content resolutions, and non square pixels. |
| popular, has also faced competition from others, | | | | Another advantage of WMV files is that it is |
| notably DivX, Xvid, MPEG-4 AVC, and Real Video. | | | | supported by a large variety of applications and |
| How to Play WMV Files | | | | systems. The Xbox 360 and Windows Mobile can |
| To play WMV files you need to have Windows | | | | run WMV files. |
| Media Player version 7 or higher (there are also | | | | For users of the Macintosh, there are currently |
| several other media players on the Internet that | | | | several software programs that allow viewing of |
| you can download that plays this format). Among | | | | WMV files, one of the most popular being Flipmac |
| the more popular alternative WMV players are | | | | WMV, which is part of the QuickTime application. |
| WinAMP. BSPlayer and MPlayer. | | | | |