Subject: Internet Streaming Media Alliance and MPEG4 on IP

From: Markus Buchhorn <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2000 15:05:20 +1100

Hi All

Could somebody please explain to me what Apple/Sun/Cisco/... are doing in
the ISMA, which is different to what has been discussed on these lists for
some time? Or have these discussions been part of the ISMA's work?

http://www.isma.tv/

>          The first specification from the
>          ISMA will define an implementation agreement for streaming
MPEG-4 video
>          and audio over IP networks.
>
>          In preparation for the launch of the Alliance, members have been
working to
>          develop an initial specification for MPEG-4 over IP, which will
be circulated for
>          review and input at the initial meeting of the ISMA in February
2001. This first
>          meeting will be open to any company interested in becoming an
ISMA member.

Thanks!

Cheers,
	Markus

Markus Buchhorn,  Advanced Computational Systems CRC     | Ph: +61 2 62798810
email: [email-masked], snail: ACSys, RSISE Bldg,|Fax: +61 2 62799805
Australian National University, Canberra 0200, Australia |Mobile: 0417 281429
 **From 1 Jan 2001:  Ph +61 2 61258810,  Fax: TBD...,  Mobile: unchanged **

---

From: Dave Singer <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2000 20:19:06 -0800

>some time? Or have these discussions been part of the ISMA's work?

I'm not an official ISMA spokesperson, but here goes.  For a start, I 
expect any specs that are to be published will be submitted to the 
IETF, ISO et al. as appropriate.  The ISMA members might get together 
to help write etc., but I don't think this is a standards body per 
se.  The ISMA will expect members to implement the agreed-to specs, 
and will hold interop events to make sure that the specs and 
implementations are good.  They will also promote the use of these 
specs from the IETF and ISO, with the goal of making internet-based 
multimedia as open and multivendor as, say, http and html are today 
(perhaps a bad analogy, given the rocky road HTML has had, but you 
probably see what I mean).

-- 
David Singer
Apple Computer/QuickTime

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From: Marshall Eubanks <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2000 00:52:01 -0500

> probably see what I mean).

Is this different from or in competition with the Audio Visual Transport (AVT)
working group in the IETF  ? Why is another standards body needed ? Why didn't
they present today in the AVT meeting (there is still another chance
tomorrow) ?

                                   Regards
                                   Marshall Eubanks (from the 49th IETF)

   Multicast Technologies, Inc.
   10301 Democracy Lane, Suite 201
   Fairfax, Virginia 22030
   Phone : 703-293-9624          Fax     : 703-293-9609     
   e-mail : [email-masked]     http://www.on-the-i.com

---

From: Ross Finlayson <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2000 22:41:31 -0800

At 08:05 PM 12/13/00, Markus Buchhorn wrote:
>some time?

I rarely pay much attention to "industry consortia" like this.  They are 
typically set up for largely political purposes, and often don't last very 
long.  (Hint: You can usually find the *true* reason for such a consortium 
by looking at its list of members, and noting which prominent 
company/companies in the field are *not* on the list.)

If this organization's goal is, indeed, to promote interoperability using 
open standards, then it may well end up being Mostly Harmless.  In any 
event, the primary organization that I'll be looking towards to meet this 
goal will continue to be the IETF...

         Ross (who decided to forego the overcrowded IETF meeting this time)

---

From: Dave Singer <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2000 08:00:53 -0800

Like I said, any standards that need to be published I expect to be 
published through and with and in the regular cooperation of the 
members in the ietf.  I'm at the IETF and would be happy to talk 
about it;  I was hoping to say a few words today, when mpeg-4 comes 
up.

-- 
David Singer
Apple Computer/QuickTime