Intel JMedia Player
Frequently Asked Questions (General)
Q. What is Intel JMedia Player?
Q. What is Microsoft DirectShow*?
Q. What is the Java* Media Framework?
Q. How do I get Intel's JMedia Player?
Q. How much do the media classes cost?
Q. What is a connected CD-ROM?
Q. Why is Intel pursuing this Internet media initiative?
Q. Is there a mailing list or newsgroup for discussing the Intel JMedia
Player?
Q. How do I contact Intel for technical support?
Q. I found a bug in the Intel JMedia Player. How do I report it to Intel?
Q. Will Intel make its implementation available on other
platforms?
 Capabilities
Q. What specific APIs are implemented?
Q. How does Indeo® Video Interactive relate to the media classes?
Q. What is unique about Intel's implementation of the Java Media
Framework?
Q. What specific media types are supported by the Intel JMedia Player?
Q. Can I add new media types?
Q. What is "streaming?"
Q. How do I author Web pages that use the Intel JMedia Player?
Q. What authoring tools support the media types?
Q. Does my Web server need to be an Intel processor-based PC?
Q. Is it necessary to download the media classes every time I use them?
Q. What caliber of PC do the media classes require?
Q. Are the media classes written entirely in Java?
Q. What are "native methods"?
Q. Don't native methods introduce applet portability issues?
Q. Does the Intel JMedia Player require MMXÔ
technology?
Q. Is MMX Technology required for JMedia Player use?
Q. Which browsers/environments are supported?
Q. How are the bit-stream formats standardized?
Q. Do the media classes for Java interoperate with other Internet media
capabilities?
Q. What transport protocols are used?
Q. What is the Intel JMedia Player?
Intel JMedia Player is an SDK that provides a framework for incorporating media
players into Java applications. It also allows developers to synchronize time-based media
from different sources. The Intel JMedia Player uses Microsoft DirectShow to render the
media. The Intel JMedia Player is compatible with the Java Media Framework API.
Q. What is Microsoft DirectShow?
Microsoft's DirectShow enables the capture and playback of media streams. The
streams can contain video and audio data compressed in a wide variety of bitstream and
file formats, including MPEG, QuickTime, AVI, and WAV.
Q. What is the Java Media Framework?
The Java Media
Framework API is a specification for rendering time-based media through a Java API.
The API was jointly developed by Intel, Silicon Graphics, and Sun. Intel has developed a
high performance implementation of that API for Intel processor-based systems called the
Intel JMedia Player.
This API enables Java developers to create media-rich Java applications that can run
either inside an Internet browser, as a stand-alone application, or as a "Connected
CD-ROM" with Internet access. Furthermore, the JMedia Player allows developers to
program to an API that is cross-platform, while providing the highest possible performance
for the largest group of Web clients - Intel processor-based PCs running Windows* 95 and
Windows NT*.
Q. How do I get Intel's JMedia Player?
The Intel JMedia Player SDK and Runtimes are available for download at http://developer.intel.com/ial/jmedia. To
receive notification when the next version of this package is available, please submit
your email address to our SDK
Registration form.
Q. How much do the media classes cost?
The SDK is free via Web download, and end-users may download the client runtime
upgrade to their Web browser at no charge. Redistribution of the binaries, when bundled
with an application, is free if you follow the registration requirements listed in the
license.
Q. What is a connected CD-ROM?
A connected CD-ROM adds the ability to link to the Internet from a conventional
CD-ROM application. It typically uses the Internet for up-to-the-minute information and
person-to-person interaction while using locally-stored media (such as video from the
CD-ROM) for its quality and display speed. Connected CD-ROMs give users the best of the PC
plus the best of the Internet.
Q. Why is Intel pursuing this Internet media initiative?
The largest group of people accessing the Web do so using Intel processor-based
PCs running Windows. On the desktop, these systems provide end users a very rich
multimedia experience. Our goal is to fulfill our customer's expectations by bringing this
rich multimedia experience to the Web.
Q. Is there a mailing list or newsgroup for discussing the Intel
JMedia Player?
The Intel JMedia Player newsgroup is available at
../../zoffsitz.htm and can be accessed by a News Reader or a Web Browser.
Q. How do I contact Intel for technical support?
The Intel JMedia Player Developer Support Page is the best place
to start in finding technical support. There, you will find tutorials, a list of known
problems, Technical FAQs, Intel JMedia Player discussion forum, Email support and other
resources to answer your support questions.
Q. I found a bug in the Intel JMedia Player. How do I report it
to Intel?
First, ensure that the bug is not a known problem of Intel JMedia Player - see
Intel JMedia Player's Known
Problems. If the problem is not listed as a known problem submit your bug to jmedia@mailbox.intel.com.
Q: Will Intel make its implementation available
on other platforms?
Intel's implementation supports Intel processor-based PCs running Windows* 95 and
Windows NT*. Intel has no plans to port its implementation to other platforms or operating
systems at this time. We suggest you contact the respective platform owners to see if and
when they will support the API.
Q. What specific APIs are implemented?
The Intel JMedia Player includes one package (a collection of classes) supporting
the following Java Media APIs:
 The Intel JMedia Player package
implements the Java
Media Framework API, providing media players for playing audio and video.
Q. How does Indeo® Video Interactive relate to the media
classes?
Because the Intel JMedia Player implementation uses native
methods to deliver the best possible performance, and is based on Microsoft's
DirectShow*, the Intel JMedia Player package transparently supports use of the Indeo Video
Interactive codec.
Q. What is unique about Intel's implementation of the Java Media
Framework?
Intel JMedia Player software was specifically designed and tuned for Intel
processor-based PCs running Windows* 95 and Windows NT*. This provides the highest
possible performance and robustness.
Q. What specific media types are supported by the Intel JMedia
Player?
Playback of MIDI, WAV and AU audio
Playback of AVI, MPEG, and QuickTime* video, with
support for Indeo® Video Interactive
Streaming playback of International Telecommunications Union (ITU) standard
H.263 video and G.723 audio will be supported in a later release.
Q. Can I add new media types?
Yes, new audio and video media types can be added as native DirectShow filters.
The Intel JMedia Player package uses the Microsoft DirectShow architecture for top
performance, and to ensure support for new media types as they are developed.
Q. What is "streaming?"
With streaming, an audio or video clip starts playing almost immediately, as the
data is received, rather than waiting for the entire file to be downloaded.
Q. How do I author Web pages that use the Intel JMedia Player?
Web pages that use the Intel JMedia Player are authored like any Web page that
contains a Java* applet: Construct the applet using a Java developers kit such as Microsoft Visual J++*, Sun's JDK or Symantec Café* . Use a page authoring tool to
build the HTML document containing the applet. Additional steps and tools are required to
create the media content played by the applet.
Q. What authoring tools support the media types?
Many different authoring tools for audio and video are available to produce the
supported A/V media types.
Q. Does my Web server need to be an Intel processor-based PC?
No, the Web server need not be an Intel processor-based PC.
Q. Is it necessary to download the media classes every time I
use them?
No, only the applet built upon the media classes and the media content are
delivered as a part of a Web page. The Intel JMedia Player is installed as an integral
part of the Java client runtime environment (in the browser and/or operating system) just
as window management, networking and I/O are today.
Nor is it necessary to completely download the entire applet or media file before media
playback can begin. With streaming, an audio or video clip starts playing almost
immediately, as the data starts to be received, rather than waiting for the entire file to
be downloaded.
Q. What caliber of PC do the media classes require?
Pentium® and Pentium II processor-based PCs provide the best Internet experience
and are the recommended minimum, although the media classes scale to support an Intel486Ô processor. Essentially, if the client is capable of
running Windows* 95 or Windows NT*, it is capable of supporting the media classes.
Q. Are the media classes written entirely in Java?
No, for the highest possible performance the classes use "native
methods" that are closely coupled to the underlying OS and hardware architecture.
Q. What are "native methods"?
When portions of a Java class implementation are written in another programming
language, such as C, those portions are called native methods. Native methods are all but
required to implement multimedia capabilities which perform well. The Intel
JMedia Player uses Microsoft's DirectShow
for performance and extensibility.
Q. Don't native methods introduce applet portability issues?
No. Only the applet built above the media classes and the media content are
delivered as a part of a Web page. The media classes, including the native methods, are
installed as an integral part of the Java client runtime environment in the browser or
operating system. The Java client runtime already uses native methods for functions
commonly used by Java applets, such as networking and I/O.
Q. Is MMX™ Technology required
for Intel JMedia Player use?
No, but as addressed in the previous question, the native methods for Indeo Video
Interactive and other codecs running under DirectShow perform better with MMX technology.
Q. Has the Intel JMedia Player been designed to take advantage
of MMX™ technology?
Yes, the Indeo® Video
Interactive codec with DirectShow*,
are hand-tuned for the Intel architecture, and support the new instructions of the MMX technology.
Q. Which browsers/environments are supported?
The media capabilities support the U.S. English versions of Internet Explorer*
3.0x, Netscape Navigator* 3.0x and Communicator* 4.0x, as well as the Sun Java* Developers
Kit (JDK) 1.0.2, and JDK 1.1.x.
Q. How are the bit-stream formats standardized?
The bit-stream formats are standardized by virtue of using industry-standard
media types (such as MPEG) and protocols (such as HTTP).
Q. Do the media classes for Java interoperate with other
Internet media capabilities?
Yes, as long as other Internet media capabilities use industry-standard media
types and protocols.
Q. What transport protocols are used?
The HTTP and FTP transport protocols are supported by the Java Media Framework.
Iit is possible to extend the DataSource class
and create a custom protocol handler; see the JMF Tutorial lessons 3F and 3G for examples.
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