我们已经跨入了对高清数字媒体时代。未来的数字高清将无处不在。但是他非常需要健壮的保护,而这是当前的数字媒体平台所不具备的。Media Fundation就是为了这个而存在。
让我们审视高清数字,这个平台需要很有弹性,便于从小故障下恢复。需要考虑大量的不同品质的video 和audio.Media Foundation就是为了这个而存在。比如,支持下一代的HD技术:
1:DirectX 视频加速(DXVA) 2.0提供了比DXVA1.0更高效率的视频加速,更稳定,最新的视频解码能力,和扩展的硬件视频加速。在DXVA2.0下,windows可以直接处理某些高清内容,并容易错误恢复。
2:Color-space能得以保存在整个视频处理流程中,所以中途可以无转换损失,用户可以享受到高逼真的画质。这个也能减少CPU等消耗。
3:增强的视频渲染器(enchanced video render EVR)增强了视频处理和时钟等。
让我们研究一下文件保护,在用户购买了一部电影之后,他可以把电影传到他的某个设备上(一些设备支持直接在播放的时候录制),这个过程中会有多种保护模式,购买后的使用保护,播放时防录制保护,复制保护,如果某一个保护没有正确完成,就会使整套保护没有了意义。所以这需要有一个无缝的平台去相互协作。Media Foundation就是为了这个而存在。
最后,让我们来总览一下DirectShow. DirectShow的API对这些数字高清媒体的应用程序确实是非常通用的,万能的,但是,DirectShow作为一个10多年的老技术而言已经力不从心了。比如:
1:流程是静态static的,所以实现动态的Graph和Major format change是非常困难的。
2:DirectShow filter的线程模型是非常复杂的,要完全理解并永不出错是太困难了。
3:DirectShow filter只能用于DirectShow。
4:DirectShow不支持文件保护。
作为DirectShow的接替者,Media Foundation出现了,他不会马上替代DirectShow,作为第一步,他将在vista上慢慢展露他的影响。
但是目前为止,Media Foundation只能在媒体保护(Proteced media process))方面大施手脚,还未向DirectShow进行足够的扩展和替代。
Appendix: Feature Comparisons
The following table compares the features of Media Foundation with those of DirectShow.
Feature group | Feature | Media Foundation | DirectShow |
Basic functionality | Audio and video rendering | Yes | Yes |
Event notification | Yes | Yes | |
Device enumeration | No | Yes | |
Component enumeration | Yes | Yes | |
Synchronization to reference clock | Yes | Yes | |
Seeking | Yes | Yes | |
Improved stress resilience | Yes | No | |
Content protection | Component validation | Yes | No |
Content protection policy negotiation | Yes | No | |
Interoperability between content protection technologies | Yes | No | |
Protection against kernel-mode and user-mode threats | Yes | No | |
Component revocation and renewal | Yes | No | |
Video output protection management | Yes | Yes | |
Media tasks | Audio capture | No | Yes |
Video capture | No | Yes | |
Video editing | No | Yes | |
DVD playback and navigation | No | Yes | |
MPEG-2 support | No | Yes | |
ASF support | No | Yes | |
TV technologies | No | Yes | |
Stream buffer engine | No | Yes | |
Encoder API | No | Yes | |
Video renderer | Substream mixing using per-pixel or planar alpha blending | Yes | Yes |
Customizable video composition | No | Yes | |
Support for custom presenters | Yes | Yes | |
Windowless rendering | Yes | Yes | |
Multimonitor support | Yes | Yes | |
DXVA | Yes | Yes | |
DirectDraw exclusive mode | Yes | Yes | |
Backward compatibility with existing applications | Yes | Yes | |
Accurate frame stepping | Yes | Yes | |
Alpha blending of image data | Yes | Yes | |
Glitch resilience | Yes | No | |
Enhanced video fidelity | Yes | No | |
Enhanced content protection robustness | Yes | No | |
Standalone use | Yes | No | |
Standalone mixing component | Yes | No | |
Transforms (MFT or DMO) | Synchronous data processing | Yes | Yes |
Simple programming model | Yes | Yes | |
Standalone use | Yes | Yes | |
Multiple inputs and multiple outputs | Yes | Yes | |
Dynamic number of streams | Yes | No | |
Access to sample-level metadata | Yes | No | |
In-place processing | Yes | Yes | |
Dynamic format changes | Yes | No | |
Quality adjustment | Yes | No | |
Rate change | Yes | No |
The following table compares the features of Media Foundation with those of the Windows Media Format SDK.
Feature group | Feature | Media Foundation | Format SDK |
ASF file features | Audio and video streams | Yes | Yes |
Image streams | No | Yes | |
Arbitrary streams (text, file, Web, custom data) | No | Yes | |
Script commands | No | Yes | |
Data unit extensions | Yes | Yes | |
SMPTE time code support | No | Yes | |
Mutual exclusion | Yes | Yes | |
Stream prioritization | Yes | Yes | |
Bandwidth sharing | No | Yes | |
Indexes | Yes | Yes | |
Markers | Yes | Yes | |
Multiple bit rate stream | Yes | Yes | |
Multiple language support | Yes | Yes | |
Codec features | CBR encoding | Yes | Yes |
VBR encoding | Yes | Yes | |
Two-pass encoding | Yes | Yes | |
High-resolution audio support | Yes | Yes | |
Low delay audio | Yes | Yes | |
S/PDIF audio output | Yes | Yes | |
Video image | Yes | Yes | |
Device conformance template | Yes | Yes | |
Video complexity settings | Yes | Yes | |
Frame interpolation | Yes | Yes | |
DirectX Video Acceleration | Yes | Yes | |
File writing | Video resizing | Yes | Yes |
Color space conversion | Yes | Yes | |
Audio resampling | Yes | Yes | |
ASF file sink | Yes | Yes | |
Network sinks | No | Yes | |
Push sinks | No | Yes | |
Watermarking support | No | Yes | |
Input formats, input settings, and data unit extensions | Yes | Yes | |
WMA smart recompression | No | Yes | |
Multichannel audio | Yes | Yes | |
File reading | User-allocated sample support | No | Yes |
Synchronous reading | No | Yes | |
Output format enumeration | Yes | Yes | |
Multichannel audio | Yes | Yes | |
MP3 support | Yes | Yes | |
Network sources | Yes | Yes | |
Metadata | ID3 support | No | Yes |
Custom metadata | Yes | Yes | |
Digital rights management | Live DRM | No | Yes |
DRM Individualization | Yes | Yes | |
Back up and restore DRM licenses | Yes | Yes | |
View DRM attributes in the Metadata Editor | Yes | Yes | |
Output protection levels | Yes | Yes | |
License revocation | Yes | Yes | |
Windows Media DRM for Network Devices | Yes | Yes | |
Secure Audio Path | No | Yes | |
Playlist burning | Yes | Yes | |
Third-party transcription support | Yes | No | |
Local license issuance | Yes | No | |
Enhanced Windows Media DRM renewability | Yes | No |