MS to Support HighM.A.T. in Media Player 9, Movie Maker

Microsoft on Friday announced a new specification for storing digital media on recordable discs and said it will include the technology in the final release of Windows Media Player 9 Series, along with a future update of Windows Movie Maker. The new technology dubbed High-performance Media Access Technology, or HighM.A.T. for short, was developed with Panasonic and will be licensed to other consumer electronics companies.

HighM.A.T. creates a standard method of organizing digital media such as photos, movies and music on CDs, which allows consumers to more easily access those discs when not using a PC. Currently, car stereos and home electronics equipment must search an entire disc to find digital media, causing significant delays.

"As digital entertainment continues to evolve in the home, we see many opportunities for PCs and electronics devices to enhance one another through faster and easier interoperation," said Will Poole, corporate vice president of the Windows New Media Platforms Division at Microsoft, in a statement.

Fujifilm has already publicly backed the technology and will be including HighM.A.T. support in upcoming versions of its consumer products. Panasonic is expected to release its first HighM.A.T. enabled products early next year.

HighM.A.T. is the latest effort by Microsoft to push Windows Media into the electronics-laden living room. Numerous manufacturers, including Panasonic, have announced support for next-generation Windows Media video and audio formats in future DVD players. Windows Media Player 9 Series, which will ship with HighM.A.T. disc creation capabilities, is currently in beta testing.

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