Apple delivered a preview release of QuickTime 7 Player and QuickTime 7 Pro for Windows, the first mainstream H.264 solution for streaming and playback of High Definition (HD) video on the Windows platform.

Ratified as part of the MPEG-4 standard, the H.264 video codec delivers pristine quality video across a broad range of bandwidths, from 3G for mobile devices to iChat AV for video conferencing to HD for broadcast and DVD. H.264 has been adopted by both the DVD Forum and Blu-ray Disc Association for the next generation of high definition DVDs.

QuickTime 7 Player for Windows features:

- support for H.264, the state-of-the-art, worldwide video standard;
- support for playing up to 24 channels of audio, including 5.1 and 7.1 audio;
- new and improved playback controls, including jog shuttle and variable speed playback options;
- zero-configuration streaming for easy access to the optimal streaming experience; and
- live resizing for smooth playback as a user changes the size of the QuickTime 7 Player window.

QuickTime 7 Pro for Windows features:

- H.264 video encoding for easy creation of pristine video for any use, from 3G to HD and everything in between;
- support for configuring and encoding 5.1 audio;
- new full-screen controls for easy access to player controls in full-screen mode;
- native support for VBScript, enabling QuickTime workflow automation;
- background exporting to allow users to continue working during exports; and - all-new movie settings for simple and efficient movie authoring.

Pricing & Availability

The preview release of QuickTime 7 Player for Windows is available immediately as a free download from www.apple.com/quicktime. The preview release of QuickTime 7 Pro for Windows is available from the Apple Store (www.apple.com) for $29.99 (US) for a single user license. The final versions of QuickTime 7 Player and QuickTime 7 Pro for Windows will be available this summer.