2
  1. Vorbis was never threatened by MPEG LA, so it is undoubtedly completely patent free.
    (MPEG LA never misses a chance to spread patent FUD)
  2. Windows supports mp3, so it isn’t because they want to push their crappy wma.
  3. The GPL allows distribution alongside commercial products, and
  4. Even if they fear to ship GPL software, they can still load it automatically, like they do with XviD

So why can’t a windows customer not simply drop a ogg vorbis file into his/her music library and listen to it via WMP?

PS: To counter misconceptions: They already download the GPL’d XviD codec on demand, so they already have 99% of what it takes to do the same with Vorbis. It would take me about 5 minutes to do this, if I were familiar with the WMP code base and directshow filter system.

PSS: I was told to ask this here rather than on stackoverflow, so i do.

Community
  • 1
flying sheep
  • 139
  • 6
  • 1
    Days/weeks to research and get a committee to agree to it, 5 minutes to code it (Really???), 2-3+ days for a QA person to test it and all related functionality, etc, etc, etc. Software development is not about how fast or how many features you can add. – Daniel Knoodle Feb 13 '11 at 15:35

1 Answers1

6

I reverse the question:

Why would Microsoft being interested in supporting such a format?

  • Few wide-spread portable players support it (this is likely to change, at least I hope)
  • mp3s are good enough for most users (the average user doesn't know what a OGG is)
  • Why should microsoft spend time and resources on this if a third-party can implement a ogg codec for Windows Media Player for free?
Federico klez Culloca
  • 3,092
  • 24
  • 24
  • i’m not asking microsoft to develop their own directshow filters, but instead i ask why they don’t invest 5 minutes development time to tweak the XviD-on-demand download code to load them from http://xiph.org/dshow when a user wants to play a ogg file. – flying sheep Feb 13 '11 at 12:19
  • 9
    Precisely because "it is just five minutes": http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ericlippert/archive/2003/10/28/53298.aspx – Sergio Acosta Feb 13 '11 at 14:53
  • 1
    @Sergio Acosta - That was a GREAT article. I can't stop laughing and crying all at the same time. The sad part is that it's 100% true/legit. That one link alone should be the answer to this question. – Daniel Knoodle Feb 13 '11 at 15:38
  • great article, but support for vorbis is not really a one-off feature, but more like one of the three formats to save a music collection. (the other ones being aac and mp3) – flying sheep Feb 13 '11 at 15:56
  • Seems to me you just made the argument for taking more time. Now your talking much further integration with Windows and media center, etc to support putting a music collection in another format. Plus every app that uses those Windows base features would have to be updated to support it. This is what we call in the programming world "feature creep". – Daniel Knoodle Feb 13 '11 at 18:39
  • 2
    @Daniel: When I build a viewer/player for more than one file format, it is modular enough that you just need one definition File/Class to enable one more. I don’t know, but I guess the DirectShow filters take that part in the Windows world. Am I right? Also I find “This is what we call in the programming world ‘feature creep’.” a little insulting. As if I wouldn’t be in your exclusive “world”. – flying sheep Feb 19 '11 at 22:37
  • I agree that Ogg isn't widespread enough.. It is however spreading, so maybe with the next release of Windows, they'll support it. – Earlz May 20 '11 at 07:44
  • Few players, not widespread? It's only supported by every Android device on the planet, A good number of "mp3"-players, along with every web browser on the planet that is not Safari or IE. – NoBugs Aug 23 '14 at 04:38
  • @NoBugs, Android wasn't as widespread in 2011, when I answered this question, as it is today. We were just entering the Gingerbread era :) – Federico klez Culloca Dec 17 '14 at 11:36