About the Audio and Video SDK Components

 

Microsoft provides a family of Software Development Kit (SDK) components that are designed to enable application developers, Web developers, and systems administrators to develop audio and video programs and to create Windows Media–compatible applications and Web sites.

You can learn about and download the following components:

  • New Audio and Video SDKs
  • Windows Media 9.5 and 10 SDKs
  • Windows Media 9 Series SDKs

For information about licensing the Windows Media SDK components, see the Windows Media Licensing and Logos page.

New Audio and Video SDKs

Versions of new audio and video SDKs are now available. You can get the latest headers, libraries, and samples for these SDKs by installing the Windows SDK from the Microsoft Download Center. The following list describes the components and some of the new features that each supports.

Windows Media Player 11 SDK

Purpose: Integrate online stores with Windows Media Player (which requires an agreement with Microsoft), rip and burn CDs, and work with multiple libraries.

Audience: Skin developers, plug-in developers, independent software vendors (ISVs), online store service providers, Web developers

Supported operating systems: Windows XP or Windows Vista and Windows Media Player 11 are required for the new features.

Windows Media Format 11 SDK

Purpose: Work with the local license store directly by using the new Windows Media DRM Client Extended application programming interfaces (APIs). The Windows Media Video 9 Advanced Profile codec has been updated to produce a compressed bit stream that is compliant with the published SMPTE VC-1 standard. The Windows Media Audio 10 Professional codec features improved quality at lower bit rates. Create thumbnail images for video files without opening the file for playback.

Audience: ISVs

Supported operating systems: Windows XP or Windows Vista

Media Foundation

Purpose: Work with the next-generation multimedia platform and infrastructure for Microsoft Windows. This release of Media Foundation focuses on content protection, audio and video quality, and interoperability for digital rights management (DRM).

Audience: ISVs

Supported operating system: Windows Vista

Windows Portable Devices

Purpose: A new way to communicate with media and storage devices. This system supersedes both Windows Media Device Manager and Windows Image Acquisition by providing a flexible, robust way for a computer to communicate with media players, storage devices, mobile phones, cameras, and many other types of connected devices.

Audience: ISVs

Supported operating system: Windows XP or Windows Vista

Core Audio APIs in Windows Vista

Purpose: Develop low-level audio applications to access audio endpoint devices, such as headphones and microphones. Achieve minimum latency by obtaining exclusive access to audio hardware. Implement features that might not be entirely supported by high-level audio APIs, such as DirectSound or Media Foundation.

Audience: ISVs

Supported operating system: Windows Vista

Windows Media 9.5 and 10 SDKs

Windows Media 9.5 and 10 SDKs are now available. The following list describes the components and some of the new features that each supports.

Windows Media Player 10 SDK

Purpose: Manage synchronization of content with portable devices, integrate premium services with Windows Media Player (requires an agreement with Microsoft), and work with new metadata attributes for portable devices, TV, and photo content.

Audience: Skin developers, plug-in developers, independent software vendors (ISVs), premium service providers, Web developers

Supported operating system: Windows XP and Windows Media Player 10 are required for the new features.

Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK

Purpose: Stream content to network devices, such as digital audio receivers, and support features such as playlist burning. Use the new Windows Media Video 9 Image v2 codec for improved image quality and complex transitions, and use the new Windows Media Video 9 Advanced Profile codec to encode content from a variety of professional video formats.

Audience: ISVs

Supported operating system: Windows XP only

Windows Media Device Manager 10 SDK

Purpose: Work with devices that support the new Media Transfer Protocol (MTP), devices that support a modified Windows CE (Pocket PC) class driver, and mass storage devices exposed by the new Microsoft Cluster (MSC) class driver. Distributed with Windows Media Format 9.5 SDK.

Audience: ISVs, portable player manufacturers

Supported operating system: Windows XP only

Windows Media Rights Manager 10.1 SDK

Purpose: Use the new rights supported by Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM) 10.1.

Audience: Content providers, service providers, solution providers

Supported operating system: Windows Server 2003

Windows Media 9 Series SDKs

The following list describes the Windows Media 9 Series SDK components.

Windows Media Encoder 9 Series SDK

Purpose: Automate the encoding process for custom applications and solutions, and enable remote encoding.

Audience: Content providers, service providers, ISVs, Web developers

Supported operating systems: Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003

Windows Media Services 9 Series SDK

Purpose: Configure, manage, and administer servers distributing Windows Media files or streams.

Audience: Web developers

Supported operating systems: Windows 2000 Server, Windows Server 2003