Who are the biggest players in streaming media?
Microsoft has developed the Windows Media Technology and its Advanced Streaming Format (ASF) to produce and play streaming multimedia content. Microsoft uses the standard MPEG-4 compression technology for video. Others, such as RealNetworks’ RealSystem software, use their own compression technologies. RealNetworks’ and Microsoft’s technologies are today’s most popular streaming media applications. A lot users prefer RealNetworks, arguing that it offers more features.