Chapter 10. QuickTime for Java
When
Java first came out, multimedia APIs were relatively weak; scratchy
8-bit sound just doesn't cut it in
today's world. Users had rich media on their
desktops and laptops, and the Java world quickly scrambled to find a
better media API. Unsurprisingly,
Java
turned to QuickTime, one of the oldest and most sophisticated media
APIs available.
Apple has ported QuickTime to Windows and released a set of Java APIs
that provide users who would have to write their own native wrappers
an easier interface to QuickTime. The APIs are still relatively
"C-like," but using them is much
easier than writing your own bridge. Applications built using the
QuickTime for Java technology are also cross-platform, as long as the
only platforms you consider are Windows and Mac OS; Unix users are
still out of luck when it comes to QuickTime. The examples in this
chapter will run on Windows as well as on Mac OS X.
One of QuickTime's most interesting features is its
sheer scope of available functionality. The rich range of supported
media types can be overwhelming. This chapter explores the available
range of media and demonstrates how to play that media back from
within Java applications.
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