MMS Protocol and JMF

[Lee]

Does anyone have any experience in using Java to play MMS streams either
with the JMF or plain Java sockets?

 

[Andrew Thompson]

Does anyone have any experience in using Java to play MMS streams ..

What's that? This?
<http://www.google.com/search?q=Microsoft+Media+Server>

..either
with the JMF or plain Java sockets?

If it is something that can only cater to Windows Media Player,
I would suggest that .NET might be a better way to go on this one.

 

[Lee]

If it is something that can only cater to Windows Media Player,

I would suggest that .NET might be a better way to go on this one.

urghhh....

 

[Andrew Thompson]

urghhh....

....hmmm. This thread does not seem to be going well.

You are vague, and I am not an expert on the topic.

What does 'urghhh....' mean?

You did not confirm that my conclusions were right or wrong.
Is the subject about the 'Microsoft Media Server'?

And the implied question, are the streams only suitable for WMP?

If these are data streams as might be expected to comply with
a (non-MicroSoft) protocol, it may be a trivial matter to connect
Java to those streams on the client side.

More information required, and a little more descriptive and
specific than 'urghhh....', if you can manage it.

 

[Lee]

...hmmm. This thread does not seem to be going well.

You are vague, and I am not an expert on the topic.

What does 'urghhh....' mean?

You did not confirm that my conclusions were right or wrong.
Is the subject about the 'Microsoft Media Server'?

And the implied question, are the streams only suitable for WMP?

If these are data streams as might be expected to comply with
a (non-MicroSoft) protocol, it may be a trivial matter to connect
Java to those streams on the client side.

More information required, and a little more descriptive and
specific than 'urghhh....', if you can manage it.

Yes MMS is Microsoft's streaming media technology and is available primarily
to WMP but can also be played (although I haven't tested it) through Xine
(and maybe other players).

Now the rules of the protocol have not been officially released, but there
has been some good work by thet SDP team at http://sdp.ppona.com in
attempting the document the protocol and they have produced software that
downloads the streams. JavaMMS has built on this work and released a Java
version of the SDP program, but I cannot get it to work properly.

It is not a trivial matter to try and connect to a MMS server without WMP
because it has already been done. I just wanted to see if anyone has looked
at the problem using Java.

 

[Andrew Thompson]

On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 18:36:43 GMT, Lee wrote:

(A.T.)

....
Yes MMS is Microsoft's streaming media technology and is available primarily
to WMP but can also be played (although I haven't tested it) through Xine
(and maybe other players).

Now the rules of the protocol have not been officially released, but there
has been some good work by thet SDP team at http://sdp.ppona.com in
attempting the document the protocol and they have produced software that
downloads the streams. JavaMMS has built on this work and released a Java
version of the SDP program, but I cannot get it to work properly.

It is not a trivial matter to try and connect to a MMS server without WMP
because it has already been done. I just wanted to see if anyone has looked
at the problem using Java.

With that further information, I hope you get your answer,
but I still suspect that .NET is a far better choice of
platform/language for this purpose.

I think you are fighting an uphill battle to successfully use
a protocol for which the "rules of the protocol have not been
officially released" and is therefore seemingly open to change
at MS' whim.

My 2c worth.

 

[Lee]

On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 18:36:43 GMT, Lee wrote:

(A.T.)

With that further information, I hope you get your answer,
but I still suspect that .NET is a far better choice of
platform/language for this purpose.

I think you are fighting an uphill battle to successfully use
a protocol for which the "rules of the protocol have not been
officially released" and is therefore seemingly open to change
at MS' whim.

My 2c worth.

I suppose you're right. But do think Microsoft would change mms a lot?
Wouldn't it be a lot of hassle?

 

[Andrew Thompson]

On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 23:23:26 GMT, Lee wrote:

(please trim text no longer relevant. keep our group lean)

....
I suppose you're right. But do think Microsoft would change mms a lot?
Wouldn't it be a lot of hassle?

When I wrote that I was actually thinking of Word docs..
With every release, the format changes slightly, the same
seems the case for other formats.

This *is* a hassle for the MS developers, and the users of MS
software, and the people who receive MS format documents, but also
for people who want to develop software that works with Word docs.

Besides allowing MS to update/expand formats, I think the last reason
of 'keeping competitors at bay' is actually the main motivation for
'updating' file formats.

So, no, I don't think MS will change MMS *a* *lot*, but I have
no doubt they'd feel free to change it whenever the competitive
technologies/applications for reading the data are gaining
ground on the MS software.

 

[Lee]

On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 23:23:26 GMT, Lee wrote:

(please trim text no longer relevant. keep our group lean)


When I wrote that I was actually thinking of Word docs..
With every release, the format changes slightly, the same
seems the case for other formats.

This *is* a hassle for the MS developers, and the users of MS
software, and the people who receive MS format documents, but also
for people who want to develop software that works with Word docs.

Besides allowing MS to update/expand formats, I think the last reason
of 'keeping competitors at bay' is actually the main motivation for
'updating' file formats.

So, no, I don't think MS will change MMS *a* *lot*, but I have
no doubt they'd feel free to change it whenever the competitive
technologies/applications for reading the data are gaining
ground on the MS software.

Good point. Cheers mate.

I've looked in-depth at the packets sent to and fro when MMS:// is connected
to via Windows media player. It appears that the whole protocol merely acts
as a redirect to the RTSP port 554 and all data is pumped through 554 not
1755 (mms). All commands are in fact standardised RTP commands such as
SETUP, PLAY, PAUSE and TEARDOWN. Anyway, it's an interesting area to study -
especially as it's essentially a RTSP based protocol.