• Enables multimedia content in Java^TM technology-based applets and applications
• Allows for Web-based multimedia solutions that run in any Java Compatible^TM environment
• Cross-platform, protocol and content neutral, media capture and playback
• Supports a wide range of file formats, popular streaming media protocols, and video-on-demand

The Java Media Framework API enables the display, capture and streaming of multimedia data in Java technology-based applications and applets. As a standard extension to the Java platform, it delivers the ease-of-development and cross-platform benefits of the Java programming environment to developers incorporating media data such as audio and video into their applets and applications.

The Java Media Framework API specifies a unified architecture, messaging protocol and programming interface for playback, capture and conferencing of compressed streaming and stored timed-media including audio, video, and MIDI across all Java Compatible^TM platforms.

Versatile Media Player

Developers can use the Java Media Framework API to implement a versatile media player that receives and plays multimedia data from sources stored locally or on the network. It allows for cross-platform rendering, control, and synchronization of all major media types and file formats independent of the network protocol. In addition, a Java Media Framework API player can be created directly from a URL thereby providing an easy way to embed multimedia in Java technology-based applets and applications.

Open Architecture

The Java Media Framework API furnishes developers with a platform-neutral and expandable framework for adding multimedia content. Developers and users can choose among different media player implementations tailored for cross-platform portability or performance-enhanced for a given platform. In addition, developers can create applications using their own media types or take advantage of a wide array of the integrated audio and video media types including QuickTime, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, AVI, H.261, MIDI, AU, WAV, and AIFF files.

No Need For Media Player or Plug-in Downloads

Starting with the 1.1 release of the Java Media Framework API, developers can create applets and applications that will play media in any Java Compatible environment--including Web browsers--without having to worry about client-side support or plug-ins. In addition, Sun provides performance-enhanced implementations of the Java Media Framework that leverage native functionality in the Solaris Operating Environment^TM software, and Microsoft Windows operating systems, and a Web server implementation which allows developers to deploy multimedia applets from a web server.

New Capture and Customization Features

With the release of the 2.0 version of the Java Media Framework API, developers will be able to incorporate media capture capabilities into their applets and applications. This means that they can capture their own video or audio content, and create applications that allow end-users to do the same, enabling applications such as real-time conferencing and web broadcasting.

The Java Media Framework API 2.0 opens up the "black box" of media processing and playback, allowing developers to plug-in customized optimizations, codecs, renderers or other effects. For example, developers can implement a second audio track, or incorporate optimizations that take advantage of specialized sound or video cards.

New Market Opportunities

The lightweight and cross-platform nature of the Java Media Framework API make it the media architecture of choice for applications targeted at enterprises that have a thin-client architecture as it will allow end-users to play audio and video without a plug-in or other installations. In addition, it opens up new market opportunities for applications that run in kiosks, small devices, and other computing environments of the future.

More Information

All of Sun's Java multimedia API specifications have been developed in cooperation with leading technology partners. The Java Media Framework API 1.1 and 2.0 specifications are being developed jointly with IBM and through an open standards process with contributions from leading multimedia development and solutions providers.

For more information on the Java Media Framework API as well as Sun's other Java multimedia APIs and technologies, visit our Web site at http://java.sun.com/products/java-media.

All information in this document is subject to change.

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