2 Why? What? and Who? of SMIL Past, present and future of SMIL

Past, present and future of SMIL

2.1 Why is SMIL Needed? HTML provides no mechanism for expressing media synchronisation on the Web A declarative format needed to express media synchronisation without scripting Authors are not programmer SMIL Past W3C Workshop held in October 1996 INRIA, France Delegates from academia, standards bodies and commercial media companies Microsoft was notably absent SMIL v1.0 released in December 1997 July 1998 RealNetworks announce support for SMIL 1.0 in RealPlayer G2 RealNetworks have continued their committment to SMIL ever since August 2001 SMIL 2.0 becomes a W3C Recommendation Simultaneously XHTML+TIME Working Draft published Microsoft begins to implement XHTML+TIME in IE v5.5 browser September 2001 RealNetworks releases RealONE player with full support for SMIL 2.0 language profile Oratrix announces GRiNS Editor for SMIL 2.0 July 2002 3GPP announces use of SMIL as basis for Multi Media Messaging Service on mobile phones SMIL Future Basis of multimedia integration on 3 rd generation mobile phones Work has now begin on Timed-Text at the W3C Growing interest from manufacturers of Professional and Consumer Media Devices in using SMIL as an interchange format for system outputs SMIL 2.0 playlists in Windows Media Services for 2003 server for defining presentation order

HTML provides no mechanism for expressing media synchronisation on the Web

A declarative format needed to express media synchronisation without scripting

Authors are not programmer

SMIL Past

W3C Workshop held in October 1996 INRIA, France

Delegates from academia, standards bodies and commercial media companies

Microsoft was notably absent

SMIL v1.0 released in December 1997

July 1998 RealNetworks announce support for SMIL 1.0 in RealPlayer G2

RealNetworks have continued their committment to SMIL ever since

August 2001 SMIL 2.0 becomes a W3C Recommendation

Simultaneously XHTML+TIME Working Draft published

Microsoft begins to implement XHTML+TIME in IE v5.5 browser

September 2001 RealNetworks releases RealONE player with full support for SMIL 2.0 language profile

Oratrix announces GRiNS Editor for SMIL 2.0

July 2002 3GPP announces use of SMIL as basis for Multi Media Messaging Service on mobile phones

SMIL Future

Basis of multimedia integration on 3 rd generation mobile phones

Work has now begin on Timed-Text at the W3C

Growing interest from manufacturers of Professional and Consumer Media Devices in using SMIL as an interchange format for system outputs

SMIL 2.0 playlists in Windows Media Services for 2003 server for defining presentation order

2.2 What is SMIL? SMIL is not: Macromedia Flash A programming language Multimedia authoring tool SMIL is: An XML application and a W3C Recommendation Has a formal status as a standard Equivalent to ISO, ANSI or BSI Declarative language allowing authors to state What is to happen A video is to be played or an image shown When something is to happen In relation to other content or an event How content is grouped together How these groups are to relate to each other SMIL can be used to: Build complex presentations from simple components By authors with no programming skills

SMIL is not:

Macromedia Flash

A programming language

Multimedia authoring tool

SMIL is:

An XML application and a W3C Recommendation

Has a formal status as a standard

Equivalent to ISO, ANSI or BSI

Declarative language allowing authors to state

What is to happen

A video is to be played or an image shown

When something is to happen

In relation to other content or an event

How content is grouped together

How these groups are to relate to each other

SMIL can be used to:

Build complex presentations from simple components

By authors with no programming skills

2.3 SMIL Players SMIL 1.0 QuickTime v4.1 and above (Free) Mac OS9/OSX, Win32 RealPlayer 8 and RealONE player (Free) Mac OS8/9, Win32, Linux Java based players (Free) SMIL 2.0 Language Profile RealONE player Win32, Mac OSX, Linux GRiNS player ($$ Free version 2003) AMBULENT Open SMIL Player XHTML+TIME Integration Set Profile Internet Explorer v6 SMIL 2.0 Basic Profile MMS Player from InterObject Selecting a player RealONE is a reliable full implementation Local distribution can be arranged QuickTime v6 Lacks support for SMIL 2.0 SMIL 1.0 implementation is incomplete Internet Explorer v6 Robust implementation of a subset of SMIL 2.0

SMIL 1.0

QuickTime v4.1 and above (Free)

Mac OS9/OSX, Win32

RealPlayer 8 and RealONE player (Free)

Mac OS8/9, Win32, Linux

Java based players (Free)

SMIL 2.0 Language Profile

RealONE player

Win32, Mac OSX, Linux

GRiNS player ($$ Free version 2003)

AMBULENT Open SMIL Player

XHTML+TIME Integration Set Profile

Internet Explorer v6

SMIL 2.0 Basic Profile

MMS Player from InterObject

Selecting a player

RealONE is a reliable full implementation

Local distribution can be arranged

QuickTime v6

Lacks support for SMIL 2.0

SMIL 1.0 implementation is incomplete

Internet Explorer v6

Robust implementation of a subset of SMIL 2.0

2.4 Server Side SMIL Use to create playlists Defines the following Parts of media to be played back Order in which media (parts of) to be played Example of this for video playback Online tutorial for SMIL playlists Windows Media Services 9 Supports use SMIL 2.0 playlists Uses a .wsx file name suffix Supports SMIL 2.0 Timing and Synchronisation Module Admin tool has built-in editor Also parses XHTML+TIME

Use to create playlists

Defines the following

Parts of media to be played back

Order in which media (parts of) to be played

Example of this for video playback

Online tutorial for SMIL playlists

Windows Media Services 9

Supports use SMIL 2.0 playlists

Uses a .wsx file name suffix

Supports SMIL 2.0 Timing and Synchronisation Module

Admin tool has built-in editor

Also parses XHTML+TIME

2.5 Authoring SMIL Lack of SMIL editors that are: Cheap Easy to use Support SMIL 2.0 Language Profile Export to various SMIL clients GRiNS editor from Oratrix Expensive Steep learning curve Uncertain future Use existing HTML editor SMIL is just text - like HTML Text editor vi or microEmacs Notepad, Wordpad Coding or web authoring tool Dreamweaver See “ Beyond DreamWeaver ” Cold Fusion Studio/Homesite Start by editing with a text editor Generate content using SMIL a template mechanism smibase RealNetworks RealSlideshow

Lack of SMIL editors that are:

Cheap

Easy to use

Support SMIL 2.0 Language Profile

Export to various SMIL clients

GRiNS editor from Oratrix

Expensive

Steep learning curve

Uncertain future

Use existing HTML editor

SMIL is just text - like HTML

Text editor

vi or microEmacs

Notepad, Wordpad

Coding or web authoring tool

Dreamweaver See “ Beyond DreamWeaver ”

Cold Fusion Studio/Homesite

Start by editing with a text editor

Generate content using SMIL a template mechanism

smibase RealNetworks RealSlideshow

2.6 Review SMIL is a declarative language like XHTML Provides multimedia authoring capabilities without programming A standard developed within the W3C process between 1997 and 2001 Expect to see wider use over time Mobile phones for “rich content” Professional and consumer media devices Free players available for SMIL 1.0, SMIL 2.0 and XHTML+TIME Lack of cheap and useable SMIL authoring tools Consider using templates and automation

SMIL is a declarative language like XHTML

Provides multimedia authoring capabilities without programming

A standard developed within the W3C process between 1997 and 2001

Expect to see wider use over time

Mobile phones for “rich content”

Professional and consumer media devices

Free players available for SMIL 1.0, SMIL 2.0 and XHTML+TIME

Lack of cheap and useable SMIL authoring tools

Consider using templates and automation