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Windows Phone 7 codecs support: No HD video playback, no DivX either

Windows Phone 7 codecs support: No HD video playback, no DivX either

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IMAGE CREDITS: IMAGE: WIKIPEDIA/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is part of MobileTechWorld’s historical archive. Mobile technology has evolved dramatically since this was published. For our latest coverage, explore our Latest News, Reviews, and AI in Mobile coverage.

News · 28 Jul 2010 · MTW Editorial Team

Remember a few months back I posted the list of media codecs supported in Windows Phone 7 and was really happy to see that things like DivX and VC-1 were natively supported. Well, bad news folks, I’ve just discovered that Microsoft has recently updated the list with more information and the first thing you will notice is that DivX is no longer on the list but there’s even worst; the maximum video playback resolution is 800×600 at 30fps. That’s right, Windows Phone 7 won’t support HD video playback even though the competition does it now without a problem (iPhone, Android, Symbian etc..) and the hardware supports it. What I don’t understand is that you can apparently encode MPEG-4 Part 2 – Simple Profile videos in 720P (if the device’s camera supports it) but can’t playback at 720P (remember that encoding takes more resources than playback, so WTF?). Check out the full list after the break:

Codec TypeDecoder SupportContainerMax Resolution and FPSSupported Scenarios
AudioWAVWAVN/A
  • Receiving files as attachments in email and MMS messages
  • Using XNA sound effects (PCM only)
  • Playing media with the MediaElement API
  • Playing media in the device Media Player
  • Viewing media in Internet Explorer Mobile
AudioMP3MP3N/A
  • Receiving files as attachments in email and MMS messages
  • Syncing content from the Zune client to the device MediaLibrary
  • Enumerating media from the MediaLibrary using the XNA Framework
  • Playing media with the MediaElement API
  • Playing media in the device Media Player
  • Viewing media in Internet Explorer Mobile
AudioWMA Standard v9ASF (WMA)N/A
  • Receiving files as attachments in email and MMS messages
  • Syncing content from the Zune client to the device MediaLibrary
  • Enumerating media from the MediaLibrary using the XNA Framework
  • Playing media with the MediaElement API
  • Playing media in the device Media Player
  • Viewing media in Internet Explorer Mobile
AudioAAC-LC (Low Complexity)3GP, 3G2, MP4, M4AN/A
  • Receiving files as attachments in email and MMS messages (MMS does not support M4A)
  • Syncing content from the Zune client to the device MediaLibrary
  • Enumerating media from the MediaLibrary using the XNA Framework
  • Playing media with the MediaElement API
  • Playing media in the device Media Player
  • Viewing media in Internet Explorer Mobile
  • Videos captured using the device camera (as an MP4 file) will have their audio stream encoded as this codec type
AudioHE-AAC v1 (AAC+)3GP, 3G2, MP4, M4AN/A
  • Receiving files as attachments in email and MMS messages (MMS does not support M4A)
  • Playing media with the MediaElement API
  • Playing media in the device Media Player
  • Viewing media in Internet Explorer Mobile
AudioHE-AAC v2 (eAAC+)3GP, 3G2, MP4, M4AN/A
  • Receiving files as attachments in email and MMS messages (MMS does not support M4A)
  • Playing media with the MediaElement API
  • Playing media in the device Media Player
  • Viewing media in Internet Explorer Mobile
AudioAdaptive Multi-Rate Narrow Band (AMR-NB)3GP, 3G2, MP4N/A
  • Receiving files as attachments in email and MMS messages
VideoWMV (VC-1) – Simple ProfileASF (WMV)800 x 600 pixels at 30 fps
  • Receiving files as attachments in email and MMS messages
  • Syncing content from the Zune client to the device MediaLibrary
  • Enumerating media from the MediaLibrary using the XNA Framework
  • Playing media with the MediaElement API
  • Playing media in the device Media Player
  • Viewing media in Internet Explorer Mobile
VideoWMV (VC-1) – Main ProfileASF (WMV)800 x 600 pixels at 30 fps
  • Receiving files as attachments in email and MMS messages
  • Syncing content from the Zune client to the device MediaLibrary
  • Enumerating media from the MediaLibrary using the XNA Framework
  • Playing media with the MediaElement API
  • Playing media in the device Media Player
  • Viewing media in Internet Explorer Mobile
VideoWMV (VC-1) – Advanced ProfileASF (WMV)800 x 600 pixels at 30 fps
  • Receiving files as attachments in email and MMS messages
  • Syncing content from the Zune client to the device MediaLibrary
  • Enumerating media from the MediaLibrary using the XNA Framework
  • Playing media with the MediaElement API
  • Playing media in the device Media Player
VideoMPEG-4 Part 2 – Simple Profile3GP, 3G2, MP4, AVI800 x 600 pixels (720p for HD capture devices) at 30 fps
  • Receiving files as attachments in email and MMS messages (MMS does not support AVI)
  • Syncing content from the Zune client to the device MediaLibrary
  • Enumerating media from the MediaLibrary using the XNA Framework
  • Playing media with the MediaElement API
  • Playing media in the device Media Player
  • Viewing media in Internet Explorer Mobile
  • Capturing video using the device camera (as an MP4 file). If the video resolution is 720p, it will be encoded as this codec type
VideoMPEG-4 Part 10 (MPEG-4 AVC, H.264) Level 3.0 – Baseline Profile3GP, 3G2, MP4, M4V720 x 480 pixels at 30 fps720 x 576 pixels at 25 fps
  • Receiving files as attachments in email and MMS messages
  • Syncing content from the Zune client to the device MediaLibrary
  • Enumerating media from the MediaLibrary using the XNA Framework
  • Playing media with the MediaElement API
  • Playing media in the device Media Player
  • Viewing media in Internet Explorer Mobile
  • Capturing video using the device camera (as an MP4 file). If the video resolution is any supported resolution less than 720p, it will be encoded as this codec type
VideoMPEG-4 Part 10 (MPEG-4 AVC, H.264) Level 3.0 – Main Profile3GP, 3G2, MP4, M4V720 x 480 pixels at 30 fps720 x 576 pixels at 25 fps
  • Receiving files as attachments in email and MMS messages
  • Syncing content from the Zune client to the device MediaLibrary
  • Enumerating media from the MediaLibrary using the XNA Framework
  • Playing media with the MediaElement API
  • Playing media in the device Media Player
  • Viewing media in Internet Explorer Mobile
VideoMPEG-4 Part 10 (MPEG-4 AVC, H.264) Level 3.0 – High Profile3GP, 3G2, MP4, M4V720 x 480 pixels at 30 fps720 x 576 pixels at 25 fps
  • Receiving files as attachments in Email and MMS messages
  • Enumerating media from the MediaLibrary using the XNA Framework
  • Playing media with the MediaElement API
  • Playing media in the device Media Player
  • Viewing media in Internet Explorer Mobile
VideoH.2633GP, 3G2800 x 480 pixels at 30 fps
  • Receiving files as attachments in Email and MMS messages
  • Playing media in the device Media Player
  • Viewing media in Internet Explorer Mobile
ImagesJPEGJPGN/A
  • Sending and receiving pictures as attachments in email and MMS messages
  • Viewing pictures from email or MMS messages
  • Saving pictures from email or MMS messages to the device (saved to the device as JPG)
  • Syncing content from the Zune client to the device MediaLibrary
  • Capturing pictures using the device camera (saved to the device as JPG)
  • Viewing media in Internet Explorer Mobile
  • Use as wallpaper
  • Changing background of Pictures hub
  • Uploading or sharing pictures to social networks
  • Downloading pictures from social networks to the device
ImagesPNGPNGN/A
  • Receiving files as attachments in email and MMS messages
  • Viewing pictures from email or MMS messages
  • Saving pictures from email or MMS messages to the device (saved to the device as JPG)
  • Enumerating media from the MediaLibrary using the XNA Framework
  • Viewing media in Internet Explorer Mobile
ImagesGIF (both GIF87a and GIF89a)GIFN/A
  • Receiving files as attachments in email and MMS messages
  • Viewing pictures from email or MMS messages
  • Saving pictures from email or MMS messages to the device (saved to the device as JPG)
  • Viewing media in Internet Explorer Mobile
ImagesBMPBMPN/A
  • Receiving files as attachments in email and MMS messages
  • Viewing pictures from email or MMS messages
  • Saving pictures from email or MMS messages to the device (saved to the device as JPG)
  • Viewing media in Internet Explorer Mobile
ImagesTIFTIFN/A
  • Receiving files as attachments in email
  • Viewing pictures from email
  • Saving single-page pictures from email to the device (saved to the device as JPG)

What the hell Microsoft? Can you please clarify the situation? How can 720P video encoding be supported and not 720P video playback? Something doesn’t sound right here.

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