WMV3

WMV3, also known as Windows Media Video 9, is a video compression format developed by Microsoft as part of the Windows Media Video (WMV) family. It represents the third generation of WMV codecs and was designed to deliver higher quality video at lower bitrates, making it suitable for online streaming and downloadable content. WMV3 aligns with the VC-1 standard, and in many implementations it is presented as the Windows Media Video 9 codec.

Technical details: WMV3 employs interframe and intraframe compression, motion estimation, block-based transform coding, quantization, and entropy coding. It supports progressive and interlaced video, a range of resolutions including high-definition content, and variable bitrate encoding. Decoding efficiency allows use on standard hardware of the era.

History and usage: Introduced in the Windows Media framework in the mid-2000s, WMV3 gained broad support in Windows-based software, some hardware decoders, and online streaming platforms. It has been used for digital video distribution, including streaming and offline playback, particularly in Windows environments. As part of the VC-1 family, its adoption reflected broader industry moves toward standardized video compression.

See also: VC-1, Windows Media Video, Windows Media Player.