Microsoft WMP9: Embrace and Extend?

MacWorld.co.uk provides some quotes from Apple's quicktime chief Frank Casanova regarding Microsoft's attempt to create a Windows Media 9 "standard".

Our previous report noted that WMP9 had been submitted for review by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. By providing an open specification, Microsoft hopes to increase adoption of the media format.

Casanova, however, is critical of Microsoft's approach:

"Do you think for a second that Microsoft will stop working on WM9? I don't think so. So suddenly you've got two standards, and the company will continue to evolve its own version. That's not what we are doing."

Casanova also claims that the upcoming (open) H.264 codec will be better than WM9. H.264 is said to offer "great coding efficiency".