Windows Media Metafile - Revision history

Effect2: Added Wikidata; added UTI; added questionable third mimetype

2019-06-25T10:26:20Z

Added Wikidata; added UTI; added questionable third mimetype

Effect2: Added a link to the (rather badly-named) Wikipedia article

2019-05-12T06:43:26Z

Added a link to the (rather badly-named) Wikipedia article

Effect2: Added some words that had been left out

2019-04-29T01:49:14Z

Added some words that had been left out

Effect2: Added a note about the most common use (serving as indexes of remote media).

2019-04-29T01:46:37Z

Added a note about the most common use (serving as indexes of remote media).

Effect2: Removed gap at the top

2019-04-29T01:41:36Z

Removed gap at the top

Effect2: Added mimetypes and additional categories

2019-04-29T01:38:40Z

Added mimetypes and additional categories

Effect2: Perhaps the most confusing format I've done so far

2019-04-29T01:35:42Z

Perhaps the most confusing format I've done so far

New page

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=electronic
|subcat=Audio and Music
|released=1998<ref> One source (http://www.updatexp.com/windows-media-player-files.html) says that Windows Media Metafiles were first introduced in version 7 of Windows Media player, putting its date of release in 1998 (https://www.malavida.com/en/soft/windows-media-player-7/).</ref>
|extensions={{ext|asx}}, {{ext|wax}}, {{ext|wxv}}
}}

:''Not to be confused with [[Windows Metafile]].''

The '''Windows Media Metafile''' format, very often referred to as '''ASX''', is a [[Audio and Music#Playlists, music libraries, music store downloaders|playlist]] format associated with [[Wikipedia:Windows Media Player|Windows Media Player]]. Its name is sometimes given as "'''Advanced Stream Redirector'''"<ref>https://www.reference.com/technology/play-asx-files-windows-media-player-e521bb7dad3b3f26</ref>, and also as '''ASF Redirector'''<ref>https://fileinfo.com/extension/asx</ref>. The Windows Media Metafile format is very strongly associated with [[ASF]], and in practice almost always points to variants of the ASF format. Windows Media Metafile is based on [[XML]], although one source notes that it "doesn't requires [sic] to be a strict XML document", as it apparently specifies that tag and attribute names are case-insensitive and does not properly escape some strings<ref>[[VLC]] source → modules/demux/playlist/asx.c → comment above function ASXToXML</ref>. It additionally resembles the [[SMIL]] format, suggesting that one was based on the other. The two are nonetheless incompatible.

Windows Media Metafile files may be converted from [[Windows Media Playlist]] (more widely used to reference media on the same device as the playlist file) files and to [[ISX]]<ref>https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/iis/media/web-playlists/using-windows-media-player-playlist-files-in-web-playlists</ref>. ISX files will be in turn converted back to Windows Media Metafile in the process of streaming media from a server to clients.<ref>asdf</ref>

== Names and Identifiers ==
Although "Windows Media Metafile" is this format's official name, it is hardly ever used outside of official sources, with the most prominent third-party users of that name being technical sources<ref>https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/208769/</ref> and several "file information" sites that have (presumably copying from one another) confused it with [[WMA]]<ref>http://www.convertfiles.com/file_type_description/Windows_Media_Audio_File.html</ref><ref>https://www.online-convert.com/file-format/wma</ref> (WMA files are often pointed to by Windows Media Metafile files, but are not part of them). ".asx" is one of three extensions, the other two being ".wax" and ".wxv"; the three of these point to [[ASF|.asf]], [[WMA|.wma]], and [[WMV|.wmv]] files, respectively, which are all ASF files, but with different extensions depending on their content (see the ASF page for more details). Probably because there seems to have been little indication in the user-facing information, when the format is discussed, it almost always seems to have taken on its most common extension as a name.

Windows Media Metafile files share the mimetype <code>video/x-ms-asf</code> with [[ASF]]. They also use the mimetype <code>audio/x-ms-wax</code>, presumably when pointing to .wma files.<ref>[[VLC]] source → modules/demux/playlist/asx.c → function Import_ASX</ref>

== Identification ==
Parsed as XML, Windows Media Metafile files have a root element with a (case-insensitive) name "asx" and an attribute "version".

== Examples ==
* The text in the image at the beginning of [https://www.videosolo.com/tutorials/convert-asx-to-mp3.html]

== Specifications ==
* [https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/WMP/windows-media-metafiles Specification from docs.microsoft.com]
* [https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions//aa385262(v=vs.85) A copy from 2006]

== Links ==
* [https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-windows_install/cant-play-asf-files-on-windows-10/4c40ec33-b9e2-4ca7-9a21-8fa4e2462d58 Can't play asf files on Windows 10]
* [https://social.technet.microsoft.com/forums/windows/en-US/228b6649-9586-4b84-a7a9-dcb578dd84da/windows-media-player-12-has-problem-streaming-live-asx-file Windows Media player 12 has problem streaming live ASX file]
* [https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-pictures/convert-asx-to-mp3/bf2133d6-7622-4997-b517-83f27b584d58 Convert .asx to mp3]

== References ==
<references />

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 |released=1998<ref> One source (http://www.updatexp.com/windows-media-player-files.html) says that Windows Media Metafiles were first introduced in version 7 of Windows Media player, putting its date of release in 1998 (https://www.malavida.com/en/soft/windows-media-player-7/).</ref>
 |extensions={{ext|asx}}, {{ext|wax}}, {{ext|wxv}}
-|mimetypes={{mimetype|video/x-ms-asf}}, {{mimetype|audio/x-ms-wax}}
+|wikidata={{wikidata|Q298178}}
 }}
 :''Not to be confused with [[Windows Metafile]].''
@@ Line 15: / Line 17: @@
 Although "Windows Media Metafile" is this format's official name, it is hardly ever used outside of official sources, with the most prominent third-party users of that name being technical sources<ref>https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/208769/</ref> and several "file information" sites that have (presumably copying from one another) confused it with [[WMA]]<ref>http://www.convertfiles.com/file_type_description/Windows_Media_Audio_File.html</ref><ref>https://www.online-convert.com/file-format/wma</ref> (WMA files are often pointed to by Windows Media Metafile files, but are not part of them). ".asx" is one of three extensions, the other two being ".wax" and ".wxv"; the three of these point to [[ASF|.asf]], [[WMA|.wma]], and [[WMV|.wmv]] files, respectively, which are all ASF files, but with different extensions depending on their content (see the ASF page for more details). Probably because there seems to have been little indication of the real name in the user-facing information, when the format is discussed, it almost always seems to have taken on its most common extension as a name.
-Windows Media Metafile files share the mimetype <code>video/x-ms-asf</code> with [[ASF]]. They also use the mimetype <code>audio/x-ms-wax</code>, presumably when pointing to .wma files.<ref>[[VLC]] source → modules/demux/playlist/asx.c → function Import_ASX</ref>
+Windows Media Metafile files share the mimetype <code>video/x-ms-asf</code> with [[ASF]]. They also use the mimetype <code>audio/x-ms-wax</code>, presumably when pointing to .wma files.<ref>[[VLC]] source → modules/demux/playlist/asx.c → function Import_ASX</ref> Some sources<ref name="apple" /><ref>https://www.dell.com/community/Desktops-General-Read-Only/Video-plays-in-XP-but-not-in-Win-7/td-p/3984465</ref><ref>http://galleryproject.org/node/37888</ref> gives their mimetype as being <code>video/x-ms-asx</code>; however, it seems to be in very rare use, and it would not be surprising if it was only an erroneous "correction" of <code>video/x-ms-asf</code>.
 == Identification ==

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 |mimetypes={{mimetype|video/x-ms-asf}}, {{mimetype|audio/x-ms-wax}}
 }}
 :''Not to be confused with [[Windows Metafile]].''

@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 * [https://social.technet.microsoft.com/forums/windows/en-US/228b6649-9586-4b84-a7a9-dcb578dd84da/windows-media-player-12-has-problem-streaming-live-asx-file Windows Media player 12 has problem streaming live ASX file]
 * [https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-pictures/convert-asx-to-mp3/bf2133d6-7622-4997-b517-83f27b584d58 Convert .asx to mp3]
 == References ==

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 == Names and Identifiers ==
-Although "Windows Media Metafile" is this format's official name, it is hardly ever used outside of official sources, with the most prominent third-party users of that name being technical sources<ref>https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/208769/</ref> and several "file information" sites that have (presumably copying from one another) confused it with [[WMA]]<ref>http://www.convertfiles.com/file_type_description/Windows_Media_Audio_File.html</ref><ref>https://www.online-convert.com/file-format/wma</ref> (WMA files are often pointed to by Windows Media Metafile files, but are not part of them). ".asx" is one of three extensions, the other two being ".wax" and ".wxv"; the three of these point to [[ASF|.asf]], [[WMA|.wma]], and [[WMV|.wmv]] files, respectively, which are all ASF files, but with different extensions depending on their content (see the ASF page for more details). Probably because there seems to have been little indication in the user-facing information, when the format is discussed, it almost always seems to have taken on its most common extension as a name.
+Although "Windows Media Metafile" is this format's official name, it is hardly ever used outside of official sources, with the most prominent third-party users of that name being technical sources<ref>https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/208769/</ref> and several "file information" sites that have (presumably copying from one another) confused it with [[WMA]]<ref>http://www.convertfiles.com/file_type_description/Windows_Media_Audio_File.html</ref><ref>https://www.online-convert.com/file-format/wma</ref> (WMA files are often pointed to by Windows Media Metafile files, but are not part of them). ".asx" is one of three extensions, the other two being ".wax" and ".wxv"; the three of these point to [[ASF|.asf]], [[WMA|.wma]], and [[WMV|.wmv]] files, respectively, which are all ASF files, but with different extensions depending on their content (see the ASF page for more details). Probably because there seems to have been little indication of the real name in the user-facing information, when the format is discussed, it almost always seems to have taken on its most common extension as a name.
 Windows Media Metafile files share the mimetype <code>video/x-ms-asf</code> with [[ASF]]. They also use the mimetype <code>audio/x-ms-wax</code>, presumably when pointing to .wma files.<ref>[[VLC]] source → modules/demux/playlist/asx.c → function Import_ASX</ref>

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 :''Not to be confused with [[Windows Metafile]].''
-The '''Windows Media Metafile''' format, very often referred to as '''ASX''', is a [[Audio and Music#Playlists, music libraries, music store downloaders|playlist]] format associated with [[Wikipedia:Windows Media Player|Windows Media Player]]. Its name is sometimes given as "'''Advanced Stream Redirector'''"<ref>https://www.reference.com/technology/play-asx-files-windows-media-player-e521bb7dad3b3f26</ref>, and also as '''ASF Redirector'''<ref>https://fileinfo.com/extension/asx</ref>. The Windows Media Metafile format is very strongly associated with [[ASF]], and in practice almost always points to variants of the ASF format. Windows Media Metafile is based on [[XML]], although one source notes that it "doesn't requires [sic] to be a strict XML document", as it apparently specifies that tag and attribute names are case-insensitive and does not properly escape some strings<ref>[[VLC]] source → modules/demux/playlist/asx.c → comment above function ASXToXML</ref>. It additionally resembles the [[SMIL]] format, suggesting that one was based on the other. The two are nonetheless incompatible.
+The '''Windows Media Metafile''' format, very often referred to as '''ASX''', is a [[Audio and Music#Playlists, music libraries, music store downloaders|playlist]] format associated with [[Wikipedia:Windows Media Player|Windows Media Player]]. Its name is sometimes given as "'''Advanced Stream Redirector'''"<ref>https://www.reference.com/technology/play-asx-files-windows-media-player-e521bb7dad3b3f26</ref>, and also as '''ASF Redirector'''<ref>https://fileinfo.com/extension/asx</ref>. The Windows Media Metafile format is very strongly associated with [[ASF]], and in practice almost always points to variants of the ASF format. Windows Media Metafile is based on [[XML]], although one source notes that it "doesn't requires [sic] to be a strict XML document", as it apparently specifies that tag and attribute names are case-insensitive and does not properly escape some strings<ref>[[VLC]] source → modules/demux/playlist/asx.c → comment above function ASXToXML</ref>. It additionally resembles the [[SMIL]] format, suggesting that one was based on the other. The two are nonetheless incompatible. Its most common use is to serve as an index of media files which are on remote servers instead of users' their own computers ([[Windows Media Playlist]] seems to have been more widely used when making playlists of local content); compare [[M3U]].
-Windows Media Metafile files may be converted from [[Windows Media Playlist]] (more widely used to reference media on the same device as the playlist file) files and to [[ISX]]<ref>https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/iis/media/web-playlists/using-windows-media-player-playlist-files-in-web-playlists</ref>. ISX files will be in turn converted back to Windows Media Metafile in the process of streaming media from a server to clients.<ref>asdf</ref>
+Windows Media Metafile files may be converted from [[Windows Media Playlist]] files and to [[ISX]]<ref>https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/iis/media/web-playlists/using-windows-media-player-playlist-files-in-web-playlists</ref>. ISX files will be in turn converted back to Windows Media Metafile in the process of streaming media from a server to clients.<ref>asdf</ref>
 == Names and Identifiers ==