Editing DirectShow (section)

{{Short description|Application programming interface for multimedia processing}}
{{Infobox software
| name                   = DirectShow
| logo                   = Dxmlogomsmall.png
| logo caption           = Logo of the DirectX Media SDK{{snd}}the first time DirectShow was distributed under its current name.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}}<!-- Note that the <nowiki>{{fact|date=November 2010}}</nowiki> tags in this are generally true, just difficult to source due to the technical nature; don't remove unless 100% sure. -->
| screenshot             = 
| screenshot size        = 
| caption                = 
| developer              = [[Microsoft]]
| released               = 
| other_names            = DShow
| replaces               = [[ActiveMovie]]
| latest release version = 
| latest release date    = 
| operating system       = [[Microsoft Windows]]
| genre                  = [[Multimedia framework]] and [[application programming interface|API]]
| license                = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]] [[commercial software]]
| website                = {{URL|https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/directshow/directshow}}
}}
'''DirectShow''' (sometimes abbreviated as '''DS''' or '''DShow'''), codename '''Quartz''', is a [[multimedia framework]] and [[application programming interface|API]] produced by [[Microsoft]] for [[software developer]]s to perform various operations with media files or streams. It is the replacement for Microsoft's earlier [[Video for Windows]] technology.<ref name="QuartzIntro">{{cite news|url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc301631.aspx |title=Core Media Technology in Windows XP Empowers You to Create Custom Audio/Video Processing Components|author1=Blome, Michael |author2=Wasson, Mike |work=MSDN Magazine|publisher=Microsoft|date=July 2002|access-date=2007-04-02}}</ref>  Based on the [[Microsoft Windows]] [[Component Object Model]] (COM) framework, DirectShow provides a common interface for media across various [[programming language]]s, and is an extensible, [[Filter (software)|filter]]-based framework that can render or record media files on demand at the request of the user or developer. The DirectShow development tools and documentation were originally distributed as part of the [[DirectX]] [[Software development kit|SDK]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd375454%28v=VS.85%29.aspx|title=DirectShow|publisher=[[Microsoft Developer Network|MSDN]]|date=2012-12-01|access-date=2013-01-21}}</ref> Currently, they are distributed as part of the [[Windows SDK]] (formerly known as the Platform SDK).<ref name="DShowMSDN">{{cite web|url=https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms783323.aspx|title=DirectShow documentation|work=MSDN Library|publisher=Microsoft|date=2006-01-01|access-date=2006-01-01}}</ref>

Microsoft plans to completely replace DirectShow gradually with [[Media Foundation]] in future Windows versions. One reason cited by Microsoft is to provide "much more robust support for content protection systems"<ref name=weiss>{{Cite web |title=Is the new Media Foundation a replacement of Direct Show? |last=Weiss |first=Becky |work=Microsoft Developer Network forum |date=30 May 2006 |url= https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/36661a0b-fefa-4719-8134-6956e505e6f7/is-the-new-media-foundation-a-replacement-of-direct-show}}</ref> (see [[digital rights management]]). Microsoft's Becky Weiss confirmed in 2006 that "you'll notice that working with the Media Foundation requires you to work at a slightly lower level than working with DirectShow would have.  And there are still DirectShow features that aren't (yet) in Media Foundation".<ref name=weiss/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa468614.aspx|title=Migrating from DirectShow to Media Foundation|work=MSDN Library|publisher=Microsoft|date=July 2006|access-date=2010-08-17}}</ref> As described in the Media Foundation article, [[Windows Vista]] and [[Windows 7]] applications use Media Foundation instead of DirectShow for several media related tasks.<!--{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}}-->