DirectShow is a Microsoft Windows API that enables applications to perform high-quality video and audio playback or capture. DirectShow enables third parties application to control a wide variety of audio/video input devices including DV camcorders, Web cams, DVD drives, and TV tuner cards. It also provides support for a variety of formats, from WAV and AVI to Windows Media. DirectShow simplifies the development of digital media applications on Windows platform by isolating applications from the complexities of data transports, hardware differences, and synchronization. Most of those popular media playing applications support for playback through DirectShow.