The Flash Player is possibly the most popular way of viewing multimedia content on the internet, reaching 98pc of internet connected desktops worldwide.
Yesterday Adobe released an update for Adobe Flash 9, codenamed Moviestar, which will allow web developers to deliver HD (high definition) quality video and audio through Flash Player.
The update includes the open standard H.264 support for high quality video and also MP4, or High Efficiency Advanced Audio (HEAA), the successor to MP3.
HD will also be supported on Adobe AIR which is a platform for developing Rich Internet Applications (RIA), such as widgets, for the desktop. RIAs have reached a bigger audience since the release of Microsoft Vista.
“Already a broadly adopted industry standard, the inclusion of the H.264 codec in Adobe Flash Player, Adobe AIR, the Creative Suite product line, and the upcoming Adobe Media Player will accelerate customer workflows, enabling the creation and repurpose of high-quality web video content without extra development costs,” said John Loiacono, senior vice president of Creative Solutions at Adobe.
Microsoft has recently been active in its attempt to make inroads into the multimedia platform market with Silverlight, which is cross-platform and cross-browser like Flash, and has signed deals with companies including Netflix.com, popular US DVD rental site, with a view to providing instant DVD quality movies.
By Marie Boran
