http://www.streamingmedia.com/r/printerfriendly.asp?id=3D10321
Adobe Releases Public Beta of Flash Player 10
The new version has multiple features that will have far-reaching
effects, including the ability for the server to monitor line
conditions and adjust the video bitrate dynamically. Also new are 3D
and custom real-time effects.
by Jan Ozer
May 15, 2008
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Most of the recent significant news surrounding Flash has related to
video, including sup****t for H.264 in version 9 of the Flash Player
and a host of digital rights management features added to the Flash
Media Server family. With the beta version of Flash Player 10 (code
named =93Astro=94), Adobe is in part returning to Flash=92s roots as a
flexible design environment that happens to include video. I was
briefed by Adobe a couple of nights ago; here are the highlights.
The most significant new eye candy was native 3D effects, which Adobe
showed in the context of an online cell phone store (see Figure 1
below). The phones spun around in a 3D circle while still retaining
full interactivity. Motion was directed by simple rotational and
similar commands which should make them very easy to implement, and in
the context of an online store, very attractive and interesting to
shoppers.
Figure 1. The new version of Adobe Flash Player introduces native 3D
effects.
Adobe also showed the ability to apply custom effects in real time to
any Flash object, including video. In the demo, Adobe showed video
being swirled around in real time, again, while retaining full
interactivity (see Figure 2 below). Developers can use the free Adobe
Pixel Blender toolkit, formerly used solely as a development tool for
After Effects, to create their own filters, blend modes and fills.
While the commercial application for such a capability was less
obvious than 3D, the effect was undeniably cool.
Figure 2. Flash Player 10 allows the application of custom effects in
real time to any Flash object, including video.
Also cool was the new text engine that enabled functions like anti-
aliasing, rotation and vertical, bi-directional and right to left
fonts, which seem ideal for e-Books and more interactive online
publication (see Figure 3 below).
Figure 3. Flash Player 10 features a new text engine.
To ensure that the new 3D and custom effects don=92t slow down the
overall display rate of the Flash application, Adobe expanded the
types of effects that could be handled by the graphics card. As you
may recall, Flash Player 9 was the first that could hand off video
playback to the graphics card, allowing higher quality, full screen
playback. In Flash Player 10, other functions, including compositing
and combining images and filters, can be assigned to the graphics
processing unit (GPU).
So What About Video?
The release wasn=92t totally devoid of video-related offerings, as the
new player will also sup****t dynamic streaming with a future update to
the Flash Media Server. Like Microsoft=92s Multiple Bitrate technology,
this will allow the server to monitor changing line conditions and
change to a lower bitrate video stream if necessary to ensure
continuous playback. Unlike Microsoft=92s implementation, however, which
includes multiple streams in one file (hence the multiple bitrate
moniker), Adobe=92s implementation will likely involve separate files,
adding a bit to the administrative burden of encoding and keeping
track of the files.
Overall, the new beta has multiple features that will have far-
reaching effects. The big question, of course, is when will they start
to be felt. Flash Player adoption seemingly occurs faster with each
new release, with the previous update to Flash Player 9 that enabled H.
264 playback achieving a re****ted 62% penetration in less than three
months. By the time you figure out how to implement and more
im****tantly profitably utilize these new features, the installed base
will likely be ready.
Adobe Flash Player 10 is available for download here.
Copyright =A92006 Streaming Media Inc. an Information Today Inc.
company. All rights reserved. Privacy policy.
http://www.streamingmedia.com/r/printerfriendly.asp?id=3D10321
Adobe Releases Public Beta of Flash Player 10
The new version has multiple features that will have far-reaching
effects, including the ability for the server to monitor line
conditions and adjust the video bitrate dynamically. Also new are 3D
and custom real-time effects.
by Jan Ozer
May 15, 2008
----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
----
Don't wait for your FREE network delivery performance test from
Limelight Networks. Click here now.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
----
advertisement
Most of the recent significant news surrounding Flash has related to
video, including sup****t for H.264 in version 9 of the Flash Player
and a host of digital rights management features added to the Flash
Media Server family. With the beta version of Flash Player 10 (code
named =93Astro=94), Adobe is in part returning to Flash=92s roots as a
flexible design environment that happens to include video. I was
briefed by Adobe a couple of nights ago; here are the highlights.
The most significant new eye candy was native 3D effects, which Adobe
showed in the context of an online cell phone store (see Figure 1
below). The phones spun around in a 3D circle while still retaining
full interactivity. Motion was directed by simple rotational and
similar commands which should make them very easy to implement, and in
the context of an online store, very attractive and interesting to
shoppers.
Figure 1. The new version of Adobe Flash Player introduces native 3D
effects.
Adobe also showed the ability to apply custom effects in real time to
any Flash object, including video. In the demo, Adobe showed video
being swirled around in real time, again, while retaining full
interactivity (see Figure 2 below). Developers can use the free Adobe
Pixel Blender toolkit, formerly used solely as a development tool for
After Effects, to create their own filters, blend modes and fills.
While the commercial application for such a capability was less
obvious than 3D, the effect was undeniably cool.
Figure 2. Flash Player 10 allows the application of custom effects in
real time to any Flash object, including video.
Also cool was the new text engine that enabled functions like anti-
aliasing, rotation and vertical, bi-directional and right to left
fonts, which seem ideal for e-Books and more interactive online
publication (see Figure 3 below).
Figure 3. Flash Player 10 features a new text engine.
To ensure that the new 3D and custom effects don=92t slow down the
overall display rate of the Flash application, Adobe expanded the
types of effects that could be handled by the graphics card. As you
may recall, Flash Player 9 was the first that could hand off video
playback to the graphics card, allowing higher quality, full screen
playback. In Flash Player 10, other functions, including compositing
and combining images and filters, can be assigned to the graphics
processing unit (GPU).
So What About Video?
The release wasn=92t totally devoid of video-related offerings, as the
new player will also sup****t dynamic streaming with a future update to
the Flash Media Server. Like Microsoft=92s Multiple Bitrate technology,
this will allow the server to monitor changing line conditions and
change to a lower bitrate video stream if necessary to ensure
continuous playback. Unlike Microsoft=92s implementation, however, which
includes multiple streams in one file (hence the multiple bitrate
moniker), Adobe=92s implementation will likely involve separate files,
adding a bit to the administrative burden of encoding and keeping
track of the files.
Overall, the new beta has multiple features that will have far-
reaching effects. The big question, of course, is when will they start
to be felt. Flash Player adoption seemingly occurs faster with each
new release, with the previous update to Flash Player 9 that enabled H.
264 playback achieving a re****ted 62% penetration in less than three
months. By the time you figure out how to implement and more
im****tantly profitably utilize these new features, the installed base
will likely be ready.
Adobe Flash Player 10 is available for download here.
Copyright =A92006 Streaming Media Inc. an Information Today Inc.
company. All rights reserved. Privacy policy.
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