Flash 8 poised to take on Web video

Macromedia plans to unveil its Flash 8 software early next month with an emphasis on video capabilities that some think could up-end the Web video market.

Macromedia is expected to announce the latest version of its signature Flash software Aug. 8, or 8/8, and release the software a few weeks later, said a source familiar with the company's plans. Macromedia, whose shareholders will vote on a proposed acquisition by Adobe Systems on Aug. 24, released the Flash 8 public beta, a test version, earlier this month.

Flash, originally a Web site animation tool, has emerged as a potentially formidable competitor in the race to build powerful Web-based applications. Macromedia has officially re-designated it as a platform for application development.

But it is the software's video capabilities that are stirring the most interest, particularly among those who think the new version's improved codec, which is its particular video compression format, and various other advantages could make it a significant threat to Microsoft's Windows Media technology, RealNetworks' Real format and Apple Computer's QuickTime format.

"This new version of Flash is quite an improvement," said Tim Bajarin, an analyst with Creative Strategies in Campbell, Calif. "If positioned more as a media engine, then it could cause Real, Apple and Microsoft some concern since it will evolve into a competitive platform for streaming video."

Macromedia, which has penciled in a summer release date for Flash 8, declined to comment further on its timetable for the release.

The company has promised big changes in Flash 8, and many of them center on its video capabilities. Flash 8 boasts a new codec, On2 Technologies' VP6, that both companies claim will provide dramatically improved quality over the Flash 7 video codec. Flash 8 also supports alpha transparency, which lets authors combine Flash video with text, vector graphics and other Flash elements.

But while Macromedia touts Flash 8's new video bells and whistles, those betting on a Flash video ascendancy point to longstanding Flash benefits, particularly its cross-platform reach.

Because of its small size and its being bundled with Microsoft Windows and other operating systems, Flash is almost universally distributed. More than 98 percent of personal computers connected to the Web have some version of the Flash player installed, according to Macromedia, and more than 100 equipment manufacturers are building Flash into their devices.

In several demonstrations of Flash video in recent months, Macromedia has mocked the experience that some Web surfers go through when trying to access RealNetworks or Windows Media video clips. In the demonstration, the people trying to access the video are confronted with dialogue boxes prompting the download of large players. Then they have to choose bandwidth speeds and other options.

Flash video, by contrast, is "playerless." That means video clips play embedded in the Web page, and Flash developers can design their own interfaces and determine their own buffers and other technical settings.

Macromedia's potential competitors say the software is too lightweight, failing to offer an array of features important to both media purveyors and consumers.

"Flash doesn't have digital rights management, and studios care about DRM," said Michael Schutzler, senior vice president of media for RealNetworks. "We are focused on intellectual property that has value, where DRM matters. Flash is fine for ads, but none of the studios are going to do this."

"Over time I can see Flash eating away at the market."

Funny, Real playing the DRM card after they cracked the iPod to work with Rhapsody.

Flash is going to nibble away at streaming video, yes, not on demand movies or anything like that. There was a post on MXNA awhile ago about the solution Yahoo! is using, all Flash based, very nice.

The big obstacle is the streaming server. FlashComm is DAMN expensive and is a resource hog. MMS and whatever Real's streaming servers are, are pretty well entrenched, and if I'm not mistaken support SMIL for closed captioning and a whole slew of other server options and features specifically for crunching and delivering video. FlashComm doesn't quite have all the video specific features, though they could be built using SSAS.

What WILL be cool is people using video more and more inside of other interactive projects, especially now that alpha channels are supported.