Adobe announces its new Flash Media Server 3 family as well as a new Flash Player 9 update.Adobe Systems is rolling out the Adobe Flash Media Server 3 family of products, which offers streaming media and real-time communication capabilities.
The new products, announced Dec. 4, offer industry standard H.264 video capabilities and High Efficiency AAC (HE-AAC) audio support. They also feature increased protection for streaming high-quality video and for the delivery of interactive media applications that work consistently across multiple browsers and operating systems.
In addition, the Adobe Flash Media Server 3 provides a more efficient instant-on video experience to the Web, the desktop with Adobe Media Player and to mobile devices with Adobe Flash Lite 3.
The new product line includes two offerings: Adobe Flash Media Streaming Server 3 for live and on-demand video streaming and Adobe Flash Media Interactive Server 3 for customized scalable video streaming services, plus multi-way social media applications.
"By offering the Flash Media Server 3 product line coupled with new pricing options, Adobe is reducing the barrier to entry for content owners who want to deliver streaming video or real-time communications online," said John Loiacono, senior vice president of creative solutions at Adobe. "Whether they opt for interactive social media services or linear streaming, our customers can feel confident that their media is more secure and that the end-user experience is the highest quality."
Adobe Flash Media Server 3 is expected to be available in January 2008 and will ship with special pre-built services, making it easier to stream Flash Player-compatible video. Adobe Flash Media Interactive Server 3 will be offered at $4,500. For single-server deployments, Adobe Flash Media Streaming Server 3 will be available at $995.
Meanwhile, Adobe also announced the availability of Adobe Flash Player 9 Update 3 software, previously code-named "Moviestar." Adobe Flash Player 9 now includes H.264 standard video support, the same standard deployed in Blu-Ray and HD-DVD high definition video players, and HE-AAC audio capabilities. The latest update also features hardware accelerated, multi-core enhanced, full-screen video playback for high-resolution viewing across major operating systems and browsers. The combination of Adobe Flash Player 9 and Adobe Flash Media Server 3—also announced Dec. 4—enables the delivery of HD-quality video to the broadest online audience. Adobe Flash Player 9 Update 3 is available immediately here.
Adobe Flash Player 9 is immediately available as a free download for Windows, Macintosh and Linux platforms.
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