Adobe Rolls Out Flash-based Streaming for Apple Devices

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Adobe Systems announced this week that media publishers can now stream Flash-based video to iPhones and iPads.

Adobe introduced its Adobe Flash Media Server 4.5 and Flash Access 3.0. With Flash Media Server 4.5, media publishers can extend their mobile reach via Flash-enabled devices by delivering video content to Apple’s iPad and iPhone.

Adobe Flash Access 3.0, a content protection and monetization solution, will enable content owners to deliver on-demand content with massive scale and strict security across a range of devices.

“Adobe has a deep heritage in providing video solutions for delivering content online and on-device,” said Pritham Shetty, vice president, video solutions, Adobe.

“ With Flash Media Server 4.5 and Flash Access 3.0, we’re enabling businesses to reach more customers and more devices, helping them increase the impact of video experiences, enhance their brands and ultimately, drive business success.”

Flash Media Server 4.5 expands on its mobile delivery options with the addition of iOS support and enables content owners to create HTTP content on the fly to reduce costs brought on by device proliferation.

“Adobe Flash Media Server 4.5 improves the stability of our video streams, decreases load times, and helps us better manage encoding and bitrates for an improved end-user experience on mobile devices and online,” said Ben Rolling, vice president of development for AEG Digital Media.

In addition to supporting delivery via Flash to Apple devices, the company said some of the other features include integrated content protection which simplifies deployment and reduces infrastructure cost, enabling streaming for advertising-funded online video.

Another feature is on-demand stream packaging, which simplifies publishing for businesses so they can use one set of source video to reach multiple downstream devices.

Apple and other mobile devices are known for not supporting Flash, so Adobe said it came up with a solution. The Flash Media Server packages video streams using MPEG4 fragments, in the F4F file format. But the new version adds support for a different protocol, HLS, which Apple created for QuickTime and iOS.

The Flash Media Server 4.5 delivers the content in an MPEG2 stream, using the HLS format. HTML 5-capable browsers also support HLS, allowing publishers to reach a broader audience.