Adobe made some big announcements today at the 2009 NAB Show. News ranges from a new framework to potentially game-changing partnerships in online video and taking video to televisions.
Strobe
First off, Adobe has announced a new software framework for building media players, which extends the capabilities of Flash. It’s called Strobe. Adobe says it will help establish an open industry standard for media players.
“With Strobe, we’re delivering an open framework that enables media companies to focus on their core competency, creating great content that people want to see, instead of developing their own video players from scratch,” says Adobe’s Jim Guerard. More on that here.
Partnering with Brightcove
Adobe and Brightcove announced a partnership in which the two companies will work together on technology and services to “enhance the quality of online video experiences.” This will presumably cover things like DRM. The collaboration between Adobe and Brightcove will foucs on:
– Long form media delivery
– Content protection for video viewed via the Flash platform
– Integration with Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium
– Strobe
Brightcove and Adobe will announce further initiatives later in the year. More on the partnership here.
“This may sound like it will give Brightcove an unfair advantage in the online video platform market and it could very well do so,” says Christophor Rick at ReelSEO. “However it could also force others to make new partnerships that offer a stronger competitor as well…Either way, it’s certainly going to lead to better online video for us.”
Flash on TV
Adobe’s working on a new version of Flash to work with set-top boxes and other Internet-enabled devices for the living room. They have partnered with big brands like Broadcom, Comcast, Intel, Netflix, The New York Times Company, and Disney.
“Adobe Flash Platform for the Digital Home will dramatically change the way we view content on televisions,” said David Wadhwani, general manager and vice president, Platform Business Unit at Adobe. “Consumers are looking to access their favorite Flash technology-based videos, applications, services and other rich Web content across screens. We are looking forward to working with partners to create these new experiences and deliver content consistently across devices whether consumers view it on their desktop, mobile phone or television.”
Look out for devices from Adobe’s partners before the year’s over. Recent reports suggest that Google’s Android might also be making its way to the living room this year.
