Adobe announces the immediate 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 High Efficiency 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 enables the delivery of HD quality video to the broadest online audience. Adobe Flash Player 9 Update 3 is available immediately at www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer.

H.264 support is an encoding option in Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects software and is now integrated across the Adobe Flash family of products. Support extends to applications developed for Adobe AIR software, a cross-operating system application runtime that enables developers to use their existing skills to build and deploy rich Internet applications to the desktop. Expected to be available in early 2008, Adobe Media Player, the first application from Adobe built on Adobe AIR, will leverage both H.264 video and HE-AAC audio support. Adobe Media Player takes Flash streaming video experiences outside the Web browser delivering more viewing options, such as watching videos anytime, anywhere.

“FOXnews.com features an extensive and continuously updated video library of breaking news, high-profile interviews and compelling segments from news programs throughout the day,” said Jeff Misenti, vice president and general manager, FOX News Digital. “Collaborating with Adobe allows us to enhance the viewer experience and meet the growing demand for Web video in high-definition.”

Redefining the Video Viewing Experience

Adobe Flash Player content reaches over 99 percent of Internet-enabled desktops, as well as hundreds of millions of mobile and set-top devices, enabling organizations and individuals to build and deliver rich Web video experiences that work consistently across multiple platforms. Leveraging Adobe’s Emmy Award winning Flash architecture, Adobe Flash Player can be used to view both live and on-demand media or entertainment on sites such as CBS, NBC, FoxNews Digital, PBS, MTV Networks, BBC and Hulu. The technology also powers the video capabilities of popular social networking sites including YouTube and MySpace. With H.264 and HE-AAC support in Adobe Flash Player 9 and Adobe Flash Media Server 3, content providers can now deliver HDTV-quality streaming video on the Web.

“Hulu is committed to giving consumers the best online video viewing experience possible and we are always seeking innovative, new technologies that help us deliver,” said Eric Feng, chief technology officer at Hulu. “Together with Adobe, we will provide a best-in-class, high definition video experience.”

“Adobe Flash technology has been a major force behind Internet TV as we know it, bringing viewers instant-on, engaging experiences,” said Kevin Lynch, senior vice president and chief software architect for Adobe. “The inclusion of industry standard H.264 support in Adobe Flash Player, Adobe AIR, the Adobe Creative Suite product line and Adobe Flash Media Server 3 brings new HD capabilities to millions of Flash developers and a new generation of viewers who are turning to the Web as the place to find their favorite shows and video content.”

Easy Deployment for Content Partners

Since H.264 and HE-AAC are open industry standards and already integrated into existing authoring and publishing workflows, content producers can leverage their existing H.264 material and seamlessly play back the native content in Adobe Flash Player. This enables publishers to encode content once and then distribute it to multiple mediums, resulting in the potential for reduced costs and time savings.