Chicago (IL) - Adobe has launched the beta version of its new media player, using the same format and streaming technology seen in YouTube and other video sharing sites.

CBS, PBS, Yahoo, and several other Internet companies have already pledged support for Adobe's new endeavor.  The player will include embedded advertising either through forced-play video clips or permanent banners around the video window.

According to Adobe, the Media Player will be supporting digital rights management, based on the currently offered protected streaming to Flash Player from Flash Media Server.

The player is able to play .FLV files, the format used in YouTube and other similar sites.  It will require a 9 MB plug-in from Adobe.

It is a move for Adobe into a market that is already highly concentrated.  Microsoft's Windows Media Player currently holds the most digital player market share, with Real Player and Quicktime also remaining computer staples.  Microsoft also has Silverlight, a new Web-based media format.  Adobe's main focus with the new player is solely on the playback of Flash video.

The final version of Adobe Media Player had been set for March 2008, but that has been changed to a more vague deadline of "before July 2008".

I use Winamp for standart media, Media Player Class...

Oct 02, 2007 01:04     

I use Winamp for standart media, Media Player Classic where Winamp plugins fail to play Real files, and VLC to play quick time. I rarely to never open Quick Time and Real Player, and especially despise Quick Time's user interface. I wish I could play everything in Winamp, but they won't let me. And now Adobe enters a race where I will further be denied to play files with a player of my choice... Do .flv files play with Winamp? With the right codecs and plugins of course. Not that I will ever need them anyway.

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Winamp has NSV = VP6

Oct 02, 2007 07:15     

Winamp, even the 1.x versions a few years ago, supported NSV=VP6 wich is the same codec as in Flash. I was watching LIVE TV in good quality in 2004. Hope this player also supports VP7 and VP8.
ted report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Adobe needs to stop

Oct 02, 2007 07:41     

I can't wait for this Adobe app. Add at least 2 minutes to the boot of anyone who dares install it... of course the install will require a SPECIAL installer that downloads the 1.7 gig player at a fast 17K a second, and leaves 6 icons on your desktop just in case you want to resume. ANd don't forget to bundle 9 other programs, none of which anyone wants!!! It will install at least 5 things related to the player as services, so at startup, just to make sure that if you dare click on any item, an Adobe PDF / Media viewer will fly open and then demand an update (which will be downloaded automatically 62 times a day)... Adobe makes some a few very useful tools which are in execution horribly done thanks to the way they lock themselves into the OS and are in CONSTANT need of updating. This player will be terrible.

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Using other players

Oct 02, 2007 08:19     

Granted that Adobe has entered the market of Flash players and wanting to get its fair share of the market, it's going to be an uphill battle with Microsoft, Realplayer and Quicktime. Personally, I use VLC media player because I haven't come across any files it won't play. Yet, I feel compelled to try Adobe's new media player just for kicks and grins. Change is always nice.
Stratus99 report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Interesting

Oct 03, 2007 09:45     

I guess it is possible to construct a player that better observes intellectual property rights and that's why the studios would be interested. If u play a file the player reports to the studio about use/abuse of it's property. When we all have 150MB/s download capacity studios will have to have some way of making money or they will simply stop producing. So maybe the player linked to PayPal? Play the file and subtract from yr account? Probably a better idea than forcing people to watch commercial for products they have absolutely no interest in, and forcing them to endure that experience dozens of times per commercial. Much better would be to force them to watch stuff keyed to their interest and provide them the means of getting even more information via link. I really think this has to be one of the few models that will work.

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