Neither the Apple iPhone nor the iPad officially support the Adobe Flash video format; a decision that’s frustrated many users, despite the introduction of alternative browsers. And neither Adobe nor Apple appeared willing to compromise... until Thursday last week.
That’s when Adobe released version 4.5 of its Flash Media Server, which now enables websites to stream the same video content to Apple and non-Apple devices. Customers with Flash-compatible devices - from PCs to Android smartphones and BlackBerry tablets - can enjoy HDS (HTTP Dynamic Streaming) to their Adobe Flash Player, while iPhone and iPad users will receive non-Flash HLS (HTTP Live Streaming).
In a blog post, Adobe’s Kevin Towes admits “Apple iPhone and iPad have had a significant impact how consumers experience and engage with video and have changed the industry. Flash Media Server is an important part of a greater video solution to reach larger, more global audiences with technology providing consistency in a world of player and device fragmentation – this release marks a significant step forward to access more opportunities and to create these new experiences that entertain and engage audiences.”