Adobe Flash Media Server 3 provides a more efficient instant-on video experience virtually anytime, anywhere -- to the web, the desktop with Adobe Media Player and to mobile devices with Adobe Flash Lite 3, according to John Loiacono, senior vice president of Creative Solutions at Adobe. With new pricing options, customers have a wide array of choices for the broadcasting of high quality streaming media experiences, he adds.

The new product line includes two offerings: Adobe Flash Media Streaming Server 3 for live and on- demand video streaming and Adobe Flash Media Interactive Server 3 for customized scalable video streaming services, plus multi-way social media applications. Both products deliver new features that include: nearly double the amount of streams per server; support for industry standard H.264 video and HE-AAC audio in Adobe Flash Player 9; upgrades to Adobe’s patented protocol for delivering protected content; and enhanced live video support for news, concerts, sporting events and social media services. In addition, Adobe Flash Media Server 3 supports both prerecorded and live streaming to Adobe Flash Lite 3, which ensures the same
video experience via mobile devices.

Adobe Flash Media Streaming Server can enable customers to stream high-quality encrypted video, with no license restrictions on bandwidth or the total connections, Loiacono says. The new lower price for Adobe Flash Media Streaming Server 3 makes the benefits of streaming video to Flash, Adobe AIR software, Adobe Flash Lite 3 and Adobe Media Player available to a broader audience, he adds. Adobe AIR software is the cross operating system application runtime that extends rich Internet applications (RIAs) to the desktop.

Expected to be available in early 2008, Adobe Media Player, the first application from Adobe built on Adobe AIR, will integrate both H.264 video and HE-AAC audio support so viewers can enjoy high quality broadcast TV both online and offline in a customized video experience.

Adobe Flash Media Interactive Server 3 builds on the capabilities of Adobe Flash Media Streaming Server 3 and combines the capabilities of Adobe Flash Media Server 2 Professional, Edge and Origin Editions into a single product, delivering a streaming product with interactivity that can scale to support any size deployment. Adobe Flash Media Interactive Server 3 also supports a new plug-in architecture that can integrate with rights management systems for real time access control.

Adobe Flash Media Server 3 is expected to be available in January 2008 and will ship with special pre- built services designed to make it easier to stream Flash Player compatible video. Adobe Flash Media Interactive Server 3 will be offered at US$4,500. For single-server deployments, Adobe Flash Media Streaming Server 3 will be available at $995. For more info go [url=http://www.adobe.com/products/flashmediaserver]here[/url]. Flash Media Server 3 will also be available through [url=http://www.adobe.com/products/flashmediaserver/fvss/]select content distribution network providers[/url] for customers who prefer to outsource their media deployments.