The digital media market now
found another contender – Adobe, who unveiled on Wednesday Adobe Media Player
1.0, which enables high-quality playback of streamed, downloaded or locally
stored video in the Adobe Flash format.
This wouldn’t have been possible
without the help of major television broadcasters and leading content
publishers such as CBS, MTV Networks, Universal Music Group, PBS, CondéNet and
Scripps Networks, and possible future collaborations with MTV, Nickelodeon,
COMEDY CENTRAL, VH1, CMT, Logo, Spike, The N, Game Trailers and Atom Films.
“With Adobe Media Player, we’re
bringing viewers and content owners closer together, with an experience that
doesn’t constrain them by platform or proprietary software application,” said
John Loiacono, senior vice president of Creative Solutions at Adobe.
Adobe offers for the first time
the opportunity to download videos outside the browser in Adobe Flash format,
offering 1080p, 720p or 480i video display resolutions and an advanced audio
quality, the company said.
“It’s a merger of TV Guide and
DVR for Internet video content,” Loiacono further said. “Some great shows, like
The Hills from MTV and CSI from CBS, are already available to view and more
will be coming soon,” he added.
Users will have the possibility
to subscribe to television shows and online video content and receive the
content they’ve subscribed for as it becomes available, automatically. The video
catalog is expected to expand with the help of future collaborations with
additional broadcasters, studios or independent producers, Adobe unveiled.
“Audiences want a great playback
experience, including streamed or downloaded high-quality video,” said Melissa
Webster, vice president, IDC Content and Digital Media Technologies. “At the
same time, content owners need to protect and monetize their content via
premium services or advertising. This is the opportunity that Adobe is
addressing with Adobe Media Player.”
Adobe will offer content owners
and media publishers the possibility to “distribute, measure and build businesses
around video content,” while at the same time offering next generation offline
monetization and branding options, including viewer-centric dynamic advertising
for targeted marketing campaigns, as well as customizable options for the
player.