Every company is after MS these days.Doesn't Adobe media player sound a lot like songbird player.
Andrew Muller
· 2 years ago
Another comparrison is, embedded video in the browser: Flash vs Windows Media Player, winner Flash. There's a version of Flash that'll play video in the browser installed on more than 97% of all computers online - compare that to the Windows Media Player install base, that's apparently less than 70%.
Pete Cashmore
· 2 years ago
Andrew,
Good point. I haven't seen a Media Player clip in the browser for so long that I'd almost forgotten they existed on the web. Even MSN Soapbox uses Flash - no doubt they'll switch to Silverlight now, and take advantage of their current downtime to do so, perhaps.
Joe Anderson
· 2 years ago
VLC supports Flash.
mrshl
· 2 years ago
"Even MSN Soapbox uses Flash - no doubt they’ll switch to Silverlight now, and take advantage of their current downtime to do so, perhaps."
You're probably right, but it seems like a weird thing to do. For a lot of users installing Silverlight is just going to be another barrier to viewing media on Soapbox and other Microsoft properties. It's going to expand rather than decrease Adobe's dominance. On the other hand, MS can install and update through their automatic updates feature, so maybe they'll grab users that way.
Also, I'd say the difference between Silverlight and Adobe Media Player is that AMP is entering an area in which there is significant room to innovate. I'm sure a large number of users can think of features they'd like to see in their antiquated media players. But where's the demand for a Flash competitor? Was there something about Flash that wasn't working? Most users would say "nah."
benmcdonald
· 2 years ago
They aren't very cross platform if they don't run on Linux. I'm betting Microsoft isn't going to create a Linux player for Silverlight.
Pete Cashmore
· 2 years ago
anshul,
yes, it does.
Brandon Paddock
· 2 years ago
What does the article mean when it says that Adobe's new player is the "the only major desktop media player that will support Flash."
Does that mean treating Flash-based videos like local videos or something?
I'm pretty sure WMP uses embedded Flash (via hosting IE) for some of its online stores / media guide / etc.
Neil Hicks
· 2 years ago
faded515,
Supposedly Microsoft is working on a Linux version of the program. I'm not so sure that it is true, but that is what I heard through the grapevine. I'm not going to make any immediate judgments. I am going to download both and use them and then make my official statement. I think personally, Microsoft will have the better set up, but Adobe will have better content. But only time will tell.
fred
· 2 years ago
I hate to say it, but Microsoft will probably render Flash useless in about two years. They'll offer MAJOR insentives to YouTube to switch to their format and the rest will follow. Google owns YouTube, so Adobe should be on the phone right now, offering to blow all their cocks. Adobe has something to lose, not Microsoft. And Microsoft doesn't blow cock. Instead, they fist assholes.
Ian Fuller
· 2 years ago
Fred,
Wrong. Google and Microsoft don't get on. Google already have a relationship with Adobe. There isn't a way in the world You Tube will move to microsoft. Microsoft have tried and failed with other technologies, even microsoft can't push some shit - Active Desktop Anyone? Hmm...
Lily
· 2 years ago
The thing is that all of the major sites proliferating flash at the moment actually have no interest in an independent player as they only make money through ad revenue on their own sites. Thats why the embeds that they offer are so poor and always draw you back to the site. Will it be in their interests to use this Adobe player?
It'll be interesting to see what soapbox do - actually they used flash for some and windows media for those that had it (double encoding probably why it took so long to upload anything there) - perhaps they'll take a similar tack...
Gus
· 2 years ago
With Adobe open sourcing Action Script 3 and the Flash player to the Mozilla Foundation microsoft has a long way to go before they see off Flash.... Anyway my question is why ?
Yet another ActiveX security black hole in the grand MS fashion
Adam
· 2 years ago
Adobe CS3 is a complete lock for any creative web designer because of Flash's seamless integration with Photoshop and Illustrator. The hype says Silverlight is a Flash killer, but most Flash users are creative / designer types who don't use .NET or care about Microsoft's assorted crap.
Right now Microsoft is the laughing stock of the creative community. Flash is already the proverbial King, and Photoshop is the Proverbial Gods. The Gods frown on Silverlight. The true Flash juggernauts have no reason to even consider Silverlight.
MikeP
· 2 years ago
Silverlight will have an advantage thanks to Adobe's ludicrously high prices outside the USA as long as Microsoft keep their prices down as they claim that they will. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot, Adobe really picked the wrong time for their price hike!
Keith Peters
· 2 years ago
Hmmm... so...
Flash is out for 10 years, Silverlight in beta. Flash wins.
Windows Media Player is out for I don't know how many years. Adobe Media Player isn't even in beta. Windows Media Player wins.
Amazing reporting! Really useful info.
ochibi
· 2 years ago
my first comment .... i use the mashable widget, an awesome site, thumbs up!!!
no way M$ looses, anyway.
i use the winamp/mediaplayerclasic(for *.RM files)/vlc/wmp/ares. player and it rocks!!
Microsoft has fought some pretty ugly wars with some huge companies, and they've lost a (court) battle or two, but so far they've always inevitably driven one major competitor after another either out of business or out of a key market, without exception. I'm really looking forward to the day when Microsoft sells their Apple stock and finally turns that company into a historical footnote, but so far Microsoft seems to be focusing on the major software houses that provide Mac versions of their suites.
Adobe is in the cross-hairs at the moment, and their market share will be a major boon for Microsoft, but Adobe is one piece of a larger puzzle. I suspect that Microsoft will almost certainly be launching their own 3D suite within a few years, and challenging Alias in that market. Apple's own software will also be cloned and enhanced.
Microsoft is also in the process of dominating the hardware market with patents and DRM exclusivity, and Microsoft-made central and graphics processors are around the corner. The mobile phone and audio player markets are also about to come under massive pressure from Redmond.
If there's one thing we've learned from every fight that Microsoft has fought, it's that Microsoft consistently proves to pose an unexpected and massive threat because they control so many markets, and are willing and able to unrelentingly leverage those markets against competitors. Also, ridiculously deep pockets help, too.
joe 6 pack
· 7 months ago
One aspect not discussed is the rendering performance. It looks like you need a lot of CPU power to get a decent experinece with flash. Silverlight is a lot lighter and less demanding. That makes flash a bad choice for netbooks or old hardware. See: http://www.formortals.com/Home/tabid/36/EntryID...
All Comments
Good point. I haven't seen a Media Player clip in the browser for so long that I'd almost forgotten they existed on the web. Even MSN Soapbox uses Flash - no doubt they'll switch to Silverlight now, and take advantage of their current downtime to do so, perhaps.
You're probably right, but it seems like a weird thing to do. For a lot of users installing Silverlight is just going to be another barrier to viewing media on Soapbox and other Microsoft properties. It's going to expand rather than decrease Adobe's dominance. On the other hand, MS can install and update through their automatic updates feature, so maybe they'll grab users that way.
Also, I'd say the difference between Silverlight and Adobe Media Player is that AMP is entering an area in which there is significant room to innovate. I'm sure a large number of users can think of features they'd like to see in their antiquated media players. But where's the demand for a Flash competitor? Was there something about Flash that wasn't working? Most users would say "nah."
yes, it does.
Does that mean treating Flash-based videos like local videos or something?
I'm pretty sure WMP uses embedded Flash (via hosting IE) for some of its online stores / media guide / etc.
Supposedly Microsoft is working on a Linux version of the program. I'm not so sure that it is true, but that is what I heard through the grapevine. I'm not going to make any immediate judgments. I am going to download both and use them and then make my official statement. I think personally, Microsoft will have the better set up, but Adobe will have better content. But only time will tell.
Wrong. Google and Microsoft don't get on. Google already have a relationship with Adobe. There isn't a way in the world You Tube will move to microsoft. Microsoft have tried and failed with other technologies, even microsoft can't push some shit - Active Desktop Anyone? Hmm...
It'll be interesting to see what soapbox do - actually they used flash for some and windows media for those that had it (double encoding probably why it took so long to upload anything there) - perhaps they'll take a similar tack...
Yet another ActiveX security black hole in the grand MS fashion
Right now Microsoft is the laughing stock of the creative community. Flash is already the proverbial King, and Photoshop is the Proverbial Gods. The Gods frown on Silverlight. The true Flash juggernauts have no reason to even consider Silverlight.
Talk about shooting yourself in the foot, Adobe really picked the wrong time for their price hike!
Flash is out for 10 years, Silverlight in beta. Flash wins.
Windows Media Player is out for I don't know how many years. Adobe Media Player isn't even in beta. Windows Media Player wins.
Amazing reporting! Really useful info.
no way M$ looses, anyway.
i use the winamp/mediaplayerclasic(for *.RM files)/vlc/wmp/ares. player and it rocks!!
adobe player?, nah!
Adobe is in the cross-hairs at the moment, and their market share will be a major boon for Microsoft, but Adobe is one piece of a larger puzzle. I suspect that Microsoft will almost certainly be launching their own 3D suite within a few years, and challenging Alias in that market. Apple's own software will also be cloned and enhanced.
Microsoft is also in the process of dominating the hardware market with patents and DRM exclusivity, and Microsoft-made central and graphics processors are around the corner. The mobile phone and audio player markets are also about to come under massive pressure from Redmond.
If there's one thing we've learned from every fight that Microsoft has fought, it's that Microsoft consistently proves to pose an unexpected and massive threat because they control so many markets, and are willing and able to unrelentingly leverage those markets against competitors. Also, ridiculously deep pockets help, too.
It looks like you need a lot of CPU power to get a decent experinece with flash.
Silverlight is a lot lighter and less demanding.
That makes flash a bad choice for netbooks or old hardware.
See: http://www.formortals.com/Home/tabid/36/EntryID...