Flash supports H.264
Flash Player:9:Update:H.264
From Adobe Labs
| Table of contents [hide] |
H.264/HE-AAC support in Flash Player 9
The 8/21 beta release of Flash Player 9 Update 3, codename “Moviestar”, on Adobe Labs contains new improvements for media, including support for H.264 video and HE-AAC audio and hardware accelerated, multi-core full screen video playback.
This release also includes performance enhancements and a new Flash Player cache for common platform components, such as the Flex framework, to reduce application sizes and start-up times. See the Adobe Labs page for more information about this beta.
See the Demo
The full screen demo has been updated to include an H.264 encoded version of the Red Bull Backcountry Bombshells HD video. The H.264 version of the video is encoded with approximately the same settings as the VP6 version. Note that H.264 performance is not fully optimized yet in the beta player.
FAQ
Q: What is H.264?
A:H.264 is the next-generation video compression technology in the MPEG-4 standard, also known as MPEG-4 Part 10 (ISO/IEC 14496-10). H.264 delivers excellent video quality across the entire bandwidth spectrum — from 3G (Mobile phones) to HD (Broadcast) and everything in between. H.264 is now mandatory for the HD-DVD and Blu-ray specifications (the two formats for high-definition DVDs) and ratified in the latest versions of the DVB (Digital Video Broadcasters) and 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) standards. Numerous broadcast, cable, videoconferencing and consumer electronics companies consider H.264 the video codec of choice for their new products and services, including Apple, Sony, Nokia, SanDisk, Palm, Blackberry and even Microsoft.
Q: What is HE-AAC?
A:AAC is a standard audio format defined in the MPEG-4 video standard, and is also the default audio format of the Apple iPod, and the standard audio format for Sony’s PlayStation 3. Flash Player supports HE-AAC v2. HE-AAC v2 is an extension of AAC that uses Spectral Band Replication (SBR) and Parametric Stereo (PS) techniques to increase coding efficiency at low bitrates.
Q: Which audio and video standards does Flash Player 9 Update 3 implement?
A: Flash Player 9 will support subsets of the MPEG-4 standards defined by ISO/IEC 14496-12, ISO/IEC 14496-10, ISO/IEC 14496-3, and the 3GPP timed text format standard. Specifically, Flash Player will support the following standards:
- ISO/IEC 14496-3: (Audio AAC) AAC Main; AAC LC; SBR
- ISO/IEC 14496-10: (Video AVC) Base (BP); Main (MP); High (HiP). All levels are supported.
- ISO/IEC 14496-12: (Container) 1 Audio track; 1 Video track
- 3GPP TS 26.245: (Timed text format)
Q: Why is H.264/HE-AAC being included in Flash Player 9 Update 3?
A: Adobe provides one of the leading online digital media delivery platforms, and the addition of H.264 extends the Flash ecosystem. Customers can leverage their existing video and audio to deliver content to the Web and other devices – up to HD quality - all leveraging the user experience of Flash Player and their current infrastructure and encoding investments.
Q: Where else is H.264 used?
A: The broadest distribution of H.264 is via QuickTime from Apple, which is included in iTunes, iPods, iPhone, and the QuickTime Player on Mac and Windows. H.264 is also integrated into everything from mobile phones (Nokia, SonyEricsson) to HD-TV and Digital Radio. There is a wide range of interoperating products supporting this standard. Visit www.mpegif.org for updated news about H.264.
Q: Does the addition of H.264 mean Flash Player will support HD?
A: Yes, Flash Player supports 480p, 720p and 1080p content encoded with either On2 or H.264. Performance will vary depending on the capabilities and configuration of your machine. In general a 2.0 GHz Mac or a 3GHz PC, with one or more processors, will deliver an optimum experience.
Q: How does H.264 compare with the current video formats supported in Flash Player?
A: Flash Player supports the Sorenson Spark video codec (based on H.263) and On2 VP6. H.263 is the predecessor of H.264 and was designed for teleconferencing applications, at 64k rates. H.264 delivers even higher quality at lower bitrates. H.264 will deliver the same or better quality when to compared to the same encoding profile in On2. Factors you should consider when choosing a format include the complexity of the content, the desired reach, ability to archive, and licensing considerations.
Q: Will H.264 replace the On2 VP6 codec?
A: No. Maintaining backwards compatibility for existing content one of the core values of Flash Player. Flash Player 9 will continue to support the On2VP6 video codec, in addition to the Sorenson Spark codec introduced in Flash Player 6.
Q: Does the H.264 implementation in Flash Player support alpha channel?
A: No. Our first implementation does not support alpha channels using H.264, but we plan to implement this feature in the next major release.
Q: Will I be able to multiplex H.264 video and AAC audio into the current FLV container format?
A: Adobe encourages customers to use the new MPEG-4-based file format. The new file format is designed to work with the features of these codecs.
Q: Will I be able to put On2 VP6 streams into the new MPEG-4-based file format?
A: The Flash Player 9 beta will not play back On2 VP6 encoded video in the new file format.
Q: Can I play back the same H.264 video files that I use on my iPod?
A: Yes, Flash Player can playback any H.264/HE-AAC files that play on the iPod provided they are not protected by FairPlay DRM.
Q: Will Flash Player 9 Update 3 support non-FLV files?
A: Yes, with this update, Flash Player will also support files derived from the standard MPEG-4 container format such as MP4, M4A, MOV, MP4V, 3GP, 3G2 if they contain H.264 video and/or HE-AAC encoded audio.
Q: What are the minimum system requirements for viewing H.264-based content in Flash Player?
A: The minimum system requirements for viewing H.264-based content will be similar to other media players supporting H264 in the market today. There will be a full list of system requirements and their associated playback capabilities posted on adobe.com when Flash player 9 is released.
Q: Will H.264 be included in AIR? When will it appear in the AIR Labs releases?
A: Yes, H.264 will be included in AIR 1.0. It is expected to be available to AIR developers in a public beta on Adobe Labs later this year.
Q: Will H.264 be included in Adobe Media Player (AMP)? When will it appear in the AMP releases on Adobe Labs?
A: Yes, H.264 will be included in AMP, which is an AIR application. It will be available in a Beta release later this year on Adobe Labs.
Q: Will the Adobe Flash Media Server support H.264 content?
A: Yes, the next version of Flash Media Server will support streaming of H.264 content and HE-AAC content - both live and on demand. More details on this will be released later in the year.
Q: Will Adobe have a way to protect H.264 content?
A:Yes, Adobe Media Player will support protected H.264 content for download and play. The next release of the Adobe Flash Media Server will also support encrypted streaming of H.264 content.
Q: Can I use Creative Suite 3 to generate H.264 video and HE-AAC audio files? What specific products support this?
A: The CS3 production tools will be updated to ensure maximum compatibility with Flash player’s H.264 video and HE-AAC support. The CS3 update is expected to be released concurrent with the Flash Player 9 Update 3 release. This support will continue the advanced creative workflow between Adobe’s production tools and online delivery.
Q: Will there be an updated FLV File Format Specification? When will it be available?
A: Yes, Adobe plans to make the updated specification available after the final release. The specification will describe the new MPEG-4-based file format container supported by Adobe Flash Player.
Q: You tout a 98% penetration of PCs, but “Moviestar” is a new version. How quickly will “Moviestar” proliferate?
A: Flash Player is installed on 98% of Internet-enabled desktops worldwide and on a wide range of popular devices. Flash Player installs are driven by content, and new releases of Flash Player take approximately 12 months to reach 90% penetration. There are approximately 8 Million Flash Players installed every day.
Q: When will Flash Player 9 Update 3 ship?
A: Flash Player 9 Update 3 is expected to be available from the Adobe Flash Player Download Center later this Fall.
Q: What parts of the H.264 license are included when I buy Adobe Products?
A: The end user license to the Adobe Flash Player allows users to playback H.264 content for your own non-commercial use. Commercial use of the Flash Player to decode H.264 video may require a separate license.
Q: What are H.264’s licensing terms?
A: Licensing terms are available at www.mpegla.com (H.264) and www.vialicensing.com (HE-AAC).
Q: What is MPEG LA?
A: MPEG LA is in the business of offering users access under one license to essential patents for standards-based technologies owned by many patent holders. MPEG LA provides these licenses as a convenience to the market in order to save users the time and expense of negotiating individual licenses with multiple patent owners and the resulting payment of many separate royalties. The licenses offered by MPEG LA include patents that are essential to implementation of H.264.
Q: When does MPEG LA require payment of a use fee or royalty, and do I need my own license for H.264 ?
A: MPEG-LA has a number of categories where parties may be required to obtain a license and pay a royalty. Categories include: AVC Products, Title-By-Title Video, Subscription AVC Video, and Internet Broadcast AVC video, among others. Most categories apply to commercial uses and implementations, but some apply more broadly. Whether the license applies to your use; the applicable royalty; and the threshold for application of the royalty varies for each category. You will need to contact MPEG LA or review the license terms to determine if your use falls within a particular category. MPEG LA has posted a FAQ and has a Q&A Department (qanda@mpegla.com) for those questions not answered by the FAQ.
posted by flashMyPassion @ 5:20 AM
0 comments
