Adobe Flash and iOS: The best of friends, sort of....

[Vega]

Sorry if this has been discussed before. so can iOS run adobe flash?

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Unless we have all slipped into a different dimension it appears that some how Adobe Flash content will start to become available on all iOS devices (without jail-breaking, hacking or any other tomfoolery).

 

Apple's big announcement regarding the coming of Final Cut X is playing second fiddle to Adobe's latest bombshell which is that they will be adding support for HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) to their Flash Media Server.

 

HLS is in fact an Apple developed technology which they have used to stream live or pre-recorded video and audio content to Macs and iOS devices already. Apple have even submitted it to become an internet standard. Adobe's new found support for this technology means companies and content providers who deal either primarily or exclusively in Flash based video content, (and there are a lot of them) will be able to get their content onto the millions of iOS devices already out there with no re-encoding or extra leg work required on their part.

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Jobs has been quoted bad mouthing Flash for some time now, "We have routinely asked Adobe to show us Flash performing well on a mobile device, any mobile device, for a few years now. We have never seen it." He also speaks of its poor battery performance and it being a poor mobile performer in general. Of course Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen didn't take too kindly to these comments, calling them

[Happily1986]

No. Didn't the article you copied and pasted here insinuate so?

[Vega]

That is why i am confused. The first half of the article seems to say Flash will be supported in the iOS.

[Happily1986]

That is why i am confused. The first half of the article seems to say Flash will be supported in the iOS.

 

HLS and Flash are totally different technologies. The article merely states that Adobe has sort of taken a step of goodwill by granting native support to HLS.

 

Flash is developed by Macromedia and now an IP of Adobe.

 

HLS is Apple's answer to Flash since it refuses to use Flash/Adobe refuse to provide relevant SDK/API for Flash.

 

Basically what it does is when you the user click on a flash content, this sends a web query to Apple at its HLS (Server), the Server end decode Flash and repackage the contents in a form which can be read by iOS and sent back to your device so you can view the Flash object.

 

This idea is essentially the same principle behind how Skyfire works.

[Vega]

thanks for explaining. so in the end, can we still view Flash in iOS?

[Shull]

thanks for explaining. so in the end, can we still view Flash in iOS?

 

From the article.. Only for streaming of videos (eg, youtube).. The rest, like the banner ad you see on the top of MCF page, it's still a no no.. at least for now

[Happily1986]

thanks for explaining. so in the end, can we still view Flash in iOS?

 

Until Apple releases a new White Paper or file new patents relating to its HLS, i think there is no way to view other flash content(s) other than flash videos. If i were you, i would pay more attention to Skyfire. It doesn't have a GUI which i like. It is cluttered and all but the most important thing to me is that in its FAQ, its developers hinted that future releases might include the capability to render flash objects e.g. flash games and banners etc.

 

Actually i feel that what Jobs said about Flash in terms of mobile experience is what true. it is quite shitty. Until the Adobe flash development thing presents something actually lightweight enough (HAHAHAHA lightweight Adobe products is such an oxymoron), i would not take my chances on it and get on with life.

[Shull]

Until Apple releases a new White Paper or file new patents relating to its HLS, i think there is no way to view other flash content(s) other than flash videos. If i were you, i would pay more attention to Skyfire. It doesn't have a GUI which i like. It is cluttered and all but the most important thing to me is that in its FAQ, its developers hinted that future releases might include the capability to render flash objects e.g. flash games and banners etc.

 

Actually i feel that what Jobs said about Flash in terms of mobile experience is what true. it is quite shitty. Until the Adobe flash development thing presents something actually lightweight enough (HAHAHAHA lightweight Adobe products is such an oxymoron), i would not take my chances on it and get on with life.

 

I have no problems viewing flash, including youtube (full site) on my SGS2. Though i admit the dual core in the phone plays a part, i think it's getting there..