Intel, Adobe to tune up Flash for TV devices

Intel and Adobe Systems on Monday announced that they're working to adapt Adobe's Flash media technology, widespread on PCs, to work in TV-focused devices.

The two companies will work on fine-tuning the Flash Player and Flash Lite for Intel's Media Processor CE 3100. The goal is for Intel to ship the first CE 3100 chip with Flash Lite support before the middle of this year.

A Flash-CE 3100 combo would give consumers a better viewing experience of Web-based and other videos via digital TVs, Blu-ray Disc players, cable set-top boxes, and audiovisual devices, the companies said.

"Our effort with Adobe is poised to accelerate a rich yet relevant Internet experience on the TV that will provide consumers with access to a growing number of Flash-based applications that will ultimately be enjoyed across a number of screens seamlessly, from the laptop to a MID and now the TV," William O. Leszinske Jr., general manager of Intel's Digital Home Group, said in a statement.

Intel says the Media Processor CE 3100 is the first to come in a lineup of system-on-chip offerings for consumer electronics. The CE 3100, earlier known by the code name Canmore, also factors into software work that Yahoo is doing for Internet-enabled TVs with its Yahoo Widget Engine.

Televisions aren't the only non-PC devices that Adobe has in its sights. In November, the company said it is in the midst of "evolving Flash Player 10 for mobile."

[LinuxRules]

OH GOD, imagine upgrading the flash player every six months and incompatible flash versions, no way in hell.

[logictrap]

Yeah - as if they don't have enough of this already. Just imagine when the "big game" can't be viewed because you don't have the correct version of Flash on your TV....

[logictrap]

How about a current Flash player for IPhone and PS3???? There's more demand for both of these currently.

[Kosher0]

Seriously. But you know what the problem is here? Apple and Sony are both working very hard to create their own platforms that compete directly with flash. The sad thing is that Microsoft XBOX and Windows Media Center support flash... Now tell me why sony and apply don't get the anti-trust slap in the face?

[fdunn3]

Flash has a very good viewing experience for steaming video at SD and HD quality.

Adobe has been moving in this direction for at least the last year (hence Adobe AIR) and their video player which is pretty nice.

For those of you that are worried about updates they could be streamed in (or ahead of) the content. Don't be so paranoid, this is good stuff!

[DocTodd]

I think that this is huge; Intel and Adobe realize that the future of television is streaming off of the internet. Hulu is a fantastic service, but unless you have a full-fledged pc hooked up to your tv you can't really enjoy it (and even then, the interface is clunky.)

By integrating flash into set-top boxes and even tv's themselves, people will be able to easily watch hulu and other such content providers effortlessly; this may signify a consumer revolution.