[opendtv] Apple to Allow Hardware Accelerated Flash on Macs
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: OpenDTV Mail List <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2010 09:53:15 -0400
Given the debate that Kon and I have been having, this may be of interest.
A question for Kon. Could an HTML5 video tag directly call this new API?
Regards
Craig
Apple to Allow Hardware Accelerated Flash on Macs; Android Gets Flash, Air
Jason Mick (Blog) - April 23, 2010 9:30 AM
http://www.dailytech.com/Apple+to+Allow+Hardware+Accelerated+Flash+on+Macs+Android+Gets+Flash+Air/article18207.htm
A new Apple API will finally allow hardware accelerated Flash on
Macs. (Source: Apple)
Adobe continues its market push -- with or without the iDevices
Apple has banned Flash from the iPod Touch/iPhone/iPad platforms and
the company's CEO, Steve Jobs, has even gone as far as to talk a bit
of trash about Adobe's flagship product. Even making a port to
iPhone's native code using Adobe's CS5 development tools has been
outlawed by Apple, leading to Adobe finally declaring it was dropping
support altogether for the iPhone, native ports or otherwise.
Despite the pair's icy relationship, Apple did just quietly release a
new API that will allow for Adobe to finally offer hardware
accelerated Flash on Mac computers. Technical Note TN2267 describes
the new API, the Video Decode Acceleration Framework, stating:
The Video Decode Acceleration framework is a C programming interface
providing low-level access to the H.264 decoding capabilities of
compatible GPUs such as the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, GeForce 320M or
GeForce GT 330M. It is intended for use by advanced developers who
specifically need hardware accelerated decode of video frames.
The move also may benefit a variety of developers outside of Adobe.
Prior to the new API, developers were forced to use Quicktime X for
H.264 hardware acceleration, a much more limited option, and one that
Adobe rejected. The new API comes to Mac users courtesy of
the 10.6.3 update for Mac OS X Snow Leopard.
That leaves Linux as the only platform that may be left out of the
loop when it comes to accelerated Flash. Adobe says it cannot
deliver Linux users hardware acceleration as the various
distributions lack a "developed standard API" for H.264 hardware
decoding.
While Apple may have shown Adobe a tiny bit of love for once, Google
is really pouring it on thick. Google's Android is soon set to
receive a Flash update, possibly with the release of the Android 2.2
operating system upgrade.
Android will soon receive not only hardware-accelerated Flash 10.1,
but also Adobe Air, a platform that lets Flash apps run outside the
browser like traditional applications.
Google's Andy Rubin, Android team VP of Engineering, announced in a
blog Wednesday that support for Air and Flash is officially coming.
He writes, "Google is working to enable an open ecosystem for the
mobile world by creating a standard, open mobile software platform.
Today we're excited that, working with Adobe, we will be able to
bring both AIR and Flash to Android."
The full announcement of Google's plans with Adobe will come at the
Google I/O event in May.
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