Set-top Boxes to Have Adobe Flash

Adobe the company behind programs like Photoshop and the ever so popular Flash. Has managed to secure a deal to have its Flash software be intergrated into chips for modern televisions, and-top boxes which will enable content providers to deliver weather reports, stock prices and news updates to a TV screen near you.

Flash will be intergrated with chips manufactured by Broadcom, Intel, NXP and STMicroelectronics unfortunately this deal does not cover two of the major players in the market Sony and Samsung who use Yahoo's media widgets instead.

According to the news article the Flash enabled TVs and set-top boxes will be available in early 2010.

With the large volume of TVs, media players and set-top boxes expected to ship in the next three years, Adobe hopes to get Flash into those machines.
This could mean the TV can possibly replace the role palmed off to computers and laptops for searching the internet, getting news feeds and various other digital content online without having to shell out for a computer or laptop.

Adobe has already got Netflix, Disney and the New York Times on the books to make the first series of applications.

Probably the main appeal of Flash for developers and content creators is Flash could possibly become a single standard that would allow them to distribute media and create programs that work on multiple platforms.

With an installation base of 98% on computers and 80% of online videos delivered with Flash, according to Adobe.
Flash has become in essence the standard for delivery of multimedia content; examples of this are Youtube, Newgrounds.com and BBC's iPlayer.

In recent times Microsoft has been pushing Silverlight its own rival to Adobe's Flash. Microsoft boasts that it has an installation base of over 300 million since Silverlight's second version was released six months ago.
Although the uptake of Silverlight has been slow with only a few set-top box manufacturers signing up, Microsoft does have its hands in the Xbox 360 market which already serves as a media player and a games console, so it is very likely that Microsoft could use the Xbox as a means to increase uptake of Silverlight.

Flash Platform Business Unit general manager and vice president David Wadhwani is optimistic that one day the Xbox 360 will be able to run Flash as they have already managed to get Flash to run on Sony's Playstation 3 and Nintendo's Wii.

It looks like Adobe is aiming to be the global standard for all sorts of media on all platforms - PC, television and mobile platforms.
Apparently 40% of all mobile phones shipped in 2008 had Flash Lite; the only exception is Apple's iPhone.

Of course Mr Wadhwani says that Adobe will continue to work with Apple to eventually bring Flash to the iPhone.

Sourced From BBC News
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