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Significant upgrade from Flash Media Rights Management Server Adobe Expands Content Protection with Flash Access 2.0
A significant upgrade from Flash Media Rights Management Server, Flash Access will offer DRM for both streaming and downloadable content.
by Troy Dreier
September 21, 2009
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Content protection is serious business for online video, because content protection is monetization. Without some way to enforce usage rights, the owners of premium content would never let it be streamed or downloaded. To better serve content owners—and after much anticipation—Adobe announced a new protection system coming in the first half of 2010.
The system is called Flash Access 2.0, which might be surprising if you don't remember a 1.0 version. It's taking over for Adobe Flash Media Rights Management Server with a catchier name and a broadened mission. Where the Flash Media Rights Management Server focused on download-to-own content, Flash Access 2.0 will work with both streamed and downloaded content.
This unified approach should make adding protection simpler for content owners. They'll be able to use one system for encoding both types of content, and consumers will be able to view Flash Access 2.0 content on both the Adobe AIR-based Adobe Media Player and standard web browsers.
The big plus here is that content owners will have a way to encode progressive download content accessible over an HTTP connection, something that wasn't possible before.
Adobe views content protection as a way to monetize premium video assets, says Florian Pestoni, Adobe's senior product manager for content protection technology. Some content owners will prefer a pay-per-view model, while others will opt for rentals or purchases. Even free content with ads needs an encryption policy, he says, since content owners and advertisers will demand it.
"Flash Access 2.0 will enable content distributors and content owners to monetize their video assets through a variety of business models on the number one platform for video on the Web," says Pestoni.
When it's ready, Flash Access 2.0 will be offered as a server SDK. Most companies in this space already have business logic that they use, such as a client database or a payment system, says Pestoni, and they want a protection system that can integrate with their existing business logic systems.
The system will have two steps: preparation and encryption. The person creating the online files will first get a massive raw file from the content owner that can be encoded with any software into an FLV or F4V (H.264 in an MPEG container) file. When that's done, Flash Access needs to encode each asset once. The encoded file includes license acquisition instructions. Encoded content can be instructed to access its license right away, so that users can enjoy their videos offline. The license includes whatever restrictions the owner wants, such as a 30-day rental policy.
The system is currently in a private prerelease phase while Adobe works with a small group of companies that include content owners, broadcasters, and partners. The company is still getting feedback for the eventual release, but chose to make the announcement at IBC so customers could see Adobe's roadmap for content protection.
"What you see with Adobe's efforts is a recognition that in order to be successful a video has to make money. By offering a server that enhances the moneymaking potential of online video publishing efforts, Adobe hopes to make online video even more attractive as an option for content developers," says Steve Vonder Haar, research director for Interactive Media Strategies.
"It's interesting when you look at this product announcement in the context of the Omniture acquisition announcement," Vonder Haar adds. "With it Adobe appears to be making a full court press on the video monetization front. At the end of the day, video is just a pile of bits. It doesn’t matter whether it streams from a server or arrives via download. The critical point is to make sure publishers can make money no matter how the content and how the data is distributed."
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Streaming Mobile Video Mobile video is an incredibly exciting extension of the broadband experience users have come to love, except with the additional benefit of being untethered. The iPhone will drive an explosion of mobile video streaming apps which are yet to come from folks like Hulu, Netflix, and others. No doubt we'll see Android, Palm and Blackberry further fuel the addressable market. Add it all up and there's a lot of growth ahead in the mobile video space. |
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Finally...NFL Live Streaming The most important video-related elements Apple has released are support for HTTP streaming, a new protocol for adaptive bit rate (ABR) streaming and a new iPhone media player that can handle both. In addition, a significant increase in battery life (especially important to retain phone functionality) is enabled by a hardware-based video decoder. And the iPhone supports "HSDPA," an enhanced 3G protocol AT&T is rolling out, which provides up to 7.2 megabit per second delivery, guaranteeing outstanding video quality. All of these elements, when combined with the iPhone's open (well, relatively at least) App Store and web browsing, offer video providers a breakthrough mobile video environment.
HTTP-based streaming is particularly key because CDNs already have massive deployments of HTTP (the web delivery standard) servers. That means they avoid significant capex to support proprietary video streaming protocols like RTSP and RTMP, and can instead focus just on hardening their HTTP infrastructure to scale video distribution.
Apple's new ABR streaming protocol means a far superior user experience that obviates disruptive buffering and users having to make confusing choices like "hi res" or "low res." ABR streaming was pioneered by Move Networks. Microsoft and Adobe now each have their own ABR streaming approaches.
Importantly, because the iPhone supports H.264, video providers can use existing encoding vendors like Inlet to simply create multiple iPhone-compatible video files encoded at different bit rates that are then delivered to their CDN for iPhone distribution. No intermediary "encapsulation" step needs to be taken to support Flash for example. As the iPhone's media player auto-detects available mobile bandwidth, it continuously re-selects the optimal video file to stream. Inlet makes a key contribution in this process by doing "key frame alignment" - essentially allowing the new file being streamed to start at the same frame where the old file left off. Pretty cool stuff.
From the content provider's standpoint, iPhone-directed video can either be embedded in a web page, or as part of an app, for distribution in the iPhone's gigantic app store. The open web approach of course means it's available for all to see. On the other hand, the app route means greater control of the brand, user experience and business model (e.g. free, paid, authenticated, etc.), though it will involve time and money is needed for development.
This whole paradigm is still so new that we've only begun seeing the first iPhone video apps come to market. Examples include the updated version of MLB.com's At Bat app, the live Aug. 7th concert from Underworld, the PGA Championship app from Turner |
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Finally...NFL Live Streaming Following that, yesterday the NFL and NBC announced that for the 2nd season in a row, the full 17 game Sunday night schedule will be streamed live on NBCSports.com and NFL.com. Both will use an HD-quality video player and Microsoft's Silverlight. They will also use Microsoft's Smooth Streaming adaptive bit rate (ABR) technology. All of this should combine to deliver a very high-quality streaming experience. But with all these games available for free online, I have to wonder, are NBC and the NFL leaving money on the table here? |
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Digital Out-Of-Home Danoo (now called Reach Media Group) is targeting Business Traveler Network (airplanes - hotel rooms), health clubs, retail shops...smart! These are area that are all undeserved. |
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