I have just been watching a very interesting video from the Adobe MAX 2009 conference. It’s the Keynote from Kevin Lynch, Adobe CTO, who demos Flash Player 10.1 for mobile devices, smartphones and netbooks.
You get to see flash on Maemo, WebOS, Android, an unknown upcoming Android phone, an HP Netbook with Nvidia ION and a smartbook (Mobinova) running Tegra. There’s also the HP Mini 110 running with its Broadcom Crystal HD module (which is interesting news from May that I completely missed.) The Broadcom solution is a PCI Express Mini slot-in module that offloads video decoding (no real 3D support here unlike the ION solution) and could be an interesting option for those with a spare PCI-Express Mini slot.
Anyway, back to the Adobe video. Check out some leveling of the Intel vs ARM playing-field below.
Don’t forget that the CPU is still needed for Flash code operations and that it’s only the H.264 video that can be offloaded to a co-processor. Running Flash code on even a Cortex based platform will still be a big task and will slow down your browsing performance and reduce battery life just as it does on the desktop. Even running flash on a 1.6Ghz Atom is a chore. On the other hand, YouTube fans should get better battery life from the hardware-decoded video.
Why doesn’t someone make a Flash 10 co-processor? (Flashable of-course!)
October 6th, 2009 at 8:15 am
Adobe Demos Flash 10.1 and H.264 video decoding in hardware on multiple mobile platforms. (Video) http://cli.gs/dZ8rE
October 6th, 2009 at 9:07 am
RT @chippy: Adobe Demos Flash 10.1 and H.264 video decoding in hardware on multiple mobile platforms. (Video) http://cli.gs/dZ8rE
October 6th, 2009 at 10:36 am
adobe VS microsoft
flash vs SL
who win?
October 6th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Flash video is the most important part now, flash sites are hogs that are mostly in the past now. I see bigger problem with the AJAX/Javascripts than Flash actually.
http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=8647
Who will win, Silverlight or Flash? Adobe is currently kicking azz in streaming business so i really don’t see Microsoft being a real rival because they seem too afraid to release their technology on other platforms. They are as Ballmer says (for other stuff) a niche product. It takes billions to become a leader in a sector. Adobe has multimedia tool chains that make them serious money, i can’t say that Microsoft has that incentive.
Chippy Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Good link. Thanks.
October 6th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Tegra is the best for mobile user.
N900 was the only device where they did not play a movie,i wonder why?
And the most expensive,OF COURSE.
October 6th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
These are good news.
Any idea how will it perform on GMA500? Will it be any improvements?
Joao.
poster Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
i’d like to know too since the GMA 500 does support h.264 hardware acceleration.
October 6th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
@focus
Tegra is not ready for mobile business user, i guess that current Tegra processors are not even capable of catering featurephones. Doubt they can currently compete with other companies that had invested billions in ARM CPU processor engineering, same as those same ARM CPU producers can compete with nVidia in GPU technology.
Carl Reply:
October 7th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Indeed, the ARM11 based Tegras are more like a public beta than a compelling product, but the next generation Tegras are going to be Cortex A8 based like their competition, and thus a much more compelling option.
And if nothing else, NVidia’s entry into this segment will light the fires under Imagination Technology’s bums.
October 6th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Pretty nice! Even if most flash sites are awful by nature and probably unusable on a small device, any option to access them when necessary is nice compared to none at all!
Does the N900 have hardware video acceleration by the way?
Typo in the first paragraph: it’s “who demos”, not demo’s!
b-man Reply:
October 7th, 2009 at 12:50 am
@anon
The N900 supports OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG with PowerVR SGX acceleration, so yes. =)
spec sheet here: http://maemo.nokia.com/n900/specifications/
Chippy Reply:
October 7th, 2009 at 1:23 am
Thx! How DO you spot those?
October 6th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
dont know for sure with windows, but on linux flash can use opengl to accelerate its graphical elements at least. that is as long as you do not use the graphics card for desktop eyecandy or similar…
October 6th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Isn’t that ironic? the guy who looks like Bill Gate’s Mini Me, completely ignores MS products! Not one mention of Windows, windows mobile or any other. By whatching this presentation you can get the feeling that Microsoft does not exist and Bill Gates (clever move with a look a like) works for Adobe.
October 6th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Flash working on everything changes the whole game. Flash performance is always a big question for mids and smartphones.