Microsoft: Flash can make its will!

21st April 2007

Microsoft has announced the release of platform Silverlight - an analogue of Adobe Flash developed on the basis of Windows Presentation Foundation Everywhere (WPF / E). By the new platform software giant hopes to press Flash installed on 90% of computers worldwide, reported PCPro. Silverlight, like Flash, will be able to play video as it is shown on YouTube and other such resources. Platform uses Windows Media Video (WMV) standard, its own realization of video standard VC-1 from the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE). The Platform also allows you to use DRM PlayReady system developed by Microsoft. Silverlight and its DRM are compatible with Windows and Mac platforms and operable in browsers Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari. Developers of the content for Silverlight will be able to use technology during the development of applications on .Net Framework and Visual Studio. The support for Silverlight also will be built in design application Expression Media. Expression Media Encoder can create web-video in Silverlight format, recoded from other formats, such as AVI or QuickTime. The encoder will be released later in this year, for free to users of Express Media. Many companies dealing with web-content are ready to support Silverlight: Akamai, Brightcove, Eyeblaster, Limelight Networks, Major League Baseball, NaviSite, Netflix, Pinnacle, Rhozet, Skinkers, Sonic Solutions, Tarari, Telestream and Winnov. Netflix is using already Windows Media for streaming video transmission via the Internet, and is intending to improve its service using Silverlight.