New TVs may make Flash the MP3 of digital video

21.04.2009
Flash, the technology used by YouTube to stream video clips into your browser window, is now installed on 98 percent of all computers, according to Adobe Systems, which acquired the technology in 2005. The company also says that about 80 percent of Web videos are viewed using Flash. If those stats are accurate, they make a solid case for building Flash into living-room televisions. A New York Times said Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen was to announce the details on upcoming Flash-enabled televisions Monday at the high-profile National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas.

A few years ago, it would have been hard to find a Web technologist who would predict that Flash would still be around in 2010. Flash was best known for its use in gratuitous website splash pages that flattered site owners' egos but made exasperated Web surfers reach for their back buttons. A Flash parody site, , captured the moment in time.

But when YouTube launched in early 2005, Flash browser add-ons suddenly went from an unwanted annoyance to a must-have accessory. The only way to watch YouTube was to install Flash. YouTube drove Flash adoption, which drove other online video creators to deliver their clips via Flash. Adobe makes its money selling software to create and serve Flash content.