Flu, Gigs and Streaming Media!

Had the dreaded flu for the entire week hence the lack of postings this week.

The Shed Seven gig last Saturday was excellent and the whole crowd were well up for it.

They played all their hits and finished with a stunning version of Going For Gold.

One of the stand out moments was a brilliant Parallel Lines which made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up!

Back in the land of the living, one of the websites I always have an eye on regarding the use of web video is www.streamingmedia.com.

Whilst checking the website this morning I noticed they put up digital versions of the bi-monthly magazine they produce – Streaming Media Magazine.

You can read the magazine in flash page turn environment within your browser.

They have featured articles from the likes of Lisa Larson, who is a flash video expert and has recently published the book – Flash Video for Professionals.

The September / October edition of Streaming Media Magazine can be found here.

You will need flash player installed.

Adobe’s New Website.

Abode unvieled their new website the other day, breaking with the old centre aligned website and going to a left aligned website and a right sided search feature.

The website is far more in your face that the old design and and still easy to navigate around.

I like it, I think they need to brave and start delivering a more bandwidth intensive webiste in order to inspire people with the products they sell.

While on the subject of inspiration I am currently working my way through four new study books -

Apple Pro Training Series: Motion 3.
Flash Video for Professionals: Expert Techniques for Integrating Video on the Web.
Creating Flash Advertising: From Concept to Tracking – Microsites, Video Ads and More.
Hands-On Guide to Flash Video: Web Video and Flash Media Server.

I have about another four chapters to do on the Motion training and have just finished the Hands-On Guide to Flash Video: Web Video and Flash Media Server.

It’s a long haul but it will be worth it in the end!

However, I will be taking the night off tonight to go see the re-formed Shed Seven at Leeds University which I am very much looking forward to!

Flash Player 9 Released.

Adobe have now released the new Flash Player version 9.

You can download for free here – This is the Windows version.

In addition to this they have also created a HI-DEF video gallery in order to show off Flash Player’s new capabilities and the fact that it now supports HI-DEF video along with the H.264 video codec and the HE-AAC v2 audio codec.

Have a look at Adobe’s HI-DEF video gallery here.

Adobe Announce New Flash Media Server.

Yesterday Adobe confirmed the new Flash Media Server will be available some time early 2008.

Packed with new features, and the fact that it is much cheaper than previous versions will see this product become the dominant force in web video delivery.

The product comes in two flavours.

Coupled with the new Flash Player 9’s ability to deliver HI-DEF video using the H.264 codec, this is going to be some year for Flash Video.

Pricing -

Flash Media Streaming Server 3 – £868.32.

Flash Media Interactive Server 3 – £3,935.08.

Best of all, the developer edition you can still download for free!

Full press release is here.

We Have Lift Off…

Well I have finally decided to take the plunge and start a blog.

I jumped out of bed this morning full of the joys of spring and after some deliberation I decided I should make the effort

I am a professional web designer / developer with a passion for Flash Video, Flash Media Server, Flash and Graphic Design.

I play tournament paintball for a team called Fusion based in York at the Yorkshire Paintball Center.

I love music.