Full Screen H.264 Flash Video Sample.

Fabio Sonnati, the Italian Flash Video specialist has posted a sample of video encoded at just 500kb/sec.

What’s so good about that you may be wondering, well it shows the capabilities of what can be achieved by the H.264 Codec at such a low encoding rate.

I think you can safely say the results are very impressive, it also plays in full screen just by double clicking on the video.

Fabio has also just published the Flash Video Factory Blog, unfortunately it’s written in his native Italian, so unless you can speak and read Italian, you’ll need to find a translator before you take a look!

Go to and learn – Lee Brimlow has finished the overhaul!

Lee Brimlow has finished his overhaul of his Flash Tutorials website – www.gotoandlearn.com

There are now video tutorials on the site covering everything from Flash Video to AIR.

Lee has been incredibly generous with his knowledge over the years and also with the effort he has put into www.gotoandlearn.com

It was a resource I have used many times in the past, especially to further my knowledge of Flash Video.

Also don’t forget to check out Lee’s Flash Blog….as he is now working for Adobe, this comes straight from the horses mouth.

Go to and learn…..well, what are you waiting for?

Streaming The Men Of Iron.

I have been involved in the ‘sport’ of paintball as a player on and off for 20 years now, pretty much since it first started.

As an industry it has had its fair share of cowboys and people chasing the fast buck just like any other industry.

However, with the internet now almost over a decade old in terms of mass use, some paintball brands are finally recognising that brand awareness and a good website will get them a long way.

With this in mind, I came across the new Team Ironmen website which I feel encapsulates exactly what the team stand for.

It is done in Flash and incorporates a lot of Flash Video, not only in the introduction, but you can view video of player profiles and watch the team in action.

With a web presence like this and the fact the Ironmen have just won the 2007 Paintball World Cup, it will be no wonder sponsors will be more than happy to part with the cash to help the team out.

Oi – Av A Word…

I know this was blogged to death at the time, but I came across it again the other day.

I still think it’s superb!

Glue’s viral Flash Video campaign for the Mini Cooper launch in 2006.

Without doubt one of the most ingenious uses of Flash Video so far on the net.

http://aveaword.glueserv.com/

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.