A Closer Look at Adobe Flash Media Server 3.5
As long as the Interactive version of FMS (FMIS) 3.5 is used, any FlashPlayer from version 6 forward will work (FP 6 limited to H.263 andMP3). Flash Media Streaming Server (FMSS) 3.5 doesn't support thisserver-side recording feature.
When asked about the reasoning, Towes said this was a businessdecision. FMSS 3.5 also doesn't support server-side ActionScripts,which are needed for VoIP or video messaging.
Combining the two new features—Dynamic Streaming and DVRF I usunctionality—is a natural synergy of several previous attempts todeal with network issues.
In some ways, it is no different than the early days of audiostreaming, where Real discovered that users wanted to continuelistening to content at a lower quality/bitrate if the bandwidthdropped, but wanted the stream to pick back up at the same location ifit dropped out completely.
In another way, with the caching of the live stream, it follows thepattern that the Burstware technology created a few years ago,followed by Microsoft and then Apple, of playing from a cache tosmooth streaming. Towes is quick to point out my analogy'sshortcoming, though.
"We're not using a Burst technology," said Towes, adding "we'vecreated a more elegant solution that ties both the server's cache andthe local cache together to handle network intermittence and providecustomer benefits that mimic what they expect on their living roomscreen."
Regardless of whether this is an elegant upgrade to the old or anewfound approach to thinking like a broadcaster, with multipleredundancies and failsafes for live streams, the combination of theDynamic Streaming and DVR functionality provide a compelling glimpseinto ways to solve age-old problems as we transition to IP as anequal-quality delivery mechanism.One final question that had been bothering me: The "Flash Tax" term isshorthand for the cost of delivering Adobe streams via its FlashMedia Server. The inclusion of an Apache 2.2 web server in FMS 3.5means that the delivery of HTML, image and graphics could be achievedfrom the same streaming server, as well as HTTP protocol rollover forstreams that need to be sent via port 80. But would this potentiallyincrease the "Flash Tax" to include anything transferred via thebuilt-in Apache server?
"FMS 3.5 will handle the proxy to allow content to be sent via RTMPvia HTTP," said Towes, "and we do not charge extra for HTTP delivery.The intent of the Apache 2.2 web server is strictly for convenience,especially for those smaller organizations that might not have thebudget to have both a separate web server and a separate streamingserver."
The upgrade price on FMIS is $349, while an FMSS upgrade is $249.Sample content can be viewed at www.streamflashhd.com, a beta sitejointly created by Adobe and Akamai.