Adobe to Integrate Apple’s HTTP Live Streaming, Gives Up On Flash for iOS

Adobe confirmed during the National Association of Broadcasters Conference that it would integrate Apple’s HTTP Live Streaming protocol for iOS into its latest build of Adobe Flash Media Server 2011. By doing so, the Flash platform developer has conceded its position on seeing Flash being integrated on iOS and quietly admitting defeat.

The new version of Flash Media Server will also extend HTTP Live Streaming support to Apple desktops and laptops via Safari, as new Apple machines being manufactured and distributed no longer ship with Flash pre-installed from the factory and tests have determined that the removal of Flash increases battery life by up to 33% on select MacBook models.

The Adobe vs. Apple war over Flash integration on iOS is extensive and well-documented, with both CEOs of each respective company trading shots between each other over the advantages and disadvantages of Flash. The dispute became so heated at one point, that Apple created a clause in its development agreement that implicitly forbade iOS apps that were created using Adobe’s tools, under the guise of security issues.

Now with this latest development, Adobe may have definitively given up on its Flash platform being integrated on iOS and may even be preparing for a future without Flash support across Mac OS. Below, some quotes from Kevin Towes on HTTP Live Streaming in Flash Media Server:

”As we continue to evolve this technology we will be adding support for another format, HTTP Live Streaming (HLS). HLS is an MPEG2 transport stream (container) used by devices such as the Apple iPad 2. By adding support for HLS within the Flash Media Server, Adobe is reducing the publishing complexity for broadcasters who need to reach browsers supporting HLS through HTML5 (such as Safari) or devices where Adobe Flash is not installed. Where Flash is installed, Flash Media Server packages the stream using MPEG4-fragments (F4F) to deliver video over HTTP to Flash.”