Adobe is attempting to allay fears over the security of video created for its Flash technology by releasing new content-protection server software to guard against misuse.
The Adobe Flash Media Rights Management Server is aimed at broadcasters and media companies who deliver video that can be viewed in both online and offline formats. The company says that the product will integrate into existing and emerging media-delivery workflows, including Adobe Media Player and video applications that run on Adobe's AIR cross-operating system runtime software.
In the wake of repeated hacks to the BBC's iPlayer, security concerns surrounding online video content delivery are high. However, both the BBC and Adobe have asserted that protecting media content is a fundamental part of developing next-generation television business models.
"At Sony Pictures Entertainment, we are looking for innovative new ways to distribute our movies and TV shows so consumers can view them when and where they want," said Richard Berger, senior vice president of new media and technology for the company. "Safeguarding digital media assets from unauthorised usage is a key component of our online strategy."
According to Adobe, content owners can use Flash Media Rights Management Server to encrypt FLV and F4V audio and video files that are downloaded from the web and subsequently played locally on a PC or Mac.
Speaking to ZDNet.co.uk today, Steve Allison, technical evangelist for the dynamic media group at Adobe, explained part of the encryption procedure. "Essentially it is a two-step process. First of all, the content provider encrypts the actual file itself with a unique key for every file — and even every user, if needed — then a policy is implemented which contains information on the usage rights. Usage-control policies then allow service providers to specify a range of parameters for user access and media expiration, while dynamic rights management lets them change usage rights even after a file has been distributed," said Allison.
Adobe Media Player is a customisable desktop player that lets viewers select when and where they watch downloaded or streamed media. Currently in beta, the final release is scheduled to be available in spring 2008.
Adobe Flash Media Rights Management Server is now available for Windows Server 2003 and Red Hat Linux. Users will be able to protect unlimited content as allowed by server capacity.
Talkback
My only complaint is that Adobe acts like a virus.
I did not have Adobe Air installed and when I installed AMP so Air had to be installed as well.
After playing with AMP, and not being able to get any of the CSI stuff to play, I uninstalled AMP. There was no provision to uninstall Air.
I went to the Adobe website and looked through their LiveDocs and they direct you to run the uninstaller located in my /Applications folder. As you can imagine, it is not there.
I download the Air installer hoping to install AIR again along with the uninstaller, but it says my version is up to date and quits.
Adobe does not provide a link to download the uninstaller.
So what makes Adobe different from any other virus that I might pick-up. It it is hidden on my system, I can't uninstall it, and I don't know what it is doing in the back ground. Thankfully I have Little Snitch and have denied Air access to the Internet.
I am through with Adobe and I hope it does not make it to my iPhone or my iPod Touch.
Adobe has responded to me and told me that their LiveDocs information was wrong, and since I have posted this comment on the first fifty news items I could find on Google, I think I should follow up with the information they sent me:
"Sorry for the trouble. Please note that Adobe Media Player is an
application built on AIR, so AIR is required to install and use AMP.
The uninstaller is actually located in the /Application/Utilities
folder."