Info about news, press releases, new
products, new camcorders, new video software, computer software,
video hardware, computer hardware, press announcements, new web
sites, new movies, new videos, new video editing tools |
|
MACROMEDIA TO DRIVE NEXT GENERATION LOOK
AND FEEL OF WEB VIDEO
New versions of Flash Professional 8 and Dreamweaver 8 offer
industry “firsts” and ease of use
San Francisco – August 8, 2005 – Macromedia, Inc. (NASDAQ:
MACR) today announced powerhouse new product releases with
revolutionary video tools for encoding and publishing video to the
web. The new releases include Flash® Professional 8, the latest
version of the Flash authoring tool used to create rich interactive
content, and Dreamweaver® 8, the industry's choice for professional
web development. Video techniques traditionally used for broadcast
television and film such as alpha channel, effects and animation,
are now available in the latest Macromedia product releases and
accessible through intuitive user interfaces and workflows. Flash
Professional 8 and Dreamweaver 8 are part of Macromedia Studio 8,
which also includes Macromedia Fireworks® 8, Macromedia Contribute™
3, and Macromedia FlashPaper™ 2, and is the essential suite used to
design, develop, and maintain effective, interactive online
experiences. To learn more about Flash Professional 8, Dreamweaver 8
or Studio 8, please visit
http://www.macromedia.com/software/studio/.
"Flash Video represents the next level of sophistication in the
creation and delivery of interactive content for the web," said Jim
Guerard, vice president, Macromedia. "The new video enhancements in
Flash Professional 8 and Dreamweaver 8 broaden appeal to the
community of video professionals looking to capture, edit, and
publish video online.”
Integrating video on websites, web applications or interactive
presentations has historically been a complex multi-step process.
The new video tools in Flash Professional 8 and Dreamweaver 8 offer
industry-first capabilities that let individuals or companies easily
build and deploy custom interactivity in Flash Video.
Flash Professional 8 offers brand new features and simple workflows
that will redefine video on the web. New support for 8-bit alpha
channels at runtime means customers can now combine semi-transparent
video with other video, graphics, or digital assets for amazing
online productions. To create a more engaging and interactive
experience, customers can crop and resize video for their specific
sites, and also embed cue points in the Flash Video files so events
can be triggered dynamically during playback. An improved video
component provides over 30 professionally designed custom skins that
display the online video in custom frameworks and shapes, truly
different from today’s display of video in traditional rectangular
pop-up windows.
Flash Professional 8 includes a new Flash Video Encoder to deliver
the highest quality content with the industry’s smallest file sizes.
Designers, developers and video professionals can use the video
encoder as an integrated tool within Flash Professional 8 authoring
environment, or as a stand-alone product on a separate machine; both
options support batch encoding. The new release also includes a new
Flash Video plug-in for professional nonlinear video editing systems
so editors can export video directly for the web in Flash Video
format. Viewers can experience the power of Flash Professional 8
video by downloading Flash Player 8, the recently released runtime
client from Macromedia.
Dreamweaver 8 (announced today, see separate release) is
Macromedia’s latest release of the industry's leading tool for
designing and developing websites and applications. New features
include the ability to easily incorporate Flash Video onto a website
or application following a simple five-click process. This new
workflow also includes many professionally designed skins that can
be used “as is” or modified with Flash. Content created in Flash
Professional 8 integrates directly within Dreamweaver 8 for instant
publishing capabilities. Because of this tight integration, changes
to content created or edited in Flash Professional 8 or Dreamweaver
8 are automatically saved and versions are synchronized for
streamlined video publishing to the web.
Flash Professional 8 and Dreamweaver 8 leverage the new Macromedia
Flash Player 8 (public pre-release announced today, see separate
release) and prior versions, which, to date, are installed on over
98% of the world’s Internet-connected computers. Macromedia Flash
Player 8 is the latest release of the stand-alone, ubiquitous
runtime environment. Flash Player 8 includes the high-quality On2
VP6 codec, and offers significant performance gains with video,
ensuring faster and smoother video playback.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
Macromedia Flash Professional 8 is expected to ship in
September. Localized versions in German, French, Japanese, Spanish,
Italian, Korean, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese will be
available shortly thereafter. Flash Professional pricing is $699 for
a full license (NA commercial) and $399 for an upgrade (NA
commercial). Dreamweaver 8 pricing is $399 for a full license (NA
commercial) and $199 for an upgrade (NA commercial). Studio 8
pricing is $999 for a full license (NA commercial) and $399 for an
upgrade (NA commercial). Education, government, and volume pricing
is available. To learn more about pricing options, please visit
http://www.macromedia.com/buy/volume_license. The Flash Player 8
Public Beta is available as a free download from
http://www.macromedia.com/software/flashplayer/public_beta/.
|
|
Looking for Gear or Information? - Use Google
|
