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To Flash or not to Flash

by Mary Cruse

Beyond the regular digital media, entertainment industry and Internet technology reading I do, I have tripped into another abyss of information -- Web site design. I have no desire to learn html code or design Web sites, but I do need a new Web site for the film commission. I admire and respect those that do design Web sites, and know that we have a wide range of developers in our area.

I think I can handle Web 2.0 with content management systems and user- friendly applications like Drupal or Joomla. I have been researching Web site design for the past year so that the Humboldt Film Commission can have a more interactive Web site, showcasing job posts, videos, an event calendar and photo library link.

I know the functionality of the Web site and I know what I want it to look like. We have an RFP available, so any interested parties can e-mail me ASAP -- the deadline is Feb. 23. I keep getting stuck on the same issue. Should we use Flash or H.264 or both? It has become a more complicated issue.

Adobe Flash is a multi-media platform, launched in 1996 and has been the leader for the web-based video market. Launched in 2003, H.264 is another standard for video compression that is growing in popularity -- primarily because of the use with iTunes, iPhone and now the iPad. All of the i-appliances and Mac computers are owned by Apple.

The opinions seem to range from, “Yes, you must use Flash,” to, “No. Absolutely do not use Flash on your Web site,” which I have heard at several panel discussions by industry experts and entertainment or media conferences.

This topic has created quite a media buzz for Apple Computer guru and CEO Steve Jobs, who recently vocalized his issues with Flash to executives at the Wall Street Journal, “We don´t spend a lot of energy on old technology,” Jobs said before comparing Flash to other technologies that Apple has rendered obsolete, including floppy drives and CDs. Ouch.

He also went on to say that Flash crashes Mac computers, is “buggy,” and is a CPU hog. The latter is especially a problem if you have dial-up or slow Internet speed.

Job´s talk with The Wall Street Journal execs was during a recent presentation of the new Apple iPad, which does not use Flash, but the H.264 video compression system (codec). This is compatible with both the iPad and the Flash Player installed on most Web browsers.

As more companies reconfigure their Web sites and start showcasing video on the Web, the more imperative it is to look at the compression program that works best for your needs. H.264 is currently an inexpensive and effective way to distribute video. It is also patented, privately licensed and subject to price increases as popularity and user numbers go up.

I appreciate good, healthy competition, but in the computer, software world, it can get dicey.

I am a converted Mac user since 2003. I use a PC at my office, and Macbook Pro for most everything media in my life. The transition from a Sony laptop to a Mac was at the time for one reason only. I wanted to use the non-linear video editing software Final Cut Pro. This has become an independent film and television standard, and is not available for a computer other than a Mac.

The history of Apple´s purchase of the software is controversial and worthy of a screenplay. The initial version, called Key Grip, was created by a team at Macromedia and was shown in a private screening room at the 1998 National Association of Broadcasters exposition. At that time, there was also a PC, Microsoft-supported version presented. But only for that event.

Apple purchased the software and the rest is history. I was told by one of the original software designers that it would never be available on a PC computer platform -- only Macs.

The first broadcast-quality television show produced on Final Cut Pro was the WOW -- Women of Wrestling in 2000. In 2001, a feature film called “The Rules of Attraction” used the program.

Final Cut Pro earned entertainment industry credibility when Academy-Award winning film editor extraordinaire Walter Murch used it to edit the 2003 film “Cold Mountain.” Murch was nominated for an editing Oscar for his artistry. He later went on to write the book, “Behind the Scenes,” about his digital editing experience.

To go full circle, Adobe Flash was formerly owned and created by Macromedia, who originally launched Final Cut Pro. Flash is used extensively with Microsoft´s Media Player. H.264 is a standard for video compression and was released in 2003, used for Blu-Ray, YouTube and iTunes.

For the Rupert Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal, they will continue to use Flash and did not appreciate Steve Job´s referring to using Flash as “trivial.”

Throw into the mix the fact that the popular browser Firefox does not support H.264, because the annual licensing rates of $5 million goes against their own idea of a free and open-source Web. Firefox also does not have a Flash Player, but plug-ins are available.

Web developers, input is appreciated. 

posted on Feb 21, 2010

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