Flash to be optimized for Intel, Nvidia netbooks
Adobe is to optimize its Flash Web-video technology for playback on netbooks and other devices using Intel's Atom and Nvidia's graphics processors, the company announced on Tuesday.
The Atom optimization will not take place directly with Intel, but instead through collaboration between Adobe and the semiconductor company Broadcom. The work will result in a version of Flash that is optimised for Broadcom's Crystal HD video accelerators, and is expected to be completed sometime in the first half of 2010.
These chipsets are found in several netbooks, including Acer's latest Aspire One and HP's Mini 110XP, that use Intel's Atom processor.
Adobe will be working directly with Nvidia on optimising Flash for all of Nvidia's graphics processors, including the Tegra system-on-a-chip that the graphics-chip company is pushing as a rival to Atom in the netbook and mobile internet device (MID) markets.
Adobe's general manager of platforms, David Wadhwani said on Tuesday: "Broadcom's low-cost, high-performance media-processing engine for netbooks combined with Adobe Flash Player will deliver great video experiences".
He also commented that Nvidia's "unique expertise makes it an ideal partner for Adobe to integrate cutting-edge graphics and video acceleration into the Adobe Flash Platform, benefiting all types of devices".
Both collaborations are aimed at bringing full H.264 high-definition video to portable Web-browsing devices, Adobe said.