(April 15, 2007) - Adobe Systems has announced the Adobe Media Player at the NAB show in Las Vegas. “This desktop application expands Adobe's Internet video solutions, adding to an emerging ecosystem that enables new ways to distribute and monetize media, while helping viewers discover and view high-quality content both online and offline,” according to company information.

In a separate interview, Adobe senior product manager Craig Barberick told SYS-CON's Web Developer's & Designer's Journal that “this is really an extension of the Flash Video ecosystem. Up to this point, we did not have a tool that allows Flash Video players to play on their desktops or offline. (With the Adobe Media Player) flash video playback tool, users on a plane or train, for example, can still view Flash Video content locally on my machine.”

Barberick also outlined a number of social and personalization features, and noted that the new product suppors RSS downloads as well. “The driving theme in development of this product was to create an experience for the viewer,” Barberick said. “We recognized that we had to make it convenient for the viewer. So it’s free, it’s cross-platform so plays on PCs and Macs, and it’s available at the Adobe and partner websites.”

"Adobe Flash has revolutionized the distribution of video content across the Internet and Adobe Media Player builds on this leadership position," said Bruce Chizen (pictured), chief executive officer at Adobe. "NAB is a great venue to preview the new capabilities Adobe is bringing to market later this year - as we build out a technology portfolio that will drive new advances in Internet video authoring, playback and commerce."

Adobe Media Player is in beta mode at the moment, and will roll out over the coming year to embrace traditional personal computing systems as well as handheld systems such as mobile phones with video, said Barberick, who also noted that Flash is now playable on more than 200 million phones worlwide.

Adobe can also count Akamai as one its partners in moving its Media Player to market. "Akamai and Adobe have a longstanding partnership that enables the world's leading media companies to deliver consistently high-quality Flash Player video experiences to global audiences," said Paul Sagan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Akamai.