Flash Streaming Server

On the World Wide Web, a flash streaming server is vital to compete in a world not only driven by information, but by moving images and visual actions. Not only is the internet now visually and auditory driven, but the user's ability to interact effectively in their internet environment determines, in large part, how satisfied they are with their visit. In the fast-paced, global world, computer users want their internet experience to match the ever changing, constantly moving world around them. In the infancy, computer animation was rudimentary at best. This animation also ate up precious server space, which was its own evolving industry. With the advent of such products as a flash video server, end users were benefited by quick and smooth movies and audio files. But, end users were not the only ones to benefit from this exciting new development on the technology terrain. Web site owners and developers can save and preserve precious storage and memory space. The benefits don't stop there. Broadband differences are no longer a problem, piracy is kept at a minimum and the end user is never asked to download any software in order to interact with the web site or media presentation.

This computer program that can display both vector (line art) and raster (pixilated graphics) figures was first created by Jonathan Gray in 1993. Jonathan Gray joined with his friends, Charlie Jackson and Michelle Welsh, started a software company. Their dream was to create a software program that would make computer animation as easy as drawing on a piece of paper. It was not as popular as the three had hoped. However, as the internet began to really boom in popularity, users and designers alike were starting to realize the need for vector-based animation that could be used on the web. Up to this point, the graphics had been primarily rasterized. A rasterized image cannot be resized or altered as easily and with fluidity like a vector-based image. The three partners tweaked the design of their program to include frame by frame animation possibilities. This was the ancestor of the flash streaming server. They released this new product under the name FutureSplash. This exciting product was eventually purchased. It was given the new name, Flash, by combining the names future and splash together. The technology that was introduced by this exciting animation software would continue to transform the web. Now, the flash video server is one of the most versatile, widely used visual and audio server interfaces in the world.

In the genesis of internet animation, the end user would be asked to download a software program or agree to a product called a plug in. This was initially due to the fact that animation was saved in various formats that were not compatible with each other. In order for the viewer to watch the movie or listen to the audio file, they would have to have the software program or plug in that recognized the file type that was used to record the original file. At this time there were at least four major software companies producing animation creation, movie playing and audio streaming programs. This is inefficient and confusing. An internet user was often asked to download all of the software programs and suggested plug ins in order to successfully interact with the range of internet sites they would visit in a day. This is not only inconvenient, but it also takes up a lot of space on the user's hard drive. In order to store and run all of these software downloads and plug ins, the hard drive of the computer needs to permanently store them, even when they are not being utilitized. From a computer memory stand point, this seems pointless. This, and other concerns, necessitated the development of the flash video server.

With the flash streaming server, the visual images are housed on an off-site server. Neither the memory space of the graphic itself nor the memory space of the program or plug in is dumped on the user's hard drive. This allows the other programs on the computer to run more efficiently. Closely connected to this memory issue is the increased compatibility of the flash video server configuration. Because the animation or audio file is housed on an off-site server, it can play on any browser. File compatibility is not longer an issue, as the web user is already on a browser. This software program and internet interface is utilitized and compatible with more web browsers than all of the three leading competitors combined. This allows the internet user to watch a video on a flash streaming server without downloading software or opening the viewer in another window. The ease of this interface puts to sleep some of the frustrations plaguing avid internet users.

Another issue solved by the introduction of the flash video server is that it is not dependant on the viewer's bandwidth and does not require caching and temporary filing. What does this mean to the end user? What does this mean to the originating web site? Because the flash streaming serving is not dependent on the user's bandwidth for quality, the movie or radio program will come across in good condition regardless of the bandwidth of the viewer or listener. In addition, the old style of interface (progressive) required the user's computer to cache the later segments of the movie in their temporary internet files. This was not desirable for many reasons. For videos longer than 20 minutes, this is impractical. Memory storage was always an issue. "The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot." (Proverbs 10:7) Also, the web site ran the risk of having the video pirated if a portion was held in the temporary internet files of the users. Now these are no longer concerns.

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