Silverlight 3 to Support Streaming HD Flash Video Encoding

An upcoming version of Silverlight, named Silverlight 3, will be able to play high-definition videos used in Flash and music in iTunes' AAC format. The version add to the variety of streamed HD video and high-fidelity music that broadcasters are expected to bring online.

Silverlight 3 won't be able to play .flv or .swf content. An early preview of Silverlight 3 will be shown at the International Broadcasting Conference (IBC) 2008 in Amsterdam this week.

Scott Guthrie, Vice President, Microsoft .NET Developer Division, said, "At IBC 2008 we will be demonstrating a technology preview of H.264 video and Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) audio playback support in Silverlight, and H.264 authoring using Microsoft Expression Encoder and Windows Server 2008 for delivery. Until now, Silverlight has supported the SMPTE VC-1 and Windows Media formats, as well as MP3 for audio, enabling customers to take advantage of broad support across the Windows Media ecosystem, including third-party tools, service providers and content delivery networks."

According to published press reports, Silverlight 3 is expected to ship early next calendar year. A beta of Silverlight 3 is expected soon after Silverlight 2 ships this fall.

Microsoft Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform, and cross-device plug-in for delivering the next generation of .NET based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web.

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