FLASH MEDIA SERVER 3.5 FAQ

• IT professionals
• Content owners and distributors
• Interactive developers

IT professionals

What operating systems does Adobe® Flash® Media Server run on?

Supported operating systems

• Microsoft® Windows Server® 2003 with Service Pack 2 or Windows Server 2008 (all editions)
• Linux® Red Hat® 4 or 5

Minimum hardware requirements

• 3.2GHz Intel® Pentium® 4 processor (dual Intel Xeon® or faster recommended)
• 2GB of RAM (4GB recommended)
• 1GB Ethernet card

Does Flash Media Server support 64-bit operating systems?

Yes, Flash Media Server is supported on 64-bit systems, but operates in 32-bit mode. Flash Media Server 3.5 will also now support 64-bit file lengths. This means that Flash Media Server 3.5 can handle file lengths longer than 2 gigabytes.

When will content delivery networks (CDNs) support Flash Media Server 3.5?

Adobe works closely with its CDN partners during the development phase and makes every effort to encourage them to adopt the latest version. Contact individual partners to learn more about their plans.

How much does Flash Media Server cost?

Flash Media Server is offered in three editions:

Flash Media Interactive Server 3.5
Get high-performance, scalable media delivery plus rich interactivity. Support for DVR functionality, automatic Edge caching, plug-in support, and deep connectivity within your network make this the right server for large-scale, protected media delivery.

Flash Media Streaming Server 3.5
Get turn-key HD media delivery and protection. Flash Media Streaming Server is useful to add basic live and on-demand streaming to your website or your corporate network.

Flash Media Development Server: free
Easily develop and test your Flash Media Server applications with this free edition. It supports all of the features of Flash Media Interactive Server 3.5 but is limited to ten simultaneous streams.

Find out more on the Flash Media Server family pages.

Are there educational discounts?

Yes.

Why choose Flash Media Interactive Server over Flash Media Streaming Server for video delivery?

Flash Media Interactive Server offers numerous features and benefits that may be useful for an application that just provides streaming, such as:

• Pause and seek within a live stream
• Unlimited scalability with Edge caching support
• Plug-in architecture for deep authentication and integration
• Multipoint publishing for rebroadcasting streams
• Server redirection for handling missing stream errors
• Server-side playlists to mash your streams together
• Video recording using Spark or H.264 codec

What version of Flash Player will support Flash Media Server 3.5?

• Flash Player 6 and later supports Flash Media Server 3.5 streaming
• Flash Player 7 and later supports HTTP delivery
• Flash Player 9,0,115 and later supports the encrypted Real Time Messaging Protocol (RTMPE), SWF verification, and H.264
• Flash Player 10 is required to support Dynamic Streaming and XMP metadata

How many servers do I need?

There is no arbitrary limit set on the number of simultaneous streams you can serve on a Flash Media Server edition, but there will be limitations in hardware and bandwidth capacity.

To estimate the bandwidth your Flash Media Server application will use, you will need to know the following:

• Number of simultaneous users your application must support at peak load
• Data transmission speed at which you expect your users to connect
• Number of audio/video streams your application will support per user
• Limitations of your server hardware (disk speed, memory, CPU) and Internet connection
• Target bit rate of your audio and video streams

Refer to the article Calculating bandwidth needs for Flash Media Server 3 on the Adobe Developer Connection for further guidance on determining your server needs.

What are some of the productivity tools available for Flash Media Server 3.5?

• FMSCheck is a command-line program that can check on the health of critical Flash Media Server subsystems. You can use it within your own script to report the status of the server.
• FLVCheck is a tool that verifies the structure of the FLV file so it can be streamed. This tool will also support the validation of MPEG-4 structures.
• The Load Testing Tool is a new scriptable tool, available as a separate download, that will help you test your network and streamline your installation.
• F4V Flattener is a tool that prepares F4V video to be used by editing software such as Adobe Premiere® Pro CS4.
• A sample video player with Dynamic Streaming support is provided to demonstrate the use of the new Dynamic Streaming feature, which allows you to detect changes in available bandwidth and smoothly switch between video files of different bit rates.
• The Management Console gives you the ability to monitor the server in real time, allowing you to view bandwidth, connection, and stream information and perform basic administration operations such as restarting the server and reloading applications.

How does Flash Media Server integrate into my network?

Flash Media Server runs on either Windows or Linux® operating systems. The XML-based configuration and C++ plug-ins allow a great deal of customization. Media files can be stored on the local server or in remote locations. Plug-ins can be configured to provide access control, directory/file mapping, authentication, or additional security features.

Flash Media Interactive Server can be configured as Origin/Edge, allowing for virtually unlimited scalability and optimum network efficiency. If you're using a CDN, you can leverage publishing features to create a live publishing point on a network, inject data messages into a stream, and push the stream to the CDN. Flash Media Server 3.5 now features an integrated HTTP server, which allows you to serve all elements of your application from one server and even fall back to progressive media delivery when RTMP is not available to the client.

How does Dynamic Streaming impact my network?

Dynamic Streaming helps improve delivery quality by delivering optimized media, encoded with multiple bit rates. Each "media item" consists of multiple files. This may increase the disk storage and RAM usage. Files will need to be "linked" together in publishing systems/asset managers to accurately track media playback and deliver the most efficient stream to the client. Client-side applications (using ActionScript®) will need to be updated to include routines to monitor and manage the stream delivery.

What do I need to do in my network to prepare for Flash Media Server?

Flash Media Server operates with clients using RTMP over TCP. The default port is 1935; if a port is not specified, the client will attempt to connect to ports in the following order: 1935, 443, and then via tunneled RTMP (RTMPT) on port 80. If any of these ports are closed on your network, Flash Media Server streaming may fail.

Flash Media Server also has an embedded HTTP web server that shares port 80 with RTMPT. The web server runs internally on port 8134. Publicly, all HTTP requests to Flash Media Server are routed to the web server. All RTMPT connections on port 80 are served by Flash Media Server.

Where can I learn more about how to deploy Flash Media Server in my network?

Helpful articles and documentation can be found on the resources page and in the Flash Media Server Developer Center.

How does Flash Media Server protect from stream theft?

Simply choosing to stream media helps protect your content because media is not cached by the client. To help further protect your content, you can use stream encryption plus SWF verification. Flash Media Server supports both real-time encryption through RTMPE and delivery of media that has been pre-encrypted by Adobe Flash Access. SWF verification ensures that the video player accessing your video is actually your video player, and not a modified or spoofed version of it.

How do I implement encryption and SWF verification to help protect my content?

Implementing RTMPE is easy — you only need to specify it in your connection string (for example, rtmpe://myFMSserver.com/vod). You can also choose SSL, which requires a certificate. RTMPE does not require a certificate.

To implement SWF verification, place a copy of the SWF or Adobe AIR™ file on Flash Media Server. Significant configuration options, including support inside the C++ plug-ins, help you integrate into your network environment.

Does Flash Media Server support domain checking?

Yes, you can use domain white/black lists to further protect your content from unauthorized access.

What other content protection does Flash Media Server offer?

Using Flash Media Interactive Server with server-side ActionScript, you can verify that the client is authorized to play the video through a variety of metrics, including referrer, domain, IP address, or even Flash Player version. ActionScript can be used to manage requests made to Flash Media Interactive Server.

C++ can also be used to manage authorization by creating custom plug-ins for Flash Media Interactive Server. Plug-ins can be used to closely integrate into your network. You can also leverage databases or user management services such as LDAP using plug-ins.

Where can I read more about content protection features?

For more details about these and other methods for protecting your streams, read the security white paper.

What impact does DVR functionality have on my network?

DVR functionality with Flash Media Server requires that a disk or memory cache be available for the temporary recording of video. The cache size will determine the length of "rewind" supported.

Is DVR functionality supported with Edge/Origin?

Yes, DVR functionality can be implemented with networks configured with Origin/Edge. The cache segments will exist on the Origin server, and will be delivered to the Edge server on demand.

Is DVR functionality supported with HD live streaming?

Yes, DVR functionality supports any quality of live video streaming coming from Flash Media Live Encoder and Adobe partners that support live Flash streaming.

Will CDNs support DVR functionality?

Adobe is working with its CDN partners to support this functionality. Contact your CDN for more details.

What is server-side video recording?

Flash Media Server 3.5 allows server-side recording of Spark or H.264 streams. It is important to monitor or limit the duration of recordings to avoid using up all available hard-drive space on the server or remote storage device. Recording also engages the CPU of the server; you'll want to take this into account when calculating overall load of an application.

What is progressive download?

Media delivered from a web server is called progressive download. Web servers typically use HTTP as the protocol over the web. HTTP is used to deliver HTML, JavaScript, CSS, images, and even SWF files to the client. A unique feature of HTTP is the ability to cache content on the client. This makes loading web pages much faster but limits content protection with media delivery.

What is streaming?

Media delivered from Flash Media Server using RTMP is called streaming. Streaming delivery is a better delivery method over progressive delivery for the following reasons:

• Higher quality of service, with methods to detect a client's available bandwidth and automatically switch to a stream with an optimized bit rate
• Faster playback start, with limited buffering required
• No content cached on the viewer's hard drive, providing added security
• Support for large media and seeking support, allowing viewers to skip to any part of the video without playback delays
• Bandwidth efficiency; download only the portion of the video watched
• Possibility of live video
• Improved server memory usage, because Flash Media Server can store media assets with some intelligence and reduce the reliance on the hard disk
• Improved client memory usage, because media does not need to be stored in memory to be played (like it does with progressive download)

Why should I choose streaming over progressive download?

Adobe Flash Media Server 3.5 is both a streaming server and an HTTP server. Streaming provides a higher quality of service and a better user experience and adds more protection options for your content. Streaming makes it easier to deliver long-form media and high-quality (high bit rate) media. Users can also easily seek anywhere in the video with streaming delivery.

Progressive download (HTTP) delivery is useful for reaching locations where RTMP has limited support. HTTP is useful for delivering media to a client for viewing offline in applications such as Adobe Media Player. HTTP content needing protection can be encrypted and managed using Adobe Flash Access. For more information, visit the Flash Access product page.

How does streaming produce a better video experience?

Flash Media Server 3.5 can determine the best stream to deliver to a client by testing the available bandwidth. This can happen before streaming even starts with bandwidth detection, and during playback with Dynamic Streaming support. Flash Media Server can also closely manage the media buffer on the client to help ensure a quality media experience. When you stream video you also use memory much more effectively both on the client and on the server.

Why is streaming better for my network?

Streaming video through Flash Media Server can support more concurrent high-quality streams per server than progressive download because streaming only serves the portion of the video that's requested.

What can the embedded HTTP server do?

By default, Flash Media Server 3.5 installs with Apache 2.2 HTTP Server. This allows you to deploy SWF and HTML files from the same computer on which Flash Media Server is installed. You can also deploy JPEG, GIF, and many other file types. The HTTP server can also be used to deliver video and audio content via HTTP if RTMP fails.

Can I use multiple network cards with Flash Media Server?

Yes. Using multiple network cards with Flash Media Server will allow you to combine the total capacity to attain throughput above 1Gbps. The method to do this is called "bonding" in Linux or "teaming" in Windows. Flash Media Server leverages the resources of the hardware available by the server. These techniques are done in the operating system and not with Flash Media Server configuration.

Flash Media Server can also be configured to manage multiple network cards as separate resources. You can provision streaming at the adaptor level and bind delivery of specific media or communications on different network cards. With either of these solutions, you will still be limited by the total data center and switch capacity. More information is available on the Flash Media Blog.

Are Flash Media Server 3.5 applications and configurations compatible with Flash Media Server 2?

Flash Media Server 3.5 has limited backward compatibility with version 2:

• Client-side ActionScript: Applications supporting Flash Player 8 are fully supported. You should test your application to ensure compatibility. New ActionScript 2 and ActionScript 3 APIs have been introduced since Flash Player 8.
• Server-side ActionScript: Limited changes have been made to the server-side APIs.
• Configuration files: Configuration files have had significant changes. Back up your version 2 configuration files and transfer to version 3.5 configurations.
• Origin/Edge: Mixed version 2 and version 3.5 Origin/Edge servers are not supported.
• Serial numbers: Both a version 2 and an upgrade version 3.5 serial number are required.

Are Flash Media Server 3.5 applications and configurations compatible with Flash Media Server 3?

Flash Media Server 3.5 has limited backward compatibility with version 3:

• Client-side ActionScript: Applications supporting Flash Player 9 are fully supported. You should test your application to ensure compatibility. New ActionScript 2 and ActionScript 3 APIs have been introduced in Flash Player 10 and Adobe AIR 1.5.
• Server-side ActionScript: Limited changes have been made to the server-side APIs; testing of your applications will be required to ensure full support.
• C++ plug-ins: Plug-ins compiled for version 3 will need to be recompiled for version 3.5.
• Configuration files: Configuration files have had significant changes. Back up your version 3 configuration files and transfer to version 3.5 configurations.
• Origin/Edge: Mixed version 3 and version 3.5 Origin/Edge configurations are not supported.
• Serial numbers: Both a version 3 and an upgrade version 3.5 serial number are required.

Why does Flash Media Server use RTMP and not Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP)?

RTMP enables multidirectional communication from Flash Player to Flash Media Server. This protocol allows the client to control the stream delivery quality and security. RTMP has different modes that include two real-time encryption modes: SSL (RTMPS) and RTMPE. It also allows multiway interactive applications to send data back and forth. Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) is an insecure, one-way protocol. With RTSP, alternate solutions and workflows are needed to protect your content (such as DRM). In addition, multidirectional communication is not possible with RTSP.

Is Flash Media Server 3.5 scalable?

Yes, Flash Media Interactive Server 3.5 supports Edge caching configurations. The Origin and Edge architecture provides the caching services required for large and distributed installations.

Does Flash Media Server support live video streaming?

Yes, all versions of Flash Media Server support live streaming. You can stream directly from Flash Player using the Spark codec or stream high-quality media (with VP6 or H.264) using the free Flash Media Live Encoder desktop application.

Does Flash Media Server support HD streaming?

Yes. High-definition video can be delivered via Flash Player using either the VP6 or the H.264 codec. H.264 can deliver great quality at lower bit rates. If you are targeting Flash Player 8 or Flash Lite™ 3, you'll need to use the VP6 codec. H.264 is supported in Flash Player 9 and later. For examples of HD content in action, visit the HD Gallery.

Why would I host my own Flash Media Server rather than using a CDN?

Streaming with your enterprise or a closed network is much more cost effective, as the servers are part of the network. You can control access and delivery channels, plus manage the load on your network with the Origin/Edge configuration of Flash Media Interactive Server. You can also deploy deep authentication and interactive solutions that CDNs do not support. To support collaborative solutions (chat, video messaging), alongside your high-volume streaming, you can use both a CDN and your own Flash Media Server.

I would like to set up a public CDN. How do I do that?

For information about how to join Adobe's Flash Video Streaming Service program, contact Scott Wellwood, senior business development manager, at swellwoo@adobe.com.

Does Flash Media Server have logging?

Yes. W3C-compliant ASCII logs, a real-time usage monitor, and a complete API for server and stream events help ensure that you have all the tools you need to track and generate reports on your audience's content use.

Does Flash Media Server support IPV6?

Yes, IPV6 has been supported by Flash Media Server since version 3.

What support options are available for Flash Media Server?

You can find extensive online documentation and support files for Flash Media Server on the resources page, along with a wealth of tutorials and sample code in the Flash Media Server Developer Center. If you require a higher level of product support, you can enroll in one of Adobe's support programs.

How does Flash Media Server support firewall traversal?

Flash Media Server can negotiate port blocking, either by "tunneling" streams via RTMPT or by automatically defaulting to HTTP delivery if streaming is not permitted by the client's connection. The result is a smooth viewing experience for all clients.

Why would I choose Flash Media Server over clone servers?

Flash Media Server offers:

• Adobe product compatibility — Flash Media Server fully supports Flash Player, AIR, and Flash Lite.
• A more robust experience — With applications like Adobe Acrobat® Connect™ and partners like Akamai constantly pushing the technology, Flash Media Server has the real-world load testing that is tough to duplicate.
• CDN support — More than 20 CDNs worldwide push almost 25 petabytes of video data through Flash Media Server each month.
• Live video — Flash Live Media Encoder (plus numerous partners) supports H.264 live streaming. Streaming via clone servers is not supported with Flash Live Media Encoder.
• Efficient content protection — Flash Media Server 3.5 supports encrypted streaming using the RTMPE protocol, which is much more efficient than encryption via SSL.

Does Flash Media Server 3.5 support a solution similar to HTTP-302 redirect?

Yes, this is a standard feature of Flash Media Server 3.5, supporting advanced load balancing and smart redirection.

Content owners and distributors

Why are H.264 (MPEG-4) and AAC+ so important?

Adobe provides one of the leading online digital media delivery platforms, and the addition of standards-based H.264 extends Flash technologies. Customers can leverage their existing video and audio to deliver content to the web and other devices — up to HD quality — leveraging the reach of Flash Player with their current infrastructure and encoding investments. Flash Player 9 and later support the playback of formats derived from the MPEG-4 container such as F4V, MP4, M4A, MOV, MP4V, 3GP, and 3G2 if they contain H.264 video and/or HE-AAC audio.

How do I choose the right video format (MPEG-4 or FLV)?

This decision depends on the Flash Player version you need to target and your existing encoding workflow. To use H.264 video, Flash Player 9,0,115 (released December 2007) or later is required. FLV (VP6 or Spark codec) is supported in Flash Player 8 and later. H.264 video tends to achieve higher quality at lower bit rates, so it may be your preferred choice if you can target newer versions of Flash Player. If your workflow already includes H.264, you can easily repurpose that content for delivery on the Flash Platform.

What details should I consider to deliver HD video?

High-definition video can be delivered via Flash Player using either the VP6 or the H.264 codec. HD on the web is still being defined by the industry; typically HD is delivered with either a 480p or 720p frame size with bit rates as high as 2–3Mbps. Video beyond this bit rate typically is encrypted and delivered over HTTP due to its large file size. When considering HD video, you should think about the increased cost of delivery, including storage, and the impact on the playback experience.

Where can I learn more about H.264?

You can find information about Adobe's implementation of the H.264 codec on the H.264 page. For general information about the H.264 codec, visit Wikipedia.

Is my content safe with Flash Media Server?

Simply streaming through Flash Media Server is one easy method to protect your content from download, because media is deleted after it has been displayed. There are also several features built in to Flash Media Server that ensure your video is available to a wide audience while still helping to protect the actual video files. Features such as real-time encryption, domain control, and video player verification help protect your content.

Where can I read more about media content protection in Flash Media Server?

Adobe has published a white paper that discusses the content protection features available in Flash Media Server in detail.

I use Windows DRM today. Does Flash Media Server have DRM?

Yes, DRM is available through Flash Access. Delivery of DRM-protected content is supported in Adobe Media Player and custom AIR applications. Learn more about Flash Access.

Can I stream to Adobe AIR?

Yes, Flash Media Server streaming is fully supported on AIR. You can build compelling desktop solutions using Flash Media Interactive Server 3.5 and AIR. Examples range from simple desktop video players to instant messengers, webcam chats, or even application remote control widgets. A unique feature of streaming to AIR applications is the ability to store video locally and to play back media encrypted with Flash Access.

Can I stream to mobile devices?

Yes, you can stream live and prerecorded video and audio to devices running Flash Lite 3.

What is Dynamic Streaming?

A new feature in Flash Media Server 3.5, Dynamic Streaming supports media encoded in multiple bit rates. Dynamic Streaming lets you switch smoothly between these video files to ensure a high-quality experience for the video consumer.

What are the benefits of Dynamic Streaming?

Flash Media Server 3.5 with Flash Player 10 can switch between versions of a single content stream, each with a different bit rate, to adapt to changing network conditions or clients with different capabilities, such as mobile devices with lower processing power and smaller screens. The transitions occur seamlessly in the client, so although the client's network conditions may have changed, the video streaming to the client is uninterrupted.

How do I prepare my content for Dynamic Streaming?

For the optimal user experience, Dynamic Streaming requires that:

• The different versions or pieces of content are synchronized (the video timelines must match)
• Audio or other data in each content stream is synchronized with the video data in that stream

To provide users with the smoothest experience, when you encode the content, follow these recommendations:

• Ensure that the video keyframe interval (keyframe frequency) and frame rate are consistent across the different versions of content. A shorter keyframe interval lets the server switch streams more quickly, which means the client can have a smaller playback buffer.
• Use a consistent audio bit rate.
• Use a consistent audio sample rate, as much as possible. For low-end encodings, you can save bandwidth by using mono audio rather than stereo.

Does Dynamic Streaming require ActionScript, or is it a function of the server?

The stream transitions occur on the server, but the command to switch streams and the determination to do so come from ActionScript commands in the client SWF application. The Flash and Adobe Flex® ActionScript developer includes logic in the application to monitor download and playback statistics and to switch from the old stream to the new stream when appropriate. Adobe is providing a full ActionScript 3.0 class that developers can use to easily make use of Dynamic Streaming.

A sample video player and updated FLVPlayback component for Flash CS4 Professional can be downloaded from the tools page (coming soon).

How do I integrate advertising with my video?

There are many ways to integrate advertising into your video content. If you have a custom player, you can use ActionScript to intersperse ads in any way you like. You can even integrate with an ad server to use its tracking and management features.

Another option is to publish your video content via Adobe Media Player. Adobe Media Player makes it easy to specify ads and track viewer behavior. Find out more about publishing to Adobe Media Player.

For a list of Adobe partners who can offer assistance in development and content delivery on the Flash Platform, visit the partner page.

How do I deliver live video?

The best way to deliver live video is by broadcasting through Adobe Flash Media Live Encoder, free software that allows you to stream and archive video from almost any source, ranging from webcams to high-end capture cards. It supports VP6 or H.264 codecs, and connects to a Flash Media Server, which then broadcasts your stream to connected clients. Alternatively, you can broadcast directly from Flash Player using the lower-quality Spark (H.263) codec, which is ideal for videoconferencing.

Can I use Dynamic Streaming with live video?

Yes. Flash Media Live Encoder 3, shipping later in 2008, supports multiple bit rate live encoding. The streams must have timestamps that are synchronized closely, within 3–5 milliseconds, so that the server can select accurate transition points.

HTTP delivery seems cheaper; is this true?

Streaming video through Flash Media Server can support more concurrent high-quality streams per server than progressive download because streaming serves only the portion of the video that's requested. This can potentially save you substantial bandwidth charges — which could more than offset the cost of Flash Media Server licensing. Flash Media Server can also determine the most efficient stream to deliver to a client — either before streaming even starts with native bandwidth detection, or during playback using Dynamic Streaming.

I have had trouble with video not playing. How can I ensure video will stream?

Flash Media Server can be configured to detect network capabilities and adjust its delivery method accordingly, without playback interruption. This can be achieved either by "tunneling" streams via RTMPT or by automatically defaulting to HTTP delivery if streaming is not permitted by the client's connection. The result is a smooth viewing experience for all clients.

I have existing Windows Media content. Can I stream that to Flash?

Yes. You will need to convert your Windows Media content to one of the formats supported by Flash Player and Adobe AIR. Flash Media Encoding Server (FMES) supports video transcoding so you can deliver your Windows based content using Flash. FMES can transcode to Sorenson Spark, On2 VP6, or H.264 codecs. Find out more about Flash Media Encoding Server.

Does Flash Media Server support server-side video recording (DVR functionality) features?

Yes. Flash Media Server 3.5 allows server-side recording of Spark or H.264 streams. These video files can then be played back, with added features such as chapter navigation, time skip, interactivity, and other custom functionality. This can be achieved through client-side and server-side ActionScript code.

Interactive developers

What new features are being introduced in Flash Media Server 3.5?

• Dynamic Streaming. Dynamic Streaming is a new quality of service monitoring feature that allows you to detect any changes in your viewer's bandwidth and smoothly switch between streams during playback — providing a high-quality, uninterrupted stream. Dynamic Streaming uses standard H.264 and VP6 files and is ActionScript controlled.
• DVR functionality. Flash Media Interactive Server 3.5 allows server-side recording of Spark or H.264 streams. These video files can then be played back, with added features such as pause and seek within live video, chapter navigation, interactivity, and other custom functionality.
• An integrated HTTP server, helping to ensure that your content is easily and reliably delivered, even when RTMP delivery is not supported. You can now use this integrated solution to deliver all components of your video application via HTTP when needed.
• Improved H.264 performance. You can deliver more streams and users per server with less CPU usage, lowering your streaming and infrastructure costs. Video streaming capacity is improved for H.264 content with Flash Media Interactive Server 3.5.
• XMP metadata support. Flash Media Server 3.5 fully supports streaming the XMP metadata created by video production tools that write it into the file.
• Easier out-of-the-box deployment
• New ActionScript classes and a sample video player for Dynamic Streaming
• A new Load Testing tool to test your network
• Delivery of encrypted media to AIR and Adobe Media Player
• Support for more platforms, including Windows 2008 and Linux Red Hat 5.2

What is interactive streaming?

Flash Media Interactive Server also allows you to create Flash applications that engage multiple people at the same time, or to push data from server to client. You can create a shared media playback experience or real-time chat or video messaging applications.

Can I stream video from the same server as my interactive application?

Yes, Flash Media Interactive Server supports both simple streaming and custom interactive applications.

What do I need to know to build interactive applications?

If you program for Flash Professional or Flex now and know ActionScript 1.0, 2.0, or 3.0, getting started with Flash Media Server is easy. There are some additional communication classes utilized in both client-side and server-side code that you'll use in your interactive applications. Flash Media Interactive Server is the only server that supports ActionScript development on the server side. Explore an extensive list of helpful articles and documentation on the resources page.

What are some examples of interactive applications?

Interactive applications can range from simple streaming video or audio playlists to full-featured multiway videoconferencing applications with access control, multiple rooms, text chat, shared whiteboards, and more. Other examples include:

• Multiplayer games
• Guestbooks
• Video messaging
• Surveys
• Webcam snapshot sharing
• Stream recording and listing
• Video bug overlays
• Video uploading and sharing
• And much more

Some sample applications, complete with all source code, are available in the Flash Media Server Developer Center. These samples can give you a better idea of what can be done with Flash Media Server and help get you started quickly with your own applications.

For even more inspiration and useful code examples, try the Flash Media Interactive Server Feature Explorer, a cross-platform desktop application built on Adobe AIR. This application hosts more than 30 examples of streaming and multiway communication solutions, including basic server connection examples, complex video streaming, and authentication routines. You can also learn to build video messaging and VoIP solutions.

How can I learn how to build interactive applications?

There is a rich development community and a wide variety of resources available for getting started with interactive applications. The best place to start is the Flash Media Server Developer Center.

What is the development environment?

Flash Media Server applications can be developed just like any other Flash content, using either Flex or Flash CS4 Professional, with the final application being deployed as a SWF file. Server-side code can be written in any text editor or using Flex or Flash. For testing, you can run the free Flash Media Development Server on your local machine or network.

How can I troubleshoot interactive applications?

Adobe provides numerous tools and resources to help ensure your streaming and interactive applications are robust. The Flash Media Administration Console lets you monitor your server and is also a server-side debugger. A rich administration API lets you build your own custom unit test applications. The interactive debugger in Flash Professional also helps. Adobe also maintains an up-to-date Knowledgebase on Adobe.com.

How do I enable data push?

Data push, a unique and powerful feature of Flash Media Interactive Server, is enabled using remote shared objects. Remote shared objects can contain complex data that is shared among connected clients. Whenever the data is changed, all connected clients are notified of the change event and the data is automatically updated. This allows you to create rich real-time applications with features such as stock updates, live chat, shared whiteboards, and more.

Can I record H.264 streams on the server?

Yes, Flash Media Interactive Server 3.5 now supports recording of streams using the H.264 codec, directly on the server. Archive high-quality live streams so you can quickly deploy the content on demand after your live event is over.

Does Flash Media Server support multiple camera angle switching?

Yes, you can develop solutions that dynamically switch live or prerecorded video streams.

Can I create an Internet TV or radio station with Flash Media Server 3.5?

Yes, using server-side playlists, you can leverage prerecorded content or mix between prerecorded and live content to create your around-the clock Internet television station.

Where can I find an expert?

Adobe maintains a directory of Flash Media Server solution providers. Their services range from encoding and publishing to advertising delivery and consulting. You can also find helpful experts on the Flash Media Server forums and related discussion lists, or check the directory of resources.