NBC and Time Warner inform Apple they'll be sticking to Flash, thank you very much
By Vlad Savov 
posted May 27th 2010 1:55PM
posted May 27th 2010 1:55PM
According to the NYP article, these conglomerates have been emboldened by the forthcoming arrival of competing tablets from the likes of Dell and HP, and will be seeking their fortunes in the mobile space atop Adobe's winged stallion of web domination that we commonly know as Flash. This is a decision sure to end in tears -- we just don't know who'll be doing the crying when it all shakes out.Sources said several large media companies, including Time Warner and NBC Universal, told Apple they won't retool their extensive video libraries to accommodate the iPad, arguing that such a reformatting would be expensive and not worth it because Flash dominates the Web.
@sshating
You don't appear to know the difference between a markup language and a proprietary browser plugin, since you're comparing them directly to each other. Using flash to show why HTML5 "isn't modern" is just crushingly stupid. Let me know when you learn the difference.
@Jack i know the difference between CPU usage from HTML5 and Flash, i know the difference between the quality of the two... Let me know when HTML5 has caught up to Flash 5... probably 6 months to a year from now
@SteveyAyo
"Caught up" in what way? You still don't seem to be able to tell the difference between a markup language and a proprietary plugin, especially if you think HTML5 is ever going to do exactly what flash does.
Try again to figure it out and get back to me.
@Jack so what youre saying is that HTML5 will never EVER be able to replicate the amazing experience of Flash and that because of Jobs current and future Apple products will always have a crippled and lacking web experience? Not even i would go that far but you make a strong argument for that case, well done
@SteveyAyo The amazing experience of Flash? Like how it brings the Android browser to it's knees? Face it. Anti-Apple hysteria has you running to defend a proprietary plugin that hogs CPU cycles and RAM and drains batteries. By the time Flash is usable on mobile devices it will be irrelevant. Jobs is pushing for a standardised web that uses hardware accelerated H.264 and HTML5 to get us a web that looks and acts the same on every single device. What a bastard!
@His Shadow what are you talking about? brings it to its knees? all youve seen is a beta copy of it running and the one im sure youre referring to added what. 3 seconds to the load time?
Whats going to take Flash's place in the next few months? it will take years and years for HTML5 to not only mature to an enjoyable level but be vastly implemented across the web, its NOT READY YET, but in a couple years it will be until that day ill be enjoying the FULL web with Flash on my phones
Remember a while back when webpages had logos for "Best viewed in [insert browser name]"?
At least back then, the pages were still accessible. These days, if you don't have a browser plug-in you're likely to be missing out on webpage content....and I don't like missing out.
They'll probably change their mind eventually. I've always found NBC's flash website to be rather clunky anyway.
NBC already streams in HTML5 on their mobile site. It works fine on my iPad an iPhone. They're just trying to kick sand in Apples face because they want leverage next time the iTunes contract negotiations come around.
4th place
lol NBC. . . The only thing good from them is The Office, Jimmy Fallon, and SNL(on rare occasion). In other words, Apple could care less about NBC and it's terrible ratings that its shows get.
@rand0
I know, you're probably right.
NBC/Universal and Time Warner don't own content at all...
Just:
NBC
USA
SYFY
Chiller
Sleuth
CNBC
MSNBC
Telemundo
A&E
The History Channel
Biography
National Geographic
Lifetime
Bravo
The Weather Channel
Universal Studios (no good films ever come out of there)
Warner Bros.
Castle Rock
CW
HBO
Cinemax
Adult Swim
Boomerang
CNN
TBS
TNT
TCM
New Line
Time Magazine
Fortune
Sports Illustrated
Money
People
Entertainment Weekly
In Style
Etc., etc., etc.
With Flash coming to Android 2.2, I don't see any problems.
Flash does for mobile devices what the porcupine-quill suit does for the balloon folding industry.
C.
I'd think about getting the IPAD if it had Flash and did 1080p video.
I think now I may Logitech's Google TV Box and surf the web on my HDTV. I just hope that does 1080p web video. I
I think the fact of the matter is- the content owners don't want their content on mobile devices and/or TVs... just PCs and Laptop. Their statement might sound like a bold step against Apple, but that is not their intention. Hulu is still in the running for an iPad app so the lack of NBC moving to HTML5 is not a big deal anyway...
Nice!
After reading some of these comments, it saddens me that some people have such a grudge against Apple that they will support something that (in the long run) is bad for the internet just to show hate. Apple's stance against Flash does nothing but help HTML5 move forward (which is a good thing and will benefit all platforms with a web browser). If you don't want to buy an Apple product because of the closed crap, so be it. No one is forcing you to. But the progression of HTML5 is something that is good for everyone on any platform, and just because Steve likes it doesn't mean you should be against it.
@Nishanth
This has nothing to do with Steve Jobs supporting HTML5. We're ALL waiting for html5. Noone is saying stop moving forward.
People are against Apple because of the way they go about it. There's no subtle hint about it. Apple is employing brute force to try and get its ways and kill off their competition. The internet is based on collaboration/parallelism even among competing standards.
SJ does not care about the web, only about how much money he can extract out of each and every person who touches the web through his products; and by remaking itself into a powerful media distributor, he will control far more than what happens on his devices. He already does that to a degree. He bloody nickel and dimes users at every damn opportunity.
You really think it's about making the web better for us? The web is better when everything works in tandem and parallels (even competing products). SJ wants total control of the web at YOUR COST. 1984.
sudo rm -rf /Apple/*
Finally somebody takes a stand :)
@hammydbest
Takes a stand against using an open web standard? Why is that a good thing?
@Jack Do you seriously think that h264 is open?
Way to lose potential customers ass clowns.
Oh and by the way, with that logic, why support any browser beyond IE?
Will someone with web development experience answer this: is it possible to create a frame in html5 for streaming a flash site through a server. Essentially a rdc in HTML5 with access to fast backend? Slaps some ads on a site like that $profit.
@RLBurkes No. There are calls for "video" in HTML5 but it is *not* a wholesale replacement for Flash. Flash games, interactive flash websites, etc are all not something that can easily be duplicated with html5. You can use html5 to support video streaming and that's what everyone seems to be focused on but no flash support means missing out on a whole lot more then streaming video on a few sites.
Again, Apple making all the decisions for you. Daddy Jobs knows best for you, don't argue.
@RLBurkes I suppose maybe one could at least set up a citrix farm and have people surf through that on their iphones/ipads...
@bp968 Hey it does hurt when I hit my head on daddy J's desk.
@bp968
You have apparently missed all the demonstrations of games running solely in HTML5.
@Jack http://www.canvasdemos.com/2010/01/10/pool-table-games/
yes youre right HTML5 offers an amazing and enriching game experience
/sarcasm
@SteveyAyo And Google's Pacman was made in what, Javascript? And it was still enjoyable.
These are worthless network anyway. Good they can die sooner now.
@sshating Flash was around in 2007... the iPhone has never supported it... why would it now?
In the words of facebook: "rmcray08 likes this."
Wow, I wonder if the MS, in MSNBC had anything to do with that.
@sshating Wow, I make no mention of apple either way in my response. I wouldn't cal l myself an apple fanboy as I have just as many PC's in my household as macs, and as to my preferences, it all depends on what I'm doing with them as to my preference.Can you say the same ftard? and I went back through your responses the last few days and it seems like you just go through and trash those mac peeps. I at least check out a company/product before I start slamming it so I can give an informed slam......
What the hell are their videos in then? They're probably some shoddy Sorenson or V3 On spec. They should start using h264 so at least even flash gets hardware decoding.
Flash does suck as a power drain, but I'm not a Flash hater. I just wish Flash didn't overheat my unit and kill my freaking battery in 30 minutes. Staying with Flash is fine with me, just fix the damn system. Steve is right in that respect, but maybe Adobe will ultimatley be more accomodating and Apple will utilize them later at some point.
Funny how Adobe is all pissed that Apple seems to be trying to monopolize web players whent, in fact, it's Adobe who is freaking out that they will lose THEIR monopoly.
And so it goes.....
@Mishka
What is this "unit" you speak of?
@Mishka Why do you think that any other form of video playback that requires lots of cpu won't drain your battery? There may be some overhead in flash, but I don't think it is THAT bad... Besides, HTML5 implementations suck on mobile devices still.
OH SNAP!! in your face steve!
Anyone else thinking this is looking like the HD DVD/Blu-ray war again?
You have companies like ABC, CBS, Fox News.com, CNN.com, NYTimes.com and Vevo (coming soon) enabling HTML 5 technology and on the other side, sites like NBC and TimeWarner saying "No!"
@xolan99 NBC/Time Warner = HD-DVD
Even though I'm all for HTML5's development, I have to say this: Lolpwnd.
that is 2 - 0 for google today :)
first they get Matias from palm OS
http://techcrunch.com/2010/05/27/palm-loses-their-lead-webos-designer-to-the-google-android-team-others-may-follow/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Techcrunch+(TechCrunch)&utm_content=Google+Reader
and now this :)
aaawwwwwwwl happy days... *singing in the background*
@Gmese You do realize that all of Google's site broadcast videos in HTML 5, and a number of their sites are specially formatted specifically for the iPad.
How is this a win for Google?
@juventuz this news doesn't mean HTML 5 will die.. this news means apple sux..
These "Apple has no flash" shots is and excellent marketing strategy for google, the more other company's do it, the easier it is for google to prove its point.
Goolge supports both HTML 5 and Flash.
I don't want apple to go away.. i just want Steve to learn a couple of lessons, and have less power :)
@trainwrecka
They'll support it using the same logic that they used to support 3G, multitasking, Bluetooth connectivity, and tethering, which were ALL AROUND FOR YEARS before Apple chose to support them. And interestingly, they were primarily not supported because of the same issue "battery life", which apparently magically became a non-issue.
Mommie Steve doesn't like Flash
Screw Mommie Steve
Keep your frickin Ipad
:)
Steve needs to get flash on the iphone and ipad. I've already decided against the ipad and will wait until a decent alternative comes (none around yet it looks like...). I have an iphone 3g, but I'm starting to doubt if I will upgrade to another iphone as well. There seems to be good android and windows phones on the way (or here already). I have to give high marks to the iphone for the music-portion though (and the fact that a lot of 3rd party companies put out all sorts of equipment that can dock it)