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Microsoft releases Silverlight 3.0
Not willing to concede the market to Adobe, Microsoft has released a new major version of its Silverlight web browser plug-in. Among the new features in version 3.0 are 3D support, GPU acceleration, support for H.264 and AAC encoding, deep linking, image and text improvements and more. The official launch of Silverlight 3 is scheduled for tomorrow, but the actual bits are available now from Microsoft’s website.
One of the main new features of Silverlight 3 is its support for running applications outside the browser. This is similar to Adobe’s AIR in that it will allow apps to run on Windows or Mac clients and provide users with online, offline or intermittently connected access to content. However, Microsoft officials claim there will be advantages that Silverlight 3 offers over AIR, starting with the fact that developers and users won’t need to download an additional runtime in order to get out-of-the-browser support.
Microsoft is also including Smooth Streaming support in Silverlight 3, which dynamically detects network and local PC conditions to seamlessly switch the video quality of videos. People with high-bandwidth connections and newer hardware can experience HD quality streaming, while others with lower connection speeds or simply experiencing a temporary drop in bandwidth receive an appropriate stream for their current conditions, allowing an uninterrupted streaming experience with the highest quality possible.
One of the main new features of Silverlight 3 is its support for running applications outside the browser. This is similar to Adobe’s AIR in that it will allow apps to run on Windows or Mac clients and provide users with online, offline or intermittently connected access to content. However, Microsoft officials claim there will be advantages that Silverlight 3 offers over AIR, starting with the fact that developers and users won’t need to download an additional runtime in order to get out-of-the-browser support.
Microsoft is also including Smooth Streaming support in Silverlight 3, which dynamically detects network and local PC conditions to seamlessly switch the video quality of videos. People with high-bandwidth connections and newer hardware can experience HD quality streaming, while others with lower connection speeds or simply experiencing a temporary drop in bandwidth receive an appropriate stream for their current conditions, allowing an uninterrupted streaming experience with the highest quality possible.
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User Comments (21)
Post a comment| raybay on July 9, 2009 5:07 PM | Do we want it? |
| tengeta on July 9, 2009 5:30 PM | It may be Microsoft, but I'd love one less Adobe based standard. |
| Stonos on July 9, 2009 5:58 PM | Do we want it? Yes we do!  By the way, here's an example of Smooth Streaming: [url]http://www.iis.net/media/experiencesmoothstreaming[/url ] . It just works without having to wait for some seconds (compared to YouTube's HD). |
| Nirkon on July 10, 2009 2:06 AM | This actually sounds good, I want to see it in action. |
| Rick on July 10, 2009 2:37 AM | Do we want it? I guess you want
Adobe running the show? :p
|
| Julio on July 10, 2009 3:01 AM | Smooth Streaming looks awesome and less buggy than Flash-based video services at first instance. Having it running on third party production-level web services will be the real test however. |
| gobbybobby on July 10, 2009 4:39 AM | I suppose my 1 MEG connction won't stream HD? I have the
kit. not the connection, 
|
| SNGX1275 on July 10, 2009 2:50 PM | h.264 support could be a big improvement for Netflix which requires Silverlight. |
| jobeard on July 10, 2009 4:29 PM | Do we want it? WE? We
who? Being a minimalist; not me! |
| raybay on July 10, 2009 4:39 PM | We haven't met anybody who needs Silverlight, but Microsoft certainly needs us to have it, or they wouldn't be falling all over themselves trying to get it on our machines... I don't suppose I even know what it does. |
| nunjabusiness on July 11, 2009 9:19 AM | Loving it! |
| LookinAround on July 11, 2009 10:35 AM | We haven't met anybody who needs
Silverlight, but Microsoft certainly needs us to have it, or
they wouldn't be falling all over themselves trying to get
it on our machines... I don't suppose I even know what it
does. Don't know why needed? or what it is? There's
plenty of such information available if you do a simple
"Gurgle" search or a Windows Search. Then the pick that top
options.And i'll even go one better and just give you the search terms as well why need
silverlightApparently needed for Netflix and some of the streaming video presentations of Beijing Olympics and Presidential Olympics. I'd guess the number of things needing it (or at least supporting it) will start increasing rapidly now that it's out. We can both keep "Gurgling" to find out more as it happens! |
| JDoors on July 11, 2009 1:15 PM | It's a little bizarre that a "new" version isn't IE8 64-bit compatible. Guess I DON'T need it after all. |
| tengeta on July 12, 2009 3:51 AM | Yeah why don't you go to Firefox or Opera with their great
64 bit capabilities... OH WAIT. |
| Guest on July 12, 2009 5:19 AM | will this help or hurt dial up users....Oh that's right there isn't any dial up users anymore.... |
| czplayer on July 12, 2009 12:49 PM | what does it even do...? |
| SNGX1275 on July 12, 2009 6:45 PM | Yeah why don't you go to Firefox or
Opera with their great 64 bit capabilities... Opera has 64bit versions for Linux and FreeBSD.
And since FF is opensource you can build your own 64bit
version.OH WAIT. There are still dial up users out there too, my parents are an example. They live 6 miles north of a town of 2000 and can't get DSL. Sure they could get satellite, but it would be pretty terrible speeds for a lot of money per month. |
| lataak on July 13, 2009 4:50 AM | It is obvious that Microsoft always want to monopolize the
PC market by destroying other companies hat join the market.
Many new companies are innovative and come up with new
sofware/technology that customers try and then love. When
this happens, Microsoft responds by producing similar thing
and offering for free just to destroy the new company(Do
they offer office for free? No, b/c there is no competitor).
Microsoft is completely against innovation and new ideas
brought up by other alternative companies. They destroyed
the first graphical browser Netscape Navigator, Wordperfect,
Google (next target) and many other software. I think it is
time that we users start to use the right software for our
benefit than the simply popular, but monopolistic and
responsive (not innovative) Microsoft software. We need
alternatives and that is what we have to practically.
Basically, Microsoft is getting mad. They attack every company: Adobe, Google, Apple, IBM, etc. We own our PCs and we can do anything with it, though currently i is Microsoft who is doing anything with our PCs. Why do get locked so much? |
| Jibberish18 on July 13, 2009 9:17 AM | Microsoft is a company like any other. They're no better or worse than many other companies out there. They make something and heaven forbid they make it better otherwise, everyone will excuse them of monopolistic behaviors. Why don't you look into all of the companies you mentioned above? |
| JDoors on July 13, 2009 9:54 AM | lataak, it's not magic, it's not an evil plan to take over
the world, Microsoft simply produces stuff people use. You
can still use other browsers (some of which are taking big
chunks out of IE's market share), you can still use
WordPerfect, Google isn't going anywhere, Adobe's doing just
fine, Apple too. But don't listen to me, I never caught the MS-Phobia virus that's been going around. |
| SNGX1275 on July 13, 2009 4:22 PM | It is obvious that Microsoft always
want to monopolize the PC market by destroying other
companies hat join the market. Many new companies are
innovative and come up with new sofware/technology that
customers try and then love. When this happens, Microsoft
responds by producing similar thing and offering for free
just to destroy the new company(Do they offer office for
free? No, b/c there is no competitor). Their only
real competitor for Office DOES offer it for free and yet
people still use MS Office. openoffice.org
|
