Adobe to publish streaming specification

Adobe Systems plans to publish its RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol) specification for high-performance transmission of audio, video, and data between Adobe Flash technologies, the company said Tuesday.

RTMP was developed by Adobe to stream content from Adobe Flash Media Server. The specification will be offered as part of the Adobe-led Open Screen Project, an initiative intended to enable delivery of multi-screen experiences built on a consistent runtime environment based on Flash.

“We're documenting and opening up the specification just as we have for SWF (Flash file format) and PDF (Portable Document Format) to give the market access,” said Jennifer Taylor, director of product management for Flash content creation and delivery at Adobe.

Developers and companies implementing the specification will be able to provide video, audio, and data streaming regardless of device used or where the content is coming from, Adobe said. One example of a potential use would be incorporating it into different devices to stream content from a security camera to a database, Taylor said.

“It's a very efficient protocol in terms of its delivery of data,” so it can be expected to be used in many contexts, said Taylor.

The specification is expected to be published on the Adobe Developer Connection Web site in the first half of this year.

RTMP supports the AMF (Action Message Format), SWF, FLV (Flash video). and F4V formats compatible with Adobe Flash Player.

Adobe's RTMP specification documentation, however, will not include Adobe's unique secure measures and the license that accompanies the specification will not allow developers to circumvent these measures. Developers will be able to use their own technological measures to secure content, Adobe said.

“If we were to open up and document them, it would defeat the purpose of the security measure,” Taylor said. Doing so would enable hijacking of content from Flash Media Server or any other solutions, she said. “We encourage developers to use RTMP with their own security measures,” she stressed.