Sun Launches JavaFX to Try and Compete with Flash & Silverlight

On Thursday, Sun (JAVA) officially launched JavaFX 1.0, a new development platform for building rich internet applications [RIA] for Web browsers and desktops. Sun's apparent belief is that with Java technology already being on more than 90 percent of desktops and laptops and 85 percent of mobile devices, it can give Flash and Silverlight a run for their money over time. While that sounds great on paper, I wonder how realistic Sun is being in regards to the lead-time it takes to get a new platform out into the market.

While player penetration holds some weight, as Adobe (ADBE) and Microsoft (MSFT) would tell Sun, it all comes down to getting developers to build on your platform. JavaFX is way late to the game and has quite a few limitations right from the get go. For audio and video applications, JavaFX supports On2's video codecs and On2's Flix software application is the only tool that can encode video for JavaFX. Nothing wrong with On2's codecs, but if JavaFX won't support H.264 soon; it won't get a lot of support. And with Flix being the only tool that can encode video, it puts the costs of encoding content out of the reach of many developers.

Speaking to Sun about this very issue, the company did say that this is only version 1.0 and the start of an audio video framework that will support H.264 and other functionality going forward. That's good to hear but again, Adobe and Microsoft has such a head start that I wonder how many additional releases of JavaFX are needed to get where developers can start to compare Sun's functionality to Adobe or Microsoft's, specific to video.

Sun also mentioned that over time, its Java business model will evolve to where it is generating licensing from things like its Streamstar server. A Java based streaming server that it wants to license when the demand for JavaFX video requires enterprises and content delivery networks to support the format. While I understand Sun's desire to generate revenue from a server license, ask any of the CDNs what they think about supporting yet another video delivery platform. Sun won't like the answer.

Along with the announcement, Sun also launched a new website, JavaFX.com which showcases some of the functionality of the new platform. While I really would like to see some of the video examples, they don't work. I keep getting an error message saying, "There was one error opening the page" or "Sorry! We couldn't find the document requested." When I questioned Sun on this I was told the site is getting a lot of traffic and that I should try back later. Come on. You're Sun. You launch a new platform that you want people to check out yet the site can't handle the traffic? And how much traffic can it really be getting? At the time of me publishing this post, not a single website or blog in my RSS reader, of which there is over 100, even mention the JavaFX announcement. Sun should be doing a better job with the showcase website.

While it is too early to know if developers will like some of the advantages that JavaFX has when it comes to dragging applications from the browser to Windows desktops, the real question is what are the advantages of using JavaFX as a consumer? Other than the interface and the way the viewer interacts with the content, viewers are the ones that drive the adoption of video platforms. Unless Sun can show viewers through the use of some new applications why they should want to use JavaFX over Flash or Silverlight, Sun is going to have a very hard time cracking the audio and video market.

That being said, while more platforms means additional confusion in a world of online video that already has no standards, competition tends to make companies work harder at making their solutions better. So welcome to the party Sun, but if you want to have any shot at making it, you need to be in this for the long haul and can't expect to see any big gains for years.

Disclosure: None

Comments

[Dan Rayburn:]

Sling and Hulu don't use progressive download, they are streaming. And Netflix streams to the XBOX, it does not download. And Silverlight is not a set top box or a portable player, it is a software platform. You refer to Vudu as a service provider that uses P2P, except that they don't. You are comparing a whole bunch of different things together that make no sense.

My guess, you work for mytvpal.com since you mention them six times which is a crappy solution that no one uses, that does not even support Mac players and has a company website that has home foreclosure ads on their pages.

2008 Dec 07 10:34 AM

[Comment Guy:]

First, I don't work for MyTVPAL ( mytvpal.com ) or Netflix (netflix.com). Second your right right Sling is a streaming solution, my bad, while Hulu is flash based, and flash is progressive download. Otherwise please show me an example. Thrid, Vudu does use P2P, otherwise they would not require a harddrive. Fourth, MAC is only about 15% of the entire market. And Fifth and last, Some ad's are better than no ad's.

Comment Guy

2008 Dec 08 11:56 AM

[Vince2000:]

As of now, a real objective picture:

JavaFX Sun - Open Platform Effort :
Maturity: New born but based on java (1995),
Performance: good (equivalent to Silverlight)
Target: multiple devices (tv, car, hand-held), desktop and browser RIA
Development Tools: in progress
Codec support: H.264 soon, On2 VP6 (I think VP6E VP6S), MP3
(Note that on2 supports H.263, H.264, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV/VC-1, Sorenson Spark, and VP6(TM) and Sun has a multi-year agreement with On2 technologies).

Silverlight Microsoft:
Maturity: new (1-2 years old)
Performance: good (equivalent to JavaFX)
Target: Browser plug-in,
Development Tools: in progress
Codec support: H.264 soon, WMV/VC-1

Flash (and flavors) - Adobe
Maturity: Since 1996
Performance: good
Target: Browser and out of browser applications
Development Tools: good
Codec support: H.264 (MPEG-4), On2 VP6 VP6E VP6S , VC1, HE-AAC, MP4, M4V, M4A, 3GP and MOV

More about video codecs:
Silverlight: www.doceo.com/silverli...
H.264: www.doceo.com/h264/tes...
VP6: www.doceo.com/flv/test...
VP6-S: www.doceo.com/flvs/tes...

2008 Dec 08 02:23 PM

[Vince2000:]

Not sure about VC1 and flash.

2008 Dec 08 02:24 PM

[Vince2000:]

On2 has a new video codec On2 VP8 that beats H.264.
www.on2.com/index.php?...

2008 Dec 08 02:31 PM