Vince2000

Sun Launches JavaFX to Try and Compete with Flash & Silverlight

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...