1. Rich Media Standards Matt Haas Matthew.Haas@Pearson.com v1.3

2. 2 Rich Media Standards Problem: Pearson publishes a large variety of file formats -Limits the ability to reuse assets -Forces our end-users to have multiple plug-ins/players to view these assets -Requires Pearson to support multiple technologies Solution: -Publish fewer, best-of-breed file formats Benefits: -Greater asset reuse -Reduced support costs -Consistent and convenient end user experience

3. 3 Challenges High quality and low file sizes will always be desired Hardware, plug-ins and infrastructure of end users vary greatly across Pearson Markets -Age of computer hardware -Amount of available bandwidth -Ability to run the latest plug-ins A one size fits all approach is not desired or possible These issues are most critical in K-12 markets and less of a concern in Higher Ed & Professional

4. 4 Whats in the Standard? Animation, Video, Audio, & Images Standards -Best Practices and Industry Standards Recommendations -Strong warning but acceptable in some circumstances A look at emerging technologies

5. 5 Animations Standard -File Format: SWF -Must support ActionScript 3 -Must support Flash Player v9 r115 or newer Recommendation -Avoid creating Shockwave assets Tip -Easily upgrade older assets with Curriculum Groups Bridge file.

6. 6 Videos/Movies Standards for Videos/Movies -File Format: MOV or MP4 (MPEG) -Codec: H.264 Recommendations for Flash Videos/Movies -If possible, avoid wrapping videos/movies in Flash Q: Why? A: Mobile devices -File Format: FLV or F4V -Codec: On2 VP6 or H.264 -Must support ActionScript 3 -Must support Flash Player v9 r115 or newer

7. 7 Videos/Movies Miscellaneous Standards -Stop creating Windows Media and Real Player assets Recommendation -Source (Master) format: AVI or MOV (High Quality and uncompressed) If you are provided a file that is the master, keep the format as-is Tip for Streaming -Combine Akamai streaming services with the server side software: Pearson Media Player (aka: JW Player) to benefit from a low cost, high quality solution.

8. 8 Audio Standards (stand-alone audio files) -File Format: MP3 Great quality Small file size Most compatible (MP3s will play on all mobile devices) -Source (Master) format: AIFF or WAV (High Quality and lossless compression) If you are provided a file that is the master, keep the format as-is

9. 9 Images Standards -Use JPG for photographs -Use PNG for images that contain text or were converted from line art Recommendation -Avoid GIF...use only if customers have IE6 JPG works bestPNG works best PhotoLine Art

10. 10 Images Tip -Images with both photos & line art (pick the best option): Pros/Cons: Saved as JPG PRO: Smaller file size CON: Lower quality Saved as PNG PRO: Excellent quality CON: Larger file size

11. 11 A Look Ahead The Future of Flash Emerging Technologies -HTML 5 -Video Codecs DRM with ePub

12. 12 The Future of Flash Whats the big deal? Why are we here? -Apple and Adobe are fighting Recent History -Steve Jobs open letter: Thoughts on Flash Why Flash is banned on the: iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad -http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/http://www.apple.com/hotnews/thoughts-on-flash/ -Apple changes developer agreement SDK 3.3.1 (No ports of Flash allowed) -http://daringfireball.net/2010/04/iphone_agreement_bans_flash_compilerhttp://daringfireball.net/2010/04/iphone_agreement_bans_flash_compiler -US Gov Antitrust efforts against Apple over its new SDK -http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/an_antitrust_app_buvCWcJdjFoLD5vBSkguGOhttp://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/an_antitrust_app_buvCWcJdjFoLD5vBSkguGO -Adobes response is mild -http://www.adobe.com/choice/http://www.adobe.com/choice/ -Adobe stops development for Apple products

13. 13 The Future of Flash (cont.) What is REALLY going on? -App development Apple want the best Apps App ports = lowest common denominator -Ads Apple wants to get into the ad business Revenue from Flash ads wont go to Apple

14. 14 The Future of Flash (cont.) Possible outcome 1: Apples influence over dropping Flash takes hold -Ban on Apple devices remains in place -Move away from Flash has started Virgin America drops Flash: http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/virgin_america_web_site_drops_flash/http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/virgin_america_web_site_drops_flash/ Scribd Drops Flash http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/opensource/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224700967http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/opensource/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224700967 YouTubes non-flash beta: http://www.youtube.com/html5 http://www.youtube.com/html5 Possible outcome 2: Adobes finally rolls out a mobile version of Flash & its awesome -Ban on Apple devices remains in place -Many delays with Flash Player 10.1 for mobile Mid 2009, Beginning of 2010, Mid 2010, End of 2010 -http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/04/18/adobe_slips_mobile_flash_player_10_1_to_second_half_of_2010.htmlhttp://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/04/18/adobe_slips_mobile_flash_player_10_1_to_second_half_of_2010.html -Android and other mobile operating systems run Flash Market shifts away from Apple (Not likely)

15. 15 The Future of Flash (cont.) First, lets look at the strong points of Flash -Entire products can depend on a single plug-in -Develop once, publish to many platforms Consistent experience -Advertisers love it Easy end user data capture (pay per view/click) Easy overlay of ads

16. 16 The Future of Flash (cont.) Weak points of Flash -Develop once, publish to many platforms Lowest common denominator -Apple claims Adobe is slow to implement changes -Recent security issues with Adobe -Performance CPU usage Stability issues -Issues on Macs (hardware acceleration) -Users see Flash as an annoyance FlashBlock & ClickToFlash plug-ins

17. 17 Emerging Technologies HTML 5 -Latest version of HTML (Obviously) Replacement of HTML 4.01 -Reduce the need for plug-ins No Flash, Silverlight, etc. Why should I care? -It will form the underpinning of the entire internet http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-html5-2010-5#and-dont-miss-1 -It will be soon be everywhere Sites first need to convert Flash assets. Debate continues. More info -http://www.youtube.com/html5http://www.youtube.com/html5 -http://html5test.com/http://html5test.com/

18. 18 New Video Codecs Current Standard: H.264 -Owned by a patent consortium -Carries a cost but theres no out-of-pocket expense to users Fees are rolled into the Operating System Browsers can use it free until 2016, after that: ??? Theora -Open Source - No licensing fees -Many passionate users but Theora is not widespread Future Standard: VP8 -Google purchased the creator of VP8 (On2 Technologies) -Google may replace H.264 with VP8 on YouTube -Google has made VP8 Open Sourced (2010 Google I/O Conference) http://webmproject.blogspot.com/2010/05/introducing-webm-open-web-media-project.html http://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/google-free-on2-vp8-for-youtube http://chillingsilence.wordpress.com/2010/05/10/why-vp8-matters/

19. 19 DRM with ePub What is it? DRM stands for Digital Right Management What does it do? -Confirms the content (video/music) is allowed to be played How does it work? -Permission to play the file is requested and granted (behind the scenes) -Requires device to connect, via the internet, to a DRM Server What can go wrong? -DRM Servers can go down on their own or by attack -Network issues prevent device from talking to DRM Server Theres lots of DRM out there -Apples Fairplay, Amazons Kindle DRM, Sony DRM, etc. DRM is usually attached to the player, not the content

20. 20 DRM with ePub Options -Pearson sells ePub files through iTunes, Amazon, etc. DRM of those systems will be an option -iPad iBooks will contain fairplay -Kindle books will contain Amazons DRM Store owners (iTunes, Amazon) will share revenue -Pearson sells ePub files directly to customers DRM solution will be needed. No clear choice. -Adobe has a solution (not ideal) -http://www.adobe.com/products/contentserver/http://www.adobe.com/products/contentserver/ Pearson does not share revenue

21. Thank You! Matt Haas Matthew.Haas@Pearson.com