Filed under: Internet, Video, Windows, Macintosh, Microsoft, Beta, Windows x64
Microsoft takes the wraps off Silverlight 3
by Lee Mathews Mar 18th 2009 at 5:00PM
Scores of new features have been packed into Silverlight 3, including native support for h.264 and 720p HD (including full-screen) video, improved streaming performance, new 3D and animation effects, hardware acceleration support, pixel shaders, improved font rendering, and multi-touch support. Silverlight applications can also now be run outside of the browser like normal desktop applications.
Silverlight 3 has also been designed to facilitate rapid development, with dozens of new controls being added (with source code available), SEO enhancements, deep linking support, and better data support. Microsoft's Tim Heuer has broken things down for developers, and the there's a detailed "Get Started" guide from Microsoft that has been added to the official Silverlight site.
Microsoft scored some major streaming video wins with Silverlight this year, so it will be interesting to see what kind of gains on Adobe they can make with version 3. It certainly looks promising and, at the very least, it should help drive innovation on the Flash/Silverlight front.
Beta runtime downloads are available for both Windows and Mac.
So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do.
Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game.
The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Malteserr said 6:14PM on 3-18-2009
Sounds very promising. Even though, so far, the only Silverlight powered things I've seen are those pictures that are mixed togheter to create a big one where you can zoom in, see different angles, etc.. can't remember the name.
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sitruc said 8:37PM on 3-18-2009
Did you watch the Olympics online last year or do you ever watch CSTV streaming games?
Malteserr said 9:24PM on 3-18-2009
I have TVs for that I'm afraid :P
bernie16wb said 11:00PM on 3-18-2009
Have you ever used Netflix Watch Instantly feature on your PC or Mac?
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asurroca said 12:44AM on 3-19-2009
I guess this means the Silverlight-based Netflix app for PC/Mac will stream in 720p HD once this version comes out. This version sounds like it might actually start forcing Adobe to innovate Flash. Looks like they're going straight for AIR now.
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Jamus said 9:31AM on 3-19-2009
You have got to hand it to M$ for one thing... They have no problem throwing tons of money at a project to get some nibbles on the hook.
All I have heard from Microsoft on this is how they have been preaching "works across all platforms", yet the content creation side of it is virtually non-existent. Any sign of true cross platform content CREATION tools for Silverlight3?
Another thing that ticks me off with it is that no matter how many times I tell Silverlight to "Don't show this update again" in Microsoft Update, it STILL keeps coming back, and coming back, and coming back.
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