Taking care of business, in a flash.(industry news)(Macromedia Inc.'s Flash Video )

While Microsoft, QuickTime, Real, and the various MPEG-4 proponents are betting their respective farms on the video quality that their various codecs can deliver, Macromedia thinks they're missing the point. Consumers want video that works, period, and Web site developers want more control over how they deliver streaming video, says Chris Hock, director of product marketing for Macromedia's Flash Video division.

"Our codec is probably a little less efficient than the latest versions of Windows Media and Real," Hock says. "But we believe that what really wins with Flash