LongTail Video (www.longtailvideo.com), the leading provider of affordable, self-serve video solutions for web publishers, today announced the release of JW Player 6 (JW6), a major update to the Web’s most popular video player. JW6 introduces several new features for users, including an improved user interface, enhanced video playback in mobile environments such as iPad, iPhone and Android devices and out-of-the-box support for Apple’s HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) on iOS and Flash.

“The JW Player is the most broadly used video player today primarily because of the flexibility it offers our customers as well as its affordability,” said Dave Otten, CEO of LongTail Video. “JW6 is another huge step forward in its evolution and further separates us from other offerings in the market. Needless to say, we are very excited to introduce JW6 to the market.”

Today the JW Player is the most widely distributed player, delivering over 4 billion monthly streams across 2 million sites. With this release, JW6 includes the following enhancements:

• Support for Apple’s HLS. JW6 is the only stand-alone video player that provides out-of-the box HLS streaming on both iOS and Flash. Now, publishers using JW6 and HLS can deliver live and adaptive streaming on desktop browsers and iOS with a single format and embed, dramatically simplifying how publishers create advanced viewing experiences for their end users.
• Improved User Interface. JW6 offers a completely redesigned user interface, giving publishers a more modern default skin than its predecessor as well as eight premium skinning options from which they can choose. In addition, JW6 provides a consistent user interface by defining which components – such as the control bar, dock buttons, closed captions and logos – display and when. This allows for more elegant management of JW6’s visual elements across the desktop and mobile.
• Expanded Mobile Support with HTML5 & Flash Dual Playback. Like its predecessor, JW6 continues to support video playback in both HTML5 and Flash modes. The player uses on-the-fly mode selection to provide the optimal playback for a user’s device and browser, so publishers can develop a single codebase and deliver video experience that is optimized for every situation. In addition, HTML5 support in JW6 is greatly enhanced and leverages many of the recent advancements in HTML5 browsers, including the HTML5 Fullscreen API.
• Ad Functionality. Publishers looking to monetize their video streams can use the JW Player’s built-in VAST/VPAID support, allowing publishers to deliver ads from any VAST-compliant ad server or ad network. Publishers can also take advantage of JW Player’s integration with Google IMA (DFP) and other services.

"The way users view and interact with video is continuously changing," said David Stubenvoll, CEO of Wowza Media Systems. "The combination of JW Player working on any device and Wowza's ability to stream to any screen creates the easiest deployment for a consistent viewer experience."

As part of this release, LongTail Video has also simplified the way in which it packages the JW Player. A la carte AddOns are no longer available and instead popular skins and plugins that enhance the player’s base functionality have been built into specific packages, or Editions. At launch, there are four JW6 editions, ranging from Free to Premium and Ads, that publisher can access from LongTail’s site.

The story was first reported in TechCrunch: http://techcrunch.com/2012/11/15/longtail-video-jw6/

About LongTail Video

LongTail Video has been a pioneer in the online video market. Our flagship product, the JW Player, is active on more than 2 million sites and streams billions of videos each month across all devices. The JW Player is used by a diverse group of publishers, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to individual bloggers. Our other services include Bits on the Run, an online video platform, and JW Player Ads, a comprehensive video advertising solution built into the player. Together these serve millions of users throughout the world. LongTail Video is headquartered in New York City with an office in the Netherlands.