Tribeworks is announcing today at the QuickTime Live! conference a new product called iShell 2. iShell 2 allows QuickTime content developers to extend their content. According to Tribeworks:
Tribeworks - providers of next-generation multimedia services, tools and solutions - today announced the preview release of iShell 2, a powerful multimedia-authoring suite that sets new media professionals free from the browser's visual and delivery limitations. iShell 2 enables the creation of customized media players that seamlessly launch from a website. Using iShell 2, content providers own a direct customer relationship by immersing audiences in unique media rich environments that combine online full-screen video, custom players, and interactive presentations.
iShell 2 lets content break through the frame of the browser, and enables the creation of customized media players that seamlessly launch from a website. Content providers can therefore own a direct customer relationship by immersing audiences in unique media rich environments that combine online full-screen video, custom players, and interactive presentations.
iShell 2's unique ability to create highly customized streaming media players make it the perfect solution for online music, publishing and film content providers. This new functionality is in addition to iShell's established capabilities in CD/DVD-ROM, connected disc and website publishing - that can be authored and played on Windows, WinNT and Macintosh machines. iShell 2 players can be of any arbitrary shape, can contain holes, and are dragable with the ability to play in the foreground or the background.
iShell 2 Applications
iShell 2 enables rich-media content and interactive experiences to be delivered via highly customized players that are fully functioning Internet applications. The myriad of uses for iShell 2 range from corporate communications to interactive streaming media players:
- Media and Entertainment Industries - Now, any entertainment company can create Internet TV stations, video jukeboxes, Internet radio, MP3 players and webcast players that are unique.
- Advertising Agencies - Agencies can provide clients with rich-media advertising such as intersticials and integrated branding campaigns that truly stand out.
- Corporate Communications - Sales presentations, video news releases and event webcasts can easily be incorporated into a company's communications strategy and reflect corporate culture.
- Education Institutions and Providers - Training, distance learning and course materials can now be truly interactive, engaging and easily updated with timely information.
iShell 2 Features
iShell 2 will fundamentally changing how people experience interactive media on the Internet. Feature developments of this powerful multimedia-authoring suite include:
- Multiple Window Options - iShell 2 enables Letterbox (CD-ROM-like), Standard (browser-like) and Player windows. The Player window can be of any arbitrary shape.
- Window Type Changing - Projects can dynamically change window type within one iShell 2 project - from a player, to letterbox window, to a standard window.
- Player Installation - With iShell 2, code and plug-ins, in addition to the media, can come from the Internet. End-users only need to install the Player once.
- Universal Runtime - The iShell 2 Runtime works for any project, as it is plug-in independent. End-users don't need to install plug-ins; authors can use versions preferred.
- Web Integration - Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer can automatically run an iShell project on the Web for transparent launching of iShell projects from sites.
- Project Webs - Authors can have a set of projects that link to each other because the Launch URL command has a runtime option that allows one project to link to another.
- Visual Programming Environment - iShell 2's visual, object-oriented programming environment includes a visual debugger, making it as powerful for designers as it is for programmers.
Pricing and Availability
iShell version 2 preview release is available to Tribeworks Full Members - iShell 2 final release will be available as a free download from http://www.tribeworks.com. Tribeworks Full Memberships, which are held by many of the world's top multimedia designers and developers, are $2000 per year, or through an initiation fee of $500 and monthly payments of $150. Annual renewal fees are only $1000, or $100 per month. Full Tribeworks Members receive high-end technical support, discounts on third-party products, instant online access to other top multimedia developers, and iShell's Software Developer's Kit (SDK).
The company has not yet added information on iShell 2 to their web site.