Playing Embedded Video without flash

[Sreekanth_S]

Hi

We are creating some interactive PDFs by embedded relevant videos at the end of each topic using Acrobat DC. However, when the end user opens the PDFs, Acrobat Reader asks for Flash Player. 

Now that Flash Player has officially been given a 'dead'line, is there any way we can play embedded videos without Flash Player? Or, is there any other workaround for embedding itself? We don't want to upload these to YouTube as our audience may not always have internet connection when viewing.

Regards

Sreekanth

[Test Screen Name]

Please check the EXACT version of Acrobat Reader used by these end users. (Not "latest" please). There have been changes in the last month.

[Sreekanth_S]

I noticed the issue while we were testing in Acrobat Reader XI, v.11.0.23.

But later, wben it goes out on our website as a publicly available document, it is difficult to check / impose any version as such. Being a free software, it is very likely that everyone updates to the latest version. 

[Test Screen Name]

Support for playing videos without Flash is brand new. People WILL need to update. 

[_paleale]

I have the latest version of Acrobat DC and InDesign and there is no support without Flash. Is there a way around this? I need to embed a video into a magazine layout for a client. 

thanks

[Test Screen Name]

Please give your exact version of Acrobat DC (like 2016.123.45678). Not "latest" please.

[_paleale]

I have Acrobat DC 2020.009.20067

InDesign CC 15.1.2

thanks

[marting47098069]

Hi

I have the exact same issue. 

Acrobat Reader and films - what will happen after flash is discontinued?
We need to play films within a PDF offline - what are you going to put in place regarding Adobe reader so that this will work?

I have presentations we have developed in PDF. They have films embedded in them. They need to work offline. Flash is no longer being supported by Adobe and will be discontinued in 2020. What can we do?

Please let me know if you have had a response of a work around?

Thanks so much

[_paleale]

So I found 2 resolutions that may be helpful to you?

Option 1 was to export it as a fixed layout epub out of the InDesign document

Option 2 was to publish the InDesign document online.  It gives you a link online to share the document with other people so for presentation purposes that may be the best option for you?

Here is the link that helped me through the issue, it may help you too! If you find another solution for PDF specifically, please let me know. That would be ideal. 

https://ajarproductions.com/blog/2018/03/26/interactive-pdf-is-dead-heres-what-you-can-create-from-i...

[Test Screen Name]

I think that in this version Adobe firmly believe they have done everything necessary and everything they intend to do. It's hard to say, because I haven't seen anything written down about it. For example, is it necessary to add movies with the latest Acrobat? Who knows. I do know there are relevant options under Preferences > Multimedia (legacy), especially Preferred Media Player. I'd hope it wouldn't need any changes because user's won't know! However, give these options a try.

[Michelle5FF6]

I am currently having this issue with Adobe Acrobat Pro (v.15.006). It wont let me install Flash Player as it will no longer be supported come December. Thinking of just linking to the video online instead but for marketing purposes it would be much more efficient if I could get this to work in the PDF. Suggestions? will there be a new alternative to flash? 

[Test Screen Name]

Acrobat DC was changed to work without Flash Player over 6 months ago (would have been nice if it was older). However, your version of Acrobat is the best part of 5 years old.

[JRW674]

Where is the information that allows Pro DC to view an interactive PDF without Flash?

I have version 20.0 and I get the error message indicating flash is being discountinued and I'm redirected to the following page https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/flash-player-needed-acrobat-reader.html?mv=product&mv2=acrobat...  indicating how to download Flash and the page hasn't been updated since June, 2020.

If I'm trying to create an interactive PDF or portfolio, but have to save as an epub seems to defeat the purpose of creating a PDF document in the first place. The customer may have to download another app to view, i.e. Adobe Digital Editions. The "publish online" option can only be viewed with Internet. So in reality there isn't such a thing as "interactive PDF" anymore and Adobe should remove that as a publishing option or fix it in an update!

[Derek Cross]

You can still create Interactive PDFs that can include internal and external hyperlinks, it's just multimedia that's becaome obsolete due to the dropping of Flash. You can include hyperlinks in your Interactive PDF to an external source such as a YouTube, or similar, video.

[Bernd Alheit]

Acrobat DC can embed video files.

[default5sj3qymzczzq]

So there will be no way to have a video embedded going forward? Only hyperlinks? That's a huge design disaster for my marketing materials. Please confirm. 

[Test Screen Name]

Acrobat DC can embed video files, I read somewhere.

[Derek Cross]

Why not use InDesign's Publish Online – though the user has to be online.

[barkh_123]

In addition, the publish online does not currently have a way to password protect the document and the body of the document is no longer searchable text. 2 big problems.

[Test Screen Name]

However, I would not dream of using video files in a PDF for marketing purposes, because most people won't bother to use a multimedia compatible PDF viewer. They will just have holes. This has been the case for quite a few years.

[lindsaymwright]

I have this same question, none of the videos or buttons are working on my interactive PDFs anymore unless they're published online - often I'm presenting in places that don't have wifi or strong wifi so only being able to run of the internet is a huge issue. Does anyone know if Adobe intends on addressing this?

[Derek Cross]

Have a look at in5 – an InDesign plug-in (at extra cost) in which you can include video, animations and multi-state objects and that can be viewed offline: https://ajarproductions.com/pages/products/in5/

[_paleale]

I thought the new version of Indesign already does this when you choose to Publish Online.

this still doesn't resolve the PDF file issue. 

[LucymBonner]

Not being able to create interactive PDFs with video or gifs (to be viewed offline by clients without Acrobat DC) is a serious issue, and I don't know why Adobe wouldn't solve for this before deprecating Flash. +1 to the calls for this giant problem to be fixed!

[viviennew64209894]

Add me to this. How can Adobe justify creating the technology for embedded video in PDF, so that many customers build their businesses around this format, then remove this format. It’s taking us back to the Dark Ages, and a HUGE denial of responsibility. Adobe please understand that this is a trust issue.