Macromedia offers Flash video tool

Macromedia hopes to boost use of its Flash format for delivering streaming video with a new development kit. The Flash Video Kit allows users of the company's Dreamweaver Web authoring application to add Flash video to their pages without using the full set of Flash development tools.

Macromedia is in the midst of a broad campaign to expand use of the Flash format, initially associated mainly with blinking banner ads. The company is promoting Flash as a vehicle for delivering slick Web applications and streaming video.