TVSquad

Like watching video streams from Hulu, but don't like that you have to open a web browser to do it? Paul Yanez, the developer behind Not Apple TV, Hulu Media Player, and a Flash-based Joost clone is back, and this time he's developed a desktop player for Hulu called MyMediaPlayer.

The program is built on Adobe AIR, which is a platform for bringing web-based applications to the desktop. It provides a user experience that's a lot like browsing the Hulu web site. But it has a few advantages. First, you don't need to open a web browser. But second, you can browse for more shows while continuing playback. Just start a video and then hit the TV or Movies tab to minimize your video to the lower left hand side of the screen while you look for other videos. In order to maximize your vieo window again you need to click on a TV show name.

The one problem with MyMediaPlayer is that it uses embedded videos from Hulu. That means there's no simple way to watch videos in full screen mode. It also means that you don't have the complete Hulu library at your fingertips. You just have the selection that Yanez has manually added.

Adobe has launched a desktop media player capable of watching online video streams and downloaded videos from Adobe partners. Adobe Media Player has been available as a public beta since last year, but the version that officially launches this week is much more stable and has a much improved library of content.

You'll need to install Adobe AIR before installing Adobe Media Player. AIR is a platform for applications that bridge the gap between the web and the desktop. And Adobe Media Player fits the bill, letting you view web-based videos from sources including MTV, CBS, PBS, Universal Music Group, Revision3, and Blip.TV

Adobe has also launched Adobe TV, a video channel featuring Adobe-related tutorials and content. You can watch Adobe TV videos on the web, or using the Adobe Media Player.