Microsoft announces Silverlight 5

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Microsoft will release a beta version of the next version of its Silverlight software in the first quarter of 2011.

Silverlight 5 will support graphics processing unit-accelerated video decode, which will reduce the amount of processor power needed to load HD video.

Users will also be able to enjoy variable speed playback of media content with automatic audio pitch correction.

“This is great for training videos where you want to speed up the trainer while still understanding what he’s saying,” Scott Guthrie, corporate vice president for Microsoft's developer division, said in a blog.

Remote control support has also been added by the Redmond giant, whilst enhanced “power awareness” will stop screensavers coming on when video is in motion.

Microsoft said additions to Silverlight would help developers produce “great” applications.

One addition is improved text clarity, enabling “crisper and cleaner text rendering, multi-column text flow and linked text containers, character and leading support.”

Accelerated 3D graphics support, meanwhile, will allow developers to create “richer data visualisation scenarios.”

Silverlight 4 was only released earlier this year as Microsoft looked to get some more market share over competitors like Adobe Flash.

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