Google may have got its Chrome browser running on Android, but Adobe is standing by its decision not to port Flash to any new mobile browsers, not even Chrome.
Flash content works fine in Android's embedded browser, and Adobe has
previously said that it will be porting Flash to Android 4 (aka Ice
Cream Sandwich), but that port will be limited to supporting the
embedded browser, not the new beta – and desktop-integrated – Chrome.
Ars Technica spotted the omission, and Adobe has clarified its position in explicitly stating
that the beta version of Chrome doesn't support Flash content, and that
Adobe has no intention of making that happen. Adobe sees its future in
helping people make money from content, rather than helping to
distribute it, so the software biz has no interest in creating more
versions of its Flash player.
That's not to say Google couldn't decide to port Flash, as RIM has
said it intends to do. Adobe happily supports such efforts, though it
would prefer to see the world moving to more open standards for
playback.
Google's video promoting Chrome on Android shows a YouTube video
playing back, which is fine as long as that video isn't copy-protected
in any way. Try to watch an episode of Spaced or Father Ted and you'll need to use the default browser (or a specialist app, if you're on iOS which has never supported Flash).
Channel 4, like everyone else, will probably to find alternatives to
Flash for secure distribution, and well before Google decides to make
Chrome the default option on all Android handsets. ®