NEW YORK (AP) – Adobe Systems Inc. is extending its Flash platform to digital home entertainment devices like TV sets, Blu-ray players and set-top boxes.

Adobe announced Monday that the move will let people watch high-definition videos, play Flash-based games and access other Web content on their Internet-connected TV sets. The move will also allow content providers to add more interactive features to TVs and other devices.

Adobe says about 80 percent of all online videos run on the Flash platform. While it's been possible to watch online videos on TV sets, the company says it hasn't been "consistent." Some YouTube videos would work and some wouldn't, for example.

Despite this dominance, Adobe has been facing increasing pressure from Microsoft Corp.'s Silverlight software, which has been used to stream major events, including the Olympics and NCAA basketball tournament, according to the Silicon Valley San Jose Business Journal (story here).

Adobe expects the first TVs and other devices that support the Flash platform to ship in the second half of this year.