Video Streaming

[rosschapman]

Hello.

I'd like some info on how to go about this video streaming malarkey - concerning WMVs and QuickTimes.

I only have a basic understanding - but do people know anything about it?


cheers,

[the_pm]

Well, you create a file in a streaming format, use markup to call a plug-in (the people hopefully have installed), and the plug-in plays the video as it is downloading it, buffering the start of the playback based on connection speed in an attempt to prevent the visitor from running out of video to watch before the download is complete.

I personally LOVE the FLV format from Flash. I don't think quality for compression can be beat, and Flash is pretty universal anymore. I hate QuickTime, because the stupid software infects your computer like the plague.

[rosschapman]

if it was my choice, i'd say flash too, but they're going with WMVs mainly because of the drm.

What would a steaming format be - .aspx or something? (I made that up).

[the_pm]

I believe wma is a streaming format. I think asx is the streaming version of asf too.

[rosschapman]

thanks Paul, I'll look into those.

I'm guessing that the streaming file sits on a streaming server (or any server with high bandwidth) and the plugin, that should be on people's computers.

[the_pm]

Most servers allow streaming connections anymore, but it doesn't hurt to ask your service provider, or the provider of your design customer just to be sure.