5 Replies Latest reply: Nov 26, 2007 4:53 PM by Newsgroup_User RSS

    Streaming video

    Airwall Community Member
      I just uploaded a video in the *.mov format to my site. My question is:

      How do I have a “preview” display on the moving screen when a visitor arrives? Currently, a visitor will only see the Quicktime “Q” when they arrive and it may not be obvious for them to wait until the video has completed loading.

      Ideally, it would be nice to have some image on the screen of the video and provide the user with the ability to stream or have some kind of indicator that the video is loading (progress bar). Also, I would like the user to be able to determine if they want to have the movie streamed.
        • 1. Re: Streaming video
          thlokey
          I think that you best bet is to drop the QT file into Flash. You will have more control over it's loading and what the user desires to do.
          • 2. Re: Streaming video
            Newsgroup_User Community Member
            "Airwall" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
            news:fi2o91$7v4$1@forums.macromedia.com...
            > I just uploaded a video in the *.mov format to my site. My question is:
            >
            > How do I have a ?preview? display on the moving screen when a visitor
            > arrives?
            > Currently, a visitor will only see the Quicktime ?Q? when they arrive and
            > it
            > may not be obvious for them to wait until the video has completed loading.
            >
            > Ideally, it would be nice to have some image on the screen of the video
            > and
            > provide the user with the ability to stream or have some kind of indicator
            > that
            > the video is loading (progress bar). Also, I would like the user to be
            > able to
            > determine if they want to have the movie streamed.


            From what I've read on Apple's site, you could make a reference movie
            containing the url for a thumbnail of please wait message, and the url of
            your main movie.

            http://www.apple.com/quicktime/tutorials/refmovies.html
            There's as free tool from apple to make these movies

            http://developer.apple.com/documentation/QuickTime/RM/Fundamentals/QTOverview/QTOverview_D ocument/chapter_1000_section_6.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP30000992-CH1g-StreamingBroadcast ingandProgressiveDownload

            Combined Movies and Reference Movies
            It is possible to combine progressive download media with streaming or
            broadcast media in a single QuickTime movie, providing the best features of
            each delivery method. This is done by creating a self-contained QuickTime
            movie for progressive download, then adding tracks whose data references
            specify the RTSP URL of a live broadcast or a hinted movie on a streaming
            server.

            A QuickTime movie with a custom media skin and wired sprites can act as a
            customized movie player application that plays streaming media from a
            predefined source. This is a relatively common application for promoting
            music and music videos.

            A QuickTime movie file may not always contain a movie data structure, at
            least not directly. It may contain a reference, such as a path and filename,
            or a URL, specifying another movie file. It can also contain references to
            several movie files, with specified criteria for choosing a particular file.
            These kinds of movies are called reference movies. For example, you can
            create a reference movie with three URLs, pointing to three versions of the
            same movie compressed at different bit rates, and specifying the preferred
            connection speed for each version.

            A reference movie can refer to Fast Start movies, stored streaming movies,
            or live streams, so a reference movie can be used to improve the user
            experience with any kind of Internet delivery: broadcast, streaming, or
            progressive download.


            • 3. Re: Streaming video
              Newsgroup_User Community Member
              "Joris van Lier" <whizzrd@hotmail.com> wrote in message
              news:fi4ijn$9hc$1@forums.macromedia.com...

              > http://www.apple.com/quicktime/tutorials/refmovies.html
              > There's as free tool from apple to make these movies

              the windows version is a bit harder to find
              ftp://ftp.apple.com/developer/Quicktime/Windows_Tools/Web_Tools/MakeRefMovie/MakeRefMovie. zip

              • 4. Re: Streaming video
                Airwall Community Member
                Thank you,

                I read through the information. I am not certain if it will resolve my problem?

                First issue – when a user arrives at my site – the Quick Time “Q” stays in the frame area until the video is loaded. The load time isn’t very long, approximately thirty second. But, to the impatient visitor that may be a long time?

                Also, is there a way to not have the video load until the user would like to view it? I am looking for it to function in the manner of MSNBC or Youtube – where the pages load immediately – than the user can decide on the video to watch. It is at that point that they have to wait for to loading…

                The Apple software appears to be for quicker streaming, not necessarily addressing the need for the video to not be loaded until the desired time.

                Thanks again,

                Leo
                • 5. Re: Streaming video
                  Newsgroup_User Community Member


                  "Airwall" <webforumsuser@macromedia.com> wrote in message
                  news:fifl7u$gbf$1@forums.macromedia.com...
                  > Thank you,
                  >
                  > I read through the information. I am not certain if it will resolve my
                  > problem?

                  I think you need to create said reference movie and embed a Please wait
                  while loading" kind of image in there,
                  then reference the movie content appropriate for your visitor's bandwidth.

                  > First issue ? when a user arrives at my site ? the Quick Time ?Q? stays in
                  > the
                  > frame area until the video is loaded. The load time isn?t very long,
                  > approximately thirty second. But, to the impatient visitor that may be a
                  > long
                  > time?
                  >
                  > Also, is there a way to not have the video load until the user would like
                  > to
                  > view it? I am looking for it to function in the manner of MSNBC or
                  > Youtube ?
                  > where the pages load immediately ? than the user can decide on the video
                  > to
                  > watch. It is at that point that they have to wait for to loading?
                  >
                  > The Apple software appears to be for quicker streaming, not necessarily
                  > addressing the need for the video to not be loaded until the desired time.
                  >
                  > Thanks again,
                  >
                  > Leo

                  According to the manual you can use the QTNEXT parameter to specify a
                  numbered list of movies to play or a single URL to open , AUTOHREF to Load
                  the URL specified in HREF without waiting for a mouse click and

                  Here's a PDF
                  http://developer.apple.com/documentation/QuickTime/Conceptual/QTScripting_HTML/QTScripting _HTML.pdf

                  and here's a link to the parameters table
                  http://developer.apple.com/documentation/QuickTime/Conceptual/QTScripting_HTML/QTScripting _HTML_Document/chapter_1000_section_5.html