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Embedding Video into InDesign

Community Beginner ,
Dec 25, 2016 Dec 25, 2016

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Using the "Media" option on an object seems very hit and miss. Some people with exactly the same browsers (Chrome or Firefox) can see the video and others cannot. SO was wondering if this technique could be employed somehow by embedding HTML5 code in InDesign such as:

<video width="356" height="200" controls poster="full/http/link/to/image/file.png" >
<source src="full/link/to/http/mp4/video/file.mp4" type="video/mp4" />
<source src="full/link/to/http/ogv/video/file.ogv" type="video/ogg" />
<source src="full/link/to/http/webm/video/file.webm" type="video/webm" />
<em>Sorry, your browser doesn't support HTML5 video.</em>
</video>

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Community Expert ,
Dec 25, 2016 Dec 25, 2016

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Before anyone can answer, you must tell us:

What version of InDesign? What operating system? How are you outputting the video from InDesign: Flash, interactive PDF, Reflowable EPUB, Fixed Layout EPUB, Publish Online, or HTML5?

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Community Beginner ,
Dec 25, 2016 Dec 25, 2016

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Its InDesign CSS under Windows 10. The video is MP4 that will be creating (but can do other formats as necessary). The destination is an Interactive PDF (an e-magazine).

Thanks Steve

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Community Expert ,
Dec 25, 2016 Dec 25, 2016

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There's no guarantee that any video will play the way you expect in a PDF unless you're viewing it in Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader on a computer (and NOT on a mobile device). PDF readers in web browsers and third-party PDF readers are all over the place in terms on whether and how they can handle video in a PDF file. It's just the way it is.

At the InDesign Conference session I went to in November, Keith Gilbert had a handout which analyzed capabilities of different kind of output from InDesign. About PDF, he wrote:

"The venerable Portable Document Format (PDF) still has a place in digital publishing. A PDF is a single file that is

easy to create and can be easily distributed in a number of ways. Most people know what to do with a PDF when they

encounter it.

"But as mobile devices have proliferated, so too have the number of different PDF “reader” apps. As a result, the on-screen

fidelity of a PDF and support for interactive features isn’t as robust as it once was. In fact interactivity, animation, and

video in PDF is so poorly supported in many mobile PDF reading apps, that unless you can dictate which PDF reader

app your audience uses, it is best to avoid including most interactivity, animation, and video in PDFs."

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Mentor ,
Dec 25, 2016 Dec 25, 2016

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In addition to Steve: all non-Adobe PDF readers is an evil for read full-featured PDF's. If your customer don't have Adobe Reader/Acrobat you need to demand this firstly.

Remember, never say you can't do something in InDesign, it's always just a question of finding the right workaround to get the job done. © David Blatner

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Community Beginner ,
Dec 25, 2016 Dec 25, 2016

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Thank you George...

D.

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Community Expert ,
Dec 26, 2016 Dec 26, 2016

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Why PDF? I've been railing against it for a while now and nothing's happened to change my mind.

Here's my blog post on the subject: It's okay to say no to interactive PDF

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Mentor ,
Dec 26, 2016 Dec 26, 2016

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Bob, do you have real alternative file-format as PDF? I don't think so. Your article is interesting, but pretty tired.

Lenin lived, Lenin lives, Lenin will live

PDF lived, PDF lives, PDF will live

Remember, never say you can't do something in InDesign, it's always just a question of finding the right workaround to get the job done. © David Blatner

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Community Expert ,
Dec 26, 2016 Dec 26, 2016

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I’m going to give you the benefit of English as a second language. Interactive PDF has long outlived its usefulness for things like this.

And if you need to ask that question, you didn’t read the post.

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Community Expert ,
Dec 26, 2016 Dec 26, 2016

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To refer to the quote from Keith Gilbert I gave above, PDF "still has a place in digital publishing." It's just that, because of a proliferation of different substandard PDF readers, it doesn't work well for interactivity, animation, and video unless you have a predictable audience who are willing to use a suitable PDF reader.

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Community Expert ,
Dec 26, 2016 Dec 26, 2016

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That is kind of the point I'm trying to make. The problem is that very rarely is the predictable reader a part of the equation.

And when people want these things viewed in a browser it's really time to throw in the towel and just use HTML for it. With Wordpress, just about anything is possible and it's far more predictable. It's also quite simple to tie it into the major digital publishing formats.

It's far easier to produce and done properly, is responsive for all screen sizes. The days of pixel perfect publishing are just about over.

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Mentor ,
Dec 27, 2016 Dec 27, 2016

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BobLevine

You not answer to my question. What you can to offer with InDesign?

>> and just use HTML for it. With Wordpress

This? InDesign is not a tool for site-publishing. Sites don't have stable view in different browsers.

May be you wanna offer to topic-starter some epub? - it's a utopia too. Many readers, and additional work for installing this readers. But InDesign can be helpful with epub. And may be need to do PDF and epub versions together in the future. Together, not separately

PDF are stable, and Adobe Reader use more than 90% users with Windows/OSX. E-mag of auscamonline in PDF is a good idea for distribution.

P.S.

>> Interactive PDF has long outlived its usefulness for things like this.

Topic-starter just add video, and this works in Adobe Reader!  Why you add in any thread your article? We already know that you don't like PDF

Remember, never say you can't do something in InDesign, it's always just a question of finding the right workaround to get the job done. © David Blatner

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Community Expert ,
Dec 27, 2016 Dec 27, 2016

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Interactive PDF was never intended to do some of things people are pushing it to do. Flash enabled much of it and outside of Acrobat or Reader it’s a huge crapshoot. You cannot control what people are viewing PDFs in.

I have specifically pointed out that anything that needs to be read in a browser should be created for the environment and if you go back and read the OP’s remarks, this is to be viewed in a browser. Because of this, interactive PDF, in my opinion is the wrong choice.

When viewed in a browser, many interactive features break. InDesign has a very large place in any publishing toolbox, but it is not and cannot be the only tool. And to be clear, I have no problem with PDF or any other format; but those formats need to be used properly.

I shall now bow out of this conversation.

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