progressive v streaming video

[markqis]

New to the forum and looking for information about video for the web.

Is it possible to set the language for topics by refering to the two forms of streaming.

I understand that Progressive Download or video on demand involves uploading a video clip (wmv,QT, Real or flash) to a website. Once a link is activiated, then a video clip is bufferred to your computer and then played back. I confused this with streaming video because the playback on .wmv files was almost instantanous. However this didn.t work with quicktime, which I later found out needed to be encoded as a quick start file. I also unerstand that these files can be uploaded to a web server, this being the most common for all web hosting and relatively cheap for large storage, typically £29.00 per month for 750 to 1000mb.

My understanding of streaming or live streaming is that an event whether live or recorded and is being broadcast at a set time, if your late you miss some and cannot rewind or forward. This also requires specialist streaming servers, and realtime encoder cards and a lot of money.

I am currently involved in developing a broadband television station www.doncaster.tv (http://www.doncaster.tv) At the moment, I am using
windows movie player, not embedded. In the visit by David Blunkett, I have used a variety of different compressions and one clip is subtitled, forum members may be interested in the differing quality levels.

From the start, we decided not to attempt to produce clips for dial up, the quality level isn't there. However I am attempting to keep clip sizes down so that non broadband users can also access the clips whilst they have a long coffee break.

From here, we intend to encode QT clips, after being hassled by some 'Mac' friends. However, I am being pushed more towards flash video, primarily because of greater access and cross platform.

The flash option aslo opens up the possibility of having TV Channels. Currently clips are opened up individually, however I came across a flash player, which will load clips sequentially. Hence instead of having 1x30 minute clip, I can have 10 3 minute clips or any combination. If the clip are named clip 1, 2 , 3 etc, editing can be done simply by renamimg an old file with a new file. The player also has controls similar to a DVD, next, previous clips.

Any feedback would be most appreciated, especially anyone who has any experience of using
microsoft's .wmd files or has anyone an opinion about using flash's sorenson code or wildform flix.

[StuartV]

Ah Mac users insisting on QT - no real need as wm9 is available for Mac osx.

The flash sorenson codec is a generation behind wm9, so is not as efficient.

For loading up multiple clips you can use a windows media meta-file (asx). To see how this works, look at the msdn website (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/wmplay/mmp_sdk/creatingmetafileplaylists.asp)

Hope this helps

Stuart

[stoo]

with streaming you will need a streaming server.
with progressive downloads you can use a normal server.
you are corect about real time streaming.
its normal for people to provide clips in wma and quick time somtimes people provide all 3 (real).
usually softwear is used to genarte multiple files so for eapmle procoder or media cleaner would batch process your files.
as for flash check out the soresen site for extra plugins and there is another company called flix or somthing like that that do a simlar softwear.
if you are expecting lots of hits this could be expensive!
hope this is of use

[markqis]

Thanks for the replies.

I looked up the MSDN reference, and this looks like a winner, if I can get my head around the coding.

Stoo, can you expand on your comment about the number of hits, I assume that you mean license fees.

Another topic, MPEG4, at the recent video show in wembley, the guy from Osprey was saying that MPEG4 isn't worth waiting for, because its meant to be all things to all men, each time they get to a point where it is ready, something new appears on the horizon and they then try to incorporate it. He said anyone saying that MPEG4 is here, is fantatising.

Have you had any experience with MPEG 4.