Streaming Video Question

[WallyWest]

I wasn't sure if this was the right place, but I am trying to find out about streaming video.

Eventually, I will use it in Flash, but first, I need to know about how to compress it.

Currently, I am capturing video and remastering it as an mpeg-2, demultiplexing it into elementary streams, fixing it, etc.

What I want to know is what you folks do to compress it. How do you serve it? I realize I can use the video object in Flash, or EMBED a Media Player OBJECT in a webpage, but the files are so huge that it become unusable.

Thanks for help or guidance.

[TRJNET]

Thats why you should start using .flv files, that are basically any .mov or .avi file, that can be converted into a .flv file (flash video format) which can be used to load external movies into a flash movie dynamically. The advantage of this technique, is of what you were saying about bloated movie sizes, it can make the site take forever to load, try .flv's or otherwise you'll have to embed your video or movie right into your flash movie. Heres an example of a little flassh app that i made the other day, that uses .flv external movie loading. Example: http://cgnation.netfirms.com/Flash/f...amflvapp2.html

Another added advanatage to the .flv format, is that a .flv movie file that is stored at for example, the above movie is on the http://cgnation.netfirms.com/Flash/f...amflvapp2.html address, yet the .flv file that it is reading, is actually located @t http://www.cathphoto.com/c.flv. Pretty cool flash video technology eh ? :P

Heres a little tutorial you can follow to try out the .flv format, also look into how-to use the .flv exporter that comes with Flash MX 2004 Professional:

How-to add a media component to an application:

In Flash, select File > New; then select Flash Document.
In the Components panel (Window > Development Panels > Components), double-click the MediaPlayback component to add it to the Stage.
In the Property inspector, enter the instance name myMedia.
In the Property inspector, click Launch Component Inspector.
In the Component Inspector panel, enter http://www.cathphoto.com/c.flv in the URL text box.
Select Control > Test Movie to see the media play.