Hot Spot - WEBLOGS

Hot Flashes!
Posted by: Captain Kirk
Mar 01, 08 | 2:59 pm

[url=http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer]Get the Flash Player[/url] to see this video.

What can be said about streaming video? Except maybe, "woooop there it is!"

Well, technically this isn't streaming video....

This video is on Hotspot's streaming server as arannharris.mov as well as to the left in an embedded Flash player. What's the difference, you might ask? For starters, the streaming server "url" begins with rstp:// instead of http:// like a file on a web server, such as arannharris.flv (there's a javascript trick used for the streaming server that's not yet ready for Flash media).

Point is, that if the connection to the streaming file is opened (and Quicktime, VLC, or other streaming video application is properly installed) then the server sends the video to the player. For a web video, the file is sent via the web server and is downloaded and displayed just like pictures and text in a web page. While it is true that a Flash Media Server exists, we at Hotspot can only afford the free Darwin Streaming Server that comes with our hosting plan to serve up some video.

It really is more than just semantics, and any debate about the best format is moot at this point in favor of a content delivery system that only relies on a web browser and a media format, not on assurances whether or not viewers have or can set up a streaming video TV on their personal computer. Thanks to the cost and the popularity, it looks like Flash video web streaming is the hotness to use. Plus it's nice that our host now offers Flash video conversion and serving for free.

[url=http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer]Get the Flash Player[/url] to see this video.

The nicest thing about Flash Video is that the web streaming (that is download and play, not stream directly) is smoother than Quicktime, file sizes are smaller, and installation amongst computers is rampant. For example, the second video on the left is a Flash copy of a Quicktime movie that's not streamed, it is simply embedded (the source file moments_in_hotspot_history.m4v is on an http server, not rtsp).

More often than not, clicking on the Quicktime video results in all kinds of allow/deny steps, install, and rants about how much a Windows Media Server, er, service costs. In contrast, the Flash plug-in is more likely to already be installed and running - especially if you're into the yoohoob video thing. Plus, I've noticed a hiccup with the embedded Quicktime player until the video is completely downloaded (when it's not on a streaming server). The Flash player better handles web streaming (which has to download less data, too).

I'm probably dating myself to even get into the technical difference between streaming video and embedding video - heck I can remember RealVideo before it was Real. And it probably leaves most viewers bedazzled or confused when all that needs to happen is <click> see movie stuff. I merely look for the most efficient means to deliver the best Hotspot experience.

The irony of it all is the Podcast syndrome. A "podcast" sounds like a "broadcast" which makes it seem like it's streaming live video via the internet. Well, turns out that a Quicktime podcast in iTunes cannot come from a streamed Quicktime movie, it has to be served on a web server, making it just another download streaming channel. Plus, iTunes and iPods cannot use a Flash video (flv) files, so that means all the Podcast controls I've put into the Admin Panels on Hotspot aren't the best for playing video on our website, only in iTunes. Plus, to properly "broadcast" on the internet, it's possible we have to upload three files (embedded Flash, embedded Quicktime, and streaming Quicktime) - Four or more files if we want to cater to Windows Media Player.

[url=http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer]Get the Flash Player[/url] to see this video.

Oh well. The source file for Flash video can be uploaded as a Quicktime movie to serve as the Podcast. Think the term HotPod is going too far? At any rate, it's an easy choice to convert .movs into .flvs for large embedded videos. The video on the left as a racism_in_the_21st_century.mov file weighs in over 50MB and stutters while playing as it takes time to download (even on a "broadband" connection). The Flash file to the left here is larger (over 100 MB), but plays smoothly while it downloads. The Flash file is probably bigger because to keep quality high I kept the frame rate as high, plus the original was encoded with a podcast in mind, not Flash streaming. Dunno. The video of Arann Harris is 11MB as a Quicktime movie, but only 6MB as a Flash video, which is exactly the opposite of what happened with this video. Odds are, there's still more research in store for Mon Capitaine to find the magic settings, as well as a lesson in how much more I can confuse people with technical details and geek speak jargon.

Lets us know what video format works best for you!