Flash or Clipstream or whatever Options

[Peter Evans]

I'm in charge of the addition of snippets of video to a little site. Luckily I don't have to make the videos and I don't even have to add them, but I should have a bit of background knowledge. Unfortunately I have none. (Once I said yes to an offer to install Flash. I saw a handful of amusing animations and a huge number of unwanted adverts. Since then I've always said no.)

Related sites appear to use something called Clipstream, which I believe uses Java, of which I have next to no experience (even as docile consumer).

Meanwhile, a major rival uses Flash.

Wikipedia's "Comparison of streaming media systems suggests that creation in Clipstream or Flash requires expensive software. Oh no, wait, it's the "streaming media system", whatever that means -- server, maybe? -- that's expensive. The (sadly uninformative) WP page also mentions Flumotion, whose "streaming media system" (?) is free and GPL and whose output runs on "any player", which is pleasant news but hard to believe.

I very hazily guess that providing videos in additional formats is not just like providing graphics in GIF as well as JPEG format but instead would cost the producer time and effort and thus cost the client (us) money. Am I right?

The site has to provide for millions of normal people using normal computers. (If this were instead a matter of audio files, they'd all be MP3; OGG wouldn't merit a moment's consideration.) Does Clipstream seem an OK choice? Is it better replaced or supplemented by an alternative?

I suppose my personal problems are (i) that as a "user" I resent any attempt by a website to make my computer resemble a TV, and that (ii) I haven't a clue what "streaming" is about. (I'd thought it was stuff that you were supposed to watch or listen to more or less as it came in and that was "protected" against saving and replaying -- but SWF files can be saved and recycled. I hazily suspect that my institution would prefer it not to be savable, because what's saved can be recycled, for critical, satirical or other purposes.)

[jimlongo]

To stream or not to stream?

Streaming is usually not necessary for most video. You download (if even temporarily) the file and play starts as soon as enough content is buffered. Streaming usually involves a dedicated server software that is usually expensive.

Of course there is the issue of copying. I usually go by the assumption that if someone really wants it, there's no way to stop them from getting it. Even pure streamed tracks can easily be captured. So why waste the time?

I only use QuickTime for video, so I can't help with any other formats, but keep in mind the viewer needs to have (or be given instructions on how to get) the correct plug-in to play the content. Most current embedding regimens instruct the customer how to get the proper plug in if they don't already have it. There are lo-tech ways to put "copy-protect" flags in files. As I said earlier if someone really wants it . . .

Flash claims 9x% installed base, QuickTime has a large base (especially since it now piggybacks on iTunes installation), anything else I'd stay clear of.

my 2¢

[Peter Evans]

But Clipstream is supposed to need no more than Java.

At a personal level, there's new hope for Flash: I might agree to installing it, now that I'm more up to date with junk-busting methods thanks to my skim-reading of Ad blocking is theft, so block Firefox instead (updated) (Guardian).

[Christian J]

Are you going to embed the videos in the web page? You could always link directly to video files (in mpeg format?).

If you want to embed, Flash seems to be the best supported plugin, at least according to the vendor himself: http://www.adobe.com/products/player_census/flashplayer/ and there should be various Flash-based video players availabe to choose from.

In my personal websurfing experience, Flash is also the least problematic plugin while I've always had trouble with Java and Realplayer.

[Peter Evans]

Are you going to embed the videos in the web page? You could always link directly to video files (in mpeg format?).

If you want to embed, Flash seems to be the best supported plugin, at least according to the vendor himself: http://www.adobe.com/products/player_census/flashplayer/ and there should be various Flash-based video players availabe to choose from.

In my personal websurfing experience, Flash is also the least problematic plugin while I've always had trouble with Java and Realplayer.

As I've said, I suspect my institution would like the idea of their being some token hurdles to the redistribution of this material. For that, MPEG wouldn't be so good (but then neither would SWF, I suppose). Moreover, I keep being told that I don't have the right codec for this or that MPEG file, and I suppose these problems are widespread.

Anyway, thanks to my new awareness of Flashblock, I have a much rosier idea of Flash. Thank you for your input. I'll ask for Flash, and if that's not possible will settle for Clipstream.

[Frederiek]

I generally find Java weighing heavy in web pages. Flash seems much lighter. And I can easily turn Flash on (I turned it off by default) if I see the need.

And what about codecs? For QuickTime?
Look into DivX and Perian.

[jimlongo]

Regarding codecs, MPEG-4 codecs are becoming the most widespread. Even YouTube is migrating to H.264 (a flavor of mp4).
For Flash and QuickTime you shouldn't require any extra third party codec as that just complicates things once again.

[Frederiek]

I installed the codecs as the QuickTime player didn't want to run .avi files. It avoided me having to change them.

[jimlongo]

Hi Frederiek,

Unfortunately many avi files will no longer play in QuickTime since the codecs (at least for Mac) have not been updated for PPC or Intel chips.

What did you install?

[Frederiek]

Hi Jim,

I installed both DivX (logically for playing divx movie files) and Perian (adds components to Quicktime, among which .avi; see the details on the perian site).
Flip4Mac takes care of Windows Media player files on the web. Since I installed that, I can finally see the video's on CNN, if I want to.

[jimlongo]

Thanks, i have Flip4Mac but had never looked at Perian before.
I'll try to see if it opens some old avi files I haven't been able to look at in years.

[jimlongo]

I have some old movies from the 1996 Olympics.
Unfortunately they use something called Microsoft Video Utility and Intel indeo video as the codecs. The MS one is probably a proprietary avi type, and the Intel indeo codec is the one that's never been updated . . . anyway I still can't see the pictures.

http://rdiv.com/media/ali.avi
http://rdiv.com/media/bailey.mov

[Frederiek]

The activity window shows 0 octets for the ali.avi and nothing happens.

The bailey.avi first gives me a dialog that says I need an additional component that might be available on the Apple QT components page, though it doesn't say which. And there's no Indeo to find on that page. Then, when I dismiss the dialog, I can hear the sound of the file. But indeed no pictures.

Downloading the files, does merely the same thing. Now I do hear sound in both files, still no images.

You probably need the Intel Indeo video codec, which you can find with Google, at least for the bailey.avi. The ali.avi seems to be a IV32, whatever that might be.

I hope you finally get to see your movies.

[jimlongo]

Thanks F, but they're windows codecs . . .

As for seeing them, they're burned into my memory.

[Frederiek]

Pity you can't see them anymore. WMP for Mac won't even open them. But I did find this at Apple which might help you.

[jimlongo]

Thanks again, but I no longer have any computers with OS9 installed.

Maybe somone with Windows can view them and resave them for me

[Frederiek]

Thanks again, but I no longer have any computers with OS9 installed.

That's what I figured; me neither.

Maybe somone with Windows can view them and resave them for me

Or, if you have Parallels, Bootcamp or VMWare installed, you can see for yourself, I suppose. Provided that the Win box has the necessary codec. Maybe, I'll think about it if I run Win next time around (fortunately, I don't need it all the time ).