Hi,
Just a brief reply.
As ever it all depends on what you are expecting to deliver. Streaming
technologies can be expensive and complex. Things like Realplayer for
example expect you to buy the software and then pay for a server that
can use their streaming protocols.
However it sounds like you just want to deliver clips. So rather than
live delivery you want to just have clips saved that people can
download. In this case I would say that QuickTime provides the
cheapest solution (and really high quality delivery). It is very cheap
($50 or so) and once you have paid on-line they give you an access
code that opens up the extra features of the free player. It is
limited in terms of editing though and I am assuming that you will be
putting the clips together somewhere else and just using it as a
conversion format to deliver. One problem with QuickTime is the user
base but as a freeplayer this should not cause too many headaches and
a link can be put on the relevant page much like Flash pages do now.
Clips like this can be held on your own server and can be treated in
the same way as image files.
As for bandwidth, etc. As far as I know (and I'd be interested if you
hear differently) there is a relatively low penetration of bandwidth
in the UK and Europe compared to places like the US. It is still
definitely worth optimising clips for 56k and broadband (a feature
that Quicktime, and most other digital video software, does have
presets for).
Leonard Latiff
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sarre, Jane" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2003 12:15 PM
Subject: use of video in websites
> Dear all,
>
> I'm hoping to include some short video clips in a forthcoming
website. Can
> anyone offer any useful advice or experience?
>
> Are there access issues/solutions we should be aware of? Does anyone
have
> up-to-date info on the extent of broadband use at home or school?
Have you
> used specialist hosts for video-streaming or run it from your own
servers -
> if so were there bandwidth issues?
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Jane
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