Overview
You have more than just a few options when including video in your Flash application–each with advantages and disadvantages. In this session you’ll learn the details for each as well as the associated impact on user experience and production cost. Specifically, you’ll walk away with a clear idea of both the relative strengths and technical requirements when including video in your .swf, progressively loading video as a swf or an .flv, or streaming an .flv. You’ll be able to select the best option to suit your next project.
In addition to sorting out the options, you’ll receive code and general strategies for handling common tasks including: –testing the user’s bandwidth and computer performance –buffering (and pre-buffering during idle states) –improving video performance and quality –synchronizing video to other Flash elements –using playlists
Note about the workshop format: Because conventional video compression techniques apply equally to Flash video it won’t the focus for this workshop–rather we’ll spend more time on what to do with the video once it’s produced. You’re welcome to bring a laptop and source videos to this workshop. Ideally, you should pre-render one .swf and one .flv because compression can take a long time. A lot of the technical information for this workshop is drawn from lessons learned from two projects in particular: The “Witness to History” kiosk at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (http://www.secondstory.com/index.php?page=collection&pid=67) which included videos running at 1280×960. And, a soon to be public sub-site for www.eharmony.com that includes online videos running at up to 640×360 24fps –depending on the user’s setup.
