If you want to create a download-and-watch video file, you can post your project to your Web site as .AVI or .MOV files. Buffered play is an advantage unique to .MOV files. This simulates streaming, allowing the viewer to begin watching a buffered portion of a video after a short wait as the rest downloads. The .MOV file format is fully cross-platform compatible. Whatever file format you choose to post, you'll be best served if you output your project as less than full frame and less than full motion video, so that your final file isn't too large to download in a reasonable time. We suggest posting clips no larger than 320x240 at 15 frames per second. When you're ready to upload your file to your host Web site, simply use an FTP (File Transport Protocol) utility to upload files to remote computers.
If you want to stream your video over the Internet, you'll need to use a streaming encoder to convert the digital video file to a streaming format. When you convert your video to a streaming format, you'll be able to select the frame rate and size of your video. The lower the frame rate and size, the easier it will be for people using a phone modem to watch your Internet video.
The streaming software that you use to convert to the proper format also has the tools to put your video on the Web. The big decision you'll have to make here is where on the Net to have the software publish the file. If you expect to have more than a few people view your streaming video file at one time, you'll want to make sure that you serve your video on a dedicated streaming video server rather than the Web server you use to host your regular Web site. Too many people trying to stream your clip can overload a small server.
A streaming video server is a special Web server that is set up for hosting streaming files. It uses a computer that is equipped to handle the rigors of streaming large amounts of video. The computer then connects to the Internet via a commercial, high-speed Internet connection that provides a connection fast enough to handle the severe demands of serving multiple streams of video. Also, a streaming server needs to have enough raw processing power to be able to serve up all of these video files. If you use a large ISP (Internet service provider) to host your Web site, it may already provide streaming video services. Check with your ISP to make sure.
When you use a streaming server, you simply place a link to your streamed video on your normal Web site. This allows viewers to access your video file on the streaming server from your site. When a viewer clicks the link on your Web site, the browser launches the appropriate streaming video player to view the file. The streaming video player will seek out the video file located on the streaming server and play it in the window.
It is possible to serve streamed video from a normal Web server without going through the added expense of storing your clips on a dedicated streaming server. This is fine if you don't expect more than one viewer at a time to watch your video. If you plan to serve video of your family vacation for your friends and family to view, it would be fine to serve the clips from a standard Web server. But if you plan to attract hundreds or thousands of viewers, it will be necessary to use a dedicated streaming-video server.
As the technology improves, the Internet will revolutionize video distribution. It will give video producers access to a worldwide audience, and provide viewers with limitless program choices. Whether you want to post clips of your new baby for family members across the country, or broadcast your own sitcom to hundreds of Web fans, the Internet provides a fresh new channel of distribution.