| Do you like watching videos on the web? | | | | bytes is received. This is not as efficient |
| Apparently a LOT of people do. Google thought | | | | as a dedicated streaming server, but unless |
| the phenomenon important enough to dish out | | | | you are running a very highly-trafficked |
| $1.65 billion to acquire YouTube and | | | | site, the results are virtually |
| guarantee its position as a number one | | | | indistinguishable. This is the option |
| provider of video feeds. | | | | discussed in detail in this article. |
| | | | |
| But is there really any reason the average | | | | Several applications exist on the market to |
| webmaster could not build their own video or | | | | handle progressive, or psuedo, streaming. The |
| audio based portal? Would that not be a | | | | difficulty in using them lies in the amount |
| difficult thing to attempt? Well, that used | | | | of work it can take to add HTML code to |
| to be the case, but it is not true any more. | | | | individual pages on your site in order to |
| | | | call the application which will then stream |
| Now, based on the fact that you are currently | | | | your audio or video content. What you really |
| reading this article, I would hazard a guess | | | | need is an automated solution of some type. |
| that the following is true: At some point in | | | | An application that will allow you, or your |
| the past, possibly even just recently, it | | | | visitors, to simply upload the content that |
| occurred to you that building a YouTube-like | | | | is to be streamed, and then have all the file |
| site might be a fun thing to do. But then you | | | | storage and HTML link-formatting done for |
| tossed the idea out the window once you | | | | you, behind the scenes. |
| discovered that adding audio and video clips | | | | |
| to your site can be time-consuming and | | | | Fortunately there is at least one application |
| tedious. Not to mention technically | | | | that does all this for you (this is mentioned |
| intimidating. But like I said, that no longer | | | | in the resource box below). In this case the |
| has to be the case. In fact, if you are | | | | application makes use of a Flash-based client |
| prepared to fork out a few hundred dollars | | | | named Wimpy, which exists in several |
| for the software to power your site, you can | | | | different incarnations. The best known of the |
| be up and running in no time flat. | | | | Wimpy players is the Wimpy MP3 Player which |
| | | | allows MP3s to be played from a fancy |
| In all likelihood you do not truly want to | | | | Flash-based jukebox. The appearance of this |
| compete with YouTube for visitors. But maybe | | | | player is controlled by a skin, and there are |
| that real estate site you had been thinking | | | | literally dozens to choose from--some of |
| about could benefit from audio and video | | | | which contain rotating dials, flickering |
| feeds. Or perhaps that restaurant guide, or | | | | volume bars, and so on. An alternative to |
| model plane construction website--short | | | | placing a jukebox on your pages is to simply |
| how-to videos on the best way to build | | | | place a button that allows an MP3 track to be |
| remotely-controlled planes might be just the | | | | played or paused. This is the Wimpy Button |
| thing you need... | | | | Player. It is useful for pages where you are |
| | | | going for simplicity, or page real estate is |
| Are the ideas starting to bubble up? If so, | | | | at a premium. |
| read on to find out how you can set up a | | | | |
| video or audio site painlessly. | | | | But Wimpy can do more than just play MP3s. If |
| | | | you want to serve video files from your site |
| So what are the barriers to us as webmasters | | | | you can elect to use the Wimpy AV Player. |
| wanting to set up such a site? Well, you have | | | | This version allows you to load an entire |
| probably already investigated several | | | | video playlist, just as the Wimpy MP3 Player |
| multimedia-related web sites to see how they | | | | does. But my preference for video |
| go about presenting audio and video clips to | | | | presentation is the Wimpy WASP Player. This |
| their visitors. Most of these sites now offer | | | | client will play just one video at a time, |
| streamed content, which is to say the music | | | | but it can be controlled with javascript |
| or the video feed starts playing just a few | | | | commands, so it offers more in the way of |
| seconds after you hit the play button. No | | | | programmable and presentation options. You |
| waiting for a full download to occur. | | | | can embed the videos right into your web |
| Visitors, even those with high speed | | | | pages, or you can elect to have them pop up |
| connections, simply do not have that kind of | | | | when a visitor clicks on a link. |
| patience. So, you must serve the content | | | | |
| immediately. | | | | By using a solution that combines all these |
| | | | Wimpy clients into a single transparent |
| There are two basic ways you can do this. | | | | application, and which also allows visitors |
| One, you can install a special server that is | | | | to review the uploaded audio or video files, |
| optimized to stream audio and video files. | | | | you have at your disposal just the tool you |
| However, this can cost you an arm and a leg, | | | | need to create a YouTube-like site complete |
| depending on the server you choose. It is | | | | with visitor reviews. Hopefully I have |
| also just one more thing you do not want to | | | | managed to convey the idea that creating such |
| have to deal with if you can avoid it. The | | | | a site is fairly straightforward. With the |
| second option is to go with a simpler method, | | | | right tools in hand, the only remaining |
| called progressive streaming, wherein you | | | | ingredient you need to make it happen is |
| make a request to your regular web server to | | | | dedication and passion. But if you have read |
| stream the file in such a way that it can be | | | | this far, you likely have that in spades. |
| played almost as soon as the first batch of | | | | Good luck! |