Hello, i want to share a little video on my website (4 minutes), so i need to know what is the most compatible format to encode it, i tryed converting the video to wmv (4 Mb), but only work's ok with computers that had the Windows Media PLayer 9 installed.

So i want 2 things:

1. that the video play inside the webpage.
2. that at least in a Windows machine works.

If anyone could help me....

kservice

Hi only an answer to the second part,

of course you can use other formats like .mov or another quicktime format, but most people, even with apple or linux, can infact play your video clip, once they have downloaded it.

The other thing you can always do is, offer a link to where users can download the player to see your video clip for their specific system.

That always helps me.

The standards are Realplayer, Windows Media Player and Quicktime.

P.S. If your file is big, I personally always prefer to download it, rather than watch the stream, it gives me more flexibility and I can watch it at a leisurely pace, rather than having to rely on my sometimes dodgy download connection.

On the other hand, if you allow users to download your work, you give it away for free. You might be o.k with it, but just to point that out.

As said above, if you choose to use Quicktime (.mov) or windoes media (wmv) you can always put a link to where the players can be found incase they person doesnt have it.

That would probably be the easiest, but I think every mac and windows user can watch quicktime so Id probably choose that as its more compatible.

Just adding to this thread the next question (and also asking again for the threads main issue: the most compatible streaming format, which has not been adressed yet): How do you make a .mov downloadable? When i upload it and click on it, it starts playing.

I mean you can always control+click it (or click it with the secondary mouse button) to bring up the contextual menu to "save target as", but most non technical users dont know they can do that (i know i can also put a message "right click it" or "control click here to save video"), but an actual way to avoid is (and not getting it into a zip file)?

TIA.. -10730

if you look at other sites that have video for viewing like movies sites, playing trailers. They always have more than one format. Most browsers already have the quicktime plugin installed. round

avi maybe... erm.. or the Q format.. (quictime i mean) i thinks most PCs nowaday has the quicktime encoder

Right so theres no way to get past this? adding an adittional format is necesary?

You talking about streaming, right? Not downloading the file and then play it, or playing it while downloading it, but right internet streaming media....

well it is not strictly necessary, but it is kind to your users. you can always go the Windows route and ignore the rest, fit in or miss out. On the other hand if you want as many people to see your product, provide either different versions, or provide codecs and programms so that it can be watched on different platforms.

However as had been said earlier, if you go with either wmv or mov you will be fairly save, as most people will have the player for those format. offering them is just courtesy on your side.

have a look at:
http://www.parliamentlive.tv/frames.aspx?d=h
to see what I mean


regarding the other question of downloading or starting the link I found this
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/javascript...bdesign_chap22/
site quite helpfull. Have a look.