Table of Contents
- Test Your Media Player
- Media Player Details
- Streaming Video Model
Test Your Media Player
| Media Player | Connection | File Format |
|---|---|---|
| The links below will cause a media player to open and the U.Va. Responsible Computing video to start playing. This video includes an audio track. There is a brief troubleshooting guide here. | ||
| Real Player | Internet/broadband | ram |
| Real Player | Modem/Slower DSL | ram |
| Windows Media | Internet/broadband | asx |
| QuickTime | Internet/broadband | mov |
| QuickTime | Modem/Slower DSL | mov |
| The following link leads to the Rotundacam Archive. The timelapse movies stored there use the mpg format. Information about playing this format is here. These are not strictly speaking streaming videos since they do not involve a streaming server; they are downloaded onto your machine by the media player. | ||
| Rotundacam Archive | Internet/broadband | mpg |
Media Player Details
Real Player must be downloaded and installed from the Real Networks site. Although the for-fee player is heavily promoted on the site, it is possible to download a free client (the "basic" player). Be careful to read each installation screen carefully, because taking the defaults will cause this player to become the preferred client for all media formats on your computer. You probably don't want that.
The Windows Media Player is included as part of a Windows installation. Upgrades are distributed as part of the Windows Update system, or you can direct your browser to the Microsoft Windows Media Download Center . A version for Mac OS is also available at that web site.
QuickTime is the Apple media player. Updates are part of the standard patch system for Mac OS. The client can also be obtained for the PC from their web site.
Streaming video model
| Regardless of the type of media player used or the type of streamed video signal, the basic model of production and access to the stream is the same. The source can be either a "live" signal from a camera or a prerecorded video file. The encoder is a piece of software which transforms the source into a form that can be used by the media player. Bandwidth characteristics are imposed at this stage. The server is software that distributes the encoded streams to clients. Two methods of access to a stream are direct (the user types a URL into the client) and indirect (a small file which contains details such as the server machine name, name of stream, etc is linked on a web page; when the user clicks it a media client is started and the stream is played). |