Online Video Information

Q.	Who can put a video online?	A	Anybody with a finished production, and access to a media server
Q	Can my regular web hosting service (ISP) provide access to a media server?	A	It depends. First, your videos will take server space, and your ISP might not want to give you that space. Second, serving video takes serious dedicated bandwidth, and your ISP probably can't be bothered. Third, a dedicated server is needed for each of the major video formats: Windows Media, Real, and Quicktime. Will your ISP have facilities for all three? Not likely.
Q	Who can host my videos?	A	A company that specializes in providing this service.
Q	Can my videos be easily integrated with my current website?	A	Yes. All you need is a link to each video. It can be set it up to play either in a free standing player, or on a page within your site that has an embedded player.
Q	How does a media (video/audio) hosting service charge for this service?	A	There are different models used to recoup bandwidth and servicing costs. The advertising model provides "free" or subsidized hosting in return for ad placement by paying third parties. The cost-per-view model is based on the amount of bandwidth used by your viewers. Usually there will be a minimum charge.

PRODUCTION QUESTIONS
Q	What production limitations should I be aware of? Bandwidth comparisons (Windows Media) 100kps sample 250kps sample Complicated motion... 100kps swimming pool 250kps swimming pool Talking head 100kps talking head 256kps talking head	A	The quality of the "viewing experience" is directly related to the bandwidth used to stream and view your video. And this bandwidth will be a function of both the server costs involved in streaming, and the types of connections your viewers have. There's no point in streaming at 500kps if your viewers don't have that level of connection. Generally the highest throughput you can expect is around 250-300kps. For larger audiences, 100kps is more reasonable. See the samples (to the left) of 100 and 250kps videos. Complicated motion is the most difficult to handle. See the swimming pool segment on the left. The best type of video for streaming tries to minimize complicated motion. "Talking heads" are a good example of "streaming-friendly" content. Moving titles will not be as clear as static ones, and animated graphics will break down at lower bandwidths. Transitions (like crossfades) are harder to handle than straight cuts. But some transitions (like those using "mosaic" techniques), lend themselves better to the sort of image breakdown typical with streaming video.
Q	What about audio?	A	Audio also uses bandwidth, separately from the video. So some producers (or encoders*) cut the audio quality in order to preserve bandwidth. This seems like a mistake to us.
Q	How do you prepare a production for streaming?	A	When preparing a video for streaming, the content must first be "captured" or "digitized". After editing is complete, the final digital file is created, and then this file is "encoded" for streaming on the internet. The encoding process uses a compression "codec" to create a file that will result in specific frame size and image quality, and one that will stream at a specific speed. Each speed, and each format (Winmedia, Real, Quicktime), must have a separately encoded file. These are then placed on the appropriate media server(s), and links provided for your web pages.
Q	Can I use previously created content?	A	Yes. Anything that can be "captured", and then "encoded", can be put online. That includes previously created videos such as corporate productions, wedding videos, training and instructional videos, collections of still photos and/or slide presentations, or even straight audio productions.
Q	Can previously created content be mixed with new content?	A	Yes.
Q	Can hyperlinks be built into my videos.	A	Yes.
Q	Can the same version of my video be supplied in other media, like VHS or DVD?	A	Yes. Everything starts with a high quality master, and that master can be "burned" to a variety of media and formats, including VHS, VCD, DVD, and CD.

	SEE THE expanded MULTIMEDIA version of this page. Streaming Media Questions Rick Hendershot, President of Videoinabox, talks about Streaming Media