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A
Anonymous
January 29, 2009
Answered

Very basic question: Flash Media Server vs. embedding flash video

  • January 29, 2009
  • 3 replies
  • 611 views
I'm hoping this is a quick easy question to answer:

What is the difference between Flash Media Server and simply using a freeware Flash media player (like Flowplayer http://flowplayer.org/) that uses XML playlists to embed your Flash videos on a website?

What are the advantages to Flash Media Server and how does something like Flowplayer not address issues that FMS can?

Thanks in advance!

Erik
    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer john_tracy
    In a nutshell flowplayer delivers the video through your web browser. It does this via http protocol (port 80) and progressive download on any web server

    Progressive download finds the video on the server and plays it back through the player as it is being downloaded. 2 important things to take from this are 1, the video is being downloaded to the clients hard drive, at the end of the playback they will have a copy of your video that they can do whatever they like to and repost it somewhere else. 2, It plays back as it downloads, meaning if I'm viewing a 10 minute video from your site and want to skip ahead to the middle or end I have to wait for the whole video to download before viewing those segments. Your web host by the way will love you for progressive download because it will appear as though your transfer rate has gone through the roof. Once the request for the video is made there is no turning back, the client gets the whole thing whether they watch it or not.

    Flash media server uses the rtmp protocol. This protocol is an open socket protocol through port 1935. This is a two way street essentially. When the user views a video using FMS they basically get only enough of the video to keep the connection open and satisfy the required buffer to assure clean playback. The bytes of info that carry the video only go to the users memory, not the hard drive. This allows the user to jump back and forth around in the movie without having to wait for the whole thing to download.

    Hope that helps.

    3 replies

    J
    john_tracy
    Inspiring
    January 29, 2009
    Using a lan you'd want to use your machine name or IP address of the Vista machine that has the FMS running. You'd use rtmp://IPaddress/appName to connect

    To get going I found William Sanders' book Learning Flash Media Server was well written for anybody who is getting started. There is a pretty good "preview" of the book on google books if you have a google account.

    The documentation that comes with FMS extremely helpful as well.

    A
    Anonymous
    January 29, 2009
    Thanks John, that really cleared things up for me. I'm new, but will be doing a lot of work with FMS in the future for a project I'm working on. I'm currently working through tutorials and setting up my first applications hopefully soon.

    I've downloaded the Development server to my home PC running Vista, not server. I know if I type in "localhost" in the browser it connects to FMS that I installed, however not quite sure how to go from here. How do I connect to my applications, and is it possible to test FMS through my local area network with another pc connecting and streaming video? Would the address be something like http://localhost/applications...
    J
    john_tracyCorrect answer
    Inspiring
    January 29, 2009
    In a nutshell flowplayer delivers the video through your web browser. It does this via http protocol (port 80) and progressive download on any web server

    Progressive download finds the video on the server and plays it back through the player as it is being downloaded. 2 important things to take from this are 1, the video is being downloaded to the clients hard drive, at the end of the playback they will have a copy of your video that they can do whatever they like to and repost it somewhere else. 2, It plays back as it downloads, meaning if I'm viewing a 10 minute video from your site and want to skip ahead to the middle or end I have to wait for the whole video to download before viewing those segments. Your web host by the way will love you for progressive download because it will appear as though your transfer rate has gone through the roof. Once the request for the video is made there is no turning back, the client gets the whole thing whether they watch it or not.

    Flash media server uses the rtmp protocol. This protocol is an open socket protocol through port 1935. This is a two way street essentially. When the user views a video using FMS they basically get only enough of the video to keep the connection open and satisfy the required buffer to assure clean playback. The bytes of info that carry the video only go to the users memory, not the hard drive. This allows the user to jump back and forth around in the movie without having to wait for the whole thing to download.

    Hope that helps.
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