Posted on 01/07/2007 9:55:02 PM PST by rudy45
I have a 3-4 minute DVD clip of myself, as I am being interviewed. I would like to put that DVD (i.e. the contents) on my web site. How do I do so, given that the DVD has several files on it (a single VIDEO_TS folder at the root, within which are .BUP, .IFO and .VOB files)?
Does my ISP have to have certain software, or it just a matter of creating a folder on my web site to store these DVD files, then uploading these files? Thanks.
Try renaming the .vob as .mpg and it may be playable without any modification.
.bup and .ifo are the menuing files.
ISP won't need anything other than storage for the file. Some media players may have problems w/ the .vob extensions but it's really just mpg-2 w/ some added stuff so renaming it may let users view it.
That's probably a fairly large file. If you are not all that concerned with quality, you could upload it to Youtube for free, then embed that movie into your page and it would play easily and quickly. But if you want to maintain a good quality video, you are better going a different route.
aha... yes, the .vob file is the big one.
So, after I rename it to be .mpg, do I then put it in a folder, then create a link that points to the file? What happens when a user clicks on the link? Does it download the whole file to the user's PC, then plays the DVD? Is that what I want? How does the user's PC know to use e.g. Windows Media Player or RealPlayer with that file?
See post 6. What are my other alternatives? I want to stay away from YouTube, because I want a high quality video/audio experience for the user. Thanks.
Link to it and it will download to visitor's PC. The MPG will play in whatever media player they have as the default for the .mpg extension.
You'll want to copy the .vob to your own PC, rename it, then see if you can simply click it to see if it plays automatically. If not it may have some added stuff and you'll want to get a .vob to .mpg converter.
How different is this alternative from "streaming"? Pardon my ignorance lol. I'm concerned that downloading the entire file to the user's PC will consume too much bandwidth. Is there another way for the user to play the DVD file, without downloading it first? Thanks.
The BW will be used either way. If BW is an issue you'll need to sacrifice a lot of quality (ie Youtube like always Right said).
check back
Before I go to sleep, if BW is a big issue you could upload it to a free file hosting service. Your visitors will have to jump through a few hoops to get the file but it's free.
Thanks for your help. I renamed the file and it works locally on my PC, so I assume it would work from a web page as well.
Question: When happens if I just copy/burn those folders and files onto a ***CD****? Would I be able to put that ****CD**** into a "normal" DVD player and have it play? Or, would it fail because there are inherent differences between a CD and a DVD?
Thanks.
No, it wouldn't play.
Thanks for your help. Is my understanding correct:
- If I simply put the mpg file on my web site, then when a person clicks on it,
-- the file downloads to their PC
-- THEN it starts playing
?
- If I "stream" the file, then it starts to play even as it's downloading (ie it starts sooner)? If this is correct, how can I get the file to stream? Thanks.
Providing a link and having people download your video file would be the easiest. Downloading does not take any more or less bandwidth than streaming.
There is no simple answer to the question about how to stream videos. There are a number of different formats and there are different instructions and methods for each format. The answer to that question depends on which type of video format you want to stream. I don't think you can stream MPG files. You can stream RM, FLV, WMV, MOV. You would need a software program to convert your file to one of these formats and then there would be a technical challenge getting them to play on your web site.
I would recommend giving Youtube a try as mentioned by others. Get an account an upload your MPG file. If that don't look good you can always delete it and maybe try converting your file to another format before trying it again. You can use "Windows Movie Maker" to save that file as an WMV file if your MPG file is too large to upload. Youtube's help section has a couple tips for uploading. Those videos can always be deleted if you want.
After copying and renaming the copy to vid name.mpg, you can use Win XP movie maker, which you should have installed by default in your accessories menu. If you haven’t used it, run and check for uprade.
Windows Movie Maker will allow you to resize the video and select a compression that can be file size limited, It’s a neat little gem for just such needs. The Windows Media page will lead you to tutorials if you need further help.
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