Dear Beverly,
Different browsers do not automatically know which media player plug-in
to use, even though you have embedded the ActiveX control in the page
itself:
<object classid="clsid:6BF52A52-394A-11D3-B153-00C04F79FAA6"
id="mp_1052492699" width="286" height="225"
CODEBASE="
http://activex.microsoft.com/activex/controls/mplayer/en/nsmp2inf.cab#Version=6,4,5,715"
standby="Loading Microsoft Windows Media Player components..."
TYPE="application/x-oleobject" >
<param name="BLABLABLA" value="1">
.........................
.........................
.........................
</object>
While Windows Media Player is amazing, and it's related media files
(wmv, wma, asf, etc.) are great for Internet Explorer/Windows OS
setups, other browser/OS configurations don't always understand (or
want to use) them. There is also the issue of rudeness in embedding a
player in a page: the ActiveX control IS INITIALIZED ON THE VISITOR'S
COMPUTER (which some people do not like), and in many cases, like
yours, does so without without any pre-warning. Telling people what to
expect when they click a link is good - surprises are bad.
You could, I suppose, make a comprehensive help page instucting
visitors how to configure their browser to associate the WMP player
plug-in to play embedded wmv, etc., files, and some people might even
take the time to set-up their browser for your website. But many
wouldn't, and that is the point: you want visitors to see your content
and hire you. You need to reduce your video files to the lowest common
denominator.
The lowest common denominator, right now, happens to be Flash (.swf)
files. Every browser (almost) supports it. You just embed the .swf file
in the page, and everybody (OK, 99% of everybody) sees it. But how do
you convert your video to an .swf file?
You could learn how to convert your video into .flv files in Macromedia
Flash, and then call the .flv files in a .swf video player file, I
suppose. I did; and I am still learning after 4 years. There is a
pretty damn big learning curve there.
The best solution, as far as I can tell, is to upload your edited media
(.avi, .wmv, .mpg, etc.) file to a FREE online service that converts
them to ready-made .swf files, gives you the embedding code for your
webpage, and even streams them to you. This also reduces your hosting
bill; you aren't even paying for the bandwidth! Ready? Here comes the
pitch.
Why don't you try Google Video? They do it all for you. The URL to get
started is at:
http://video.google.com
An example of a video they are serving up for me is at:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2582476407106507756
and they even give you the free embed code on the right side of the
page, in the embed link, which, for me, happens to be:
<embed style="width:400px; height:326px;" id="VideoPlayback"
align="middle" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"
src="
http://video.google.com/googleplaye...T1h1v33oi1s1mubQ&playerId=2582476407106507756"
allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" quality="best" bgcolor="#ffffff"
scale="noScale" wmode="window" salign="TL"
FlashVars="playerMode=embedded"> </embed>
You just copy and paste that in your webpage, and you are streaming, in
this case, the 'Kojak' intro, in its own player, right on your webpage.
Just so I don't sound completely biased, YouTube, at:
http://youtube.com
also offers a very similar service. I hope, Beverly, that this post has
been of some help to you, and others. Good luck; happy recording.
Nicholas Savalas -
http://savalas.tv