PDA

View Full Version : Embedded Flash Video

rexboggs5
25-02-2007, 12:10 PM
I find that I am downloading an increasing number of flash video files, e.g. from YouTube. I can play them on a web page (thanks to ? who sent me the html for this) or play them using Flash Video Player (free download) but I can't actually show them while staying in the ACTIVStudio environment.

Might it possible in a future version of AS to be able to embed flash videos into a flipchart page?

Cheers

Rex
daverosthorn
26-02-2007, 09:57 AM
How about converting your FLV files to MPEG (or similar) ?? Media Coder (http://mediacoder.sourceforge.net/) is a free open source piece of software that can convert videos to and from most file formats.

Even so, I would agree that it would be ace if you could play FLV files directly in AS. At the moment, I'm doing it as a clickable link into a HTML file which plays it.

Btw I may have been the one that provided that HTML for you but I can't remember posting it up!!
Vicky-d
26-02-2007, 06:00 PM
Just like to point out that the whole point of FLV files is that they are 'streamed' to your computer so you can watch them immediately without having to wait for them to download before you can watch them! So I can't see AS including this feature in the near future!

Other than that Dave's suggestion of using Media Coder maybe another way would be to open the streamed FLV files using the Web Browser from within AS?
Danny Nicholson
27-02-2007, 02:22 PM
Just like to point out that the whole point of FLV files is that they are 'streamed' to your computer so you can watch them immediately without having to wait for them to download before you can watch them! So I can't see AS including this feature in the near future!


Not strictly true... the other reason is they are compressed quite a bit and a lot smaller than the corresponding mpeg file (I converted a 9 meg video clip from my camera into a 500kb flash video file which looked pretty good)

If you download Flash video files from youtube etc (using plugins like videodownloader and suchlike) then you don't need to have it streamed. You have the entire file for offline viewing.

The standalone flash video players I have tried are a bit of a pain and I much prefer being able to drag the video file straight onto the page of my Smart Notebook flipchart. Would be handy if AS2 would be able to do the same.
Vicky-d
27-02-2007, 02:46 PM
Yes the FLV compression is a lot smaller for a better quality of video.

But I also think you should be aware of the implcations of copyright issues when copying files from a website in this way.

Plus I don't think this feature should be added to Activstudio just because you can do it in a Smart Notebook Flipchart! :mad:
lmacconnell
27-02-2007, 03:20 PM
This would be a nice feature to have. If you have a subscription to United Streaming, you are given permission to download the FLV files for viewing away from Internet access as long as your subscription is current. Just thought everyone should know that there are legal ways of using FLV content. :)
Danny Nicholson
28-02-2007, 09:02 AM
Plus I don't think this feature should be added to Activstudio just because you can do it in a Smart Notebook Flipchart! :mad:

That's missing the point. I wasn't saying it should be there because "the opposition" do it. Just that it's something I find very handy since standalone flash video players are not very good as yet. If AS3/AP3 can embed flash swf files, then it should be pretty easy to tweak it to cope with flash video files.

Many schools are blocking websites such as Google Video and YouTube, for obvious reasons considering some of the content on there. But this means good stuff can't be accessed in the classroom. So being able to access the video at home, save it into a IWB flipchart and bring it into school to play it is a very useful feature.

And yes you should always be aware of copyright issues.. in exactly the same way as the camera tool for "borrowing" images.
rexboggs5
28-02-2007, 12:12 PM
I love being able to embed videos into flipcharts - it is one of the standout features of V3. I can have the video playing and have supporting text, images etc alongside.

At the moment I use Flash Video Player to show my flash videos. It works ok, but it runs in standalone mode, and I really miss being able to interact with a flipchart simultaneously.

My school's Internet access is woeful - I can't even reliably download a web page, much less a video. So I copy YouTube videos just so I can be guaranteed of being able to use the videos in my lessons.

With the rapidly-expanding collection of educational videos in flash format on YouTube and elsewhere, I think that embedding flash videos will become as useful as imbedding mpgs is now.

Cheers

Rex

PS I follow YouTube's philosophy on copyright. If the owner of the intellectual property objects to me using in my classroom, I will cease doing so and delete it. (so far it hasn't happened)

And if a website states that the content (image, text, video, etc) is not to be copied or has a copyright symbol, I don't copy it. And I write to the owner and beg permission.
markrobinson
02-03-2007, 04:05 AM
This is noted for inclusion in a future release of the software.
carlotta
03-03-2007, 05:02 AM
Rsx, I visited utube; I was only able to view and upload videos...please tell me how to download/ copy videos....that seems great.
rexboggs5
03-03-2007, 01:02 PM
Carlotta wrote:
> I visited utube; I was only able to view and upload videos...please tell me how to download/ copy videos....that seems great.

It is a bit of a trick. I use Internet Explorer (IE); other browsers may be different.

In IE, click on Tools, Internet Options, Delete Files, OK. It may take a while if this is the first time you have done this.

Now play the YouTube video.

Now click on Tools, Internet Options, Settings, View Files. Click on the size field to put the largest file (the YouTube file) at the top of the list of files.

Copy it, paste to your preferred folder, and rename it.

I use Flash Video Player in class because it is free.

This trick works for many but not all video files on the web. Delete your temp internet files, play the video, and see if it is in your temp internet files.

The last time I mentioned this, someone wrote that there is a website that you can visit that will do the same thing. I didn't record the details, alas. Anyone know the web address?

Cheers

Rex
saha
22-12-2007, 01:38 AM
Hi Mark,
Do you foresee ActivStudio version 3.6 being able to play embedded FLV video files?
rexboggs5
22-12-2007, 02:21 AM
For those of you who want to use videos from youtube in your classroom, they can be downloaded using this website:
http://www.savevideodownload.com/download.php

You also need a free FLV Player to view them:
http://applian.com/flvplayer/index2b.php

Cheers

Rex
saha
22-12-2007, 02:27 AM
Hi Rex,
Downloading FLV files and playing them with the free flash player is not a problem.
What would be nice is seamless integration when teaching...and that is where being able to play embedded FLV video inside ActivStudio is so attractive.
Interestingly, all that needs to be done to play FLV inside Smart Notebook is to drag and drop.