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Appendix A: Quick Steps for Streaming Clips

This appendix provides examples that show how to set up some simple streaming presentations quickly. This information will aid you if you are a beginning user. Once you are familiar with the basic steps for hosting RealSystem G2 presentations, you can easily create more complex presentations.

Note
You will need to get the correct URLs for media clips from the RealServer or Web server administrator. Substitute those values for the example URLs shown below.

Streaming a RealAudio or RealVideo Clip

It's simple to add a RealAudio or RealVideo clip to your Web page. When you follow the steps listed below, the clip plays back in RealPlayer.

To create the clip:

  1. Prepare your audio or video source file for encoding. This can include normalizing the audio source file or setting the video's window size.

    Additional Information
    "Digitizing Audio". "Digitizing Video".

  2. Use a RealNetworks encoding tool to encode the RealAudio or RealVideo clip from your audio or video source file. A RealVideo clip uses the file extension .rm. RealAudio uses the file extension .rm or .ra. Encoding tools are available for free download or purchase at http://www.real.com/products/tools/.

To stream the clip from RealServer G2 using RAMGEN:

  1. Transfer the clip to the RealServer G2 directory prepared by the RealServer administrator.

  2. Link your Web page to the clip with an HTML hyperlink that specifies the RealServer address, the ramgen parameter, and the RTSP protocol. You can get this information from the RealServer administrator. In your HTML source file, the link will look like this example:
    
    <a href="rtsp://realserver.company.com/ramgen/content/myclip.rm">
    Click here</a> to see my RealVideo presentation.

    Additional Information
    "Streaming Clips from RealServer G2".

  3. In your Web browser, click the link to verify that it works. RealPlayer will launch as a helper application and, after a few seconds of buffering, will play the streaming clip.

To play the clip back from a Web server:

  1. With any text editor, open a new file and enter the URL your clip will have on the Web server, as in the following example:
    
    http://www.company.com/media/myclip.rm
    

    Save this file as plain text with the file extension .ram. This is your RAM file.

    Additional Information
    "Creating a RAM File Manually".

  2. Transfer the clip and the RAM file to the appropriate directory on the Web server.

  3. Link your Web page to the RAM file with a standard HTML hyperlink like this:
    
    <a href="http://www.company.com/media/myclip.ram">
    Click here</a> to see my RealVideo presentation.

  4. In your Web browser, click the link to verify that it works. RealPlayer will launch as a helper application and, after a few seconds of buffering, will play the clip.

    Additional Information
    "Playing Clips from a Web Server".

Embedding a RealVideo Clip in a Web Page

Using RealPlayer's Netscape plug-in, you can embed a RealVideo clip directly in your Web page by following the steps below after you have encoded your RealVideo clip. This example assumes that the video is 176 pixels wide by 132 pixels high. It places the video window and the full RealPlayer control panel in your Web page.

Additional Information
"Chapter 8: Playing a Presentation in a Web Page".

To embed the clip in your Web page:

  1. In your Web page, add the <EMBED> tag with the RealVideo URL, window size, and ImageWindow control. The following example assumes RealServer G2 will stream the presentation:
    
    <EMBED WIDTH=176 HEIGHT=132 
    SRC="http://realserver.company.com/ramgen/content/myclip.rm?embed"
    CONTROLS=ImageWindow CONSOLE=_master>

    If you intend to play the clip back from a Web server, use an HTTP URL and link to a RAM file with the extension .rpm (see below) as in the following example:

    
    <EMBED WIDTH=176 HEIGHT=132 
    SRC="http://www.company.com/media/myclip.rpm"
    CONTROLS=ImageWindow CONSOLE=_master>

  2. You can then add RealPlayer controls through additional <EMBED> tags that all use the same URL for the SRC parameter. The following example embeds the full RealPlayer control panel in the Web page, linking it to the image window through the _master console. It assumes RealServer will stream the presentation:
    
    <EMBED WIDTH=400 HEIGHT=120 
    SRC="http://realserver.company.com/ramgen/content/myclip.rm?embed"
    CONTROLS=All CONSOLE=_master>

    Use an <EMBED> tag like the following when playing the clip back from a Web server:

    
    <EMBED WIDTH=400 HEIGHT=120 
    SRC="http://www.company.com/media/myclip.rpm"
    CONTROLS=All CONSOLE=_master>

    Tip
    Because you can place each <EMBED> tag anywhere on your Web page, you can lay out the image window and controls using HTML.

  3. Transfer the clip to the appropriate RealServer G2 or Web server directory. When streaming from G2, you are ready to test the clip because the Web page already contains the link to the RealVideo clip.

To create the RAM file when playing the clip back from a Web server:

  1. With any text editor, open a new file and enter the URL your clip will have on the Web server, as in the following example:
    
    http://www.company.com/media/myclip.rm
    

    Save this file as plain text with the file extension .rpm. This is your RAM file.

  2. Transfer the RAM file to the appropriate directory on the Web server.

  3. In your Web browser, click the link to verify that it works.


Copyright © 1998 RealNetworks
For information on RealNetworks' technical support, click here.
Comments on this document? Click here.
This file last updated on 09/04/98 at 17:20:51.
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