Streaming Multimedia Hosting

1
Streaming Multimedia Hosting
2
Why Host Multimedia?

• Requests from organizational units to support
  multimedia streaming for organizational web sites
• To separate storage and bandwidth requirements of
  multimedia content from web pages

3
Service Overview

• On-demand streaming
• Limited support for media encoding
• RealNetworks Helix Server v11.1
• Supports 100 concurrent connections
• Service currently being used by three
  organizational clients

4
On-Demand Streaming

• Most common method of delivering multi-media
• Media is digitized, encoded in a streaming format
  and stored on a server
• Each viewer receives a separate data stream from
  the server
• Each viewer can fast-forward, rewind or pause
  presentation independently

5
Supported Media Formats
Helix Server can stream on-demand clips in more
media formats than any other media server.

• RealNetworks RealAudio (.rm), RealVideo (.rm,
  .rmvb), RealPix (.rp), RealText (.rt)
• Macromedia Flash (.swf)
• Microsoft Windows Media (.asf, .wma, .wmv)
• Apple QuickTime (.mov)
• Standards-Based MPEG-1, MPEG-4, MP3
• Image Formats GIF (.gif), JPEG (.jpg, jpeg), PNG
  (.png)
• Other AU (.au), AIFF (.aif, .ief), WAV (.wav)

6
Supported Streaming Protocols

• Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP)
  Standards-based streaming media protocol used for
  Quicktime and Real Player files
• Microsoft Media Services (MMS) Used for Windows
  Media Player files

7
Encoding

• Streaming media server delivers media clips, but
  does not create them
• For each media type, use a specific tool to
  encode audio and video as a streaming clip
• Helix Producer for RealAudio and RealVideo clips
• Microsoft Windows Media Encoder for Windows
  Media Player content
• CCS does not assist encoding of multimedia content

8
Metafiles

• Streaming media must use a URL that starts with
  rtsp// or mms// rather than with http//
• You cannot link a Web page directly to a
  streaming media clip (media player clients can)
• You resolve this problem using a metafile
• RealNetworks Ram File (ram or rpm extension)
• QuickTime Reference Movie, poster movie or link
  file.
• Windows Media ASX File

9
CCS Service Support

• CCS Web Services Admin tool http//www.uoguelph.ca
  /ccs/apps/wsadmin/
• Documentation and service support applications
  still under development

10
Whats Next?

• Publish documentation for metafile creation,
  encoding and best practices
• Enhancements to service support web tools
• Full production service for organizational units