Hands-On Guide to Flash Video: Web Video and Flash Media Server (Hands-On Guide Series) [Paperback]

Stefan Richter (Author), Jan Ozer (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0240809475 | ISBN-13: 978-0240809472 | Publication Date: May 16, 2007 | Edition: 1

The Hands-On Guide to Flash Video is a professional reference book written by industry experts that are currently helping professionals produce Web video and implement Flash Media Server. This book covers Flash Video production from soup to nuts, beginning with how to configure your camcorder and ending to advanced server techniques like bandwidth detection and FMS logging and reporting. Real word lessons from case studies of successful Flash Video deployments are also included.

Supplemental files located at: www.flashvideobook.com

By reading this book, you'll learn to:

* Shoot high quality video for streaming
* Choose the best encoder and encoding techniques for producing Flash Video
* Deploy Flash Video via progressive download or via the Flash Media Server.
* Create and light a compression friendly set
* Deinterlace and preprocess your video prior to encoding
* Choose encoding parameters like data rate, resolution and frame rate
* Optimize encoding with Sorenson Squeeze, Flix Pro and the Adobe Flash Video Encoder
* Shoot and produce chromakey video for alpha channel delivery
* Customize a Flash player via skinning, and use Cue Points for navigation
* Setup, install, and maintain Flash Media Server

Key Features Include:

* Advanced Flash Media Server guidance and support
* Tecniques for shooting Web video specifically for Flash streaming
* Author tips from "in the trenches" experiences from two industry experts
* Case studies show you real-world examples of successful Flash video deployment

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stefan is a certified Flash Developer who has been involved with Flash Media Server since its very early days. He was the driving force behind Europe's first Flash-centric video hosting provider and now runs one of the largest resources on the subject at Flashcomguru.com. As well as holding the position of VP of Application Development at Dallas-based POPview he handles a variety of projects from his home office in the UK, specializing in Flash Video and Rich Internet Applications for clients that include CNET, USA Network and Unilever. Stefan is the author of a series of Adobe Developer Center articles, has spoken at several industry events and contributes a regular column on Flash Video to Streaming Media Magazine.

Jan has worked in digital video since 1990, joining PC Magazine as a contributing editor in 1996, and EventDV in 1994, and is a frequent contributor to Streaming Media Magazine. Jan has written 12 books on digital video, translated into 7 languages. In 1994, Jan's company, Doceo Publishing, released the Video Compression Sampler, the first comparison of CD-ROM compression technologies. In January, 2006, Jan released two white papers through StreamingMedia.com that rigorously compared the quality and usability of the Windows Media, Real, Apple's H.264 and Flash codecs (Proprietary Codecs, 2006: Choosing and Using the Optimal Video Codec) and solely Flash codecs (Flash Codecs, 2006: Choosing and Using the Optimal Flash Codec). Jan has lectured internationally on streaming media production since 1998.

Product Details

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press; 1 edition (May 16, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0240809475
• ISBN-13: 978-0240809472
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #953,798 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Start for online Video, May 26, 2007

By 

W. Sanders (Bloomfield, CT) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hands-On Guide to Flash Video: Web Video and Flash Media Server (Hands-On Guide Series) (Paperback)

The Hands-On Guide to Flash Video if full of good information for anyone interested in streaming video on the Web. For those interested in using streaming video for anything from professional level videos to those who just want to get something on YouTube, this book is a gem. Ranging from those who know absolutely nothing about Web video to those, like myself who need to learn more about taking videos and some of the technical characteristics of digital video, such as interlacing, you'll find this book invaluable.

The 19 chapters are written in a friendly and accessible style covering 1) Creating video, 2) Preparing video for the Web, and 3) working with Flash, including a clear introduction to Flash Media Server. Having worked with Flash Media Server (FMS) since it's inception, I have found that one of the best tricks for saving on bandwidth is good lighting and good sound, both of which are covered in this book. Likewise, for those new to streaming video, you will find how to set up a progressive download that you can set up on your hosting server without having to use FMS if you choose.

Among the many other topics I found revealing are the following:
1. Chroma keying - removing parts of a background so that any background can be inserted. Best known for weather reports on TV.
2. Cue points - adding triggers in the video that can be used as events. Cue points are very useful for adding information,
3. Interlacing and Deinterlacing in video files
4. Decision-making in setting video parameters
5. Optimizing light and sound for streaming video

An area that is in need of serious help is provided by the introduction to Flash Media Server. This will help in developing FMS2 applications for those who are new to open socket server technology. So for newbies to FMS, this will come as a welcome addition.

One of the interesting (and I think correct) decisions the authors made was to use the Flash CS3 platform with ActionScript 2.0 instead of ActionScript 3.0. Here's why. It will be at least a year or so before a significant number of users will have the Flash 9 plug-in for their browsers. Yesterday I bought a new iMac, and the Safari browser that comes with the Flash plug-in is still using Flash 8. (I found that out when I tried to play one of my apps built with AS 3.0.) What's important is that On2's VP6 technology started in Flash 8. So, no one is missing a significant video element using ActionScript 2.0 as would be the case with Flash 7 or earlier. [...]

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From 0 to 100 in few simple (and absolutely very well explained) steps, January 17, 2008

By 

Francisco J. Gomez Lainez (Barcelona, Barcelona Spain) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hands-On Guide to Flash Video: Web Video and Flash Media Server (Hands-On Guide Series) (Paperback)

Do you ever published video online using Flash? Do you ever used Flash Media Server and don't know where to begin? Do you know how to make your videos look gorgeus online?

The response to all this questions (and much more) are beautifully explained in this book.

It covers from capturing video, creating a 3 point light studio for maximizing the quality and size of the compressed file, to the deployment of your solution using Flash Media Server. It's full of real world examples that you can use right out of the box.

Really really good book for starters. And if you want more, look for others titles of Focal Press.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding for producing and publishing Flash video for both videographers and programmers, June 22, 2007

By 

Alonzo Hosford "Lon" (Clinton, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hands-On Guide to Flash Video: Web Video and Flash Media Server (Hands-On Guide Series) (Paperback)

This is an excellently mastered book. The writing style is clear. The step by step examples are appropriately illustrated. There is source video and a plentiful supply of links for needs. The illustrations are appropriate and carefully selected for the key points.

If you are a FMS (Flash Media Server) administrator or programmer, you will find answers to those user inquiries why their video looks poorly. You will have intelligent responses and tools to analyze the problems likely caused by the capture and prepartion of the video.

For videographers, this is your bible on how to capture video for Flash.

For video editors, this is your bible on how to prepare and compress the files.

For newbies to Flash video, you have the soup to nuts book that breaks it down into nice chunks with examples.

Very impressive part of the text is that many assertions are supported with research from many major video publishing entities.

Finally there is a thread throughout the book that provides the market and industry information to help you assess your choice of Flash video as a web video platform.

You will learn the specific steps in major digital video software packages such as Adobe Premier and Final Cut to fix issues.

You can learn how to set-up a recording set with the correct lighting that will be best for Flash video format.

You can learn to install the Flash Media Server (free) and use it and not be a programmer, but willing to download example files needed. Or if you are interested in programming FMS, this gets you started.