Folks, I need your help

Scott Danziger · Post by **Scott Danziger** » Sat Feb 19, 2000 2:56 pm

I'm experimenting with streaming video using asx files to access clips converted to asf format. I found a site where they are using this and was a bit impressed with the way a large video file opened right up and played. On my machine, it wasn't perfect but the qualityof play was better than real player files. This format uses Windows media player to work.

Anyway, I'm having some problems which may be server related or specific computer related.

I put up a 13 second clip. Can you please try this and let me know how it worked.

Did it play correctly and immediatly?
What, if any problems did you have?
What is your processor speed?
How much memory do you have?
What kind of video card do you have?

I'd appreciate the help.

Thanx!
Scott

<a href="http://home.earthlink.net/~scotttd/test.asx">Please Click Here</a>

[This message has been edited by Scott Danziger (edited February 19, 2000).]

Scott Danziger · Post by **Scott Danziger** » Sat Feb 19, 2000 3:18 pm

Yes. The asx is trhe text file.

The command is a joke. It must be a modem connection thing. because if it played great for you and you're on cable.... But I really need a "large" file to experiment. It stalls and buffers too much on my machine. Works perfect off the hard drive.

Here are the links: <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/imed ... x.asp">All about ASX files</a>

To convert avi's to asf, download the Media Tools from this page: <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windows/window ... ult.asp</a>

The program only works through the DOS prompt but it's a real simple command as you will see.

The command is:
vidtoasf -in filename.avi -out filename.asf

Let me know how you make out.

BTW: this is my asx text. I went for simple. There are a bunch of things you can add to it. Right now I just want to get it working correctly.

{ASX version="3"}
{Entry}
{ref href="http://home.earthlink.net/~scotttd/tc_defense.asf"/}
{/Entry}
{ASX}

substitute <> for {}

[This message has been edited by Scott Danziger (edited February 19, 2000).]

Dakkon · Post by **Dakkon** » Sat Feb 19, 2000 4:49 pm

Scott,
Works fine!
Better the Real Player would ever do

Again I'm cable so it buffered 100% then played.
I changed to my 56k Dial up and and went just as smooth. Granted Mindspring and Earthlink are one in the same now.
Cheers,
Chuck

Scott Danziger · Post by **Scott Danziger** » Sat Feb 19, 2000 7:24 pm

Thanks Chuck.

Must be my machine then. I could have used a MUCH better quality clip. I compressed it quite a bit more than it was and cut down the video frames and put the audio at it's lowest setting.

Anybody else having problems (or not)?

Lori · Post by **Lori** » Sat Feb 19, 2000 7:40 pm

Hey Scott,

'fraid I didn't have as much luck as the speed demons above...

I've got a celeron processor, 63MB RAM, a 56K modem and I think the video controller is an MPU-401 compatible - if that makes sense to you. (It's listed as such under "sound, video and game controllers" in the device manager...

Anyway - I had a pattern of buffer, play a second or two, buffer, play another second or two, all the way to the end. After it stopped, I tried to replay the whole thing without the stops and starts and it repeated the pattern.

Hope that helps your diagnostics!

Peace,
Lori

Scott Danziger · Post by **Scott Danziger** » Sat Feb 19, 2000 8:42 pm

Lori,

Thank you very much! That is a major help and it is exactly the same problems I am encountering myself. I am using a 200 MHz MMX with 4mb ATI all in wonder using a 56k dial up modem.

I originally found out about ASX files when I encountered the following site: <a href="http://www.fromusalive.com/martialarts/ ... alarts/</a>

If you get a chance, can you check it out? For some reasson, I am not getting the massive buffering problems there. I can't get a read on the compression they used for their smallest clip. It plays below any quality I would like to use but it plays.

Scott

Lori · Post by **Lori** » Sat Feb 19, 2000 9:55 pm

Hi Scott,

I just checked out that site and had no buffering problems at all. Like you say - the quality isn't so hot but I was impressed at how quickly it loaded and started playing! I know nothing about the video end of computer technology - but I messed with it a little bit - stopped the play and dragged the bar to different places to see how quick it would start back up again, and after a very short buffering time it started right back up. Don't know if that helps any but thought I'd add it FWIW.

Messing around with your original link like that proved disastrous - the computer locked up with a hideous screeching sound at full volume - I couldn't power down fast enough!

Good luck on unravelling the mystery! Let me know if I can help again.

Peace,
Lori

Scott Danziger · Post by **Scott Danziger** » Sat Feb 19, 2000 10:05 pm

Thanks Lori,

Somehow I will figure this out. Considering I just began to teach this to myself 2 days ago, I'd say I have a decent shot at getting this mystery solved.

You've been a Great help with me on this. You and I have similar hook ups compared to Tony and Chuck. So now I have a starting point and know the area I have to address.

I think it is the way those other video's were compressed that has a major impact on the type of connection one has to the internet.

Scott

maurice richard libby · Sat Feb 19, 2000 11:10 pm

Scott,

I have a Dell with a pentium II 266MH processor, 128 meg RAM 56K us robotics modem, matrox millenium II card.

I got the same results that Lori did. Buffer, play 2 or 3 secs. buffer, I never did see the complete clip.

maurice

------------------
maurice richard libby
toronto/moose jaw
Ronin at large

[This message has been edited by maurice richard libby (edited February 19, 2000).]

Scott Danziger · Post by **Scott Danziger** » Sun Feb 20, 2000 1:55 am

Maurice,

Thanks. Seems to be us mortal modem users. I just recompressed the video using a different codec. It plays a bit better but it still buffers constantly so I think I am on the right path. It also looks worse because of the added compression and a codec that isn't too swift. I will continue experimenting with different codecs and compression ratios.

I totaly appreciate all the help.

Scott Danziger · Post by **Scott Danziger** » Sun Feb 20, 2000 3:40 am

Progress Update:

OK, it's now buffering all the way (Please give it a shot) but the quality as of now, 10:38, is big time crappy. BUT... I think I can improve it. I've been playing with the MS media tools app instead of converting the files through DOS. It seems to automatically use the MPEG-4 ver 3 codec which I couldn't get to work through avi's. (I know many of you are going "wha???")

Anyway... My idea, for possible future video streams will be to create different size and quality streaming video's to accomodate different machines and internet access types.

Scott

Scott Danziger · Post by **Scott Danziger** » Sun Feb 20, 2000 1:00 pm

Tony,

Thanks. Hold on to it for now. When I used the Windows Media Tools, I was able to compress it from my avi's using totally different codecs to mpeg-4 ver3 during the conversion process to asf format.

When I get you those clips lets put up differently formatted asf's (28.8 thru cable/dsl) and let the people tell us which is and isn't working. Then we can take it from there.

One 12 meg avi demo I made compressed to 2.7 megs in asf format and played really well from my hard drive. Unfortunatly, that was in DSL/Cable format so I can't test it over the net. That mode also retains the original 320x240 size. When I converted the same avi for 28.8 format it automatically reduces the size to around 160x120 and the quality is horrendous (for my liking anyway) but the size of the file was around a meg.

Scott

Dakkon · Post by **Dakkon** » Sun Feb 20, 2000 1:28 pm

Scott,
Ewww your right it went downhill

Thats the best idea to do.
A lot of sites now offer at least 3 versions of video. Granted thats a lot of space on a server. The one thing you can never beat is the `net. A slow server turns a cable connectin into a 28.8 connection quick. `Net traffic can slow a T3 to 56kBps. RoadRunner can make anything a nightmare

Cheers,
Chuck

Scott Danziger · Post by **Scott Danziger** » Mon Feb 21, 2000 2:35 pm

Chuck,

I just completed burning a CD with avi clips and their asf equivilants. I'll be mailing it to Tony tomorrow. When playing off the hard drive the picture quality is the same as if off the server.

The ones identified as 28k or 56k look really bad. But, the ones identified as cable or dsl look almost perfect to the original. Maybe a slight hiccup here and there but very impressive. The files are too large for me to post on my meager 6 megs of earthlink space (I already have my quota just about filled) and my AOL space only allows 2 megs per screen name.

The conversion from avi to asf for cable does a pretty good job compressing. One clip went from 37.7 meg to 6.4 meg. It played almost as good as the orgininal. Converting to t1 ot t3 type though does not really compress at all.

Scott

Dakkon · Post by **Dakkon** » Mon Feb 21, 2000 9:10 pm

Scott,
I know of a free web service thats gives you 50megs of web space. You could maybe talk Tony into posting them for you.
Cheers,
Chuck