Streaming WMV in htaccess Protected Directories

[mariah]

The last time I checked windows media video wouldn't stream from htaccess protected directories, but that a new version of media player would allow it.

Is this true or is mpeg still the only way to go for streaming behind htaccess protected directories?

i want to link all of my sites to one url for videos & photos using htaccess protection but dont want to go through setting up the CMS and transfering files to find out it still doesnt work!!!

Your help would be greatly appreciated!

xoxo
Mariah

PS...anyone wanna install and customize Coppermine for me for $$?

[Servhot]

Streaming or just download? If you are using a streaming server, you need the protection within the streaming server, the htaccess does not work here. If you are offering the videos just for download - without a streaming server - it is working like since the beginning

[mariah]

well, I use Coppermine as my content management software and it has a media feature that will play videos in streaming format for users. Streaming is my question.

If the video file resides in a directory that is htaccess protected, will it stream? that is the question

[Cleo]

We switched from wmv to mpg due to having too many users having too many problems viewing the movies. Zero problems once we switched to mpg movies.

[mariah]

they take a lot longer to load dont they? and much larer file sizes too? or am i out of touch with the newest technology?

[Cleo]

Personally I would prefer using mpeg-4 (mp4) movies but then we would be back to having some users having issues with viewing.

[ecchi]

Following on from what Cleo just said, don't forget that even if the latest WM viewer will read from within your protected area, a lot of your customers will not have upgraded and you will loose them.

[Servhot]

Well, this is not streaming at all. It's just presenting the download file of the video implemented within the html-media viewer. If you like to learn something about the differences, I would suggest this little manual here: http://www.greatsexcontent.dk/?page=...o_streaming_00

[[BV]]

.wmv has always worked behind htaccess protected directories, i've been making and using them since 2001
WMP prompts the user for password then works as normal. It's always been like that.

It's not true streaming like from a WM server but "pseudo streaming" where WMP will start playing the .wmv from the beginning as it's downloading from any server.

A true streaming server will allow the user to fast forward and start watching the video at any point.

Some people are still living in the dark ages when it comes to wmv vs mpg. I'm not alone when I say wmv is better than mpg, many others like myself that work with video on a daily basis will tell you the same.

The main reason why wmv is superior is it's smaller file size. About 30% less. Smaller file size = faster delivery to the customer.

A 100 MB .mpg will take only 70 MB with a .wmv of equal quality. You'll save B/W too, but the most important reason will be way faster delivery.

Not everyone has super high speed, some still are on dialup and many are on those cheapo dsl, wireless, shared wifi, etc etc.

Very few members have issues with my .wmv, i'd say less than 1%, and it's most always someone with an older MAC! The newer MACS can run or may even come with WMP now. So virtually everyone out there can run WMP.

BUT
If you are making freesites or any type of promotional galleries for a particular site, I recommend using what format the sponsors site is using.

It would be dumb to advertise with mpg clips when the members area only offers .wmv or the opposite.

You can always have multiple formats, but that gets to be a pain in the ass expecially when you have offer different resolutions and lengths.

For example in BVCash like i said earlier uses only wmv since 2001.
But for one video i have it available 160, 320 , and 740 wide resolutions. Plus I have a full length copy of the video along with a copy with multiple parts. So in essence that's 6 copies of the same movie and still just offering wmv.

Imagine the time and space involved doing that for each format you wanted to offer! ie: mpg, real, QT etc etc....

blah..........

[Servhot]

Originally Posted by [BV]

.wmv has always worked behind htaccess protected directories, i've been making and using them since 2001
WMP prompts the user for password then works as normal. It's always been like that.

It's not true streaming like from a WM server but "pseudo streaming" where WMP will start playing the .wmv from the beginning as it's downloading from any server.

A true streaming server will allow the user to fast forward and start watching the video at any point.

Some people are still living in the dark ages when it comes to wmv vs mpg. I'm not alone when I say wmv is better than mpg, many others like myself that work with video on a daily basis will tell you the same.

The main reason why wmv is superior is it's smaller file size. About 30% less. Smaller file size = faster delivery to the customer.

A 100 MB .mpg will take only 70 MB with a .wmv of equal quality. You'll save B/W too, but the most important reason will be way faster delivery.

Not everyone has super high speed, some still are on dialup and many are on those cheapo dsl, wireless, shared wifi, etc etc.

Very few members have issues with my .wmv, i'd say less than 1%, and it's most always someone with an older MAC! The newer MACS can run or may even come with WMP now. So virtually everyone out there can run WMP.

Could only agree with you. And even just for previews, i would recommend to anybody to use a streaming server. It does not cost the world, but you have so many new possibilities and maybe once a day you will also using it for the real stuff

[Cleo]

Originally Posted by [BV]

Very few members have issues with my .wmv, i'd say less than 1%, and it's most always someone with an older MAC! The newer MACS can run or may even come with WMP now. So virtually everyone out there can run WMP.

MAC means Media Access Control.

Mac is the computers that Mac users love and non Mac users find annoying.

No Macs do not play wmv files as they are shipped. They ship with QuickTime which plays lots of stuff but not wmv files. Mac users will be sent off to find the plug-in to play wmv at which time they will usually find the obsolete program called Windows Media Player for Mac or if they are lucky will find the free version of the QuickTime plugin Flip4Mac, now owned by Microsoft, after looking beyond the not for free versions of Flip4Mac.

Now that your Mac user has, hopefully, installed Flip4Mac wmv files may play correctly in the built-in browser Safari or they may need to download FireFox and configure it to use the Flip4Mac plugin.

Still there is some stuff that will only play in, the now obsolete, Windows Media Player for Mac or just not at all on a Mac at all.

Last month 4.3% of FoxyAngel's members were Mac users and 3.1% were using Safari.

[[BV]]

Originally Posted by Cleo

MAC means Media Access Control.

Mac is the computers that Mac users love and non Mac users find annoying.

No Macs do not play wmv files as they are shipped. They ship with QuickTime which plays lots of stuff but not wmv files. Mac users will be sent off to find the plug-in to play wmv at which time they will usually find the obsolete program called Windows Media Player for Mac or if they are lucky will find the free version of the QuickTime plugin Flip4Mac, now owned by Microsoft, after looking beyond the not for free versions of Flip4Mac.

Now that your Mac user has, hopefully, installed Flip4Mac wmv files may play correctly in the built-in browser Safari or they may need to download FireFox and configure it to use the Flip4Mac plugin.

Still there is some stuff that will only play in, the now obsolete, Windows Media Player for Mac or just not at all on a Mac at all.

Last month 4.3% of FoxyAngel's members were Mac users and 3.1% were using Safari.

Cleo,

MAC is short for Macintosh.

So you chose mpg format to satisfy 4.3% of your users.

I can't see the logic in making 95.7% of your users suffer by downloading 30% more data than they need too by using mpg over wmv. (not to mention the extra b/w you would save)

I'm sure MAC users run into this all the time. They expect to jump thru hoops by now. I'd suggest to them pay 10bucks for flip4mac or offer both wmv and mpg.

[ecchi]

Originally Posted by [BV]

I can't see the logic in making 95.7% of your users suffer by downloading 30% more data than they need too by using mpg over wmv.

Because of the money you loose when the other 4.3% say "fuck you". And if you are running a paysite that relies on affiliates selling, the majority of good affiliates look at things like that before deciding who to push. You may only be loosing 4,3% of sales directly, but if you loose the best affiliates and are left with a bunch who make you 1 sale a year, several of them wasting your time with stupid questions, you are throwing away a fortune.

[Cleo]

Originally Posted by [BV]

MAC is short for Macintosh.

Whatever dude but…
MAC

Originally Posted by [BV]

I can't see the logic in making 95.7% of your users suffer by downloading 30% more data than they need too by using mpg over wmv. (not to mention the extra b/w you would save)

I'm sure MAC users run into this all the time. They expect to jump thru hoops by now. I'd suggest to them pay 10bucks for flip4mac or offer both wmv and mpg.

5% of 2000 members at $24.95 each =$2495. Guess you make a lot more money then I do since personally I find $2495 a decent amount of money.

[[BV]]

Originally Posted by ecchi

Because of the money you loose when the other 4.3% say "fuck you". And if you are running a paysite that relies on affiliates selling, the majority of good affiliates look at things like that before deciding who to push. You may only be loosing 4,3% of sales directly, but if you loose the best affiliates and are left with a bunch who make you 1 sale a year, several of them wasting your time with stupid questions, you are throwing away a fortune.

What about the money you loose to saying "fuck you" to the 95.7% by making them download 100MB instead of 70MB for the exact same thing?

I'll bet there are way more dialup members than MAC members right now.

I'd also be willing to bet that she might retain more dialup members.

Same is true for the slow dsl users. Many dsl speeds can't stream a 740x480/ good quality mpeg video while it downloads, But the 30% smaller wmv file size is smaller enough to let them. (remember almost 30% smaller)

So you see what I mean now?

If anything have both formats, discspace is/shouldn't be that big of an issue.

[[BV]]

Originally Posted by Cleo

Whatever dude but…
MAC


5% of 2000 members at $24.95 each =$2495. Guess you make a lot more money then I do since personally I find $2495 a decent amount of money.

That reference to MAC has nothing to do with what we are talking about here.

[Cleo]

Originally Posted by [BV]

That reference to MAC has nothing to do with what we are talking about here.

Correct, we are talking about Macs not MAC but then I'm not the one typing MAC when I mean Mac.

[ecchi]

Originally Posted by [BV]

What about the money you loose to saying "fuck you" to the 95.7% by making them download 100MB instead of 70MB for the exact same thing?

You ever actually talk to surfers ? Everyone here is a webmaster, they know what you are talking about. But you tell your surfers that they have to download 100MB instead of 70MB, and 99.9% will say "cool, I get an extra 30MB for free".

[[BV]]

Originally Posted by Cleo

Correct, we are talking about Macs not MAC but then I'm not the one typing MAC when I mean Mac.

Well if you want to play semantics MAC could mean several things: MAC is an acronym for ...
* MACro, Mandatory Access Control, Media Access Control, Message Authentication Code, Move, Add, Change, Multiple Access Computers, Multiplexed Analog Component, Multiply ACcumulate

[[BV]]

Originally Posted by ecchi

You ever actually talk to surfers ? Everyone here is a webmaster, they know what you are talking about. But you tell your surfers that they have to download 100MB instead of 70MB, and 99.9% will say "cool, I get an extra 30MB for free".

who said anything about telling them, just let them experience it


and if you did want to tell them be creative, say something like "Faster Downloads" etc etc

[Cleo]

All I know is when I took over running Angel's site for her all the movies were in wmv format and her board was full of members who were having trouble viewing her movies and after switching over to mpg, which are not my personal favorite, the posts about movie problems dropped down to almost nothing.

Then there are products like the iPhone coming to market in a few months that has a full version of Safari and built-in WiFi but will not have the plugin to play wmv files but since we use mpg files you will be able to view Angel's movies since mpg files do not require any plugins to view. I have no idea if anyone is going to watch tranny porn on their iPhone or any other phone product but using an open standard like mpg instead of a something from Microsoft means we have one less thing to worry about.

[ecchi]

Originally Posted by [BV]

who said anything about telling them

If you don't tell them anything, they won't know the difference.

Originally Posted by [BV]

and if you did want to tell them be creative, say something like "Faster Downloads" etc etc

Yes, but you could say that with 100MB, they would not know the difference.

You credit surfers with too much knowledge. They will either believe what you say or not, facts have nothing to do with it

[[BV]]

Originally Posted by ecchi

If you don't tell them anything, they won't know the difference.

The dial up users will know the difference instantly!

Originally Posted by ecchi

Yes, but you could say that with 100MB, they would not know the difference.

That's why i suggested saying "Faster Downloads" instead.

Originally Posted by ecchi

You credit surfers with too much knowledge. They will either believe what you say or not, facts have nothing to do with it

Keep thinking like that and you will go far.

[[BV]]

Originally Posted by Cleo

All I know is when I took over running Angel's site for her all the movies were in wmv format and her board was full of members who were having trouble viewing her movies and after switching over to mpg, which are not my personal favorite, the posts about movie problems dropped down to almost nothing.

I'm not saying that did not happen, without knowing all the specifics it's hard to say exactly what the problem was. It could have been other issues of the members script, htaccess issues, server configuration issues, etc etc

Originally Posted by Cleo

Then there are products like the iPhone coming to market in a few months that has a full version of Safari and built-in WiFi but will not have the plugin to play wmv files but since we use mpg files you will be able to view Angel's movies since mpg files do not require any plugins to view. I have no idea if anyone is going to watch tranny porn on their iPhone or any other phone product but using an open standard like mpg instead of a something from Microsoft means we have one less thing to worry about.

sometimes having multiple formats is the only answer to make everyone happy, and tap every revenue stream, but like i said in my first post: ugh..... it's a lot of work having multiple formats plus multiple speeds plus full length and parts.........

[ecchi]

To take your points in reverse order:

Originally Posted by [BV]

Keep thinking like that and you will go far.

Yeah, its what's called 'marketing', its what separates Bill Gates from a guy who sells his software for five bucks shareware. I know you were being sarcastic, but that really is the way the world works. If you want to go far, that is how you have to keep thinking.

Originally Posted by [BV]

That's why i suggested saying "Faster Downloads" instead.

The point I'm making is you could say 'faster downloads' for the 100MB file. Try it: Tell your surfers that the 100MB file downloads faster than the 70MB file (without telling them the file sizes). 99.9% will believe you, and thank you for helping them.

Originally Posted by [BV]

The dial up users will know the difference instantly!

I doubt it, but even if they do, here is how they will think: Say they visit a movie TGP and hit two galleries, yours and mine. Both of us have clips that have the same running time, give or take a second, and are of the same quality of porn. But mine are the clunky 100MB MPGs, and yours are the streamlined 70MB WMFs. If they notice that mine take ~30% longer to download than yours, they will assume that is because I give them 30% MORE ! So when they decide who to sign up with, it will be my site not yours. I get $15 per month recurring, you leave with nothing.

However that is moot because: (1) Dial up users are more likely to NOT have the latest software downloads, so in the situation under discussion in this thread they won't see the WMF clips at all; And (2) Dial up users are more interested in photos than videos in paysites. If they sign up it will take too long to download a reasonable sized clip to be worth while. The only videos they are interested in are the short clips they get for free.