Deciding a video format

One of the big decisions in this project is what video format to use. Streaming video requires a lot of bandwidth and processing power. Selecting the right format might save a lot of time and money. At the moment the GNG is using QuickTime along with Windows Media for streaming.

After a lot of research we have decided to try to go with the newer Flash Video Format, FLV. This format is relatively new but is already used a lot of places, including MTV and Google Video. Some of the strongpoints of this format is:

1. The format uses the normal Flash Player Plugin. More than 95% of the computers today used for web browsing have this plugin. This removes the problem of having to install additional software to view the documentaries. It also removes the problem of having to upload the videos in both QuickTime and Windows Media formats as FLV is platform independent.

2. The videos load faster than any other format today and doesn't require as much processing power to view.

3. The files can be put on a normal webserver instead of having to pay for an external streaming server. This also enables visitors to download the videos and view them offline or bring them to another computer or media.

There are of course also some downsides:

1. A copy of Macromedia Flash 8 Professional must be purchased if the player is put on the website.

2. All videos will have to be converted to the FLV format.

We think that the strongpoints heavily outweigh the downsides. This has been discussed with David from GNG and tomorrow will be used trying to build a prototype of a GNG FLV Media Player to see if it works as intended. More about the technical solution will be posted soon.