Streaming Media Handbook, paperback

More and more Web sites are discovering the compelling advantages of streaming media. But delivering high-performance, reliable, cost-effective media across the Internet can be extremely challenging ? especially for Web professionals who've never done it before. Now, you can master streaming media step by step, with guidance from an expert who has produced webcasts for U2, The Rolling Stones, and dozens of enterprise clients. In this book the author covers every facet of streaming video infrastructure, production, coding, and delivery, including : choosing optimal technologies for webcasts, media-on-demand, public Web delivery, and private corporate intranet applications , understanding how streaming media works with your network and firewalls , configuring encoding workstations and streaming media servers , Identifying cost-effective content sources , troubleshooting performance, reliability, and efficiency , streaming media to wireless and mobile devices , marketing your streaming content.

(NOTE: Each chapter concludes with Summary.)

Preface.


Acknowledgments.

I. STREAMING VIDEO PRODUCTION.

1. Streaming Media Basics.

What Is Streaming Media? History of Streaming Media. Who Should Use Streaming Media? Advantages of Using Streaming Media. Disadvantages of Using Streaming Media. Leading Technologies in the Market.

2. Networks.

Networks-Basic. Networks-Advanced. How Does Streaming Video Work? Firewall Issues.

3. Source Material.

DeÞnitions of Video and Audio. Video Formats. Audio Formats. Video Equipment. Action.

4. Stock Library Media.

When Not to Produce Video. Legal Aspects of Content Distribution. Digital Media Formats. Analog Media Formats.

5. Mobile Networks.

A Wireless World. How Do Wireless Networks Work? WLAN Protocols. The WAP Consortium. What Is iMode? WAP versus iMode. Streaming over Wireless Networks. Wireless Service Providers.

II. ENCODING AND STREAMING VIDEO.

6. Video Capture.

The Art of Compression. Compression Tools-Hardware. Capture Card Comparison. Compression Tools-Software. Choosing What Best Fits Your Needs.

7. Encoding Workstation.

Building Your Own Encoding Workstation. Recommended Components. Hardware Installation. System Audio Configuration.

8. The Encoding Process.

Testing Your Encoding Workstation. Live Webcast or Media On-Demand. RealSystem( Encoding Tools. QuickTime( Encoding Tools. Windows Media(tm)s Encoding Tools.

9. Media Servers.

Building Your Own Media Server. Recommended Components. Hardware Installation. Software Installation.

10. Streaming Content.

Unicast versus Multicast. How Media On-Demand Works. How to Set Up an On-Demand Unicast Stream. How to Set Up a Multicast Stream. How to Set Up a Live Unicast Stream. How to Set Up a Live Multicast Stream. Creating Broadcast Playlists.

11. Streaming to Mobile Devices.

Concept Planning. Mobile Devices and the Enterprise. Streaming to Handheld Devices. Unicast versus Multicast. Wireless Streaming Technologies. PacketVideo. RealNetworks( RealSystem Mobile. Microsoft Windows Media.

III. STRATEGIES.

12. Marketing Techniques.

Defining Your Objectives. Online Versus Offline. Free Online Guides. Increasing Traffic to Your Site. The Buzz Word-Online Partnerships.

13. Case Studies.

How to Measure Success. Case 1-Centerseat and Broadband Channels on the Web. Case 2-The Fortune 500 Company and Developing a User-Friendly Mediacentric Corporate Web site. Case 3-U2 PopMart Tour and the First Internet Press Kit. Summary.

Glossary.
Index.