Uploading videos
From Whirled
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Players can upload videos to play in rooms.
Formats
Currently, the only format supported for videos in the Whirled is FLV (Flash Video). In the future, we plan to integrate (in some security-conscious way) the FFmpeg tool so that users can upload any video type, and we'll be able to convert it to FLV for them (which is how all video will be played within Whirled).
The main advantage of FLV is that Whirled can contain a nifty YouTube-esque video player that will do a better job of streaming the video, as well as provide controls for pausing, seeking, etc.
FLV videos tend to be lower quality, but much smaller file size than other video formats. Therefore, even when Whirled does allow upload of several video formats, it will be faster for users on slower connections to convert the video themselves before uploading it.
Converting Videos
There is a Windows-only FLV Encoder called Riva VX that is free.
If you're not running windows, and/or want to be a little more adventurous, the FFmpeg tool is capable of converting just about anything you want to make it think is a video into an FLV. It is pretty widely used, and the FFmpeg page has a list of other projects that use it, some of which include GUIs.
If you get the command-line tool working, you can quickly convert any supported video type to an FLV (without fancy options for resampled resolution or audio bitrate), with this command:
ffmpeg -i <input video> <output.flv>
Pretty simple :)
Uploading Videos
- Choose Me → Videos to see the videos you own.
- Scroll down to the "Upload your Videos" section.
Click "Upload" to bring up the interface. - Click the Upload... button to get the video uploading interface.
The video uploading interface.- Click on the Name field and enter a name to identify your video.
- Click Browse in Video Media and find the FLV file for your video. Once the video is uploaded an icon will appear in the Video Media rectangle. You will not be able to Save your video until it is done uploading.
- Click Browse in Furniture Media and find the bitmap (png, jpg or gif) file representing your video. This determines what the clickable video looks like when a player encounters it in Whirled. (optional)
- Click Browse in Thumbnail Media and find the bitmap (png, jpg or gif) file for your video's icon. (max. 80x60) (optional)
- Click on the Description field and enter a description of your video. (optional)
- Click Save to put your video in your inventory for use.
