I’m trying to build a Flash-based video player that can handle multiple videos without needing separate SWF files for each one. Right now, I’ve got an XML-driven player, but it’s a hassle to make new SWF and XML files every time I want to add a video to my site.
Does anyone know how to make a more versatile player that can easily switch between different videos? I’m hoping for something that works like YouTube’s player.
Quick note: I can’t use Flowplayer because it relies on JavaScript. I need my pages to be shareable on Facebook, so that’s not an option for me.
Any tips or suggestions would be really helpful! Thanks in advance.
have u tried using FLVPlayback component? it’s pretty flexible & can load vids dynamically. u could store ur video URLs in a single XML file & use AS3 to load 'em on the fly. might need to tweak the UI a bit, but it’d save u from making separate SWFs. just make sure to optimize for diff bandwidths!
Having worked on similar projects, I can suggest using the NetStream class in ActionScript 3 for video playback. It offers more flexibility than FLVPlayback and allows for custom UI design. Combine this with a centralized XML or JSON file to store video metadata and URLs. You can then use ActionScript to dynamically load video information and stream content on demand.
For efficiency, implement a caching system to store frequently accessed videos. Also, consider using progressive download techniques to start playback before the entire file is loaded. This approach mimics YouTube’s functionality while keeping everything within Flash.
Remember to thoroughly test your player across different browsers and Flash versions to ensure consistent performance. Proper error handling is crucial for a smooth user experience.
Developing a universal Flash video player similar to YouTube’s can be challenging but is definitely achievable with careful planning. In my experience, using ActionScript 3 to build a dynamic loader that pulls video files on demand has proven effective. A centralized XML file can store video metadata instead of having separate SWF files for each video. Designing a modular interface makes updates easier without needing to rebuild the entire player. I also found that implementing caching and optimizing for varying connection speeds greatly improved the overall performance. Thorough cross-browser testing remains essential to ensure reliability.
hey, have u considered using the Video class in AS3? it’s pretty versatile for streaming vids. combine it with a centralized XML file for metadata & u got a flexible setup. u could use ExternalInterface to communicate with javascript for more functionality, but keep it minimal if FB sharing’s important. just remember to optimize buffering & implement some error handling!
I’ve been down this road before, and I can tell you it’s definitely doable. One approach that worked well for me was using the FLVideo class in ActionScript 3. It gives you a lot of control over video playback and can be customized to fit your needs.
For the dynamic loading part, I created a simple database to store video info and used PHP to generate an XML file on the fly. The Flash player then reads this XML to populate the video list and load the selected video.
To make it more YouTube-like, I added a cue point system for annotations and a basic playlist feature. It took some trial and error, but the end result was pretty slick.
Just a heads up though - make sure you’ve got a solid error handling system in place. Nothing worse than a player that crashes when a video fails to load.