Video's bandwidth demands can overwhelm the narrow pipes that are phone lines and modems. Well, pass the Skippy, because advances in video-compression schemes and serving techniques are gradually making Web video practical, even for modem users. Many companies and schools now deliver training videos, lectures, and presentations over intranets. Another key is preparing your source material with Web video's limitations in mind. If you've dallied with digital video, editing your own QuickTime movies with programs such as Adobe Premiere, it's time to start thinking about putting your efforts on the Web.
Web video is easier and more economical than ever.
The basic production process is the same for both technologies. Next, you compress that movie with encoder software. Finally, you stash the encoded movie on a server and create a Web page containing links to it. To view video, your site's visitors need the right playback software. RealPlayer and RealPlayer Plus are helper applications, but when installing either one, you also install a plug-in module for playing video that has been embedded into a page rather than simply linked to it.