different bandwidth users

[Thoe99]

Is there a way of displaying higher resolution images images and movie clips for people using higher bandwidth, and vice versa, without having "low bandwidth users" and "high bandwidth users" versions of the site? Can I make it to where flash automatically detects how fast the bandwidth is?

 

[oldnewbie]

Flash is not like streaming video (unless that's what you're doing!), and resolution shouldn't be any different for low or high bandwidth users. The movies are downloaded in the user's cache, and then sort of played locally in the Flash player. Depending on the complexity of your movie, and the user's processor, some viewers may experience jerks or stalls if you haven't provided a preloader (the movie is then sort of streaming until it's completely downloaded), but resolution shouldn't be affected. Images & the sort should match your original settings on any decent machine.

Of course, if you've designed your movie at 200*200 and use scaling to fill a 1024*768 resolution, there will picture degradation, but that has nothing to do with high or low bandwith!

Regards,

ldnewbie

 

[Thoe99]

Well, I have a site with background pictures. Depending on the bandwidth the user has, I want it to be a bigger, more detailed jpeg for them, and no backgrounds at all for 56k users. It's the size that I'm monitoring.

 

[level0]

U simply have to do an introduction screen where the user will pick up hm/her self up which version they want?
e.g light or full e.t.c
u then can create two defferent movies and load one of them depending on the user selection

or

create one movie and send control values from the previous (selection) page.

To do the seccond method you need to use javascript to communicate with flash or just flash if you decide to make the whole thing in flash.

I hope this helps

 

[Thoe99]

I was just wondering if it can all be automatic, so that the user didn't have to choose which version. It just loads the appropriate site, depending on the bandwidth they have.

 

[oldnewbie]

Check the Separate content based on bandwidth needs tip, here:

http://www.flazoom.com/usability/usability_III_2.shtml

Or such articles as:

http://www.cyscape.com/developer/workshop/workshop-connection.asp?bhcp=1

http://www.mavweb.net/browserhawk.asp

You'll find many others with a simple search engine... But that fact remains, that this will only permit you to eventually (not as easily done than said - automatic wouldn't be the word to use!) re-direct slow connected users to a streamlined site and/or movie, without really changing anything in resolution. Only the initial download time is reduced with fast connected users, and I for one, would be very frustrated (if I really wanted to view your "full site&quot to discover that I have been re-directed, to a streamlined one, only because I'm on a 56K dial-up connection.
If I'm stuck on a slow connection (I technically can't get a faster one at the moment!), and willing to wait for extra download time, I feel it's not up to you to decide which version of the site I should or not see!
That said, hey!... You're the boss! In the end, the final decision is your's!

Regards,

ldnewbie

 

[Thoe99]

You have a point...

...but I also know a lot of people who don't have the patience to load up a huge site, and they get discouraged, so they just leave during the loading time. Hmm...maybe I should include a link to a quicker site during the load time, instead