Need help on creating direct links to videos in a play list

[tianaPalmer]

Hi there,

I want to be able to have a link to particular FLV videos that I've created at the end of some articles. When the link is clicked, I want the video player to pop up in a new window and play that exact video. At the same time, I want a playlist inside the player that will allow the user to watch other videos if they wish to. Very similar to MSNBC or CNNs video player. So I think my questions are:

- How do I make each video have its own regular HTML link?
- How do I get the player to play that exact video?
- How am I able to group videos in sections for the playlist? For example, I want the playlist to look like this:

Series 1 Videos
- Video 1
- Video 2
- Video 3
- Video 4
Series 2 Videos
- Video 1
- Video 2
- Video 3
- Video 4

Even better, is there software that can do this for me? Thanks!

 

[kennethkawamoto]

You can use query string, e.g.

http://www.somedomain.com/video_player.html?flv=video1

Kenneth Kawamoto

http://www.materiaprima.co.uk

 

[tianaPalmer]

thanks for the reply!

can you be more specific? how and where do I assign the videos their numbers? is it in JavaScript, ActionScript or XML?

 

[kennethkawamoto]

If you are calling from HTML then Javascript to create the URL with query string. If you are calling from a Flash movie you can do that either with ActtionScript, or call Javascript.

May be more details from you would help

Kenneth Kawamoto

http://www.materiaprima.co.uk

 

[tianaPalmer]

we'll be calling from a regular HTML link to play a particular video.

the video player will be flash and will also contain a playlist that will be setup like this:

Series 1 Videos
- Video 1
- Video 2
- Video 3
- Video 4
Series 2 Videos
- Video 1
- Video 2
- Video 3
- Video 4

so maybe i'm confused - is the javascript telling the flash movie to play a specific video? if so, where in flash do i give the videos their ID numbers that the javascript will call? we want it so whatever movie the flash player is told to play when first starting, it will always contain a playlist...thanks for your help!

 

[kennethkawamoto]

Are the HTML link and the FLV player on the same page, or the link will go to a new page with the player?

Kenneth Kawamoto

http://www.materiaprima.co.uk

 

[tianaPalmer]

the link will go to a new page with the player - preferably a pop up...

 

[kennethkawamoto]

How I'd do is open the page with a query string URL, say, [tt]movie_player.html?series=1&video=2[/tt], then use [tt]SWFObject.getQueryParamValue()[/tt] to extract the queries and turn them into FlashVars:

http://code.google.com/p/swfobject/wiki/api

Kenneth Kawamoto

http://www.materiaprima.co.uk

 

[tianaPalmer]

ok...i think i've figured out exactly what i want:

- i'm going to be creating a flash player with multiple playlists using the components in flash (the FLVPlayback component and the List component)
- the playlists will be created using XML that will be loaded into the List component

so my questions are:
- do i assign the video its ID number in the XML?

- if i use the query string:

http://www.somedomain.com/video_player.html?flv=video1

- will video1 be the ID number that i assign it in the XML file? can i use this type of query string if i'm using the components in flash to make the player?

 

[kennethkawamoto]

Based on your example, I'd create a XML file something like:

<videoList>
   <series id="1">
      <video id="1">video1_1.flv</video>
      <video id="2">video1_2.flv</video>
      <video id="3">video1_3.flv</video>
      <video id="4">video1_4.flv</video>
   </series>
   <series id="2">
      <video id="1">video2_1.flv</video>
      <video id="2">video2_2.flv</video>
      <video id="3">video2_3.flv</video>
      <video id="4">video2_4.flv</video>
   </series>
</videoList>

Then [tt]movie_player.html?series=1&video=2[/tt] would mean video 2 of series 1.

Kenneth Kawamoto

http://www.materiaprima.co.uk

 

[tianaPalmer]

perfect! i think this is what i was looking for...didn't think it would be THAT easy...

thank you!!