Embedding Video

Many people like embedding video into their webpages as it can give rise to interesting multimedia effects like this

As we've said before give your audience the option of seeing movie files or not so a make a link to the page containing the movie

However we'd just like to remind you thing are much more stable if you use a link to open a video (see here) rather than embedding it.

We've found lots of problems of browser incompatibilities but here is a run through of the major ways to embed files

(1) Using The insert => video option
(Internet explorer only)

This is a great way of embedding a video. Sadly it only works for Microsoft's browsers. Click below to see it

Click on insert -> video

You will then be asked to browse for your target file (note this will only show .avi files move the selection bar to show all files if you want to add .mov files). Once your video is selected a box will appear on your webpage

left click over it and you will see this

The (A) video source box indicates the location of your file (like images once Frontpage express saves the webpage it will attempt to copy the video to the same folder as the page)

If you tick the (B) show control.... box, in theory, the browser should display your video controls (in realty it often doesn't work even with Internet explorer). The (C) Repeat section determines if the file will loop (or repeat) and if so how many times the file will play and with what a delay between each.

Finally the (D) Start box determines if the file starts playing when the page opens or when the cursor passes over.

If you're adding non .avi files you'll need to set the window size. You can do this by clicking the general tag. The problem is with this is that the video screen will stretch to fit whatever values you enter

(2) As A PLUG - IN

This is one of the best ways to embed video files. We find it works with navigator and explorer when using .mov files (most people will have quicktime player or some other plug-in for these browsers) but curiously not .avi

here's an example

What you need to do is click
insert -> other components -> plug-in..

This should appear

(1) Use Browse or type in the name of your file. Then set the (2) size of the plugin on the page (this will take some trial and error to get right but allow 100 pixels each way on the size of your movie). You can also set (3) alignment or spacing too.

(note Frontpage express tends to fill in hard disc address when you use browse. When you come to save the page it will ask you to save the sound file to the same directory)

To control if your embedded video automatically starts playing when your page loads up and how many times it plays click (5) Extended. Then click on Add and in the Name box type autostart and in the Value box type false or true

To make the sound loop. In name insert loop and in value the no. of time you want the file to loop (true will produce an infinite loop)

You can do more with the (5) Extended options. If you insert Pluginspage as a name you can put in value the address of a suitable download site (e.g. http://quicktime.apple.com/ for Apple's Quicktime), to allow the browsers

The next 3 attributes are key. Loop tells tell the browser to either repeatedly loop (true),play a no of times (enter a no e.g. "3") or not to loop (false). Controller determines if controls are present (true) or not (false). Whilst autostart determines if the file will autostart (true or false)

The alt is simply added for an alternate message (please put it in for visually impaired people)

You can also enter a message for people without plug in support via the box on the main menu

This is a pretty safe way of doing things and although will be depreciated will be usable for some time after that even on the latest browser.

However at the end of the day we still sadly say you're safer off using Links

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