(Disclaimer- we don't recommend, endorse or take any responsibility for the downloading, installation or running of any software referred to on this site and any subsequent damage or problems that the program or its download may cause. Your should always read the manufacturers instructions, warranties and disclaimers and our legal notices)

Okay lets get started

RealProducer® Basic 8.5 is no longer available from Real's site but you may get it on an older cover disk or from a download site like Germany sofware.net. It's replacement Helix producer basic also requires you to install server software (abet free) which maybe more fiddly and blocked by your site's host

Once you've installed it, you'll be presented with a list of set up options.

We'll not detail them all as they are self explanatory but make sure when you're given the speed option to select the 2 slowest connections (28.8Kbs and 56Kbs) to ensure you have the widest audience possible

You'll automatically launch the product (you can either use it now or later - you'll get the same menu)

When starting out you're best using an existing file. Click record from file option and hit next.

Now browse to find your media file and hit next. You'll then be presented with a menu where you can give info about the clip.

Once you've don that hit next. The next window is probably te most important. Unless you're using a dedicated Real Server click Single rate for Web Servers option.

In the Target audience window that follows select the slowest speed (28.8K - to optimise the number of people who can see the file

You'll then be given a choice of audio (+/- video) options. Select the most appropriate (don't worry you can adjust before recording your real media file.

Then you'll have to place the real media file. Put it in your webfolder as normal

Now you can record the file. Before starting you can change any of the previous options (good chance to turn sound off as you don't get the option earlier).

Once ready hit start. The file will be converted infront of you (you can use the stop key to make the final real file shorter if you want). If doing a sound file you may here nothing - don't worry just watch the sound level bar

Once finished hit the play key to see your file played back & that it!!

Once you've done that click Tools-> create webpage this will help you build a simple web page with all the code you need for the file. You have to option for an embedded or popup link to the player.

Place it in the same website folder as your real media file. and the software will convert the media file to a meta file ready for upload. Note the page will automatically save with a .html not .htm file type

You can now go and edit that page as normal. Don't tinker with any of the inserted plug ins or graphics. Please leave in the links to real sites so others can get the software required (not everyone has real player)

You've got to use the upload feature of the RealProducer® to get the file uploaded properly (the meta file needs to be tweaked but this can only be done by uploading via RealProducer®). This can be tricky as the built in FTP client isn't the most intuative

Once you've selected your file you'll be presented with a 2 sequential screens (FTP and Page URL). The second (Page URL) is self explanatory but the first can catch you out.

For example when we upload a webpage to this folder (e.g. http://www.fluffbucket.com/
othettutorials/streaming)

we enter ftp.fluffbucket.com into the FTP server box (1) and in the directory box (2) we enter /othettutorials/streaming

And finally we enter our websites FTP username and password in the relevant boxes (3) and hit next

On the URL box things are similar. In the web server box (A) we enter www.fluffbucket.com.

In the URL directory box (B) we enter /othettutorials/streaming. Finally you should check the URL in the Full URL box (C).

Remember to set your settings to your sites FTP & URLs.

Your Real media link (or embed page) & all the associated real media files must be uploaded in this way to work. Be wary of accidentally over-writing these files when you update your site as RealProducer® does not update link target (which need to be precise for all these files) on your hard drive. This is not made easier as if you use your PC to check the site the links will point at the precise files on your hard drive so all will appear normal!!!

Just a reminder note about copyright. This is much the same as site graphics. If you are putting music or video on your site that you wrote, hold the copyright to (if there is one) and performed that is then that's okay under most countries' and international law (assuming it fulfils international and locally acceptable laws about it contents and lyrics - i.e.. Don't put a song on-line if if against the law to play it in front of an audience). Clearly if you change your entire music collection or a film' into downloadable files and place it on the web without permission from the relevant parties that is illegal and you might well end up being at the wrong end of a legal action. Between this the key is permission, so basically if in doubt don't do it and see about getting permission first (These thing vary from country to country and company to company - so we're not going to bore you to death about it and give potentially false legal info)

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