Preload Flash Video

Hi, I converted a video to flash video and inserted it into my site using Dreamweaver. However I would like it to preload before it plays so I can display something while it is loading. Is there a way to do this without going into Flash? (As I presume Ill then have to export it as swf or something and not flash video.

Thanks

Many Flash programmers create these great all-singing, all-dancing Flash creations that take ages to download.
Their visitors get bored waiting for it to download and surf away from the site (or use the 'skip' feature the designer will have included out of courtesy to their audience ).
They came up with the idea of creating a little 'intro' Flash movie called a 'pre-loader'.
Basically it's something which holds the attention of their audience while the movie loads in the background. Doesn't need to be too grand (which would defeat the purpose), but it DOES need to be interesting enough to hold people's attention long enough.
Just a thought; How about making the content you wanted to display while the video's loading your 'pre-loader'? Then the movie starts once it's loaded, everybody's happy.

I see what you mean and I was thinking that, but the thing is I just converted my movie to flash using Macromedia Flash 8 Video Encoder.

Then I put it in Dreamweaver straight away to webpage.

So I didn't use Flash at all you see, and I thought there might be a way on the page itself I could do it, so until the flash video is loaded.

If I have to do it in Flash, do I have to import the flash video into flash or do I have to put the original movie into flash? And I suppose when I export it then it will be an swf and not a flv? That's the main thing I guess.

"Jaaccccoooooobbbbbbbbbb.......?"

(You exceeded my Flash knowledge and experience already Paula )

I dont think there is a way to do that with out putting the origonal fla file is to flash and doing it form there but i might be very wrong!
rusty

OK Paula. First off I want to make sure I understand this right. You had a video, and then you took that video and converted it to flv? You took this flv video and inserted it in to your page using dreamweaver, Right? Now here comes the part I am not so sure about. You want this flv video to have a pre-loader. But you don't want to have to import the video into flash. If this is correct, then you could, make a pre-loader in flash, that will load the flv video. So you don't have to import the video at all. You just tell flash via actionscript load this flv video into the stage. You could even tell flash to play the video after 50% of the video has been loaded, that way your viewers don't have to wait as long. If you think this solution is what you are looking for tell me and I will pop the actionscript up there for you. If this is not what you are looking for then just reply and I will try again.

Hi all - Im relatively new to Flash, but a fast learner...Here's my situation:

My Flash movie is basically an intro animation with music and then has buttons to navigate to areas of the site. That part is all created and working by itself (I have fla and swf files of it).

The problem is that I would like to have a percentage display and progress bar during a preload. I was able to create an entirely new flash file with a working preloader, which basically had an action command to show percent until fully loaded, then go play frame 3, where I then imported my 204 frame movie to. Problems were it kept looping and I also would prefer to do it so that its all part of the same movie file (so Im not importing a movie into a preloader). - If that can be done and allow my already created movie to function and stop looping, I'll do that.

Im thinking the easiest way to do this is create a new scene for the preloader and place it prior to my movie scene..Any suggestions/links that could help me do this? The scripting/commands seem to lose me. Hope this chaotic request makes sense...

Thanks
Matt

Problem solved over here.

http://www.webforumz.com/flash-forum...a-progress.htm

That sounds exactly what I want to do. I found some things that wouldn't play the movie till it loaded doing something similar to what you mention but they showed the first frame of the movie and stuck on that until it loaded. I don't want to see the movie at all until it's loaded and want to have a preloading bar or some sort of animation in the meantime. Thanks.

Is this what you are looking for?

http://www.jbwebsitesolutions.com/flashindex/

I don't get it...that site? (sorry, I'm slow replying) If you mean the preloader then yeah something like that..

Yeah that is what I mint. Man, I forgot all about this problem. It has been like months for sure. Have you fixed this problem? Or are you still looking for a flash pre-loader for your flv video? Let me know. Also how are you playing this flv video? Are you using flash default player? Sorry but this is important. Thanks!!

It's only a couple of weeks since you replied, hehe, but anyway. I'm still looking for a preloader.. playing it on a website so yeah with Flash player 8 or something. As I say I found things that stopped video on first frame until it was loaded but not things that actually played the preloader THEN showed video only when it was ready. Perhaps I should just put the video back into flash would that be easier?

Can you upload the flv file to a URL for me? I could build you a quick pre-loader then you could tweak it any way you like.

P.S. On this forum a few weeks is like months. There are so many people that post here; it is really easy to forget.

Wow, really. That would be great. It's here -

http://www.lagunanetwork.com/laguna90sec.flv

Thank you so much!

Ok I made a video player in flash. Then in flash I told it to load the video into my player. Now depending on you connection speed you should see a depending on your connection speed you should see a loading strip it is kind of a blue one. Nothing fancy. Color scheme for this player is horrible. But you get the picture. Let me know wither this is the type of thing you are looking for. Or if you are looking for something more animated. Thanks!!

Here is the link...
http://www.JacobHaug.com/webforumz/f...ideo_test.html

Hmm, no I don't get it. The video just starts playing, and then I get a message saying "buffer is empty. wait until it refills". =/ I have a blue bar for video playback and volume but that's all.... thanks, though, i don't want to see the video at all until it's loaded..

Perhaps it thinks my connection is fast enough to play it, but then it stops partway through and comes up with that message... =/

I am so sorry; I forgot to tell the video player not to play the video until it was completely loaded. I will change that in a bit. When it is changed I will post here again to inform you of this change.

I have been really busy. I am so sorry. I normally have the solutions all worked out for the person within the hour. I just have been so busy. Too many people asking questions in the flash forum, and not enough people answering them...lol

I will upload the finished file first chance I get. I promise...no really...I do