Flash Video in Drupal 5: A complete multimedia tutorial.

As I have my video blog on my own home server, I have a pretty bad upload speed. What I'd want to know is that would it be possible to do this: After converting the video file to flv, it gets uploaded to a specified ftp site (external) and then it gets linked to the post. This would make the videos buffer/load way faster, but I could still have it on my own server. I have access to hosted ftp, but I'm simply wondering if there's an easy way to accomplish this. olympus waterproof

Two questions:
1. How to get the video player to show the first frame captured for the thumbnail instead of just a black empty screen. (this is before you play the video). Maybe this can be fed as a parameter to the flv player?

2. My MPEG1 video files get converted with no sound. Any ideas? I edit my videos with CyberLink PowerDirector and this is a plain mpeg1 file.

clubpenguin

I realized that, while it was an incredible CMS, it still lacked the video capabilites of todays leading Web 2.0 websites. Although I was very impressed with the versatility of the current Video module, I was not impressed with how incredibly non-user friendly the module was... well, from a non-developer point of view. You see, my goal was to create a user-generated video website. You know what I am talking about. You see them everywhere! YouTube, Google video, AOL video, and I could just go on and on.
birthday card

Hi,

Love this module! Only problem I've got is providing a smooth experience for users without flash. Can you recommend a way to provide a flash backup?

Thanks,

Nick

Because thanks to my friends about this author.
every time you enter the site. youtube is always providing the original video.

is installing FFMPEG necessary?

I have downloaded the module, activated it from admin section, created one content type, activated the FlashVideo for this newly created content type. I have created the directories named ""video_import and "video_output" for import video and output directory for converted video, But when i upload the flv file then i found .flv file in video_output directory, but when i tried to upload .avi file the i gound it at ./files directory and not in output directory

dl() [function.dl]: Unable to load dynamic
library './ffmpeg.so' - ./ffmpeg.so: cannot open shared object file:
No such file or directory in
/home/x/public_html/sites/all/modules/flashvideo/flashvideo.module on line 1420.

in the flash video module settings if i use
Use FFMPEG-PHP to extract video information. then i get tht error or else video gets uploaded properly.
and the embed code thts generated in not playing the video i just get an player thts it it does not play it
the embed code is like

Thanks,
Pradeep

before anything i should say that the tutorial helped a lot and everything is working fine except the thumbnails. I don't have this FFMPEG on my server. Is it possible to use another converter like ImageMagick? I don't need to convert the videos (i upload them as FLV already) but i guess the thumbnails won't work because of this FFMPEG which I don't have. Any other way to fix this problem?

Just wondering if anyone can help - we are using intro and outro videos, but after the outro one plays, we would like the 'playlist' to reset and load the intro video again - currently if the user hits play again, it replays the outro video, instead of the whole thing.

Any ideas?

Hi,
So far this tutorial has proved most useful. I just have one question. I'm actually trying to use Cirtex Hosting for only the conversion and hosting with my set up. I'm hosting my Drupal 6 instance on another server. Is this possible and if so how do I go about configuring this? TIA.

This works 100%. Thanks for the tutorials.

_______________________________________________________________________________
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Will this work with drupal 6.9 with the JW Player??
Are there many changes?

/Lone

3gp files (for example from mobiles) are working - but it seem that there are sound problems with these fileformats - in my case i hear only brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....
anyone knows a solution for this ?

thx

youtube

thank you poster...

We are working on drupal-5.x.We have integrated ffmpeg in our site.It was working well a few days ago. But now it is not generating either thumbnails or video.

We have installed latest ffmpeg wrapper module. FFMPEG on the server works via shell command, so that's not where the issue is. The ffmpeg_data and the Flashvideo tables in Drupal shows nothing.

Thanks in advance for any pointers/ help in resolving this conundrum.

hi

thanx for that grat module !

a question: is there a possibility to use also other extern video content like youtube videos (embed code) with the same functionality as when you upload a video ?

Hey!

First of all, love what you've done and the continued support on this module.

Thing is, I basically need the module to do more. More specifically, to also handle audio (ie. convert wav to mp3 and use a flash player to stream that), and something more unique: convert psd to png (which can be achieved easily with imagemagick) & word to pdf (easy enough).

I'm just wondering, do you have any tips or pointers how to actually do this on *top* of your module?

so, I don't really need the ffmpeg encoder to do anything. But, I still want the functionality of uploading to a node. When I finish posting to a node I get the "Video Not Available" poster frame. So, I'm wondering if the system still wants to encode even though I haven't set up ffmpeg and the only way the module works is that you must have ffmpeg working or...I just stuffed up and haven't configured it properly..Hope this makes sense...I'd really like to get this working...thanks

I cannot seem to justify the video within the node. Even placing the video inside a table, and justifying the table to left or right, the video is always centered in the page. Any ideas? (I am using the fckeditor).

How to restrict user to upload just 1 video per content ? Beside that I would like just videos to be uploaded by users not everything.

Thanks

Hi Travis

i have separate video_import directory
output directory is different from video_import directory for sure
i have tested many times with different values
i have changed input dir, output dir, video import dir
but all the same:
successful video conversion - but after second or third cron run - the flv files are deleting!

nodes are creating ok, videos is playing ok too - but after cron run - FLV files are deleting

the same pb form me
FlashVideo 6.x-1.3
I upload already encoded flv it's ok but the
files are deleted after the cron run
so i can't publish my website ...

can't figure out how to get a workaround. I tried to set another export directory but when i manually upload, the file are generated in the goor directory but the path is wrong (the default one to file)

any clue
thanx

I would like to use Flash video to let people upload the 3GP video standard for mobile (cell phones). What's the situation with this?
Thanks.
marcusp

Hi!

Travis please advise, the cron deleting FLV files problem is still unresolved :(
i have commented file_deletion functions in flashvideo.module, but somehow files are deleting :(

another question - how to extract the FLV video filename in the node ?
i want to extract video duration from the video and i need the file name in node
if i Enable ffmpeg-php in flashvideo settings - the flashvideo module not extracting information using ffmpeg
so i decided to extract it myself but i can't get the file name in the node

please advise!
Thanks !

Travis -

I am also having the same issue as the previous poster. When I attach the videos, everything seems ok, but at some point the cron job comes through and whacks the files.

My files are already in FLV format if that makes any difference at all.

Please advise.

John Walker

Travist, please advise!
After successfully importing flv files, flashvideo module deleting FLV files after 2 or 3rd cron run..

why ??
please help!

Hi!

thank you for your plugin!
i have a strange problem here

then i copy flv files into inport_dir and run cron, the system creates thumbnails writes them to output directory
and then MOVE the flv files from import directory to output
pretty good...
BUT

but in the node your plugin generates a code with sites/defaul/files path!
he thinks the flv videos is there, in drupal's sites/default/files directory but it must be the output directory

then i manualy upload avi files, it's works great, but not then i import flv files from import directory.

The same thing happens then i upload FLV files vie web form
flashvideo module creates thumbnail and MOVE the uploaded file to OUTPUT directory
in the node flashvideo module generates code with /sites/default/files dir but shoud be /sites/default/files/OUTPUTDIR

if i upload other files. avi for example - the system runs ok
converts files, copy the flv to output dir and the flashplayer displaying videos

please, please advise. Thanks

I think if you want to save all your troubles

you can always go to CrayonHost

they already got things in place an have great support

look at my website for sample site

Anton Soeharyo

Hi Travis

thanks a lot for all your time.
I have a clearly defined problem but no clue how to solve it.

exactly did all you explained
when I upload the movie there is a problem with the path:
++++++++++
warning: rename(/var/www/drupal-5.0//var/www/drupal-5.0/files/wwwBI_T29_T31.avi,/var/www/drupal-5.0//var/www/drupal-5.0/files/94_wwwBI_T29_T31.avi) [function.rename]: No such file or directory in /var/www/drupal-5.0/modules/flashvideo/flashvideo.module on line 1464.
++++++++++
as you see the "/var/www/drupal-5.0/" is for some reasons doubled :-(
this of course messes up the whole thing of conversion etc etc

I would appreciate any help...
thanks
selim

Travis - again, great module.
One issue in the install file, though, is that mysql (v. 5.0.45) keeps dying on the "CREATE TABLE ffmpeg_data ..." statement, saying "#1101 - BLOB/TEXT column 'input_file' can't have a default value".
You may want to remove the default values for text fields from that statement.

Hope that's helpful...

Hi All,
I have install flash video module, ffmpeg program. Everything is working fine like converting to flv and creating thumbnail. While submitting the node the video file is converting into the flv format and plays the only once after submitting. But if I go again that node after clicking the thumbnail(created by ffmpeg) it shows the blank page. I dont know whats the reason. Any help would be appreciate.

Hi, I added the possibility to sort videos on play_counter in views. Here are the code of the flashvideo_views.module (based on 5x-2.6-beta version. Feel free to try it.

/**
* Implementation of hook_help()
*/
function flashvideo_views_help($section = 'admin/help#flashvideo_views')
{
switch ($section) {
case 'admin/help#flashvideo_views':
$output = 'The FlashVideo Views module provides a new Field in
the Views module that allows you to see the Video or Video Thumbnail.';
return $output;

case 'admin/settings/modules#description': return t('Provides a plugin to allow Views functionality to the
FlashVideo Module.');
}
}

/**
* The views plugin for the FlashVideo module is developed and maintained
by * user mikesmullin at http://drupal.org/user/108440
*
*
* This include file implements views functionality on behalf of the
* flashvideo.module. */

function flashvideo_views_views_tables() {
$tables['flashvideo'] = array(
'name' => 'flashvideo',
'join' => array(
'left' => array(
'table' => 'node',
'field' => 'nid'
),
'right' => array(
'field' => 'nid'
),
),
'fields' => array(
'nid' => array(
'name' => t('FlashVideo: Video'),
'handler' => 'flashvideo_views_handler_video',
'option' => array(
'#type' => 'select',
'#options' => 'flashvideo_views_option_video',
),
'notafield' => true,
'sortable' => true,
),
),
'sorts' => array(
'play_counter' => array('name' => t('Flashvideo: Played
Counter'))
),
);
return($tables);
}

/**
* Views handler for displaying the video.
*/
function flashvideo_views_handler_video($fieldinfo, $fielddata, $value,
$data) {
$node = node_load($data->nid);
switch ($fielddata['options']) {
case 0: // Flash Video Player
return flashvideo_get_video($node, array());
case 1: // Thumbnail Image
case 2: // play_counter
return $node->play_counter;
default:
return flashvideo_get_thumbnail($node, array());
}
}

/**
* Views - Generate a list of options for the */
function flashvideo_views_option_video($op) {
return array(
t('Flash Video Player'),
t('Thumbnail Image'),
t('Played Counter')
);
//return $a;
}

Hi, flashvideo is a great module. Thanks for developing !

I have a suggestion for the automatic import via video_import directory.

I think the import should not set the videos automatically to "published" after rendering the video, since the author may want to, change the title, edit the node text before publishing the video. It would be great if the module would grab the default settings (Publish settings, Comment settings) of the node type settings.

I think i also found a bug. Selecting the node type for the automatic import seems to only work correctly when you enable flashvideo support for at least 2 node types. Otherwise it does not save video with the correct node type and falls back to the default node type specified in the module source code.

Hello there,

I love the FlashVideo project because of it's automation and simplicity.

However, as I have my video blog on my own home server, I have a pretty bad upload speed. What I'd want to know is that would it be possible to do this: After converting the video file to flv, it gets uploaded to a specified ftp site (external) and then it gets linked to the post.

This would make the videos buffer/load way faster, but I could still have it on my own server. I have access to hosted ftp, but I'm simply wondering if there's an easy way to accomplish this, or if I need to dig into the code?

Thank you!

- Dids

Hello

First of all, thanks for your walkthough! I am an absolute newbie (hosting on Dreamhost.com) and have little knowledge in terms of server administration. Anyway, I did everything, and yet it keeps saying "no video availble" even if I manually run the cronjob.

have a look yourself:

http://www.tiervideos.net/?q=tracker

If anybody could help I'd be sooo glad. Feel free to register and try it out yourself (cronjobs run every 10 minutes). I'm a bit annoyed with the whole situation as I can't continue to work on my site (which is pretty poor at the moment ;-) without the flash player working.