Video and Multimedia on the Web

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• Video & Multimedia

Certain multimedia files may be added to your web page to create a richer user experience. In Dreamweaver, these are generally inserted as links or as image or media files.

However, the majority of these files require plugin software in order to be viewed in a web browser, and some plugins are more readily available than others. Also, some files are typically very large in size, making for longer download times. If you are concerned about the accessibility of your page, you may consider using few, if any, multimedia files.

Audio

Several file types are available for using sound on the Web. Listed below are file formats, the software that creates and plays them, and links to more information on the Internet. Please note that standardized (the most common and easily accessible) formats are highlighted in yellow.

NOTE: MP3 files are primarily created by "ripping" tracks from existing music CDs, although one can also convert other file formats to MP3 using Cleaner, MP3 Maker, or QuickTime Pro. Music piracy is a serious, serious offense, so do not, under any circumstances, use a piece of music that you do not own without the artist's explicit permission.

Adding Sound to a Web Page

The easiest way to embed background music into a webpage is with a simple HTML tag known as EMBED. To add a MIDI, MOV, AVI, or other music file like those listed above and to make it play automatically when someone opens a web page (like this one!), do the following:

1. Click the Insert menu and choose Tag.

2. Click HTML and choose the embed tag. Click Insert and a new window will appear.

3. Your options are fairly simple for the embed tag: browse for and select the file that you want to play. You can tell it to automatically play and to loop, you can define the size of the player bar (the one you see above is the default size given if no values are entered), or you can hide the player bar from the viewer entirely.

When ready, click OK and close the Tag Editor.

Video and Other Animated Media

Several file types are available for using moving animations and video on the Web. Some are simple and small in size (animated GIF), while others can be extremely large and difficult to download (video).

Multimedia formats such as Flash and Shockwave files can be used for many different types of applications, including simple animations, moving video with sound and captions, or even Web-based games. Creation of these types of files requires access to the software and a great deal of patience, as these programs are not simple to learn. Once you have mastered basics of these programs, however, the rewards can be tremendous.

Listed below are file formats for video and animations, the software that creates and views them, and links to more information on the Internet. Please note that standardized (the most common and easily accessible) formats are highlighted in yellow.