Streaming video? What do you hate?

[Mobius]

I'm re-developing, from scratch, the Carleton Sheets web site: http://www.carletonsheets.com - and yeah - I know the site bites. However, it *does* generate a huge amount of income for AMS Direct, leveraging the longest running infomercial in the USA (Over 21 years constant!1)

The existing site will have nothing in common with the new design.

The new site will offer several streaming videos - and I want to get a feel from DBB users what preferences you have for streaming media.

Please answer the poll, and also, can you give me some idea of the following as well:

1) Do you hate streaming media?

2) Do you prefer the option of downloading the file and viewing it later?

3) Do you like the option of downloading it alongside the streaming content?

4) Do you prefer a selection process where you get to choose your media type and bit-rate - or do you prefer just to have a single click which uses a media sniffer and bandwidth detector to do it all automatically?

I really appreciate any and all input you have for me - as I have a video conference to try and decide what media and processes to use this coming friday. Thanks people!

[ccb056]

WMP, let me select the bitrate, and download only, view later

[roid]

free cool video stream saving program
manual

"real alternative" and "quicktime alternative"

i don't like streaming things, i like to save things and watch them over and over (and over).

over

[VaussBait]

I don't hate it as long as it's encoded at a high enough bitrate for me (1.5Mb DSL). Any comb-filter/warbly sound with wicked blocky compression artifacts makes me instantly stop watching.

That said, I rarely stream if I can d/l and watch later.

Options are nice but I'm finding more and more that I stick with WMP when given a choice.

As for autodetecting, haven't had any personal experience as to how well it actually works so I can't comment.

-Vauss OUT

[Tetrad]

I don't mind streaming as long as it isn't in a static window. Tiny video is annoying, and would prefer to use the native program to view the streaming video and stretch it to whatever size I want to look at it.

And I always choose high bitrate WMV so it doesn't really matter to me. I do appreciate high/low wmv/quicktime selection, so I imagine it would seem empty without the selection there.

[Topher]

Quicktime almost always works for me, where the other two tend to buffer a lot. Plus the format lets you go forward and backward frame by frame.

[Scorch]

I'm probably one of the only fools to prefer quicktime, but I like how it download enough for a decent buffer in case it has to, uh, buffer, and doesn't pause when doing so like WMP. Real, of course, is the devil and shall not be named henceforth.

[MD-2389]

Quicktime for me.

You get more visual quality for your bitrate, and its highly scalable without dramatic pixelization. Plus, you can actually set it up to save a stream and view it at your pleasure.

Real Player is evil, nuff said.

WMP does streaming video pretty good if you're on broadband. Unfortunately, the quality blows by comparison to QT, but the lower filesize is the tradeoff.

[roid]

xciter why don't you install quicktime alternative and real alternative?

[Avder]

WMP is slightly easier than quicktime.

Real player is evil. I wish their formats would just die.

[Lothar]

I had nothing but trouble with windows media player on my last system (no sound, among other problems), and quicktime has always bugged me with its "register now" crap and the multiple windows (can't open something in the same window), so I'm the lone vote for realplayer. Yeah, I know it tries to run itself at startup, but it only takes about 5 seconds to disable that. (Recently, I've been using Sonic Cineplayer, because someone was encoding video for me with a weird codec nothing else seemed to have.)

I prefer the ability to download a video, rather than stream it. Streaming is OK, but 99% of the time I'll choose to download, for the following reasons:
1) if I decide to watch it again, I don't want to wait
2) if I decide I like it, I don't want to have to go look for software like roid posted
3) if I download it, I can start it when I feel like watching it, rather than having it start when it thinks it's got enough buffer

With respect to choosing bitrate and player, I really, really hate when something auto-selects that for me. They tend to default to the wrong player, and often I'd rather get something at a higher bitrate and wait longer (even if I'm dialed in through a 56k modem from my laptop.) If you use some sort of bitrate detector, have it detect and at least prompt you for "ok" or "change this"...

[Mobius]

I hated and despised REALplayer too. But honestly guys, it's an OK product now. It doesn't fusk with your startup folder. Just delete "realscheduler" and you're done!

Real streaming media undoubtedly has the best quality per bitrate, and as an underdog and MS competitor, you should at least TRY the new one!

[roid]

2) if I decide I like it, I don't want to have to go look for software like roid posted

yeah i looked for ages for this program. i imagine other people have just as much trouble finding it, so spread the word around if you can ppls.

[MD-2389]

and the multiple windows (can't open something in the same window)

Actually Lothar, you can set it to run on a single window very easily in your preferences.

[Repo Man]

I hate Real Player because it installs bloatware like Real Messenger, etc.

As far as QuickTime vs. Windows Media Player is concerned, it's a toss-up for me. The streaming quality depends on the codec and bit rate; a lame codec makes for lame video. I use both players since, as far as I know, some popular codecs are only available for one or the other, but not both.

I always prefer to have the option of downloading video if I want.

[{Hawk}Liquid]

windows media for sure.

i know a neat trick to dl music legally through it.

[Top Wop]

Why not add WINAMP into the mix moby? I dont use any of those options you gave me to watch my streaming content.

[Mobius]

Winamp isn't a common device ot play streaming media in. Besides, it's a client-side file-type association, not a server side option. There ya go.

[Jeff250]

That's a deceptive topic!! I voted for Real Player because I saw the word HATE. You've made me sin against mankind.

[Tetrad]

That's true. One of the things about forum polls is that the question asked in the topic and the question asked by the poll are complete opposites a frightening amount of the time.

I try to avoid this by just asking "Well?" in the poll subject.

[kurupt]

I despise quicktime & Real Player... if I get a video in a format that requires them, I just delete it. I won't install either.

WMP for me.

ditto

i think you should provide all the options you mentioned mobi. why please only a few when you can please many?

[Top Wop]

Winamp isn't a common device ot play streaming media in. Besides, it's a client-side file-type association, not a server side option. There ya go.

Ummm, no.

There are radio stations which I listen to that offer Winamp alongside RealPlayer and WMP. There are also allot of people who use Winamp. You know nothing (as usual).

Here's one of the many that consider the modern age:

http://www.wlsam.com/listenlive.asp

Shall I list 100 more?

[MD-2389]

ditto

i think you should provide all the options you mentioned mobi. why please only a few when you can please many?

Because not everyone uses WMP? Not everyone uses Windows ya know. Still, the option could be there I suppose. Atleast be smart about it and use a format that MP 6.4 can read, so you won't be leaving out a large ammount of people that don't even have MP 8 or 9 installed or don't even use anything other than 6.x because the rest is bloatware.