Summary

The new video handling capabilities of Flash MX 2004 were the subject of this chapter.

The chapter started with a brief overview of the new features and how they are fundamentally different from all previous methods of video management in Flash MX 2004. A big change is the inclusion of the FLV Export plugin in Flash MX Professional 2004 that connects to all the major video editing systems and software.

We examined the technology of digital video by reviewing the file formats that can be used in Flash MX 2004 and the effects of frame size, movie length, and frame on video performance in Flash MX 2004. We also looked at the need for compression and how the Spark codec manages this.We finished by discussing the data rate issue and how to calculate the data rate.

We then moved from technology into process and reviewed how to import digital video into Flash MX 2004. This involves the new Video Import Wizard, and we thoroughly reviewed many of the features of the wizard. We also reviewed the new video behaviors included in Flash MX 2004. We showed how the simple association of a behavior with a button can quickly create a powerful video controller.

We finished the chapter with an exercise that shows you how to utilize a very powerful feature new to Flash MX 2004. This is the capability of the Flash Communication Server MX to stream a video on the server into a video placeholder in your Flash movie.

In the next chapter, we downshift from streaming video and build an interactive chat room for the Oakbridge Community Center.