stream your quicktime media over the internet

stream your quicktime media over the internet


Once you have created and compressed audio or video files in QuickTime Media format, you can put them on the Web so that others can view your streaming media online.

This document explains how to set up Quicktime streaming media (a movie, audio clip, animation, or other multimedia) using the University of Washington streaming servers.

You will need:

QuickTime Pro installed on your computer,
a digital movie compressed in QuickTime format,
an FTP program such as SSH Secure File Transfer Client or Secure Fetch installed on your computer,
knowledge of how to use an FTP program,
to activate your streaming media and Web publishing services, and
MakeRefMovie installed on your computer.


Open QuickTime Pro.


Most people will be able to open QuickTime Pro in the following way:

On a PC, select Start > Programs > Entertainment > QuickTime.
On a Macintosh, click the QuickTime icon in the dock at the bottom of the screen.



Open the movie using QuickTime Pro.


Before you can prepare your movie for streaming over the Internet, you must first open it in QuickTime Pro.

If your movie is already in the QuickTime format (the file name ends in .mov):

In QuickTime Pro, select File > Open Movie... The "Open" dialog box will appear.
Locate and select your movie file.
Click Open.
If your movie is not in the QuickTime format (the file ends in an extension other than .mov):

In QuickTime Pro, select File > Import... The "Import" dialog box will appear.
Locate and select your movie file.
Click Convert (PC) or Open (Mac) .


QuickTime Pro understands and can import a lot of different types of files. However, when capturing and editing your video, it is always best to save or export your files as a Quicktime file if you intend to use Quicktime to stream it over the Web.


Export the movie as streaming media.


Now that you have opened your media files in QuickTime Pro, it is time to export them as streaming media. This is also called "hinting" your movie.

Select File > Export.... The "Save exported file as" dialog box will appear.
Once you have selected your bitrate, navigate to the appropriate location where you want to save the exported files, and give your file a name.
In the "Export:" drop-down menu, select Movie to Hinted Movie, if it is not already selected.
In the "Use:" drop-down menu, select the desired visual and audio quality from the listed options; this is the bitrate in kilobytes per second (kbps). If you are a more advanced user, you can click on the Options button and configure your own video and audio settings for the media export.
Click Save.
When you are finished using QuickTime Pro, quit the program by selecting File > Exit.


Bitrate, usually expressed as kbps, is the amount of information per second sent from the video server to the viewer's computer. Video and audio quality is directly proportional to bitrate; higher bitrates allow for clearer video and better sound.

When choosing bitrates, keep in mind the connection speed of the viewer. High bitrates are generally better for viewers who are using high-speed connections, such as a cable modems, digital subscriber lines (DSL), or network connections. Low bitrates are better for viewers using low-speed devices, such as dial-up modems.

Do not leave the bitrate on "Default Settings" or else you may not be able to view your movie from the Web. Instead, choose a setting. If you want a higher bitrate, consider using Media Cleaner Pro instead of QuickTime Pro to compress your video.


Upload and test your hinted movie.


To upload your hinted movie:

Using an FTP program, log into your UW Dante or Homer account.
Open your "public_media" (or "student_media") directory and upload your media (movie) files.
Close your connection and quit your FTP program.
It is a good idea to test to make sure your movie will stream from the Web. To test your hinted movie:

Open QuickTime.
Select File > Open URL... This will open an "Open URL" window.
In the "Enter an Internet URL to open" box, type the following address to test your movie.

rtsp://qtmedia.type.washington.edu/userid/hintedMovie.mov

Substitute type with staff, faculty, or student depending on the type of your account, userid with your UWNetID, and hintedMovie with the name of your uploaded hinted movie.

Click OK. Your movie should then load and play.



Create a reference movie.


A reference movie, or refmovie for short, is a file that contains the Web address of your movies on the streaming video server. Refmovies help the browser launch the QuickTime plug-in, and tell QuickTime where to find your movie. You can also create movies with different bitrates and include them all in the refer movie. The refmovie will inform the QuickTime plug-in about the alternate rate movies, allowing it to select the best rate for the viewer's connection speed.

Open MakeRefMovie. If MakeRefMovie is not installed on your computer, you can download it from QuickTime's support page.
A "Save Reference Movie as:" dialog box will appear and prompt you to save.
In the "File name" text box, name the movie and make sure your file has the .mov file extension. Navigate to the location where you would like to save the new movie, such as the desktop, and click Save.
Select Movie > Add URL. In the box that appears, type the following:

rtsp://qtmedia.type.washington.edu/userid/hintedMovie.mov

Substitute type with staff, faculty, or student depending on the type of your account, userid with your UW NetID, and hintedMovie with the name of your hinted movie.
Click OK. See the QuickTime Streaming Server URL Reference for help.
If you have other copies of your movie with different bitrates, select Movie > Add URL and repeat the preceding steps.
Once you are done referencing your movies, select File > Save.
When you are finished using MakeRefMovie, quit the program by selecting File > Quit.


Upload your refmovie file.

Once you have created your refmovie, you need to move it to your Web site.

Using an FTP program, log in to your UW account (usually Dante or Homer).
Open your "public_html" (or "student_html") directory and upload your refmovie file.
Close your connection and quit your FTP program.



Link to your streaming media.


In order for your your audience to view your movie online, you you need to create a link to your refmovie from your Web page.

Open or create your Web page in your favorite Web page editor.
To create a link to yourRefMovie.mov (replace "yourRefMovie" with the name of your movie), follow the steps for creating a link in your Web editor or add a link using HTML.
Save your Web page and use your FTP program to upload it to your Web site.


If you aren't sure how to create a Web page and link to your media, you can read our documentation about creating a Web site.

You should go to your Web site and test your link to make sure everything works. Your movie should open the QuickTime Player and play.

QuickTime does not launch automatically to play clips embedded in Web pages when running Microsoft Windows XP. If you are running Windows XP you will need to download a compatibility plug-in from Apple's Web site.