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Introduction
    How this Book Is Organized
    Conventions Used in this Book
    Additional RealSystem Resources
    Technical Support

1 What's New in RealSystem?
    What's New in RealSystem 8?
    What's New in RealSystem 7?
       RealPlayer 7 New Features
       RealServer 7 New Features
    What's New in RealSystem G2?
       New Streaming Possibilities
       Advancements in RealAudio and RealVideo
       Easier Presentation Assembly
       Enhanced Protocol Support
    Compatibility with Previous Releases

2 Planning a Streaming Media Presentation
    Step 1: Decide How to Deliver Clips
       RealServer Streaming
          Using RealServer through an Internet Service Provider
       Web Server Downloading
       Local Playback
    Step 2: Choose Clip Types and Gather Tools
       Audio and Video
          Audio and Video Production Tools
          RealAudio and RealVideo Encoding Tools
       SMIL
       Animation
       Images
          Images in SMIL Presentations
          RealSlideshow Presentations
          RealPix Markup
       Text
       RealPlayer's Update Features
          Compatibility with Earlier Versions of RealPlayer
          Protection of Copyrighted Content
    Step 3: Develop a Bandwidth Strategy
       Buffering
          Initial Buffering (Preroll)
          Rebuffering
       Audience Bandwidth Targets
          Multiclip Presentations
          Streaming at Less than the Maximum Speed
       Clip Bandwidth Characteristics
          RealAudio and RealVideo
          Flash
          RealText and SMIL
          RealPix (Slideshows)
          Images in SMIL Presentations
       Reaching Multiple Audiences
          SureStream RealAudio and RealVideo
          Switching Between Multiple Clips with SMIL
    Step 4: Organize the Presentation Timeline
       Timeline Considerations
          Clips with Internal Timelines
          Clips with Variable Timelines
          SMIL Timing Commands
       Timelines for Multiclip Presentations
       Timeline Management
    Step 5: Create Your Clips

3 Producing Audio
    Understanding RealAudio
       Bandwidth and Audio Quality
       RealAudio Bandwidth Characteristics
       RealAudio Codecs
          Voice Codecs
          Mono Music Codecs
          Stereo Music Codecs
          RealAudio 8 Stereo Music Codecs
          Older RealAudio Codecs
       Steps for Streaming RealAudio
    Capturing Audio
       Source Media
       Recording Equipment
       Shielded Cables
       Input Levels
       Volume Levels for Live Broadcasts
       Sampling Rates
    Optimizing Audio
       DC Offset
       Normalization
       Dynamics Compression
       Equalization
    Encoding RealAudio with RealProducer
       RealAudio in Multiclip Presentations
       Audio Compatibility with RealPlayer 5

4 Producing Video
    Understanding RealVideo
       RealVideo Bandwidth Characteristics
       RealVideo Frame Rates
       RealVideo Clarity
       RealVideo Window Sizes
          Different Window Sizes for Different Bandwidths
       RealVideo Codecs
          RealVideo 8 Codec
          RealVideo G2 Codecs
          RealVideo Standard Codec
       Scalable Video Technology
       Steps for Streaming RealVideo
    Recording Video
       Source Media Quality
       Video Staging
       Scene Changes and Movement
       Colors and Lighting
    Digitizing Video
       S-Video Output
       Color Depth
       Digitized Video Formats
       Video Capture Frame Rates
       Video Capture Screen Sizes
       Computer Speed and Disk Space
       Video Source File Size Limit
    Encoding RealVideo with RealProducer
       RealVideo Streaming Speeds
       Video Compatibility with RealPlayer 5
       RealVideo Filters
          Noise Filters
          Resizing Filters
          Inverse-Telecine Filter
          De-Interlace Filter
       RealVideo Options
          Variable Bit Rate Encoding
          Two-Pass Encoding
          Loss Protection

5 Producing Animation
    Understanding Flash
       RealSystem Software Versions for Flash
       Flash Bandwidth Characteristics
       Flash Clip Size
       Flash CPU Use
    Adding Audio to Flash
       Bandwidth Division Between Flash and RealAudio
          Targeting 28.8 Kbps Modems
          Targeting 56 Kbps Modems
          Targeting Both 28.8 and 56 Kbps Modems
       Tips for Choosing RealAudio Codecs
    Using Interactive Flash Commands
       Flash Clip Timeline Commands
       RealPlayer Commands
          Seeking Into a Presentation
          Playing, Pausing, or Stopping a Presentation
          Popping Up New RealPlayer Windows
       Go To Commands
       Load Movie Commands
          Timeline Slider Activity with Multiple Clips
          Using SMIL Instead of Load Movie
       Secure Transactions
       Mouse Events
    Streaming a Flash Clip

6 Assembling a Presentation with SMIL
    Understanding SMIL
    Creating a SMIL File
       General SMIL Rules
          Markup Starts with <smil> and Ends with </smil>
          Body Section Is Required but Header Section Is Optional
          Lowercase Text is Required for Tags and Attributes
          Some Tags Must Close with a Forward Slash
          Attribute Values Are Enclosed in Double Quotation Marks
          SMIL Files Use the Extension .smil or .smi
          Coded Characters Are Used in Headers
          HTML-Style Comments Are Allowed
          Indentation Is Recommended
    Specifying Clip Locations
       Linking to Clips on RealServer
          Creating Relative URLs
       Linking to Clips on a Web Server
       Linking to Local Clips
    Grouping Clips
       Playing Clips in Sequence
       Playing Clips in Parallel
       Ending a Parallel Group on a Specific Clip
          endsync="first"
          endsync="last"
          endsync="id(clip ID)"
       Combining <seq> and <par> Tags
    Specifying Timing
       Setting Begin and End Times
          Using Begin and End Times with Groups
       Setting Internal Clip Begin and End Times
          Combining clip-begin and clip-end with the begin and end Attributes
       Setting Durations
          Indefinite Durations
       Setting a Fill
          fill="remove"
          fill="freeze"
       Clip Timing Example
    Repeating a Clip or Group
       Repeating Playback a Specific Number of Times
          Repeating Clips in Groups
          Repeating Groups of Clips
       Looping Playback Indefinitely
          Looping Clips in Groups
    Laying Out Multiple Clips
       Creating the Root Layout Region
       Defining Playback Regions
          Using Percentages for Region Layout
          Tips for Defining Regions
       Adding Background Colors
          Transparency in SMIL Regions
       Defining How Clips Fit Regions
       Ordering Overlapping Regions with z-index
          Tips for Defining Z-Index Values
       Assigning Clips to Regions
       SMIL Layout Example
    Switching Between Alternate Choices
       Setting Language Choices
       Setting Bandwidth Choices
    Linking to Other Media
       Making a Source Clip a Link
       Targeting RealPlayer or a Browser
          show="replace"
          show="new" and show="pause"
       Defining Hot Spot Links
          Setting an Anchor
          Defining Spatial Coordinates
          Setting Temporal Coordinates
       Linking to a SMIL File
          Tips for Linking to a SMIL File
          Linking with a Timeline Offset
    Adding Presentation Information
       Managing the Playlist
          Tips for Defining Clip Information
       Using Coded Characters

7 Extending SMIL
    Defining Image Options
       Setting Image Bit Rates
       Overriding GIF or PNG Transparency
       Linking to a Web Page or Clip
       Controlling RealPlayer
       Ensuring Reliable Image Transmission
    Popping Up New RealPlayer Windows
       Creating a Link for a New Window
          name
          URL
          playmode
       Examples of Opening New RealPlayer Windows
          Targeting the Same Window with Multiple Links in RealText or Flash
          Opening Separate Windows with RealText or Flash
          Launching Clips in the Current Window through RealText or Flash
          Linking from a SMIL File Image
          Creating a SMIL Hotspot Link
    Caching Files on RealPlayer
       Using the CHTTP Caching Protocol
       Controlling the RealPlayer Cache
          Overriding Caching with Cache-Control
          Cache Size and Expiration Rules
          Changing the Lifetime of a Cached File
          User Control of the RealPlayer Cache
       Authoring SMIL Files for Caching

8 Playing Clips in a Web Page
    Choosing the Netscape Plug-in or ActiveX Control
       Using <EMBED> Tags for the Netscape Plug-In
          Supporting Other Browsers
       Using <OBJECT> Tags for the ActiveX Control
    Setting Basic Parameters
          SRC
          WIDTH and HEIGHT
          NOJAVA
    Adding RealPlayer Controls
       Basic Controls
          ImageWindow
          All
       Individual Controls and Sliders
          ControlPanel
          PlayButton
          PlayOnlyButton
          PauseButton
          StopButton
          FFCtrl
          RWCtrl
          MuteCtrl
          MuteVolume
          VolumeSlider
          PositionSlider
          TACCtrl
          HomeCtrl
       Information Panels
          InfoVolumePanel
          InfoPanel
       Status Panels
          StatusBar
          StatusField
          PositionField
       Linking Multiple Controls
          Tips for Using Consoles
          Multiple Controls Example
    Controlling Image Display
          BACKGROUNDCOLOR
          CENTER
          MAINTAINASPECT
          NOLABELS
          NOLOGO
    Setting Automatic Playback
          AUTOSTART
          LOOP
          NUMLOOP
          SHUFFLE
    Laying Out SMIL Presentations
       Defining the Layout with SMIL
       Defining the Layout with HTML
          Omitting SMIL Layout Information
    Parameter Reference

9 Inserting Ads into a Presentation
    How Ad Streaming Works
    Displaying Banner Ads
       Laying Out the Banner Region
       Setting Banner Ad Properties
          Specifying Durations for Rotating Banner Ads
    Interleaving Media Ads with Clips
       Creating a SMIL File for a Media Ad
          SMIL File with No Regions
          SMIL File with Regions
       Disabling the RealPlayer Playlist
       Playing Interstitial Ads

10 Delivering a Presentation
    RTSP and HTTP
       Which URLs Use Which Protocol
    Streaming Clips from RealServer
       Linking Your Web Page to RealServer
       Using Ramgen
          Listing Alternate Presentations with Ramgen
          Combining Ramgen Options
    Playing Clips from a Web Server
       Limitations on Web Server Playback
          No SureStream Clips Encoded for Multiple Bandwidths
          No Secure RealAudio and RealVideo Clips
          Limited Ability to Keep Parallel Clips Synchronized
          RealPix Presentations Require Clip Size Information
          SMIL File Optional
          SMIL Internal Timing Commands Do Not Work
          No Ad Insertion
          No RealPlayer Seeking
          No RTSP URLs
          No Live Broadcast
       Configuring Web Server MIME Types
    Creating a Ram File Manually
       Setting a Presentation's Starting Mode
          Notes on Setting a Starting Clip Size
       Adding Comments to a Ram File
    Testing Your Presentation
    Advertising on RealGuide
    Using RealNetworks Logos

11 Broadcasting a Presentation
    Broadcasting vs. On-Demand Delivery
       Broadcasting Tools
          Source Capture Equipment
          Editing Equipment
          Broadcast Application
          RealServer
    Preparing a Broadcast
       SureStream Broadcasts
          Broadcast Computer CPU Power
       Archiving Broadcasts
       Broadcast URL and RealServer Parameters
       Trial Runs
       Advertising an Event
    Using SMIL with a Broadcast
       SMIL Limitations for Broadcasts
       Including On-Demand Clips with Broadcasts
       Synchronizing Multiple Broadcast Streams

A Quick Answers to Common Questions
    Creating Streaming Clips
          How do I make streaming audio and video clips?
          Can I encode RealVideo directly from a video camera?
          How do I ensure the best quality for streaming clips?
          What other clips can I stream?
    Getting Production Tools
          What audio and video editing tools can I use?
          What digitized audio and video formats does RealProducer accept as input?
          Where can I get RealProducer?
          How do I create a streaming slideshow from still images?
          How do I create streaming Flash animation?
          What's the RealSystem Authoring Kit?
    Using SureStream
          What is SureStream?
          How do I make a SureStream clip?
          Can I use SureStream with a Web server?
    Writing SMIL Files
          What is SMIL?
          Is it necessary to use SMIL?
          When should I use SMIL?
          How do I write SMIL?
    Streaming Clips
          Do I need to have RealServer in addition to RealProducer?
          What operating systems does RealServer run on?
          Where do I get RealServer?
          Can I stream clips from a Web server instead of RealServer?
          What is a Ram file?
          If I use SMIL, do I need a Ram file?
          Can I place clips in a Web page?
          Why does RealServer use RTSP rather than HTTP?
          How do I stream clips with RTSP?
    Advertising
          How does advertising with RealSystem work?
          What kinds of ads can I stream?
          How do I set up advertising?
          Do I have to write SMIL files to stream ads?
    Broadcasting
          What do I need for broadcasting over a network?
          Can I broadcast through my ISP?
          Can I use SureStream in a broadcast?
          Can I broadcast with a Web server instead of RealServer?
          Does a broadcast have to be live?
          Can I use SMIL with a broadcast?
          How many people can I reach with a broadcast?
          Can RealNetworks broadcast clips for me?
    Getting Technical Support
          How do I get technical support from RealNetworks?
          Where can I find additional documentation?
          Where should I go for the latest RealSystem information?

B Quick Steps for Streaming Clips
    Streaming a RealAudio or RealVideo Clip
    Embedding a RealVideo Clip in a Web Page
    URL Reference

C Advanced Production Techniques
    Viewing SMIL Source Markup
    Smoothing Transitions Between Clips
    Hiding Regions with z-index
    Writing Complex SMIL Switch Statements
       Switching with SureStream Clips
       Switching for Different Video Window Sizes
       Switching with Multiple Test Attributes
       Switching Presentations for Different RealPlayer Versions
          Example 1: Caching Files for RealPlayer 7 or Later But Not RealPlayer G2
          Example 2: Opening Multiple Windows for RealPlayer 7 or Later But Not RealPlayer G2
    Displaying Captions for the Hearing Impaired
       Filling a Caption Region when Captions Are Turned Off
       Resizing the Playback Area for Captions

D SMIL Quick Reference
    Header Tags
       <meta.../>
       <layout>...</layout>
          <root-layout.../>
          <region.../>
    Clip Source Tags
       Image Source Tag Options
    Group Tags
       <par>...</par>
       <seq>...</seq>
       <switch>...</switch>
    Hyperlink Tags
       <a>...</a>
       <anchor.../>
       Pop-Up Window Commands

E SMIL Language Codes

F File Type Reference

Glossary

Index