Accessibility
Stefan Richter

Stefan Richter

FlashComGuru
POPview
Team Macromedia

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Creating the Server-side Application
  3. Building the Live Video Broadcaster
  4. Building the Live Video Receiver
  5. Lights, Camera, Action
Created:
15 March, 2005
User Level:
Intermediate, Advanced
Products:
Flashcom

Building a Simple Live Video Broadcaster and Receiver

Macromedia Flash Communication Server MX is becoming an increasingly popular platform for the efficient delivery of streaming video to large audiences. Many content delivery networks such as Speedera and Vitalstream have teamed up with Macromedia to offer their clients a platform to stream prerecorded videos easily and efficiently. However, the Flash Communication Server capabilities do by no means end there. The platform is also an ideal choice to deliver live-event broadcasts in real time across the globe—all through a familiar and very accessible Macromedia Flash front end.

In this article I will walk you through the development of a simple live broadcast application which captures your local microphone and camera sources and publishes them with the help of Flash Communication Server over the Internet. You will also learn how to build a player that is capable of subscribing to the broadcast and playing it back to your viewers.

Note: The sample FLA files are not needed to complete this tutorial but are provided for reference in case of any problems.

Requirements

To complete this tutorial you will need to install the following software and files:

Macromedia Flash Communication Server (version 1.5 updater 2)

Macromedia Flash MX Professional 2004

Tutorials and sample files:

Prerequisite knowledge:

You should be familiar with ActionScript and have a basic understanding of Flash Communication Server MX.

Page 1 of 5
Next Page

About the author

Stefan Richter is a Certified Flash Developer who has been involved with Flash Media Server since its very early days, when it was Flash Communication Server. Shortly after relocating from Germany to the UK, he became the driving force behind Europe's first FCS-centric hosting company, flashcomstudio.com. Stefan now runs his own popular community at flashcomguru.com. Having moved on from his role as developer and webmaster at Monster Worldwide, he now holds the position of VP of application development at Dallas-based POPview. From his home office in the UK he is handling projects for a variety of clients including McAfee, USA Network, and Unilever.