In streaming, each Flash client opens a persistent connection to the Flash Media Server, and a controlled relationship exists between the video being delivered and the client interaction. Flash Media Server uses bandwidth detection to deliver video or audio content based on the user’s available bandwidth. This lets you provide different content for users based on their ability to easily access and download content. For example, if a user with a dial-up modem accesses your video content, you can deliver an appropriately encoded file that doesn’t require too much bandwidth.

Flash Media Server also provides you with quality of service metrics, detailed tracking and reporting statistics, and a range of interactive features designed to enhance the video experience. As with progressive downloading, the video content (FLV file) is kept external to the other Flash content and the video playback controls. This lets you easily add or change content without having to republish the SWF file.

Streaming video with Flash Media Server or FVSS provides the following advantages over embedded and progressively downloaded video:

• Video playback starts sooner than it does using other methods of incorporating video.

• Streaming uses less of the client's memory and disk space, because the clients don’t need to download the entire file.

• Network resources are used more efficiently, because only the parts of the video that are viewed are sent to the client.

• Delivery of media is more secure, because media is not saved to the client’s cache when streamed.

• Streaming video provides better tracking, reporting, and logging ability.

• Streaming lets you deliver live video and audio presentations, or capture video from a web cam or digital video camera.

• Flash Media Server enables multiway and multiuser streaming for video chat, video messaging, and video conferencing applications.

• By using server-side scripting to control video and audio streams, you can create server-side play lists, synchronized streams, and more intelligent delivery options based on the client’s connection speed.

To learn more about Flash Media Server, see: www.adobe.com/go/flash_media_server.

To learn more about FVSS, see: www.adobe.com/go/fvss.