Video is a major component of the Web today. Luckily, WordPress makes it easy to publish and share video. In this article, we will demonstrate ways of working with video in WordPress and in Flash. You will learn how to embed an .flv file, create an .xml video sitemap, and distribute your videos to sites such as YouTube and Blip. We will also show you how to set up Free WP Tube, a free video blogging theme that allows you to run a video web log (vlog).
If you want to embed .flv files, use a Flash video player, and/or publish a video sitemap, this compact plugin does all three. The homepage is http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/plugins/flv-embed/.
FLV Embed uses standards compliant, valid XHTML, and JavaScript. It is based on the JW FLV Media Player, whose homepage is http://www.longtailvideo.com/players/jw-flvplayer/
FLV Embed supports Google video sitemap generation, allowing you to describe, syndicate, and distribute your video content, facilitating indexing in Google video search.
If a user is missing Flash or has disabled JavaScript, he or she is provided unobtrusive and appropriate on-screen instructions to correct the problem.
When a page with video loads, the player displays either the first frame of the video or a thumbnail (referred to as a poster image). The poster image is preferable, especially when a user is choosing between many videos—the first frame of a video may not offer the most representative or compelling description. Your poster image can be a poster or any image you like. Here is an example of our finished product:
You will want to think about where you will upload the video files and poster images and,how you will name them. A good place might be wp-content/uploads/video.
This plugin requires that you name your poster images the same as your video files. The default image type is jpg, but you can use any valid image file format. All your images must be in the same file format.
A batch resize and rename utility is a useful tool. For PC, one free option is the Fast Stone Image Resizer, which you can download at http://www.faststone.org/FSResizerDetail.htm.
[flv:http://youtube.com/watch?v=fLV3MB3DpWN 480 360]
A YouTube video cannot use a poster image because the file name of a jpg cannot contain a question mark.
[flv:http://www.wordpressandflash.com/wp-content/uploads/video/
swfobject_test.swf 480 360]
http://www.wordpressandflash.com/ videofeed.xml
The video sitemap is an extension of the XML sitemap. A video sitemap allows you to publish and syndicate online video content, including descriptive metadata to tag your content for Google Video search. Adding details, such as a title and description, makes it easier for users who are searching to find a given piece of content. Your poster image will also be included as a clickable thumbnail image. The user will be directed to your website to see the video.
If FLV Embed cannot automatically generate the XML file, you can simply copy the XML file from the demo and save it to your server. Make sure to set the file permissions to write (664 or 666) by context-clicking in your FTP client and modifying the File Attributes, as seen below:
Then, make the appropriate changes to the Video sitemap filename field in the Video Sitemap Options menu, directing the plugin to the XML file you have prepared, and rebuild the sitemap.
Here is what your finished feed will look like:
The videofeed.xml file has a simple structure. The first three tags specify encoding, styling, and the video sitemap protocol:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl"
href="http://www.wordpressandflash.com/wp-
content/plugins/flv-embed/
sitemap.xsl"?>
<urlset
>
Next, a <url> tag wraps each piece of content, which includes a <loc> tag (a link to the content on your site) and a <videogt; tag. The <videogt; tag contains additional tags that specify the video location, the video player location, the poster image location, a title, and description:
<url>
<loc>http://www.wordpressandflash.com/flv-embed/</loc>
<video:video>
<video:content_loc>http://www.wordpressandflash.com/wp-
content/uploads/video/swfobject_test.swf</video:content_loc>
<video:player_loc allow_embed="No">http://www.
wordpressandflash.com/wp-content/plugins/flv-embed/flvplayer.
swf?file=/wp-content/uploads/video/swfobject_test.swf</video:player_
loc>
<video:thumbnail_loc>http://www.wordpressandflash.com/wp-
content/uploads/videos/swfobject_test.jpg</video:thumbna il_loc>
<video:title><![CDATA[FLV Embed]]></video:title>
<video:description><![CDATA[FLV Embed is a great plugin that
allows you to display FLV files — and most other video formats
— in a compact Flash video player. Visit the homepage at:http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/plugins/flv-embed/
. Check out the
video sitemap!
Get the latest Flash Player to see this player.
[Javascript required to view Flash movie, please turn it [...]]]></
video:description>
</video:video>
</url>
</urlset>
With this info, you can manually create a .xml video feed for any site, without a plugin.
Commercial use does require a license. A free alternative for commercial use is the Hana FLV Player, whose homepage is http://www.neox.net/w/2008/05/25/hana-flv-playerwordpress-plugin/.
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