Hosted flash videos w Screenshots?

[gaydemon]

I've noticed more and more sponsors now offer hosted Flash videos. Which sounds like a good idea.

But what about the preview image / screenshot which you have at the start of most flash videos? Or is that just not possible to get with hosted flash videos? Do you have to create that yourself and include that in the embedd tags instead?

Or do you just use hosted flash videos without a screenshot and just a blank screen instead?

[HunkMoneyLuke]

we have a spreadsheet with both the FLV and matching JPG thumb URLs, as do zbuckz :)

[Nicedreams]

Ours have also have the flv and matching jpg for each. Plus the tags, description, etc.

Jimmy

[gaydemon]

Ah ok, is that how its done then? Bascially 2 URLs one for video and one for image?

[Nicedreams]

Ah ok, is that how its done then? Bascially 2 URLs one for video and one for image?

Yup.

Jimmy

[drakerock]

I read your question one way, and it seems the answers were completely different that I expected.

I thought your question was about the still image that displays by default within the video player (instead of a black screen); not about having two separate entities (a screen cap and a video player).

If your question was really the former, the video player that I provide affiliates for embedded previews selects a frame from the first four seconds of the video and displays it so there isn't a black screen (no other images, etc. needed). If my affiliates choose to download the FLV and host it themselves in their own players, the players usually just show black screens because the players aren't coded to select a frame from the video.

The only down side is that I have no control over the exact frame that the player selects. But considering the time it saves me and my affiliates (and it looks purdy), I can live with that.

Examples of what I *thought* you were talking about are the non-YouTube previews on my blog: http://blog.maleperfeciton.net such as Harley Stone's "Grind"

[Nicedreams]

...
I thought your question was about the still image that displays by default within the video player (instead of a black screen); not about having two separate entities (a screen cap and a video player).
...

I think he was. It all depends on the player itself or the tube software being used. Most tube scripts that have the ability to use hosted flv clips separate them. Some make images from the flv file themselves. The bad ones show a black screen.

Jimmy

[HunkMoneyLuke]

Ah ok, is that how its done then? Bascially 2 URLs one for video and one for image?

yeah and unfortunately nats3 does not display these new hosted advertising mediums very nicely...we are working on that too with our nats4 upgrade (coming soon)