Convert video to FLV

To convert video to FLV or SWF format (Flash Video format) you will need a conversion utility, or Macromedia Flash Pro or Sorenson Squeeze. Click here for more information on the FLV video format.

There are many methods for converting to the FLV format, you should check out the macromedia web site for a detailed explanation of how to balance quality vs speed. Actually, this is the biggest hurdle to overcome when using video on the web... whether you are using WM Quicktime or Real... Using the proper tools to compress the video is "key" -there are some decent products out there that help: take a look a Autodesk Cleaner XL or MediaCoder (Free)

By default Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Professional comes with a utility that will enable third party software (such as Cleaner) to output FLV video.

This is simply a matter of compressing the video and using a size that is compatible with slow internet connections. Wimpy is simply a player it will play whatever FLV video you throw at it, compressing the video is the "thing" that is going to make it work for modem users... not the player.

The art of compressing video

It's all about the file size to quality "ratio." There is an "art" to balancing quality vs. file size. Small files transfer quicker and minimize "stuttering" or playback delays. However, smaller file size means that the overall video quality will be lower because there is more "compression."

When creating an FLV file, it is a good idea to concede a good portion of quality so that the file size remains low. This prevents choppy playback and ensures that the end user doesn't have to wait for downloading to "buffer" or before file starts to play.

When create FLV videos using the FLV conversion tools we recommend focusing on the "Quality" setting. For example, if you are using the Adobe FLV conversion tool, which is included with Adobe Flash Professional, setting the quality to 70 usually produces a nice balance between visual quality and file size. Many tests and evaluations were conducted weighing file size and quality by adjusting various settings, and we've decided that when using the Adobe FLV conversion tool, it is easiest (and best) to just stick to using a "Quality" setting of 70.  When focusing on only the "quality" setting, all other settings such as bitrate and keyframes and so on are automatically set, so it's just a little easier to experiment with one setting (quality) than 3 or 4 settings.