Youtube Videos on SL

This was posted on http://myslhometv.ning.com/forum/topics/how-to-play-youtube-videos-in-sl by nightlife Overlord.

YouTube no longer works in MP4 (Quicktime), for now we have to play YouTube videos in flash format.

To get play YouTube playing in SL:

1) Download and Install Firefox browser, if you don't have it installed on your computer. Download firefox from http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/new/.

2) Open the Firefox browser and go to http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ download and install Adobe Flash player. Do this with the Firefox Browser.

This is necessary because most SL Viewers including Phoenix and Firestorm use the flash version  installed in Firefox to play Flash videos. If you don't have flash installed in firefox you might see a blue cube on the screen when you try to playing Youtube videos.

3) Re-Log from SL.

4) On your @home TV Menu click on Main Menu -> Options -> Use Flash. This will set your TV to play YouTube videos in flash format. Now try playing YouTube videos.

Your @home TV should be version 6.1.7 and your @home Audio/video Receiver should be version 4.2.4.

We have free Updaters in the store for older versions of the Plasma TV, ZoomTV and DreamTV. You can also send them to me in a folder with your name on it, I will exchange it with the latest version.

If you have have the @home YouTube TV, please put it in a folder with your name on it and send it to nightlife Overlord in-world. I will exchange it with our Improved Dream TV Mini with YouTube and more features.

Some problems with Flash videos in SL

Flash is not yet perfect in SL. There are some problems affecting all flash videos in SL including YouTube. These are problems with the SL viewer and affects all TV brands:

1. Volume Control: The volume of flash videos can't be controlled from the SL viewer, it has to be controlled with the PC volume.

2. Fullscreen: Some flash videos don't show in Full screen but they are stretched in a letterbox image.

3. Some YouTube videos are restricted and are not available in Flash format.

I hope we can find a better solution to Youtube in SL soon.

*geeky title coming...* What the Flash?!

I know... it's rather nerdy but seriously out of every 4 customers at least half of them have this problem. The problem you ask?  Well... for some reason the customers can't get Youtube to work on the SL Viewer 2.0 nor the Snowglobe 1.3.2.  And honestly... there are literally several reasons for why.  I've yet to see the reason being one that is "in-world."

What you'll need to do to view Youtube or any Flash content:

• First check to see if you can view flash in an external browser... (IE, Firefox, Opera) I use Hulu.com as a test site.
• Download the most recent Flash player from http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/
• Check access for SLPlugin.exe for your firewall or antivirus software. No access with the plugin will result in a "media_plugin" error ie. no flash video...

Special Case Scenario:
In special cases some customers have had trouble getting flash even after trying the steps above, plus restarting their computer.  Some of them have had Windows 7, some have had Windows Vista/7 64-bit. Some others have had issues even though they had all the appropriate system requirements.

• Regarding Win 7 and 64-bit OS':  Both are still quite new on the market.  Just recently Adobe issued a 'candidate release 2' this release is supposed to support 64-bit Operating systems.  It would appear this release might still be in the testing stages however here's the URL if you're feeling like you want to give it a try... http://labs.adobe.com/downloads/flashplayer10.html.
• Regarding those that have issues even though the computer has system requirements:  Here it gets a bit hairy.  One thing I'm noticing is that most of the customers are using a certain internet security suite.  I recommend you keep it and have some sort of protection for your computer, however you may want to research on how to grant application access.  That is likely the issue.  Unfortunately I can not provide you the steps because... well every security suite is different.  

Other Info/Suggestions:

• Emerald is hoping to release a 'flash' oriented viewer... 2 in fact (or so I've been informed).  One will be with the old UI (user interface) the other will look more like SL viewer 2.0.  Therefore, fellow Emerald lovers, bide your time it's coming hopefully by May.  
• If your like "OMG I can't take it!!!! I need Video NOW!!!" (the way it was before this mess) you can try to locate a free site that will allow you to upload your music and allows streaming capabilities...
• Or you can do what I've done (only for those that have the Wonder/Zoom/DreamTV model)... use Opera Unite or buy a hosting site, download the videos off of youtube (try searching google for youtube to mp4), upload them to your newly created site, grab the video URL... and load them into the "myplaylist" notecard provided in the TV. If you do this method there are some things you'll need to insure... 
• Make sure you have enough space to accommodate your videos
• Make sure you have enough bandwidth to support your viewing as well as those others that you wish to see the video.  If you use up all of your bandwidth... you're not going to be able to view any more videos unless you upgrade your bandwidth (yes it will cost more money more than likely) or wait it out until the end of the month when you're bandwidth renews. (Please note that this portion is solely for those who upload videos to a web host.)

Welp... I think I've rambled enough. I hope this was informative. Have a great weekend all!!!

T.L.

Youtube Issues

Hello Customers,

Youtube has been down SL-wide for a few days due to some (apparently critical) changes Youtube has made.  I've been hearing a lot of different theories on why videos will not play within SL... What I don't know is why SL has not posted a notice about the issue.  So here's what @home has done to bring you all Youtube.

Rather than working against the changes youtube has made nightlife Overlord has evolved the tv to play flash video (the current format of Youtube's videos) only on certain Viewers. If it is just imparative that you have youtube for business... you can now view it on Snowglobe 1.3.2 or better... or SL Viewer 2.0 Beta.  Currently, these are the only viewers that enable us to view flash video on SL.

More information and downloads can be found here.

Updates on the status of Youtube for other viewers will be posted on the ning site.

Tami L.

TV Feature Chart

For a full listing of WebTv features click HERE.

Streaming TV Guide

@home Streaming TV Guide

Congratulations, this  @home Streaming TV enables you to add the urls of your own videos from the web. You can add up to 255 videos and all the videos are accessible by a menu and easy voice commands.

This TV is best suited to display your podcasts, serminars, presentations, lectures, home made movies or public videos of your choice.

You may host the movies on free video services online like www.blip.tv or you may use your own webserver.

Supported Video formats
Just like secondlife, this Streaming TV uses Apple's quicktime software to play video. Any video format supported by Apple's quicktime software would play in secondlife and on this Streaming TV. The supported formats are listed below:

The files that end
            .mov    (these are original quicktime files)
            .mpg
            .mp4
            .m4v        

Unfortunately, youtube videos are formated on the flash format .flv, which quicktime no longer supports due a security issue, for this reason youtube videos cannot be streamed into sl, as of today.

 Adding  Video urls to your Streaming TV playlist
Simply add the url of video into the  myplaylist notecard. This notecard can be found inside the Televison contents.

To access this notecard Right-click on the Video screen  and select the "Open" option from the pie circle.  When the contents open double-click on the  "myplaylist" notecard and type in the url of the video stream you wish to add.

We added some video urls for illustration purposes. You can remove them or just add more.
All video urls should be numbered and added in the following format:


'line number' 'dot' 'video stream url' 'comma' 'video description'

For example,  the entry for the first video urls listed on the "myplaylist" notecard for the TV Show Grid Review episode 8 looks like this:
1. http://blip.tv/file/get/Gridreview-Episode8Goldfurry917.mov,  Grid Review 8 Gold Furry

The second video url is Grid Review episode 8 and is listed on the "myplaylist" notecard like this:
2. http://blip.tv/file/get/Gridreview-Episode7MonsterTrek507.mov, Grid Review 7 Monster Trek

All video urls should be numbered and added in the following format:

line number dot space video stream url comma space video description


Be sure to put spaces after the 'dot' and the 'comma' 'dot'

'line number' is the number on which this stream url is listed on the notecard, from top to bottom number 1 to 255. the first is 1, second stream is 2,  third is 3 and so on.

'dot' a . dot which should follow the number

'video stream url' this refers to the complete url of the video stream and should always start with http:// followed by the rest eg. www.blah.com/this-movie.mov

'comma' this is a regular comma , which most be included to let the video player script know that the end of the url has been reached.

'video description' this is the description of the listed movie stream eg, independence day trailer


FINAL STEP (IMPORTANT!!)
After the  adding the urls to playback, you must set the maximum number of urls on the playlist, so the menu driven system other easily browse thru the list.

You do this using the  /1 setmax=# command, where # is the total number of urls on the myplaylist notecard. If there are 10 urls in the myplaylist notecard then the right command  would  be /1 setmax=10.  You must type this command on the public chat.

This must be set everytime you add urls to myplaylist notecard. if after you added urls, the number of urls is 5 then the command would be /1 setmax=5. if 13 urls then command would be /1 setmax=13.

If this command is not set then the menu that browses your playlist would not know where the list ends. so please set it as required.


Playing your Videos
============
To playback the videos you added to the TV, click on the TV screen, this would give you menu driven access to the videos you added, and allows you to browse them, and playback.

To select particular  videos with chat commands
  type /1 vx#   where 1 is the listening channel for the TV script, # represents the line  number on the playlist which this song is listed.

For example
 type /1  vx1 on chat to play the first video you listed on the myplaylist notecard.

To play  video #2 as you  listed on myplaylist notecard type /1 vx2 on chat to watch that video

For music video #3 as you  listed on myplaylist notecard type /1 vx3 on chat to play the video

 You can choose specific videos you added into the playlist in this order.

Stream your own home videos
===================
you could stream your own home videos by uploading them to a web server you own or a web service like www.blip.tv, then simply add the urls to the myplaylist notecard, and follow the above instructions.

You also add your favorite urls from this TV so you would have a much easier access to them.

Have a great time with the DreamTV system.
@home Entertainment Designs Team.