Once you're finished creating NetShow content, you can link to it from HTML pages or applications so that it plays in its external player, or you can embed it into a Web page or Microsoft Office application.

Note that the Content Creation Authoring Guide (CCAG) is the most complete guide to creating stored NetShow content. For more exhaustive information on these subjects, be sure to look there.

Contents

• Launching from standard link from HTML page
• Launching from e-mail message
• Putting it all together: All-Browser Friendly Code
• Launching from Microsoft Office application
• Calling VBScript from within NetShow
• Using the NetShow Logo on Your Site

Launching from standard link from HTML page

Browsers by nature understand that when a user hits a link to content, that content should be downloaded to the user's cache directory where it then plays from the user's hard drive. Streaming was invented to eliminate the need to download content before it starts playing, which means more immediate play and less burden on the user to have adequate hard disk space available. However, when linking directly to streaming files using a standard <a href> tag, the browser will simply download it like any other document. Therefore, when you want to link to NetShow content to play in the external player, you create a redirector file called an ASX and link to that instead.

Next, host your ASX file on an HTTP server or network server to which all of your potential users will have access. When it's time to link to the ASX in your HTML page, just use a normal tag:

<a href="http://servername/path/asxname.asx">Description</a>

Launching from e-mail message

Now that you know what an ASX file is and how to create an ASX, you're already there. Simply insert the ASX file in an e-mail message, and when the user receives it they can double-click on it and the NetShow content will start streaming from the specified server.

There are some big advantages to inserting ASX files into e-mail messages as a way to invite or encourage people to view live or stored content. First, doing it this way saves bandwidth. Instead of e-mailing large numbers of people big multimedia files that could clog network bandwidth, when you send ASX files you're only sending a tiny (approximately 1 Kb) file that doesn't take up network bandwidth until the user starts playing the file. Also, sending ASX files means that the NetShow content will play in its external player, which frees the user to continue reading e-mail or work on other applications. Lastly, it allows the content developer to sidestep the entire browser issue by not even requiring that the user have a browser installed.

Putting it all together: All-Browser Friendly Code

Example: Directions to Microsoft

Use this combination of the above code to create HTML pages that allow you to embed content for Internet Explorer and Netscape, and to play in the external NetShow player on browsers that don't support embedding.

<OBJECT ID="NSPlay" WIDTH=160 HEIGHT=128 CLASSID="CLSID:2179C5D3-EBFF-11CF-B6FD-00AA00B4E220"

<!--CODE TO GO GET NETSHOW PLAYER-->
CODEBASE="http://www.microsoft.com/netshow/download/en/nsasfinf.cab#Version=2,0,0,912">
<PARAM NAME="FileName" VALUE="http://server/path/myvideo.asx">
<Embed type="video/x-ms-asf-plugin"
src="http://server/path/myvideo.asx"
filename="http://server/path/myvideo.asx"
pluginspage="http://www.microsoft.com/netshow/download/player.htm"
ControlType=1
width=290
height=250>
</embed>
</OBJECT>

<!--START CODE TO GO GET CODECS (OUTSIDE OBJECT TAG; NOT INSIDE)-->
<!--CODE TO GO GET ITERATED SYSTEMS CLEARVIDEO CODEC-->

<iframe src="http://www.microsoft.com/netshow/download/codecs/installclear.htm" name="CLEAR" width="1" height="1" frameborder=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0 scrolling=auto>
<!-- IE users will get the codec automatically downloaded if they need it. Non IE 32bit users see this next bit -->
If you do not have the Iterated Systems ClearVideo codec installed, you can install the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/netshow/download/player.htm">Full NetShow client install</a> in order to obtain it.
</iframe>

<!--CODE TO GO GET DUCK TRUMOTION CODEC-->

<iframe src="http://www.microsoft.com/netshow/download/codecs/installduck.htm" name="Duck" width="1" height="1" frameborder=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0 scrolling=auto>
<!-- IE users will get the codec automatically downloaded if they need it. Non IE 32bit users see this next bit -->
If you do not have the Duck TruMotion video codec installed, you can install the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/netshow/download/player.htm">Full NetShow client install</a> in order to obtain it.
</iframe>

<!--CODE TO GO GET VOXWARE METASOUND CODEC-->

<iframe src="http://www.microsoft.com/netshow/download/codecs/installmetasnd.htm" name="MetaSound" width="1" height="1" frameborder=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0 scrolling=auto>
<!-- IE users will get the codec automatically downloaded if they need it. Non IE 32bit users see this next bit -->
If you do not have the Voxware MetaSound audio codec installed, you can install the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/netshow/download/player.htm">Full NetShow client install</a> in order to obtain it.
</iframe>

<!--CODE TO GO GET VOXWARE METAVOICE CODEC-->

<iframe src="http://www.microsoft.com/netshow/download/codecs/installmetavoice.htm" name="MetaVoice" width="1" height="1" frameborder=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0 scrolling=auto>
<!-- IE users will get the codec automatically downloaded if they need it. Non IE 32bit users see this next bit -->
If you do not have the Voxware MetaVoice audio codec installed, you can install the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/netshow/download/player.htm">Full NetShow client install</a> in order to obtain it.
</iframe>

<!--CODE TO GO GET VDONET VDOWAVE CODEC-->

<iframe src="http://www.microsoft.com/netshow/download/codecs/installvdo.htm" name="VDO" width="1" height="1" frameborder=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0 scrolling=auto>
<!-- IE users will get the codec automatically downloaded if they need it. Non IE 32bit users see this next bit -->
If you do not have the VDO codec installed, you can install the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/netshow/download/player.htm">Full NetShow client install</a> in order to obtain it.
</iframe>

<!--HAVE USERS WITH BROWSERS THAT CANNOT EMBED PLAY IN NETSHOW PLAYER-->
<br>
<a href="http://server/path/myvideo.asx">Start the NetShow presentation in the stand-alone player.</a>

Some notes:

• NetShow 2.0 Player includes a Netscape Navigator Plug-In for NetShow. When you use the above code in your HTML page, and a client on Netscape Navigator plays it, it will appear embedded in the page.
• Under ControlType, O means no visible controls, -1 means that the controls will show, but the slider bar won't, and 1 means that the full controls, including the slider bar, will show.
• There are many parameters you can add or change here. Consult the NetShow Player SDK in the NetShow Online Documentation for more details on the parameters.
• If you play the Directions sample listed above (and then View Source to see the HTML), you see that we've added the ability to put an image on the HTML page when it loads (the TABLE background="opening.bmp" part), and set the NetShow content to play on top of it after it's finished buffering (the "TransparentAtStart" part). That gives the user the illusion that your content is playing immediately, but in reality it's really an image on the page, and an ASF playing as soon as it can. If you don't need this functionality, simply remove the TABLE line and the TransparentAtStart line.
• When the NetShow content plays, you will see a NetShow promotional video play for a few seconds while it's buffering. If you don't want that video to play, leave the TransparentAtStart parameter equal to TRUE.
• Under ControlType, O means no visible controls, -1 means that the controls will show, but the slider bar won't, and 1 means that the full controls including the slider bar will show

Launching from a Microsoft Office application

Imagine being able to give a PowerPoint® presentation that includes streaming multimedia as part of the presentation, or using audio and/or video to explain a tricky part in a spreadsheet. You can use Microsoft Office's ability to insert ActiveX™ controls to do these things quite easily.

The first step is to buy Microsoft Office 97. Then go into your favorite Office application and follow these steps:

• On the toolbar, select View, and then select Toolbars. Select the Control Toolbox.
• From the items listed on the toolbar, select the button.
• From the list of items, select "Microsoft NetShow Control."
• Use your mouse to draw a box approximately the size of the ASF (you can change the proportions later).
• Right-click on the box you created, and a dialog box will come up. Select "Properties."
• There are many parameters that you can change here. Consult the NetShow Player SDK in the NetShow Online Documentation for more details on the parameters. To get one created right now, just scroll down to the "Filename" parameter and type in the path to your ASF file (e.g., mms://servername/path/asfname.asf or http://servername/path/asfname.asf).
• Close the Properties dialog box.
• For a program like PowerPoint, just put your presentation into Slide Show mode, and when you get to the page with the NetShow content embedded in in, it will play!

Calling VBScript from Within NetShow

One of the most powerful features of NetShow is the ability to embed timed script events within the stream itself. By doing this, one can do anything that VBScript® can do, from firing events within the browser, to calling events within other ActiveX controls.

With the original content in hand, creating full-featured applications is just steps away.

• For creating Illustrated Audio, you'll need to use the ASF Editor.
• Alternatively, if you're creating the ASF with VidToASF
• Next, create the HTML page, being sure to use the appropriate Object tag.
• Then, simply add the following VBScript subroutine:

  sub NSPlay_scriptCommand (Type, Param)
  

  if type="myType1" then
  
  do myEvent
  
  else if type="myType2 then
  
  do myEvent2
  
  end if
  
  end sub

  Where NSPlay is replaced by the ID of the NetShow ActiveX control, myTypex is replaced by the name of the event being passed, and myEventx is replaced with the VBScript event being called. The PARAM is the parameter being passed to VBScript from the stream, as defined when the ASF is built.

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