Chapter 4: Publishing to the Internet

Along with its powerful recording features, RealProducer includes wizards that allow you to publish your streaming content to the Internet or an Intranet. Using these wizards, you can create a RealMedia-enhanced Web page, upload that Web page to a server, or send RealMedia files to others through e-mail.

Creating Web Pages

A primary publishing feature of RealProducer is the Web Page Wizard. With this wizard, you can instantly create a Web page enhanced with RealMedia. The wizard creates all of the HTML necessary to provide a page that contains your streaming media file.

Guided through a series of prompts, you choose how to stream your RealMedia file: either with a RealPlayer in a separate window, or with a RealPlayer embedded within the page. The wizard then allows you to preview the finished page with your Web browser and a RealPlayer.

Follow these steps to create either type of RealMedia Web page, pop-up or embedded.

To create a Web page that opens a separate RealPlayer:

Select Create Web Page from the Tools menu.
The Web Page Wizard opens to the Introduction page.
Click Next to begin the Wizard.
The Media File page opens.
Select a RealMedia file.
The name of the last RealMedia file created by RealProducer appears by default. Click the Browse button to locate another file.
Click Next.
The Playback Method page appears.
Choose Pop-up Player and click Next.
The Web Page Caption page opens.
Enter text that will appear in the Web page that links to your clip.
Click Next.
The Web Page Filename page opens.
Enter the name and directory of the Web page you want to create.

Note
Avoid saving files into your computer's temporary directory (such as C:\TEMP), since this directory is reserved and may be deleted.
Click Next.
The Web Page Results page opens. This page informs you that a Web page and a RealMedia metafile have been created.
If you wish to preview your Web page with an Internet browser, click Preview on the Results page.
You must have RealPlayer installed to view your page properly.
Click Finish to close the wizard.

	Note
Avoid saving files into your computer's temporary directory (such as C:\TEMP), since this directory is reserved and may be deleted.

To create a Web page with an embedded RealPlayer:

Select Create Web Page from the Tools menu.
The Web Page Wizard opens to the Introduction page.
Click Next to begin the Wizard.
The Media File page opens.
Select a RealMedia file.
The name of the last RealMedia file created by RealProducer appears by default. Click the Browse button to locate another file.
Click Next.
The Playback Method page appears.
Choose Embedded Player and click Next.
The Player Control Layout page appears. In this page, you can decide what components of the RealPlayer to include within the Web page.
Select a control layout from the available options.
A preview of the selected layout appears.
Select Auto Start if you want the RealMedia file to play automatically when your Web page is opened.
Click Next.
The Web Page Caption page appears.
Enter a caption name that will appear as a title for the RealMedia file.
Select whether you want the caption to appear above or below the Player controls.
Click Next.
The Web Page Filename page appears.
Enter the name and directory of the Web page you want to create

Note
Avoid saving files into your computer's temporary directory (such as C:\TEMP), since this directory is reserved and may be deleted.
Click Next.
The Web Page Results page opens. This page informs you that a Web page and a RealMedia metafile have been created.
If you wish to preview your Web page with an Internet browser, click Preview on the Results page.
You must have RealPlayer installed to view your page properly.
Click Finish to close the wizard.

	Note
Avoid saving files into your computer's temporary directory (such as C:\TEMP), since this directory is reserved and may be deleted.

Keep in mind that the Web pages you create with the Web Page Wizard will initially point to files located on your local hard drive. If you upload your pages to a Web server, these local file references will be automatically updated. Therefore, you should avoid making manual changes to any file references in HTML files created by the wizard.

Alterations to these files or any file references contained in the associated .ram/.rpm metafile may cause errors when publishing Web pages to a remote server.

About Metafiles

A metafile points a Web page link to one or more RealMedia clips located on a remote server. The function of a metafile is to point to the location where your media file actually resides and is required for your file to stream, rather than simply download and play. Typically, a metafile is located on a server and contains the URL where a RealMedia clip can be found.

Metafiles created by the RealProducer Web Page Wizard reside on your local hard drive and point to files on your local file system. When you publish your files to a server, these metafiles are automatically updated to include information about the server where your media files will be sent.

Publishing Your Files to a Server

Another wizard included with RealProducer is the Publish to Server Wizard. This wizard allows you to publish your RealMedia-enhanced Web page to a remote server. The server can be either a RealNetworks RealServer or a standard HTTP Web server.

The wizard leads you through a series of prompts to help you specify the type of server and the directory where you will upload your page. You can also specify the name of the Web server and the URL directory where your Web page will be located. The wizard then allows you to preview the finished page.

When you upload your Web pages to a remote server, RealProducer automatically updates your Web page and .ram/.rpm metafile to point to the appropriate server addresses, directories and files.

To avoid confusion during the publishing process, you should make sure you have a valid Internet account. Contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for the following information before you begin.

HTTP Server Information

If you are using a standard HTTP Web server to stream RealMedia, you should obtain the following information from your system administrator or ISP. For simple HTTP streaming, your Web page and media file will be copied to the same location.

File Server: Name or IP address of the file server where your Web page will be uploaded. For example: ftp.server.com.

Directory: Name of the directory on the file server where your Web page will be uploaded. For example, if the personal directory assigned to you by your system administrator is upload, enter upload as the directory name. This may be left blank.

Web Server: Name or IP address of the Web server users will use to locate your Web page. For example, if the full URL users will use is http://www.server.com/mypages/file.htm, enter www.server.com as the Web server name.

URL Directory: The directory on the Web server that users will use to locate your Web page. For example, if the full URL is http://www.server.com/mypages/file.htm, enter mypages as the URL Directory.

RealServer Information

If you are using a RealServer to stream your files, you will also need to obtain the following information from your system administrator or ISP. Please note that for streaming from a RealServer your Web page will be copied to a standard HTTP Web server, while your RealMedia file may be copied to a separate RealServer.

File Server: Name or IP address of the file server where your Web page will be uploaded. For example: ftp.server.com.

Directory: Name of the directory on the file server where your Web page will be uploaded. For example, if the personal directory assigned to you by your system administrator is ftp://ftp.server.com/upload/, enter upload as the directory name. This may be left blank.

RealServer: Name or IP address of the RealServer where you will upload your RealMedia file. For example: ftp.server.com.

Media Directory: Name of the media directory on the RealServer where your RealMedia file will be uploaded. For example, if the media directory assigned to you by your system administrator is ftp://ftp.server.com/upload/media/, you would enter upload/media as the directory name.

RealServer Location: Name or IP address of the RealServer that users will use to locate your media file. This can include the port. For example, if the full URL users will use to locate your media file on the Internet is rtsp://real.server.com:6060/myvideo/file.rm you would enter real.server.com:6060 as the RealServer name and port.

URL Directory: The directory on the RealServer that users will use to locate your media file. For example if the full URL that users will use to locate your media file is rtsp://real.server.com:6060/myvideo/file.rm you would enter myvideo as the URL Directory.

Publishing to a Standard Web Server

The following instructions are for publishing your RealMedia clip to a standard HTTP Web server. While these servers may be more common, they don't allow you to fully use all RealMedia features.

Before you begin the procedure, make sure you have all of the information described in "HTTP Server Information".

To publish a file to stream directly from a standard HTTP Web server:

Click the Publish Web Page button.
The Publishing Wizard opens.
Click Next to begin.
Enter the name of the file you wish to publish and click Next.
The Publishing Profile page opens.
Choose an Internet Service Provider from the list or select Generic - No Defaults if your Service Provider is not listed, and click Next.
The Streaming Method page opens.
Click Stream media clip from a standard Web server and click Next.
The FTP Server Information page opens.
Type in the name or IP address of the FTP server where you are uploading your files and the directory on the FTP server where your page will be sent. Then type in your user name and password, and click Next.
The Web Page URL page opens.
Type in the name or IP address of the Web server and URL Directory that users will use to locate your page on the Internet.
Click Next.
The Upload Progress page appears.
Click Next to begin uploading your files.
Your files automatically upload to your Web server. If any errors occur while uploading your files, you will receive and error message describing the problem and potential solutions.
Click View Now! to view your published Web page.
Click Finish when you are done viewing your published Web page.

Publishing to a RealServer

The following instructions are for publishing your RealMedia clip to a RealNetworks RealServer. Using a RealServer allows you to publish Web pages that have RealMedia without losing functionality (such as SureStream).

Before you begin the procedure, make sure you have all of the information described in "RealServer Information".

To publish a file to stream directly from a RealNetworks RealServer:

Click the Publish Web Page button.
The Publishing Wizard opens.
Click Next to begin.
Enter the name of the file you wish to publish and click Next.
The Publishing Profile page opens.
Choose an Internet Service Provider from the list or select Generic - No Defaults if your Service Provider is not listed, and click Next.
The Streaming Method page opens.
Click Stream media clip from a RealServer and click Next.
The FTP Server Information page opens.
Type in the name or IP address of the FTP server where you are uploading your files and the directory on the FTP server where your page will be sent. Then type in your user name and password, and click Next.
The Web Page URL page opens.
Type in the name or IP address of the Web server and URL Directory that users will use to locate your page on the Internet, and click Next.
The RealServer Information page opens.
Enter the name or IP address of the RealServer where your media file will be sent. Enter the directory where your media file will be sent, plus your user name and password, and click Next.
The Media Clip URL page opens.
Type in the name or IP address of the RealServer where your media clip will be referenced from.
Select either Use Default Ports or Use Custom Ports. If you are unsure, then use the defaults.
Type in the directory of the RealServer where your clip will be referenced from.
The full URL of the clip that you are publishing appears below.
Check to see that the URL is correct, and click Next.
The Upload Files page opens.
Click Next to begin uploading your files.
Your files automatically upload to your Web server. If any errors occur while uploading your files, you will receive and error message describing the problem and potential solutions.
Once the upload is complete you can click View Now! to view your published Web page, or you can register your clip with Janus.
Click Finish when you are done viewing your published Web page.

Sending Your Files Via E-mail

You can send your recorded RealMedia files to other people using your default e-mail application. Your recipients must have the RealPlayer installed on their machine in order to play the file.

To send your RealMedia file via e-mail:

Click the E-Mail Clip button.
The Select RealMedia File dialog box opens.
Browse for the file you want to send, select it, and click on Open.
A new e-mail message opens with the RealMedia file attached.
Specify a recipient, type in a subject, and add any other text, as you would for a regular e-mail.
Send the e-mail.

Configuring your E-mail Application

This section gives you instructions on how to configure your e-mail application to work with RealProducer. The e-mail application you choose should be the default program used for sending e-mail in Windows. The following are typical e-mail programs:

CompuServe

CompuServe offers a free software package to send mail from within Windows applications, including RealProducer. This package uses Microsoft Exchange to read and write e-mail, and uses CompuServe to send and receive e-mail.

To install CompuServe as the default mail handler for Windows applications:

Ensure Windows Messaging Service is installed.
Install the free CompuServe mail software:
1. Download through CompuServe the CS Mail for MS Exchange package (go to topic CSMAIL).
2. Run the downloaded package, csmail.exe. This will extract installation files from the package into the current directory.
3. Run the program setup.exe.
4. Follow installation instructions using default settings in all cases.
When installation is finished, open the Control Panel.
Double-click on the Mail or Mail and Fax icon in Control Panel.
Click on the Show Profiles button to display a list of current mail profiles.
The button may not be available if the dialog already displays the profile list.
Create a new profile:
1. Click on the Add button.
2. In the Inbox Setup Wizard dialog which appears, select CompuServe Mail in the list of information services, and click Next.
3. If other profiles have been created, the next dialog will ask for a name for the profile. Enter a description of the profile (example: "Windows Messaging Mail") and click Next. If there are no pre-existing profiles, the name of the new profile will be your full name and you won't be prompted to enter an arbitrary profile name.
4. Provide a path to your CompuServe directory, which is selected by default. If you are unsure which directory to choose, use the default directory. Click Next.
5. Enter your account information, including phone number used to connect to CompuServe. Do not leave any field blank, including all phone number fields (the phone number can be changed later if initially incorrect). If you connect directly to CompuServe through a network connection rather than a modem, you still need to enter a phone number, though it won't be used. Click Next.
6. Select the options for use with CompuServe Mail, and click Next.
7. Select a location for your personal address book, or use the default location. Click Next.
8. Select a location for your personal folders, or use the default location. Click Next.
9. Click Finish to complete creation of this new profile.
Double-click on the name of the new profile in the list of profiles to open the properties box for that profile.
Click on CompuServe Mail from the list of information services.
Click the Properties button.
Select the Connection tab, and change the phone number, if necessary.
If you are directly connected to the Internet, select Winsock Connection.
Select the Advanced tab, and click the Schedule Connect Times button to configure when mail is sent to CompuServe.
In the Connection Times dialog, select when outgoing mail will be sent to the network:
- Startup of Mail - mail is sent whenever Microsoft Exchange is run.
- Every X hours and minutes - connect to CompuServe at regular intervals to deliver mail
- Scheduled - connect once a day at a certain time
If you do not specify a scheduling routine to send outgoing mail, you will have to manually instruct Windows Messaging (via Microsoft Exchange) to send all pending mail. If you are unsure how to schedule your mail, select Startup of Mail for modem users, or select Every X hours and minutes with an interval of one hour for direct network connection users.
Click OK when finished.
Click OK in the Properties dialog.
In the Mail dialog, select the newly-created profile in the pull-down box labeled When starting Windows Messaging, and use this profile.
Click Close when finished.

Eudora Pro 3.x, 4.x

To configure Eudora Pro for use by RealProducer:

Ensure Windows Messaging Service is installed.
Run Eudora Pro.
Select Options from the Tools menu.
Select category MAPI.
Under Use Eudora MAPI server, select Always.
Under Delete MAPI attachments, select After sending message.
Click OK to save changes.

Microsoft Exchange

Windows Messaging includes Microsoft Exchange to write and send e-mail, which can be used as an e-mail client if no other client (such as Eudora or Microsoft Outlook 97) is available.

Note that the Windows Messaging Service is always required on your computer no matter which e-mail program you use (for example, using Microsoft Outlook 97 or Eudora).

To configure Microsoft Exchange to send mail from RealProducer:

Ensure Windows Messaging Service is installed
Open the Control Panel.
Double-click on the Mail or Mail and Fax icon in the Control Panel.
Click the Show Profiles button.
Click Add.
Select Internet Mail from the list of information services and click Next.
If other profiles have been created, the next dialog will ask for a name for the profile. Enter a description of the profile (example: "Windows Messaging Mail") and click Next. If there are no pre-existing profiles, the name of the new profile will be your full name and you won't be prompted to enter a profile name.
Select the type of connection used to send e-mail:
- Modem - requires an service provider accessed via a phone line and modem. Use this option if connecting from home.
- Network - computer is directly connected to the network. Use this option if connecting from an office or otherwise using a direct network connection which doesn't require a modem.
Click Next.
If connecting via a modem, in the next dialog select the service provider to use when connecting to the network (example: AOL or CompuServe). This provider must have been previously installed through Dial-up Networking. Click on New to configure a new service provider (instructions on how to setup an ISP are outside the scope of these directions). Click Next when complete.
For either modem or network connections, enter the mail server name your mail will be retrieved from and click Next.
The mail server name and other such information can be obtained from your service provider or network administrator
Select the e-mail delivery method:
- Off-line - use Remote Mail to transfer e-mail (see Remote Mail documentation for more information)
- Automatic - Microsoft Exchange will choose the best time to send and receive e-mail (preferred setting).
Click Next.
Enter your e-mail address and full name, and click Next.
The e-mail address is provided by your service provider or network administrator.
Enter your username and password to connect to the mail server, and click Next.
This information is also provided by your service provider or administrator, and may not necessarily match your e-mail address.
Choose the location for your personal address book, or use the default location. Click Next.
Choose the location for your personal folders, or use the default location. Click Next.
Click Finish to complete creation of a new mail profile.
In the Mail dialog, select the newly-created profile in the pull-down box labeled When starting Windows Messaging, and use this profile.
Click Close to finish configuration.

Microsoft Outlook 97

Microsoft Outlook 97 replaces Microsoft Exchange as the default e-mail client when installed. If Microsoft Outlook 97 has been correctly installed and configured, RealProducer will send e-mail via Outlook automatically.

Netscape Communicator Messenger Mailbox

Netscape Communicator (versions 4.0x and 4.5x) includes an e-mail client which is compatible with RealProducer's e-mailing features.

To configure Netscape Communicator 4.0x to send mail from RealProducer:

Ensure Windows Messaging Service is installed.
Run Netscape Communicator.
Select Preferences from the File menu.
Double-click on the Mail & Groups category.
Under Mail & Groups, select Mail Server.
Click the More Options button
Check the box entitled Use Netscape Messenger from MAPI-based applications.
Click OK to close the More Mail Server Preferences box.
Click OK to close the Preferences box.

To configure Netscape Communicator 4.5x to send mail from RealProducer:

Ensure Windows Messaging Service is installed.
Run Netscape Communicator.
Select Preferences from the File menu.
Double-click on the Mail & Groups category.
Check the box entitled Use Netscape Messenger from MAPI-based applications.
Click OK to close the Preferences box.

Windows Messaging Service

Windows Messaging Service provides e-mail services to MAPI-compliant applications such as RealProducer. Windows Messaging Service must be installed to use the e-mailing features of RealProducer.

Windows Messaging includes Microsoft Exchange, an e-mail client which can send and receive e-mail messages through a dial-up connection (via a phone line and modem) or by direct Internet connection. If no other e-mail programs are available, RealProducer can send mail using Microsoft Exchange (see Microsoft Exchange).

To determine if Windows Messaging is installed on your computer:

Open the Control Panel.
In the Control Panel, find an icon titled Mail or Mail and Fax. If this icon is in the Control Panel, Windows Messaging has been installed.

To install Windows Messaging:

Note
These instructions may not always work for Windows NT.

	Note
These instructions may not always work for Windows NT.

Under the Start menu, choose Settings, then Control Panel.
In the Control Panel window, double-click on Add/Remove Programs.
Select the Windows Setup tab. (For Windows NT, the tab is entitled Windows NT Setup.)
Scroll down in the Components box to the option entitled Windows Messaging.
If Windows Messaging has a check mark to the left, then the messaging service is already installed and reinstallation is not necessary. If unchecked, click the Windows Messaging check box.
Verify under the Description box that "2 of 2 components selected" appears. For Windows NT 4.0, "3 of 3 components selected" should be displayed. If not, follow the next steps:
1. Click on the Details button.
2. In the Components box, ensure all listed components have a check mark next to them.
3. If one or more components are not checked, click on the box to the left of the component name to place a check mark there.
Click OK to close Add/Remove Programs Properties.
If you have made any changes in the Add/Remove Programs dialog (for instance, checking any boxes), Windows will require the original installation CD in order to install newly-checked components.
When installation is finished, Windows Messaging will run the Inbox Setup Wizard in order to add a new profile. If you will continue on and configure an e-mail client, click Cancel to abort the Wizard, and follow the procedure specific to your program.
If you plan to use only Microsoft Exchange included in Windows Messaging, follow the steps under Microsoft Exchange to create a new profile using the Inbox Setup Wizard.