Macromedia Flash 8: Video Development provides students the knowledge and hands-on practice they need to produce and deliver high-quality Flash Video over the internet using Flash Professional 8. Topics include developing a rich media player using the new Flash Professional 8 pre-built components as well as ActionScript; using high-quality encoding techniques, including the new Flash Video codec enabling the delivery of higher quality video over lower bandwidth connections; creating live video; and exporting the new alpha-channeling and video color filters. This course will focus on delivering the best experience possible with Flash Video, exploring bandwidth scaling, progressive downloading, and streaming with the Flash Media Server and Flash Video Streaming Services.

This course is for people who have prior Flash development experience with some ActionScript programming skills and want to deliver rich, interactive, highly available video over the Internet using Flash. Students who have taken the Macromedia Flash MX 2004: Application Development course are perfectly suited to take this course. Students who have taken Macromedia Flash Rich Content Creation course are also great candidates for this course after an additional 4-6 months of Flash development and ActionScript experience. In addition, any prior digital video experience is a benefit; students are strongly urged to review the Flash Video Learners Guide by clicking here.

Unit 1: Introducing the Course

* Getting familiar with the course methodology and    format
* Understanding the course objectives
* Understanding the course prerequisites
* Viewing the course outline

Unit 2: Introducing Flash Video

* Defining streaming
* Defining digital video
* Understanding key Flash Video concepts
* Looking at the evolution of Flash Video
* Viewing Flash Video market adoption statistics
* Examining the streaming video market
* Identifying key benefits of Flash Video over    traditional media
* Introducing the Flash Media Server for    streaming    video

Unit 3: Building a Component Based Media Player

* Understanding the Flash Video development    workflow
* Using the Insert Flash Video command in    Dreamweaver 8
* Building a media player with the FLVPlayback      component
* Building a media player with FLVPlayback Custom    UI components
* Binding playback properties and components
* Building a playlist and video picker
* Skinning FLVPlayback Custom UI components

Unit 4: Encoding Flash Video

* Understanding Flash Video (FLV)
* Introducing CODECs and video encoding
* Converting to FLV using the Flash 8 Video Encoder
* Understanding bandwidth and data rate
* Using advanced encoding settings
* Adding cue points, cropping, and trimming
* Using encoding best practices

Unit 5: Delivering Flash Video

* Understanding video delivery options
* Comparing embedded vs. progressive download
* Streaming Flash Video
* Using Macromedia Flash Video Streaming Services
* Using the Flash Media Server
* Tracking FLV Playback

Unit 6: Reviewing ActionScript

* Reviewing ActionScript basics
* Using Media Component properties
* Using Media Component methods
* Handling Media Component events
* Using ActionScript to control the Media Components

Unit 7: Building a Custom Media Player

* Understanding the process for building a custom    media player
* Learning the ActionScript required for streaming
* Creating a connection to the server
* Controlling and managing streams
* Introducing and using the embedded Video object
* Adding video playback filters
* Using the Sound class to manage audio
* Listening and responding to stream events

Unit 8: Adding Flash Video Effects

* Understanding filters, blends, and masks
* Masking the FLVPlayback component
* Importing alpha channels with video
* Creating a Flash movie that uses video with alpha    channels
* Understanding differences between author-time and    run-time effects
* Embedding the FLVPlayback component inside a    MovieClip
* Using blend modes
* Using ActionScript to apply filters

Unit 9: Enhancing the User Experience

* Understanding the importance of the user    experience
* Creating auto detection for bandwidth, Flash Player    version, and connection speed
* Creating playback controls
* Using full screen playback
* Creating error handling

Unit 10: Working with Cue Points and User Accessibility

* Introducing embedded cue points
* Understanding accessibility issues for video    playback
* Manipulating cue points with ActionScript
* Adding closed captioning
* Controlling video with keyboard commands

Unit 11: Using Live Video

* Introducing live video
* Using the live video encoder
* Setting the live encoder
* Recording a live stream
* Playing a live stream
* Creating bandwidth strategies