Help - Simplest approach to displaying video within CMS Builder

5 posts by 5 authors in: Forums > CMS Builder
Last Post: December 20, 2010   (RSS)

By Mikey - December 3, 2010

Anyone have any suggestions on what would be the best approach to getting videos to play on a CMS Builder site, using the upload field?

Something clean, simple, supports many file types and compatible with most major browsers.

I don't need a full blown video gallery and I'd prefer not having to log into another application to upload videos.... I want the entire process to take place with a video upload within CMS Builder.

Is there a solution that would allow many file formats that would work within CMS Builder, so that my client would not need to convert videos to flash?

Re: [zick] Help - Simplest approach to displaying video within CMS Builder

By Codee - December 6, 2010

Zick,

The upload fields in CMSB will allow you to change the fields to accept ANY file type. I've modified it to accept a wide variety of video formats and it works fine.

Having said that I still suggest to my clients to video host somewhere else to utilize the compression technology out there and just provide a cut-n-paste embed-video box for them to use. There are many advantages to this process: saving bandwidth, keeping the client's site running fast, keeping costs down, using generally available compression technology (YouTube, EVO, etc.), and if your clients are using shared servers like with GoDaddy...then although GoDaddy basic and deluxe shared hosting allows a ton of file space they DON'T ALLOW more than about 8mb per file upload...which severely curtails longer than 20seconds of higher res video per upload. Just a thought.

Re: [equinox69] Help - Simplest approach to displaying video within CMS Builder

By sublmnl - December 6, 2010

use youtube & copy the embed code.
Have client rip out the url. Then have them paste into the cms section editor entry.
On your side, you have the object embed, swfobject, activeX whatever you want to do and two to three php tags waiting for the youtube url.

Re: [equinox69] Help - Simplest approach to displaying video within CMS Builder

By GraphicLingoes - December 20, 2010 - edited: December 20, 2010


Zick,

The upload fields in CMSB will allow you to change the fields to accept ANY file type. I've modified it to accept a wide variety of video formats and it works fine.

Having said that I still suggest to my clients to video host somewhere else to utilize the compression technology out there and just provide a cut-n-paste embed-video box for them to use. There are many advantages to this process: saving bandwidth, keeping the client's site running fast, keeping costs down, using generally available compression technology (YouTube, EVO, etc.), and if your clients are using shared servers like with GoDaddy...then although GoDaddy basic and deluxe shared hosting allows a ton of file space they DON'T ALLOW more than about 8mb per file upload...which severely curtails longer than 20seconds of higher res video per upload. Just a thought.


I agree with @equinox69, you should convince your client to host videos using a third party that specializes in hosting video. From my experience the second you start giving clients the ability to upload videos you open a whole new can of worms that will make your life miserable. Typically the user interface on the third party site is better for managing their videos anyway so you end up with a happier client. With all the web technologies out there today, it's not that off the wall for clients to have to log into multiple admin sites to manage content for their one web site. If you think about it, that is consistent with the metaphor for modern web sites, ie you can go to one web site to get content from multiple sites. So it should be conceivable that you may have to go to multiple sites to manage the content. The other argument you can make is that of cost. Sure you can build out a super robust video management system, but it will cost $20,000-$50,000 to build then who knows how much to maintain with updates. Why not just leverage third party technology that is already out there that is constantly updated for a small monthly fee or even free if you use you tube, etc...

Hope that helps.
Graphic Lingoes
www.graphiclingoes.com