Large videos for the web

My first thought is to stream the video, that way it can start playing before the entire thing is loaded. I don't mess with video so not sure what it takes to set that up.

There are two general methods to deliver video using HTTP.

Progressive downloading and streaming (multicast).

Before discussing compression, note that progressive download allows the user to watch the video while portions are downloaded and cached in the user's temporary Internet files. Streaming does not involve caching and typcially requires software on the server side to handle the connection which is usually multicast UDP and intended for live video feeds.

Progressive players cannot automatically adjust for the end user's connection speed and the data isn't secure in the sense it does ends up on the client's computer. Streaming players offer faster initial playback and the user can skip to any position and the connection is optimized better.

I suggest you look into progressive download techniques since you're working with stored videos, although lengthy in time and large in file size. Flash players since version 7 support progressive downloading with numerous user friendly controls and themes.

In terms of compression, you should focus on the H.264 standard, which means the MPEG-4 format with support for high definition. This is widely supported by Flash players and many popular player Plugins such as Quicktime and others. I lean towards using Flash players for the client side and using third party offline utilities that convert whatever current format directly to H.264 compatible .flv or embedded video in an .swf.

Resources:

Flash H.264 HD player (open source, source and demo links)

Kandalu Mac OS X video compressor (creates H.264 videos, iPhone support also)

Example - You'd purchase and install Kandualu to compress your current video format using H.264 and use the tools it provides for web site setup, or use a third party player Flash like the link I included above which you can customize for free.

-jim

"Seek through the clips as they please" requires streaming. In progressive downloading they can only skip ahead to what's been cached. As to psuedo-streaming, sorry, Google it unless nobody else responds. Sounds like you should invest in server based streaming software so you not only can control the bandwidth as you have large files, but you want users to be able to seek. Or host the content on a third party site that handles the multicasting for you, and pipes it through to the end user via your site or a link from your site. I do not have any suggestions on that, but something to consider.