OVERVIEWS: REALSYSTEM, CLEANER 6 AND EMMY SERVER

RealSystem is a streaming media architecture developed by RealNetworks. Unlike Quicktime Progressive streaming, RealSystem streams files in real time using using RealServer Software and the client's RealPlayer.

SCALABLE
RealSystem offers what is referred to as "scalability" through the SureStream feature. Using Cleaner 6 to encode movie files for RealPlayer playback, we can encode one RealMedia file or movie to playback at different compressions depending on the client's computer, internet connection and network traffic. In other words, the streaming of RealMedia is variable--it may constantly renegotiate different data rates depending on these variables.

When playing back different RealMedia files in the RealPlayer window, you can see the current data rate at the top in the new RealOne player and at the bottom in the old Real 8 player. You can also see the total running time of the video, and time elapsed.

ENCODING AND COMPRESSING IN CLEANER;
PLACING ON SERVERS-OVERVIEW

BOOTING INTO OS 9
At this time, you cannot encode in Real in Mac OS X. To encode in Real, you must boot into Mac OS 9. Please follow my instructions on how to do this and where to save your files. DO NOT boot into Mac OS 9 for any other reason than encoding in Real. As soon as you are done, boot back into OS X! (booting into OS9)

WHERE TO TEMPORARILY SAVE FILES
You will also need to save your exported video files from iMovie or FCP to a temporary folder inside the MacIntosh HD into order to access them in OS 9 because the Media Partitions on the desktop in OS X won't appear in OS 9. Make a folder inside the MacIntosh HD to which you can export your completed movies. You should also use this folder to temporarily save the Cleaner 6 Realplayer compressed videos when compressing in OS 9. When you boot back into OS X, drag these files back on the your Media Partition (VSAR 305 Media) into your folder to work with and throw out the files on the MacIntoshHD. Leaving these on the MacIntosh HD is a space hog, and will eventually fragment the operation of your computer.

EXPORTING FROM IMOVIE or FINAL CUT PRO
When using Cleaner 6 to encode and compress, you will need to import your completed, uncompressed video from either iMovie or FCP to Cleaner. It is important that you do not compress twice--therefore when you export from either editing application, do not compress the video. After making your video in iMovie or Final Cut Pro, export it using as little compression as possible. Using the expert setting in iMovie, compress using "video" or "dvntsc". You can make the movie size 720x486, which is dv size. Later this will be compressed in Cleaner.

ENCODING REAL PLAYER -- RM AND RAM FILES
When you encode and compress your movie for RealPLayer using Cleaner 6, it creates two important files. One file is the RealMedia file which has the suffix ".rm". This file is the actual movie or media file which is placed on the streaming server "Emmy" in your folder. The other file which Cleaner creates is a metafile or .ram file. This file has important linking information to the .rm file and is placed on the http server "courses" in your folder with your initials along with your web pages. The link you will make from the image map on the shared page (w5place.html) will be to this ".ram" file which calls up the real media file (.rm) on the streaming server.

LINKING TO THE .RM FILE:OVERVIEW
Link from the image map (html file) to the "ram" file on courses to the "rm" file on emmy
I have built a simple web page which you will use as a class to link your movies from. You will download the webpage and create a link from the image map on the this web page (w5place.html) which links to the .ram file in your folder on "courses", which in turn links to the streaming video on Emmy. This link may look like this: http://courses.csusm.edu/vsar305kd2/yourfolder/yourfile.ram. This in turn will call up the real media file on "emmy" using the rtsp protocol. (real time streaming protocol). Information about this format can be found in your reader. I will demonstate how to download this web page, make changes and upload.

SETTING YOUR PATHS
When using Cleaner 6, you will need to set your rtsp path to your realmedia file on Emmy. This is the path from the ".ram" file on the courses server to the media file ".rm" on Emmy server. You can override preferences in the Cleaner dialogue box by using this path name below, putting your folder name in the appropriate place, or you can set your preferences by accessing the Cleaner Prefs, and typing the path in. Make sure to put a slash at the end, but not the movie file name. This is the path to your movie on Emmy:
rtsp://emmy.cusm.edu:554/diekman/vsar305f03/yourfolderinitials/

CLEANER 6
You will need to access Cleaner in OS 9 as I already discussed. I will demonstrate this. When you set your compressions, you will choose one preset setting, and modify it by setting several other compressions. Cleaner will look something like this:

PUTTING YOUR MOVIE (RM) ON EMMY:
You can access the streaming server "emmy" by doing the following from the CSUSM lab. Remember, Emmy is where you will put all of your compressed videos for realtime streaming (not progressive as it is not a file server).
1. Access "connect to server" under the GO menu of the operating system
2. In the address field type in, "afp://emmy.csusm.edu" and click on "connect"
3. Enter your username and password
4. Select VSAR305f03 and click ok
5. This will lauch the server, vsar305f03 on your desktop
Open the server and make a new folder with your initials in it to store your compressed movies (real and quicktime) for realtime streaming. You can simply drag your RealPlayer movie (.rm) to the folder you have just created on "emmy". You do not need to use an ftp interface.