PLEASE READ THIS POST COMPLETELY BEFORE REPLYING. THIS IS A VERY SPECIFIC PROJECT !
Greeting to all ‘ Web Video ‘ specialists !
We are currently developing a new website using Media Lab’s Sitegrinder 3 ( http://www.medialab.com/sitegrinder3/ ) for a client who sells video training via dvd and download for the medical industry.
We have completed development for all the main web pages, we are happy and all is working well …. except for one key area !
We have tried at length to work with the Media Lab technical support via their forums but it has been slow and so far our problem has not been solved. ( Click on link to see forum topic : http://www.medialab.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7331&sid=2f8fbdd7421f829392a0c6e4c94108b8 )
So we thought we would find a ‘ Web Video ‘ specialist on Scriptlance who can work with us properly to get this solved.
PROJECT BRIEF
Within my new client’s Sitegrinder 3 website is an e-commerce gallery that displays say 10 training dvd’s for sale.
A sample image has been uploaded to SL, to show you the layout of our e-commerce gallery … this file is called : e-commerce1.jpg
BE SURE TO VIEW THE ABOVE FILE !
Within the e-commerce gallery is a button called ‘ WATCH PREVIEW ‘ which is loaded with a hyperlink via the metadata of each image that displays in the e-commerce gallery.
Example of hyperlink in metadata : <a href=”http://www.linktovideo.co.nz/preview/1.mov” rel=”vidbox” title=”caption”>WATCH PREVIEW</a>
We want to setup this button so that when a visitor clicks this button the screen dims and a ‘ Video Box ‘ style player appears to play a .mov or .swf preview file of the full training dvd.
( Based on the Video Box Player from http://videobox-lb.sourceforge.net/ which says that it is simple to use and all you have to do is add some code to the HEAD XHTML and a folder containing css, js and swf to the site folder … I have followed all these instructions but all does not work as it is supposed to ! )
Note : We would like to use this style of player, but it does not have to be this exact player. If you have a better video player solution that will integrate into our Sitegrinder 3 website design then we would like to know 🙂 !
This is the code we have added to the HEAD XHTML of the webpage :
<script type=”text/javascript” src=”video/js/mootools.js”></script>
<script type=”text/javascript” src=”video/js/swfobject.js”></script>
<script type=”text/javascript” src=”video/js/videobox.js”></script>
<link rel=”stylesheet” href=”video/css/videobox.css” type=”text/css” media=”screen” />
<style type=”text/css”>#lbCenter, #lbBot, #lbBottomContainer, #lbOverlay {z-index:1000;</style>
Each of the 10 training dvd’s in the e-commerce gallery has a different preview ( .mov ) so the metadata link inside the ‘ WATCH PREVIEW ‘ button changes for each image.
Currently, we have got a simple ‘ Sample File ‘ online to try and get this solved.
We have uploaded all the a .zip to this SL post called ‘ Videotest.zip ‘ that contains all files included in this simple ‘ Sample File ‘
YOU MUST DOWNLOAD AND VIEW Videotest1.zip TO SEE THE TYPES OF FILES AND STRUCTURE THAT SITEGRINDER 3 USES AND BE SURE THAT YOU CAN WORK WITH US !!
The first thumbnail ( in the index.html of the Videotest.zip ) ( what are the causes of stroke ? ) has a .mov link, the second thumbnail ( why is hospitalisation important ? ) has a .swf link and the third thumbnail ( CT/MRI Scanning and other laboratory tests ) has a Youtube link.
Click on the thumbnail to cycle through all 3.
Although it says at http://videobox-lb.sourceforge.net/ that all of the above formats are supported …. None of them work properly
What is supposed to happen is ….. the screen dims, a video player appears in the centre of the screen over the website, etc.
As you from the Videotest.zip sample file above this is not what is currently happening 🙁
Currently, when you click on the link it just hyperlinks to the video on a new page …. not what we want !
I found another website that was developed using Media Lab’s Sitegrinder 3, that works perfectly. This is :
http://nitjaxus.com/staging/novelstudios/spots.php
OUR IDEAL SOLUTION
We would like to find a web video specialist who can help us to either integrate Videobox or another similar type of video player into our current Sitegrinder 3 website.
Someone who can work with us quickly to find the best solution, so that it does not takes weeks to get working.
Realistically, for the right video specialist, this should be solved in a few hours.
The final solution must be an easy and flexible video playback system that we can use again and again in the future with other websites we will create using Sitegrinder 3
I look forward very much to hearing back from potential ‘ Web Video ‘ Specialists soon.
Regards
Jason A Ford – Mission Design
