Advice on project

p@mast3rs wrote on 10/27/2004, 2:47 PM
As I am currently raising funds for my non-profit after school program, I caught a very small gig that may tunr into a full time business if I am able to figure out a viable delivery method.

Working under a NDA, the only information I can divulge and ask is is there a product out there that will allow an end user to pop in a cd and have the multimedia playback in its own player without having to install or require any additional codecs? Will Macromedia Director Mx 2004 allow this sort of thing to happen? Our concern is that many major IT companies/schools will have thier systems locked down and be unable to install codecs needed for playback.

The main goal is to ship CDs and have the clients pop them in and have it played automatically in its own window.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!
Thanks

Comments

johnmeyer wrote on 10/27/2004, 3:45 PM
A lot depends on what media and what codec you are using. In most cases, the user will have to "OK" the installation of codecs, so the playback may not be totally hands-off the first time the disc is played.
p@mast3rs wrote on 10/27/2004, 3:58 PM
Im confused. I have seen some DVDs that included a player that didnt require an install, just an agreement to the use of the player. I was assuming the same thing could be done with lets say for example, Flash.

nickle wrote on 10/27/2004, 4:16 PM
Quicktime WMP flash are usually already installed on the pc so no new codecs are needed is my guess.
p@mast3rs wrote on 10/27/2004, 4:20 PM
But thats the problem, we cant assume the client has any codec installed or has the ability to install codecs. The solution we are trying to devise is simply put in the cdrom and it autoplays leaving the viewing client Nothing to do but watch.
nickle wrote on 10/27/2004, 4:42 PM
Windows media player is installed on all windows machines unless it is somehow uninstalled. So if you encode using a version compatible with whatever came with windows98 then it will play.

I believe flash and director can install a player on the cd which will play from the cd.

Flash is installed usually on all versions of internet explorer, which can play if encoded for flash.

There is never a guarantee unless the player is on the cd using the right version for the operating system playinbg it.

For example a 4 speed cdrom is not going to play it correctly, nor is a machine with 8 megs of ram and windows 95.
nickle wrote on 10/27/2004, 5:03 PM
O.K. I'll add some more info for you.

I had a client that spent $10,000 getting a cd authored in flash for a similar purpose....schools and I tested it out. Because it was about 1/2 hour in length it wouldn't play properly on less than a 36 speed cd or less than 64 megs of ram.

Flash is meant for short projuects, while Director is meant for cd authoring from what I understand.

The flash cd played with its own player and was interactive....press this key to do this and that key to do that.

So much depends on the PCs you expect to play it on.