Streaming Media Bible [With CDROM]

It's rare that any technical book covers a subject really well from beginning to end, in an easy to read manner with real-world examples, but this is exactly what the Streaming Media Bible does.This no-nonsense approach allows the Streaming Media Bible to make even the most complex digital media technologies easy to understand, and more importantly simple to implement.Not only does the Streaming Media Bible teach you how to implement technology, but more importantly it gives you some in-sight as to various options you have and what you should think about to find a solution that works best for your needs.... I highly recommend the Streaming Media Bible for the digital media technical person looking to learn real-world techniques.

Steve Mack's "Streaming Media Bible" is your one-stop resource guide on all things Streaming Media. Whether you are a student or a hobbyist looking to get in on the action or if you are a professional in the field looking for a reference manual, the "Bible" is your one-stop resource guide on all that has to do with Streaming Media.THE CONTENTS:Like all other books in the Bible series of books, "Streaming Media Bible" takes you all the way from ground zero/step one assuming no knowledge of the subject to advanced topics, all along building up your skill set. By the end of the book your knowledge and skill of the subject, in this case Streaming Media, is enough to start you off well on your way in the field. Overall, not only is it a great learning tool, but later as you progress in the field it can also be looked back at and referred to as a reference manual.Here are the topics that Mack addresses:1. Basics of Audio and Video2. Tools for Production3. How to record and edit4. How to optimize your files5. How to encode your files for the Internet6. How to install and administer and maintain a streaming media server7. Other data formats8. SMIL9. Broadcasting LiveTHE ANALYSIS:Overall, this book is your one-stop source for all things dealing with Streaming Media. You get an overview of the basics one video and audio production, an in-depth look at web and streaming media technologies, how to develop your content and how to deliver and maintain your content. The book looks at all aspects of the field. By the time you are done with the book you have a very clear picture on how you can go about developing and delivering your own content. The best thing about the Streaming Media Bible (and most of the books in the Bible series) is that not only is it in-depth, it is STILL very easy to read and follow.EXTRAS AND GOODIES:The companion CD contains trial versions and freeware of some cool tools for streaming media including: Video Factory, Batch Converter, Sound Forge, Peak VST, BBEdit, UltraEdit-32 and Adobe Premiere. All in all, not a bad bag of goodies.THE VERDICT:Overall, Mack does a fine job of covering the various technologies and issues that deal with streaming media. This book was used as a text for an e-commerce streaming media course I took during the Fall of 2002. Whether you are studying this subject independently, an instructor looking to use this book for your course, a novice looking into the field or even a weathered professional, Mack's "Streaming Media Bible" is a fine choice for your library.Highest Recommendation

I teach a course on streaming media and this is the book I recommend to all my students. Why? Because it is the most lucid and comprehensive treatment of the topic I have ever found. Like most, I began my education in network broadcasting on the web. I figured that with the evolving nature of streaming players and encoders and codecs, that the internet was all I'd need to stay on top of things. Well, needless to say, I gathered what can best be described as a "neutron cloud" of information, but no structure to organize my knowledge and give it context. Suffice it to say that this book provides the KNOWLEDGE and the STRUCTURE...the HOWs and the WHYs of streaming media. It's deeply informative, yet easy to read and understand. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to establish themselves in the field of streaming media, or anyone who just wants to produce better online audio or video.

An outstanding resource for streaming media. I read Streaming Media Bible cover to cover and learned more about asset preparation than I ever learned in books dedicated to specific media types. As a result of reading this book, I now feel confident to prepare my own streaming assets.If you want to learn SMIL, this is the book to start with. I have been trying to learn it for some time (and have muddled through two other books on the subject) and no one comes close to explaining it as well as this author does. After reading the SMIL sections, I felt confident enough to author a graduate level distance ed. course.The CD proved to be a valuable resource for the times when my code looked right - but didn't function as expected. How often can you say you enjoyed reading a tech book? This book is written in a clear, concise, easy to understand format. You don't have to be a technology guru to understand what is being presented in this book. As a streaming media beginner, I didn't feel overwhelmed by this book. Instead of trying to impress people with his knowledge of technical jargon (as many tech. authors do), this author chose to make the book understandable.If you are interested in streaming media, definitely check this book out!

Steve Mack's Streaming Media Bible is a must-buy addition to any Web developers book shelf. Demand for high-quality audio and video on the Internet is growing and the author explains how to make it happen clearly and concisely. Even though he comes from a RealNetworks background, he treats the three major formats fairly and completely. I've been a streaming media specialist for six years and I've already learned from this book. My only complaint is a lack of deep detail on javascript controls, which I know go farther than the book indicates. I'm looking forward the correction in the next edition!