I can now stream Windows Media Player videos into SL

The good news:
I have paid $9.99 for a plugin to play Windows Media Player videos in Quicktime.
To my delight, it works with inside SL, and I now have access to hugely increased movie content from all over the web.
The bad news:
I use a mac, and this product is mac only.
But:
Now the necessary codec for the latest format (version 9) has been reverse-engineered, surely a Windows quicktime plugin must be available soon (already ?) ?

Here are the details:
http://www.flip4mac.com/wmv.htm
Flip4Mac WMV Player $9.99
Playback Windows Media Video 7,8,9 SD and HD, and
Windows Media Video 9 Advanced in QuickTime Player directly

You can try it with a free demo version which works perfectly, except it only gives the first half of the video.

It looks like SL doesn't care what you watch. Anything your Quicktime player can be persuaded to see will work on an SL prim. It just passes the URL straight through. So maybe those who thought Quicktime was a bad choice just need to wait a bit, and it may support everything.

If you and someone else are watching the same prim display a WMV, and they don't have this plugin, presumably they see nothing?

People that aren't seeing the video, for any reason, see the original texture which isn't being "replaced."

I'm sure the LL will be thrilled if we start developing and expanding our own feature sets. It'll make their jobs a whole lot easier. I'm sure they're doing everything they can to facilitate it.

Good call Chalky. Keep up the good work.

I think it's great when people work on solving technical problems, building content, adding value to not only their own land, but the game! Wonderful!

It's so much better than sniping at others, trying to do stuff like sabotage people with private island land deeds to sell which they put in the land sales list for lack of a better spot.

It's also great to advertise -- and advertise big! -- for content on your lot. It's more than innovative to take an entire half a sim or more, and place prims flush up against the property line, make them clear texture, but only have huge words show up on those prims, taking up 10 x 10 squares for miles to spell out something that looks like gigantic sky-writing -- more than innovative, it's a stroke of genius!

It's especially brilliant to make the prims all clear on your viewline side, so *you* don't look at the sign, but make it so that the sign can only be viewed by incoming flyers. And...for extra credit, why make it just visible from the telehub where people emerge? Why make it visible from there at all? Make it visible at the back end of somebody's lot where shoppers flying in the other direction won't see it, but only the owner, sweeping up prims, will see it an marvel! Wonderbar!

The technological proficiencies in this game never cease to amaze! Of course, some people complain about signs, even small ones. They talk about "floating advert boxes" and the like...

But, honestly, we must never forget what Lordfly instructed us:

That's what metaversal community is all about Prok. Would you rather us shard onto private grids in like-minded groups of people that do and don't approve of floating alphaboards? Of course not. We must all exist on The Central Grid as one community and learn to get along.

Oh sweet mother of God, I hope so. What an incredibly clever workaround! Please let me know if you hear about a PC version of this.

Sure, Khamon. I just think it's good to cover your neighbors' creative side in the forums and promote art, don't you?

I wouldn't dream of banning floating alphaboards. Trust me, I have a builder commissioned working on my floating alphaboards, too! Technical problem: can we get it to cross sims? Hmm...I think we can! Stay tuned!

I heartily favor living on the Central Grid as One Community and Getting Along. And part of that Getting Along, IMHO is celebrating the, gosh, for lack of a better word, robust creativity of one's neighbours. I'm also for disseminating some "Good Neighbour Practices" along the way.

For example, when a neighbour there complained about my "floating white advert" I reduced it. I didn't get as many rentals. I thought it was an important experiment to make, however, because I, too, am dedicated to aestheticism. I made what I call some "Low Impact Rental Boxes" and set them out. And waited...and waited...hmm....[crickets].....[whooshing grass noises].....


Well finally I did rent one! Hurray! Becuase they didn't see a sign in-world but read it on FIND PLACES.

I remain devoted to the cause of aestheticism and low-impact signs, even at the expense of business! It's, gosh, SO IMPORTANT!

I'm sorry, I'm normally one of the people who thinks hijacking a thread with pictures is lame, but forever more when I read your posts its going to be in this voice, Prok.



On a more on-topic note, though:

Regarding the quicktime plugin: Thats super and all, but I'd really rather avoid making quicktime an essential step in the process to begin with. It's not exactly my favorite media player and/or format, to say the least.

...

Wow, Prok, thank you, some advertising.
There was a time I was still hoping that the Ross-Refugio border could preserve some residential capability, yes. But that hope was lost when the sales efforts were added to by the huge club which dragged the Refugio server down from about 1200 to about 50. (since improved a bit). So, yes you are right. I've changed my mind about what is appropriate in this area. You were right, I was wrong. Near telehub = commerce, not landscape.

Please don't imagine that sign you photographed is there for other than a good commercial reason. I'm afraid my pals and I have bought that plot specifically to be the sales and demonstration area for our new Ultrascreen product range. Remotely-controlled textures and movies which can be literally as wide as a sim (that puny one is only 110m long). Or several sims, I suppose, I havent explored where the limits lie.

I still have about another week or so before I am ready to start selling, and the sign you photograph is meant as a "Teaser" to get people curious.

The substantial transparency in one directrion and total transparency in the other is not for the benefit of my view (as I said, I abandoned residential pretensions there some time ago).

It represents my concern that this product should not be more intrusive in the landscape than it needs to be for a fair commercial purpose. Its non-transparent area is hugely less than that of your own Lighthouse store, for instance.

I am concerned that the Ultrascreen should not become pure annoyance, but that it should fulfil its potential as far more than signage. Whole building frontages, for instance, can be easily created, and modified, with a single click, using perhaps a photo of a real building. Paved areas similarly, with shadows moving correctly across the ground as the sun moves, for instance.

My huge movie screens are even better. They are completely invisible to anyone not standing in the right place and watching the movie. I may be able to do something similar for big advertising hoardings. Visible only to the right people.

Yes, there will be some abuse of this product, but diversity, innovation, and commerce often involve such risks.

I thought you approved such things, Prok ?

So, in summary, I'm sorry if you thought the thing you photographed to be pointless and annoying - but it certainly isnt the first of the two. I've been diverted by the big joint-effort Ultrascreen cinema adjacent, which is also about to launch, but things are about to happen. Watch this space - or rather that space.

Try not to be unfriendly, if we can attract some new traffic to our sales point and cinema, it would surely benefit other traders around too, and that includes you, Prok.

Are you related to Chalky, Ellie? I *thought* so!



I've been in Ross and Refugio since December. Even before I got there, there were at least 3 malls, run by Anshe, Blue, and DNA in Ross/Samoa. So, the notions of "residential capability" which you brought to it *after* you moved in may have revolved around the pretty Linden water fall between the sim, but...well...if you didn't notice those 3 telehub malls and the Christmas factory, hmm...dunno.

As for the original club we had in Refugio, that was definitely NOT a lagger. Never. The FPS there was always at 3000 in the early days and there simply weren't enough avs there to make any lag. There weren't all the animated scripts that most clubs have, either. That's because it wasn't the kind of club that had like sexay avatar contests, but it had architectural displays, the occasional dance, the occasional few friends hanging around and rezzing stuff. The notion that the club dragged the FPS down to 50 is an absolute lie, and you can ask any other former residents or neighbours.

As for the club that just came in now as a tenant, I've checked the FPS quite a few times, I just don't see any lag. Don't feel it, don't see it on the FPS. Certainly don't see 50. Ah, well, tell it to the Governor.



Um, you bought that plot back in like January. I do remember the claim date. Don't think there were any new sales there because I keep an eye out there for available land. So please, spare me the fake drama. The land sat there moribund for months. I remember marveling that someone had bought up the waterfalls side of Ross but seemed to be missing in action. Of course, until an alt of yours tried to get my alt to sell his first land. Ah well. Such is Seconf Life!



Um, I'll try to contain myself.



My lighthouse tower, which is set back on its own island, is hardly intrusive. It faces the Linden sea on 3 sides. It has its own channel separating it from the mainland in Ross. If it is intrusive, it's intrusive um....on another mall, owned by Anshe, and on a new annex to my mall. There are no residences here, and never were (except for back when I was a naive newbie and tried to live on that first land for awhile before it was overtaken by malls). The other resident of the sim has a giant casino, and still another has some video thing. Trust me, no intrusions here. My architect worked very hard to make sure that didn't happen.

Don't like the lighthouse light twirling like a supermarket grand opening? Um. Well, that might not be there forever, but it opened recently so I kinda like it.



Lind--I mean Ellie, when you start writing like that, about "shadows moving correctly across the ground as the sun moves..." well, I start to back away slowly, then I begin to break into an awkward, knock-kneed, kind of terrorified run.



Now why do I think I'm just *never* going to get on the list of the "right people" to see this special fandango movie screen? This is like all those levels and layers and fractured niches that some other people are talking about on here.



Roll-on-floor-laughing. Um, yeah, I'm all for diversity! This thing taking up the entire sky is...diverse, sure! Luv-er-ly! So far, I think I'm your only audience, because the visitors to my mall and classes are actually faced at a 90 degree angle from this sign.
I thought you approved such things, Prok ?



Er, did I have a choice *but* to watch a thing taking up the entire sky between two sims??? ROFL!

Yes, I'm Ellie, and Chalky, Prok. I'm too obedient to the TOS to list your numerous alts. The reason I usually prefer to keep my forum-posting distinct from my game-playing is precisely because some people get so unfriendly, and thats unpleasant in the game. Its best to be able to post strongly in the forum on issues where one feels strongly, without getting it mixed with relationships in the game.
Its also fun sometimes to press ones points harder than one otherwise might. Thats not wrong, I think, so long as one is careful only to push issues one really believes in, and never to be motivated by personal spite. And so long as one never insults the forum by using two alts in the same thread to reinforce and discuss with each other.

As for my product, revile it if you like. I could have put up one huge wall, as big as your tower, covered with who knows what, without violating the TOS. I chose to be much more restrained. Why do you give me no credit for that ? Please lets try to deal with real issues, my friend. Spite and bile are so unpleasant, don't you think ? Not a good basis for calm discussion.

Come on, Prok. Try to be a good neighbour, and so will I. Just because we disagree about lots of things, its not the end of the world. Lets cut out the sneering and mockery, shall we ?

All I ask is that you please refrain from making assumptions about my motivations, and ascribing malign and devious ones to me. This is what annoys so many people so much. I say what I mean. If I support an issue it is for the reasons I give. This is a GAME, for heavens sake, even if it is one aimed somewhere serious. The idea of lying about ones motives here is ridiculous.

Please get a sense of proportion. It is NOT taking up the entire sky. It is two words centered in an invisible plane. Everyone of us always has to watch powerless as our neighbours build. As I did when Jimmy's huge casino went up right on my boundary. I didnt complain or use spiteful words. It was his right. as this is mine.

You are using the language of spite, Prok. Please stop.

And lets NOT hijack this thread in a personal disagreement. Its so unpleasant and rude to everyone else.

Um, I didn't out any of your alts, you posted about yourself in the same thread with the same story with the 2 alts, whatever. And post away about my alts, like they're a secret? Just be careful not to ding any of my tenants or relatives, mkay? Because that's easy to do.

Good neighbours are people who do not...

-- try to pressure their neighbours into selling their land, especially with expressions like "can't you see I'm the bigger owner here" etc.
-- start haranguing campaigns about "floating cubes" that in fact aren't in your view line, and are in a commercial area, and are merely rentomatics
-- carry on for days with a shrill campaign against private island dealers, insulting other kinds of dealers along the way
-- place a gigantic floating screen sign taking up half a sim and the entire view area for miles on 2 sims, especially after they've complained about "floating cubes" that were one/one/hundredth of the size.

I'm all for being good neighbours. I try to be good neighbours even with the most loathsome people because I believe in principles. For example, after you complained about the "floating white adverts" I experimented by making a phantom, nearly-invisible, almost translucent pictured rentomatic that I think probably even costs me sales. In fact, now that CHALKY WHITE SCREEN so dominates our world, I can see that Low-Impact Pharos Rento is actually a silly thing to continue so I need to blow those back up to at least 3 x 3 and put them on "light". No good deed goes unpunished I guess. I never even got a "thank you" for reducing the size of those things. Whtaever.

The product isn't being reviled. A giant sim-wide screen, such as a drive-in movie might have, is really a cool thing. If you can get Quicktime to work in SL, you'll have lots of people very happy. So go for it. I'd buy such a product and urge others to buy it. I never let forums fights and inworld skirmishes get in the way of a business effort, a product, whatever. There are very few people I -- if any -- that I'd actually mount a boycott of.

Like I said, the screen is designed to point at me. On your side, it's all blank and transparent. Anyone actually flying up to your shop actually doesn't see it. It could have pointed a completely different way to be above the shop, and it could have been half the size and still made the point. Whatever. I'm not here to tell neighbours how to build when they have a) not lagged the sim b) have not obstructed my actual access to my land with a building structure and d) made a huge eyesore for miles. I'm thinking this chalky screen is not such an eyesore that it will damage my business, but who knows.

Honestly, I just never get surprised any more in SL. You wake up in the morning, and you think it can't get worse and it does. You think you could never see something like King Kong looming out of the water. You think you could never see a gigantic black rectangle on a mere 1024 using all 234 prims to make a huge lighted lagging box with lag lights. ROFL. Then, it DOES get worse. CHALKY WHITE is looming in the sky above you for miles muahahahahah.

I invite everyone to come out and see this truly innovative SL product. And shop at my malls while you are at it: )

Lots I could take issue with there, but why bother, this is s'posed to be fun.
Bring you more business ? Thats the spirit !
I'll do my best.

Sorry people, have your thread back......

Heck, who's thread was being hijacked anyway ? Lets clean up the best we can after that little mess.

Back to topic. I've done a thorough search to find corresponding plugin for the Windows Quicktime player, but I haven't found one yet.

It seems the big problem was WMV9, which MS have been trying very hard to keep secret. But now its reverse-engineered, its done, so hopefully, one for windows will be along shortly.

I have an amazing wmv file I want to show in the cinema, and I was desparate to convert it to .mov. But it turned out to be wmv9, and so very hard to do. This made me reject the usual tools, and I searched on, eventually finfding something better than I had hoped for.

But the pro version of the Mac plugin will also do the conversion, as well as play it direct, so I can turn any wmv into a .mov, and let you unfortunate windows people see it too. Provided I can afford to pay to have it hosted.