More Video Functions! :D

First off, video rocks in SL. However, it's totally new, and I'd love to see some more commands in upcoming versions.

Video is a bit different than music. Music streams that play 24/7 are a dime a dozen, but video streams are usually play, then when they're done, they stop.

1. I'd really love a command that would let me check the status of a video (llGetParcelMediaQuery) and see if a) the video is currently stopped, playing, looping, or paused -> both globally or for detected agents.

2. I'd love to be able to override the global media functions (e.g. the ones in the lower right hand corner). I've hacked together a script that offers more functions and does time-syncing when play is pressed, but the default player just causes problems with it . Either an option to "hide" the player, or a way to "set" the buttons to do what I'd want (e.g. pressing "Play" would call my video play function). Would be very cool.

3. Being able to pull the height and width of a stream would rock too. (e.g. 640x480).

Those are all off the top of my head right now. Anyone else have some more ideas?

I agree with the need for some mechanism to ensure viewers are watching a video at the same time, if they choose to do so. Someone coming in late would then start where everyone else is.

One reason people go to the movies with friends is to share the experience rather than watching the reruns at home alone. People come to SL partly to share the experience with others (although maybe some come to escape their crowded real world). Audio is already synchronized I believe. Dancing wouldn't work so well without it. So why should video be so different?

Another factor: the video server might prefer to enforce synchronization to reduce their bandwidth using Multicast (a simultaneous broadcast to all viewers). I don't know if that is an option yet, but I think it should be planned for in the future.

Additional support for Windows Media and Real Video would give us a huge selection of streams to choose from. Most free streams out there today are WMA as far as I could see.

But more advanced movie controls would rock. Esp. syncing tools.

Not sure how possible this is but...

If I'm *downloading* a file (not streaming)... and I reach 100% complete.... it would be nice to be able to change the Media URL on my parcel without interruping currently playing movies.

I've got a script that allows users to 'toggle' between different media URL's - problem is - if someone comes into the room while a bunch of people are already watching a downloaded movie - and clicks the changer..... everyone's movie goes poof.

Having the Parcel Media URL be consumed only when 'PLAY' is invoked would solve this issue, I'd think