Entering the location of an audiovisual file
Enter the internet address (the URL) of the multimedia file that you wish to edit using the Virtual Cutter in the field 'Enter the url to the streaming file:'. The Internet address can be found by clicking the right mouse button in your browser on the hyperlink you are using to play the file. A menu will appear, in which you can select "Copy Shortcut" (Internet Explorer) or "Copy Link Location" (/FirefoxNetscape). Then paste the copied address into the address field.
You then select a player from the list below the address field. In most cases you are dependent on the choices made by the website manager. If you are in doubt about which player to choose, open the file on the website first: you will see which player is launched to play the file. The table below provides details about the various choices:
| Automatic |
[The selections below may differ]
Files with the extension RM, RA, RMVB and RAM are played using the Real Player. Files with the extension ASF, WMV and WMA and ASX are played using the Windows Media Player. Files with the extension MOV en MP4 are played using the Quicktime Player. MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 files (MPG, MP3, MPA) are played using the Kasenna Broadband Player. |
| RealPlayer | The file is played in the Real Player. |
| Windows Media Player | The file is played in the Windows Media Player. |
| Quicktime MoviePlayer | The file is played in the Quicktime MoviePlayer. |
| Kasenna Broadband | The file is played in the Kasenna Broadband Player. |
Finally click the button 'Open the Virtual Cutter'. The editing screen will open. This allows you to make a selection from the audiovisual file.
Which Internet addresses can be entered?
There are some limitations to the Internet addresses that the Virtual Cutter can edit:
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The file needs to be in a format that is supported by the Virtual Cutter
Supported file formats are:Real Media RM, RA, RMVB, RAM. MP3, MPG, MP4 Windows Media ASF, WMV, WMA, WMP, ASX, MP3 Quicktime MOV, MP4 Kasenna Broadband Player MPG, MP3, MPA -
Metafiles
Besides Internet addresses referring to an audiovisual file, the Virtual Cutter can also edit addresses that refer to a metafile. A metafile is a textfile that contains a reference to one or multiple multimedia files. The Virtual Cutter can process RAM, WMP and ASX metafiles. The first reference to a multimedia file that is found in the metafile is opened in the Cutter; the other references are ignored. See also the examples.
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HTML, SMIL and other files
You can also enter URLs for HTML files. The Virtual Cutter analyses the file for references to streaming files. If these are found, one or two tables with probable references to streaming files are shown on the screen. You can test these references first, and open them in the Virtual Cutter later. The same applies to SMIL files (with the extension .smi or .smil), and to some other files that do not refer directly to a streaming file.
Retrieving an Internet address
If an Internet address cannot be opened by the Virtual Cutter (for instance because it does not refer directly to an audiovisual file, but to a cgi-script), you can try to save the file onto your harddisk. If the file has the extension ASX, WMP or RAM (a metafile), you can open it in a word processor and look for a direct reference to an audiovisual file.
Procedure:
- In the browser click the right mouse button on the hyperlink used to play the file you wish to open in the Virtual Cutter. Select "Save Target As..." (Internet Explorer) or "'Save Link Target As..." (Netscape).
- A dialog will appear in which you can select the folder in which you wish to save the file. Save the file in C:\TEMP or in any directory of your choice.
- Open Notepad (for instance using the Windows Start menu: Start > Programs > Accessories > NotePad).
- In Notepad open the file that you have just saved.
- Look for the reference to the multimedia file in the file,
copy this reference and paste it into the address field on the input
screen of the Virtual Cutter.
Below you will find two examples.
If you follow the steps described above you can retrieve the address of the multimedia file.
- Laatste Journaal (Real Player, RAM file)
The relevant reference in this file is:
rtsp://streams3.omroep.nl/tv/nos/journaal/bb.laatste.rm
- GigaMAN (Windows Media Player, ASX file)
ASX files have a content that is somewhat more complex. Look for the 'tag'ref, and copy the value of the href parameter.
The relevant reference in this file is:
mms://wmvstream.surfnet.nl/a/av-user-surfnet/assets/12546/gigaman-wm-high.wmv
Remarks:
1. Sometimes you can retrieve the proper location in the player itself. To do so, first open the file in a stand-alone player (not in the Virtual Cutter). Use the menu to view the properties of the file (in Windows Media Player this can be done, for instance, using File|Properties. The relevant URL is the value for the property location). Copy the location and paste it into the input screen of the Cutter.
2. The reference in the metafile may be a relative address, in which case the address contains a '.' or a '..' A '.' means: the same folder, a '..' means: the parent folder. You can derive the full address of the reference from the address of the metafile.
For example: if the metafile "http://www.example.nl/video/play.ram" contains the reference "rtsp://./example.mpg", this audiovisual file's full address is: "rtsp://www.example.nl/video/example.mpg".3. Sometimes it is not possible to save the target of a hyperlink as a file. This is the case, for instance, if the hyperlink is embedded in a Flash animation. In this case it is probably impossible to retrieve the file's Internet address, unless you ask the author of the website.
4. If you wish to edit an audiovisual file that is played using a player embedded in a webpage, you may be able to retrieve the address by right-clicking in the player. The menu that appears probably contains the option "Properties". Select it and see if the Internet address is shown. You can also view the webpage's source code and look for the Internet address.