Complex ASX Files - Page 2

For those of you who only need your ASX file to pop up a video you can skip this section and go right on to embedding the video. For others that would like to learn about playlists, titles, copyright info, advertising insertion, banner ads and server failure protection please keep reading.

It should be noted that if you included any info about the title, copyright, clip names or author when encoding the file the information encoded with the file will override the metadata in the ASX file.

ASX metafiles are written using XML syntax. Let's take a look at a complex ASX file and then we can take it apart and examine the individual pieces.

<ASX version = "3.0">
 <TITLE>Title of the Show</TITLE>
<ABSTRACT>This text will show up as a Tooltip and
 in the Properties dialog box</ABSTRACT>
 <AUTHOR>Author</AUTHOR>
 <COPYRIGHT>2001 by Company</COPYRIGHT>
 <Entry>
  <Ref href = "mms://VideoServername/video.asf" />
  <Banner href="http://Servername/Path/Banner1.gif">
   <MoreInfo
   href="http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia" />
   <Abstract>Description of this clip</Abstract>
  </Banner>
 </Entry>
 <Entry>
  <Title>Markers Discussion</Title>
  <Copyright>2001 WDVL</Copyright>
  <Logo href = "http://servername/path/banner2.gif"
   Style = "ICON" />
  <MoreInfo
   href = "http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia">
     </MoreInfo>
  <Ref href = "mms://VideoServername/video3.asf" />
  <Ref href = "http:// VideoServername/video3.asf " />
  </Entry>
</ASX>

Elements Defined:

<TITLE> The title element shows up as Show: in the Windows Media Player when it is in "Classic Compact Mode". It should be noted that many of the elements do not display in "Classic Compact Mode".

<ABSTRACT> The abstract appears as a Tooltip when you leave the cursor over the Show: title for a few seconds. The abstract tag can be used to describe the TITLE or it can be used to describe a CLIP.

<AUTHOR> The author tag is reserved for the name of the person creating the file. It can also be used to contain additional information about the clip. It also appears under Properties.

<COPYRIGHT> The Copyright is a text string that shows up in the player window. It also appears under Properties.

<ENTRY> The Entry element is the basic element of the ASX metafile. The Entry element defines a single piece of content that will appear in the player. Multiple Entry elements can be used, multiple Entries are each a Clip.

Multiple Entries can be placed in order to create a Playlist. These elements will play sequentially.

<Entry><Ref href = "mms://Server/content/title1.asf" /></Entry>
<Entry><Ref href = "mms://Server/content/title2.asf" /></Entry>
<Entry><Ref href = "mms://Server/content/title3.asf" /></Entry>
<Entry><Ref href = "mms://Server/content/title4.asf" /></Entry>

<BANNER> With this element you can place an advertising banner (192 pixels x 34 pixels) image on the player at the bottom of the video display area in Full Mode. You can then add a hyperlink to the banner with a child element.

<MORE INFO HREF> The more info tag contains a URL link so that when the banner is clicked a browser window is launched and the user is taken to the URL. The MORE INFO tag can also be used in conjunction with the ENTRY tag so that when the video clip is clicked on it launches a browser.

<LOGO> This element can place a small (16 pixels x 16 pixels) GIF image next to the Title of the Show, or next to the Show status on Windows Media Player when in Full Mode. This graphic replaces the icon next to the Show title when placed in the main area of the metafile, and it replaces the graphic next to the Clip title when placed within an element.

Classic Compact Mode

Full Mode

Windows Media 7 is considerably more customizable than earlier players. Some modifications can be made to the player using the ASX files. Even more modifications can be made using Windows Media's new "skin" features. Skinning allows you to modify the look and feel of the player window using a XML based language.

Future generations of Windows Media will allow the developer greater control over the look and feel of the player as well as inserting need tags that increase advertising and ad insertion opportunities. Microsoft is very eager to help developers come up with new business models that allow them to make money with their video assets. Microsoft will of course take a small percentage off the top.

Windows Media Playback in a Web Page
Windows Media Playback in a Web Page
Embedding Video in a Web Page - Page 3