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TUTORIAL: Playing Flash Video (FLV) files on the Pocket PC - is it possible?

I always receive questions regarding whether it’s possible to play Adobe/Macromedia Flash Video (FLV) files on the Pocket PC. Therefore, I’ve investigated the question of playing these files.
What are Flash videos?
To put it simply, there are two kinds of Flash-based videos: traditional Flash videos (also having the .swf extension) and enhanced videos having the .flv extension. The former isn’t really suited for Web-based distribution (it, for example, doesn’t support server-supported location change without fetching the entire clip first). The latter is almost exclusively used by large media distribution sites like Google Video or YouTube because of its technical superiority.
The Pocket PC and Flash videos
While .swf video files are played by almost all Pocket PC-based SWF players as can also be see for example in the article Playing Flash Content on the Pocket PC, playing the latter files on the Pocket PC is a lot more problematic.
Much as some people say the latest (version 7) Macromedia Player for Pocket PC, this will not help with the majority of the “production” Flash videos out there. Most of the videos (for example, the Google Video ones; the YouTube videos are said to be Flash 8+-only) are playable neither from remote locations nor from the local file system.
Note that NetFront 3.2/3.3 isn’t able to play these videos either as can be seen in this screenshot. Renaming them to SWF doesn’t help either – as is the case with the Adobe plug-in and PIE/IEM.
(For testing purposes, I’ve visited the Google Video archives (for example, this Shakira - Hips Don't Lie spoof video).)
Convert to be able to play!
You can, however, convert these files to a format digestible by , say, TCPMP, the best Pocket PC-based multimedia player. To do this, download for example Total Video Converter. Download, install and start it; drop the input FLV file in the “Task list” list (it’s in the upper left region), choose MPEG4 Video in the Mobile group and click the Convert Now button; the conversion will start. The output file will be created in the C:\Program Files\Total Video Converter\Converted directory. Note that you’ll also need the AAC codec for the sound of these files to be played; please read this thread on getting and installing it. If you don't want to install it, go for another output format.
Alternatively, you may want to use the free (!) Mencoder as is described here.
Note that some people also recommend the free Super by eRightSoft. Some other people, however, say it's causing synchronization problems.
Finally, you may also want to give a try to the commercial Replay Converter by applian technologies. The homepage of the developer is also worth checking out because they are also offering Replay A/V, which can also help in downloading FLV files (in addition to, say, YouTube, Google Video etc. videos) directly off the Web, in case you don't want to manually look for videos in the browser cache.
Also note that you’ll want to read Playing Flash Content on the Pocket PC on the secrets of acquiring FLV files if they are residing on a Web server like Google Video (if you don't want to go for the above-linked Replay A/V).
Also note that the quality of the resulting video file will be really inferior to that of the source.
Other discussions of this question
AximSite
FlashForum.de
Recommended generic article on Flash & PPC
Playing Flash Content on the Pocket PC
UPDATE (10/24/2006): there is a brand new, free service here allowing for online FLI -> MP4 / 3GP conversions, which, then, can be played with both TCPMP and CorePlayer. Please also see the comments section in here for more info.
I also recommend the following discussions of this article: AximSite; PPCT. I've also elaborated on whether alternate Pocket PC browsers are able to play YouTube videos here. A worthy PPCT discussion of the latter article can be found here.

UPDATE (12/16/2006): if you want to save / convert YouTube / Google Video videos on the PC as easily as possible, make sure you give the free (!) vDownloader a try (current version: 0.3 alpha). Also make sure you read the comments under my blog post here. There is an interesting article here on the manual conversion; you may also want to check it out for a tutorial. Finally, I also recommend this PPCT news item for an Orb-based solution.

you can play flv also with ppc version of vlc without conversion.
But it is a very buggy application and there is no developer at the moment for the pocket pc port. It even has problems with the flv container. if you copy the flv video stream (again without any conversion) in an avi container, the latest nigthly build (from february 2006) of vlc for pocket pc plays it flawlessly.
Maybe someone here gets attracted to compile the latest build of vlc for ppc and work on it a little.

How exactly do you stream a video file into another container.
I really hope someone would pick up the thread on the developement of VLC for PocketPC. It's a great player. And now TCPMP is no longer under development, VLC would make a nice alternative. (not that TCPMP doesn't get me by).

You can download Adobe Flash 7 for PPC which has worked with the latest youtube videos here. A bit jerky, but not bad.
Device: HTC TyTN

keethar said:
How exactly do you stream a video file into another container.
I really hope someone would pick up the thread on the developement of VLC for PocketPC. It's a great player. And now TCPMP is no longer under development, VLC would make a nice alternative. (not that TCPMP doesn't get me by).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now a more than a year has passed since the last nightly build...
Hope some developper picks it up...

UPDATE (04/02/2007):
the brand new, 8.65 version of the great Windows Mobile Web browser Opera Mobile is able to directly play back YouTube videos (if you do install the standard, free (!) Macromedia (Adobe) Flash 7 plug-in in addition to Opera Mobile). See "YouTube support?" row in the comparison chart of my forthcoming Windows Mobile Web Browsing Bible for some real screenshots. Also note that I've posted screenshots of the latest alternative Web browsers (including, unfortunately, even PIE in WM6) NOT being compatible with YouTube. Do check the screenshots out - and remember: I'll publish the Windows Mobile Web Browsing Bible really soon!
Another great piece of news: YouTube Mobile is slated to launch in May / June as is stated at engadget. Also see this PPCT thread.
There is another online converter service to convert videos online without having to have access to a desktop computer (which is a very bad problem with the ORB-based approach), making watching YouTube videos comparatively easy (albeit not as good as with Opera Mobile 8.65 or the forthcoming, above-mentioned YouTube Mobile). Also see this thread for a complete explanation of the process.

I had a really good read on this, very detail, and very useful information.
Thanks.

You're welcome
BTW, here are the YouTube tests: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=301009

thanks for info, great article and updates.
Young

A new article on playing back YouTube:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=1298093
A new article on the latest Opera Mobile / NetFront versions:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=310637
Do check them out. They also contain extensive MS Smartphone-related info; something I’ll even more generally address in a later Smartphone Web Browsing Bible.

PC based youtube downloads for mobile devices?

Some of the Youtube downloads via Realplayer download manager don't play on ppc players like TCPMP and Coreplayer, I presume it is because they are flash 8?
Is there an on-line Youtube downloader which simultaneously converts the file into the correct format to play on PPCs with minimal loss of quality? It would be great if it had a search function online too. I have tried sites like mobytube but this one doesn't:
a) The search doesn't return all the available videos that you would see in Youtube website.
b) lets the user download all the ones that have been returned in the search.

WVD made by one of the forum members here is pretty awesome. You can also get a plug in to play flv on TCPMP. My phone is a lowly 200mhz model and it can play them fine. A lot of the sites listed in WVD also have a 3gp option for downloading, though they are usually at lower quality. The .72 (NOT .8x) version of TCPMP can play FLV4 (youtube "hd") movies with a plugin but it was nowhere near watchable on my phone. Would play a second and stop, play a second and stop, etc... My phone lacked the horse power.

Also read http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=387986

STREAM .mp4 Videos

Hey guys have you ever clicked on a .mp4 or .m4v (iPhone video/website) link on opera mobile or IE and notice that it starts to download!?
well how do I make it so it will stream the video with Coreplayer instead of downloading the file?
it seem like a very common thing that the iPhone and Android do but not WINDOWS MOBILE!?
so any toughts will be highly apriciated, maybe editing the opera registry or so somethig??
thanks
BTW I've searched EVERYWHERE and cant seem to find a solution for this

ARE YOU SERIOUS GUYS!? NO! one

STREAMING
Im in the same boat your in and nobody has an answer...i hate downloading it should stream like tyhe other phones do....somebody help!!!!

It's not that hard; what you need to do is look in your PIE cache for the file that starts the stream up. If you use the streams at TodayPda.com, for instance, you will find .asx files dumped for each stream you used. Just copy them to a folder on your sd card, then go to the file associations tabs in tcpmp's settings and check the box for metafiles. Then, you can open the stream up in tcpmp by clicking on the .asx file. If you go to shoutcast, a file called "tunein-station.pls" is dumped (I think in PIE it may ask if you want it downloaded, otherwise it's in the cache). You need to copy it and rename it (as all stations use the same file name). As long as .pls files are associated with tcpmp, then clicking on these files will open up tcpmp.
If you're talking about links that just download the entire video, you seriously have a problem with that? I'd call that a bonus, myself. The files usually download faster than they stream, and the video quality is better and you can watch them offline as much as you want. A lot of the 'streaming' vids that you see aren't really streaming, anyway. Somewhere on your device, a temporary file is being dumped and once the dump start, you start to view it. If you watch youtube videos over PIE, that's how it works. When the video is fully loaded, you can go to \windows\temp, and there will be a .tmp file that is the actual video.

streaming
wow now u know a whole.lot...definitely gonna try that but what would be ideal is clicking on a video or link and to watch it streaming just like in an iPhone. that is what we are looking for...is there a EASIER way???????????

I get what you guys are sayingand I knew that info already (not trying to be rude)
HOWEVER
I'm currently thinking of building a website for streaming media not to download as some people would rather have the option of streaming the Videos.
I have SEARCHED months for Tv series to movies, something like south park family guy, House, law&order to many more. Some complete series other movies Ready for WVGA devices and more newer type off phones.
All together comes to thousands of GB worth of media. so NO! CRAPPY 3gp quality as there are many website already like that so its most in https mp4 not rtsp.
anyways I'm still thinking about it as everything should be Ondemand and FREE! ( with some ads )
I was thinking something like:
www.HD2media.mobi

you could code an app that sets off the video stream (no idea how though )

tuppaacc said:
I get what you guys are sayingand I knew that info already (not trying to be rude)
HOWEVER
I'm currently thinking of building a website for streaming media not to download as some people would rather have the option of streaming the Videos.
I have SEARCHED months for Tv series to movies, something like south park family guy, House, law&order to many more. Some complete series other movies Ready for WVGA devices and more newer type off phones.
All together comes to thousands of GB worth of media. so NO! CRAPPY 3gp quality as there are many website already like that so its most in https mp4 not rtsp.
anyways I'm still thinking about it as everything should be Ondemand and FREE! ( with some ads )
I was thinking something like:
www.HD2media.mobi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...Still keepin an eye out 4 ur spectacular HD2 site......

Streaming video from my PC?

is there an application that will allow me to stream video files(regardless of file type) to my android phone?

Yes,
Check out iStream on the market..
It, along with an accompanying jar server, allow a few streaming/conversion solutions.. Supporting most codecs/containers..
Basically, if you direct the app to play an mp4 stored on the pc, it'll stream it, without reencode, and works pretty well, except for limited controls, and no scaling for aspect ratio..
If you choose, say, an Xvid (or rather, anything else) encoded avi, you can either queue the file to be converted remotely (the .jar can use the handbrake cli) or you can attempt to convert/stream on the fly.. which too, works.. but isn't perfect.
For conversion jobs, you're given a list of appropriate bitrates for audio/video, but i'm personally waiting for support for custom handbrake parameters.
I think there is a free version of the client, I paid (out of curiosity) before there was a free version, so i dont know about 'trial' limitations, and there have been a few updates since i last used it.. but it's the best option i've found, and things can only get better.

You can use ffmpeg and ffserver on the PC to do this too. The combination of them can transcode any video into H.264BP that your phone can play over rtsp://.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=6495551&postcount=8

I wonder when TVversity will hit android.
Would be nice to stream movie from home's PC into your phone in some place with Wifi.

[Q] How to play video and music on android from network share?

I can't find the answer and please believe me, I'VE SEARCHED.
I have 2 Android phones in my house (HTC Aria & Samsung Captivate)
I have an Ubuntu 10.10 desktop behind my TV with a 1TB external usb drive.
the drive has 3 shared folders (videos, music, pictures) and it's shared for everyone, full control (I know "full control" is windows talk but I'm a wintel sys admin so linux guys should know what I mean)
I have downloaded and install Astro on the phones with the SMB add on and browse to the shared folders successfully but I can't find any media apps that will let me watch, play or view any of the files across the wifi network.
It seems like for all of them (default video player and rockervideo, etc.) everything has to be on the local sd card for it to play on the phones.
Help! please?
I know Orb.com and I think it is a FANTASTIC solution (FOR WINDOWS DESKTOP PC's), but it will measure your network speed and lower the quality accordingly for slow connections. Oh yea.. and I'm using an Ubuntu desktop. So orb is out.
I just want to play the file straight from the network share.
I read someone used something called cifs to mount the network shared folder to a blank folder on the sd card. (that's a whole lot of linux talk to windows guy) Can someone explain that to me please? Is that like mapping a network drive in windows? Will that work for what I want to do?

Bump...
(any info gratefully received)

I have also been playing around with this. I attempted to utilize the DLNA technology but have yet to have any success. I also agree with what you said about Orb. It's decent for desktop streaming, but for our mobile devices, it just sucks.

SlyDogJeff77 said:
I read someone used something called cifs to mount the network shared folder to a blank folder on the sd card. (that's a whole lot of linux talk to windows guy) Can someone explain that to me please? Is that like mapping a network drive in windows? Will that work for what I want to do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yup, is like mapping a network drive (i'm a windows guy)
you need a compatible cifs.ko module for your devices, im a galaxy s user
here
here
Cifs Manager

reverendkjr said:
I have also been playing around with this. I attempted to utilize the DLNA technology but have yet to have any success. I also agree with what you said about Orb. It's decent for desktop streaming, but for our mobile devices, it just sucks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've managed to get DLNA to stream MP3 via Wifi on my Milestone 2. I've installed TVersity on a server PC that's always on and pointed it at my MP3 collection (which happens to be on another PC), and the DLNA app supplied on my phone picks it up and plays the stuff just fine. Obviously, it's a bit more involved than just playing the files directly from a share, but it doesn't require any messing around with the phone.
Cheers,
Steve.

Hello guys,
I want the same thing as you, now I have 2 NAS devices in my house where I have the music and videos, but I intend to build one Low Power PC (~30W - 40W) and keep everything there and few other things too like a fax PCI card and some security camera capture card.
I was thinking on buying some cheap tablets with Android OS to be able to play the music wirelessly in any room (of course, with the help of some speakers, not the build in tablet speakers) but couldn't find until now a way to do this. Now as I found this post I installed 2Player Network Music on my wife Android Phone, to test it out. I will try to find a DLNA server, for now to install it on my Windows PC , but I want to put it in the new NAS PC I want to build, I will have a LINUX distribution installed, don't know yet which one.
For music only, did you had any problems on playing streamed music from LAN ?

Hi, ppl.
I steel haven't solution for video, but for audio I use DAAP-protocol.
For android I use http://www.appbrain.com/app/daap-media-player/org.mult.daap
A lot of DAAP solutions for windows and linux to stream audio on demand.

Hi guys again!
I have the greatest news!!!
I have found Buzz Player! It's payed app, but it works great!!!!
Moment ago I have checked it on my desire hd! It works!!!
I am going to install on galaxy tab of my wife
Good luck!

Don't know if this is much help, but there is an app called VLC direct which lets you stream from or to an android device. The video quality isn't brilliant but this could just be my rubbish router.

Noodled24 said:
Don't know if this is much help, but there is an app called VLC direct which lets you stream from or to an android device. The video quality isn't brilliant but this could just be my rubbish router.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But you need a VLC Server. Doesn't work with a NAS.

BSPlayer Lite
I had the exact same problem. No decent player for SMB/network shares of video files. My home NAS (Synology) has no way of running the windows-only software that many of the video streaming software requires.
I recently discovered BSPlayer Lite (apparently a pro version is on the way), and it does exactly what we were looking for: plays media from a network share with no conversion or special server-side software required. It works amazingly great, and I was able to stream to my phone (HTC Thunderbolt) via my G wifi network. No stuttering or issues seen so far. It doesn't always read the subtitle information properly, but that could be my own fault somehow. I haven't tested it much, but I was able to watch several videos last night with no problems.
And the ads really aren't bad at all. I've only seen them when navigating a menu, but not while a video is playing.
Here is a link to the app, and a list of its features (I'm a new member, so excuse the funky link, as it won't let me post the full thing):
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bsplayer.bspandroid.free&hl=en
Main features:
- Hardware accelerated video playback - increases speed and reduces battery consumption*
- Support for almost all media files (video and audio player), such as: avi, divx, flv, mkv, mov, mpg, mts, mp4, m4v, rmvb, wmv, 3gp, mp3... and streaming content such as RTMP, RTSP, MMS (tcp, http), HTTP Live stream, HTTP.
- Multiple audio streams and subtitles.
- Playlist support and various playback modes.
- External and embedded subtitles ssa/ass, srt, sub...
- Find subtitles automatically (mobile data or wi-fi must be enabled to work)
- Playback media files such as videos and mp3's directly via Wi-Fi from your LAN shared drives/folders (such as external USB drives, SMB shares, PC shared folders, NAS servers (Synology and others)) - no need to convert video files and copy media files to SD card anymore!
- Playback files directly from uncompressed RAR files and much more!
This package includes support for ARMv7 with VFP and NEON. For other CPU types please download appropriate package. Application will notify you which package you need.
BSPlayer lite version is ad-supported application. Pro version without advertisements will be available soon.

works for me!
Es file explorer lets you view your lan and select servers, view files ect. play your videos and audio from there. save locations for frequent use. handy free tool
if you just want to play your video BSplayer lite will do just that, Set it lan mode and navigate through your net work.
both support user name and password protected storage
hope that helps

hi hi.. use phone can connect pc it's oke..

Thanks for your suggestions..
I will try out ES File Player and BSBPlayer
Any new programs which you can recommend?

There's an app on Google Play called Vidnal that streams audio and video from a network share - play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mu.vidnal