How to View a Video
This chapter discusses how to view a video and to use the player controls in the Video Portal. Related video content is also discussed.
Follow any of the three methods below to start viewing a video (see Figure 4-1):
1. Double-click on a video in the Playlist, Program Guide, or Search Results lists to play the video.
2. Single-click on a video in the available video listing to expand the Preview Pane and watch the preview video and access more information about the video. From the Preview Pane, click on the Play Video button to play the video.
3. Click the Play Video button in the Interstitial displayed in the Video Playback area.
Figure 4-1 Three Methods to Start Playing a Video
Basic Video Playback Controls
Once a video begins playing in the Video Playback area, the Basic Video Playback Controls will appear at the bottom of the Video Playback area (see Figure 4-2).
Basic Video Playback Controls
Use the Basic Video Playback Controls to help control viewing the video (see Figure 4-3). Each Basic Control is described below:
•Progress Bar (Flash Version Only Template)—Located on the left side of the Basic Video Playback Controls, the Progress Bar indicates the progress of the playing video. This feature is only available in the Flash Only template. The Progress Bar is not shown in the Windows Media, QuickTime or Real Player templates.
Note The striped progress bar indicates the amount of Flash video that has been downloaded onto your browser. Once the download is complete, you will have the ability to advance through the video without re-buffering the connection.
•Run Time Display—Also located on the left side of the Basic Video Playback Controls is the Run Time Display. This displays how long the video has already played relative to the total duration of the video.
•Play/Pause—Click the Pause button, denoted by the common Pause symbol, to pause the currently playing video. Click the Play button, denoted by the common Play button, to resume playback of a paused video.
•Fast Forward (Flash Only Template)—Clicking this button will move the video playback forward in approximately four second increments. Holding the button will continuously fast forward the video playback until the end of the video is reached or until the button is released.
•Rewind (Flash Only Template)—Clicking this button will move the video playback backward approximately four (4) seconds. Holding the button will continuously rewind the video playback until the beginning of the video is reached or the button is no longer pressed.
•Volume Control—Located on the right side of the Basic Video Playback Controls, the Volume Control allows you to set the volume level via the slide bar, mute the volume, and restore the volume.
•Video Options—Placing or rolling your mouse over the Video Options area will expand the Advanced Video Controls panel.
Components of the Basic Video Playback Controls
Advanced Video Controls
During video playback, placing or rolling your mouse over the Video Options of the Basic Video Playback Controls will display the Advanced Video Controls in an expandable and collapsible pane (see Figure 4-4).
Advanced Video Controls
Each component of the Advanced Video Controls is described below (see Figure 4-5):
•Full Screen—This feature allows you to expand the video to occupy the entire width and height of your screen. Clicking the Full Screen button, denoted by the magnifying glass icon, expands the video viewing area to full screen. To exit the Full Screen mode and return to viewing the video in the Video Portal, press Esc on your keyboard or click on the Down Arrow located at the top right-hand corner of the screen.
Note The Esc key is required in the Flash/Windows Media and the Flash/Real Player templates. The Flash Only template will contain the Down Arrow button. Full screen mode is not supported in the Flash/QuickTime template.
•Previous (Playlist play only)—This functionality is only available when the video currently playing video is playing is accessed from the Featured Playlist or My Playlist area. The previous button, denoted by the Left Arrow, allows you to move to the previous video in the playlist. Clicking on this button will launch the video that immediately precedes the video currently playing video in the playlist.
• Next (Playlist play only)—This functionality is only available when the video currently playing is accessed from the Featured Playlist or My Playlist area. The Next button, denoted by the right arrow, allows you to move to the next video in the playlist. Clicking on this button will launch the video that immediately follows the video currently playing in the playlist.
•Restart—Clicking this button will restart the currently playing video.
•Stop—Clicking this button will stop the currently playing video and transition to the interstitial sequence.
Figure 4-5 Components of the Advanced Video Controls
The Supplemental Video Information
Videos can be accompanied by additional related content and information. This additional content will be accessible once a Video is already invoked for playback.
How to Access the Supplemental Video Information
A Video's Supplemental Information can only be viewed while the video is being played.
To access the supplemental video information, follow these steps:
Step 1 Play a Video using one of the methods described in "How to View a Video" section.
Step 2 Click on the Video Info link at the upper right corner of the video playback area (see Figure 4-6).
Accessing the Supplemental Video Information
This will pause the video and display the supplemental information.
Step 3 To resume video playback, click on the Hide Info link at the upper right corner of the video playback area or on the Play button of the Basic Video Playback Controls (see Figure 4-7).
Figure 4-7 Hiding the Supplemental Video Information
Supplemental Video Information Details
The Supplemental Video Information is organized into three subsections: Overview, Downloads, and Related Info. Each subsection is described below.
•Overview—The Overview subsection is very similar to the Preview Pane (see Figure 4-8). It provides general overview information about the video and the ability to add the video to My Playlist.
The Overview subsection contains the following elements:
–A preview video window
–The duration of the video
–Add to/Remove from My Playlist link
–The date the video was added to the Video Portal
–The video title
–The complete video description broken into navigable pages
Supplemental Video Information - Overview
•Downloads—The Downloads subsection provides a list of downloadable files associated with the video (see Figure 4-9). The files are broken into selectable pages.
Each file lists the following information:
A link to download Adobe Acrobat Reader is also provided.
When you click on a downloadable file, your system should prompt you to either Save or Open the file, or it may launch a new browser window.
Figure 4-9 Supplemental Video Information - Downloads
The Related Information subsection provides both related videos and external Web links (see Figure 4-10):
•Related Videos—Related Videos are links to related video contained within the Video Portal. Selecting one of these links will open the preview pane with the corresponding video information and launch the video in the video playback area.
•External Web Links— External Web Links are links that point to related Web sites for the currently playing video. Selecting one of these links will open the Web site in a new window.
Figure 4-10 Supplemental Video Information - Related Info