Video Backgrounds

How to prepare videos for video background distribution:

You will need the following applications: Handbrake (https://handbrake.fr/), Miro Video Converter (http://www.mirovideoconverter.com/), Access to an Amazon S3 (or other CDN)

1. Download the video files to your computer
2. For web distribution, you MUST have both an MP4 version, and a WEBM version of the video file. Instructions below show how to create these
3. Run the source files through Handbrake - I usually use the "Apple TV 2" pre-set, and un-check the "Large File Size" option and check the "optimize for web" option. These are your MP4 file versions. You can also make the files significantly more compressed by changing the speed to "placebo" mode.
4. Once you've run the files through Handbrake, you need to run the produced files through Miro to create WEBM versions. Drop the files from Handbrake into the Miro interface, then choose Format > Video > Webm HD. Make sure to use the files created from Handbrake, not the original source videos.
5. Run the converter - that will make all of the WEBM file versions that you need.
6. Next, upload all of the created files to an Amazon S3 account (you can use WB's), into a bucket setup for the client. Don't put all videos in one WB bucket... You login to the console as http://console.aws.amazon.com. Once logged in, choose "S3" under content storage & delivery, then navigate into (or create) a bucket for the client.
7. Once the files are uploaded, you MUST make the files public using the Amazon S3 Console. Right-click on the file and choose "make public"
8. Next, you MUST change the MIME type of the WEBM files on Amazon through the Console to "video/webm" - this setting can be found by right-clicking the file in the viewer, clicking "Properties," then expanding the "Metadata" drawer on the right side, and manually typing in the MIME type entry video/webm. Also. do NOT change the MIME type of the MP4 files.
9. To get the URL of the prepared video, right-click on a file, choose "Properties" - the "link" attribute that shows up in the right-hand drawer is the URL for the file.