So this entry, I’m going to get a bit complicated. I was working on a project where administrators needed to upload Windows Media formatted videos (WMV), and wanted them converted to Flash video (FLV). This would duplicate what YouTube or GoogleVideo is currently doing. The browser would then use a Flash player to play the streamed videos. Also, I would need to capture a frame for the preview. I thought this tutorial might be a good resource for others that might be looking for this functionality for their affiliate sites, etc.

Now, I must discuss my environment a bit. This tutorial will cover Linux (specifically Gentoo Linux), using PHP and a Apache web server. Also, you will need some vital packages (ffmpeg-php, ffmpeg and flvtool2). I’m guessing that a few web hosts our there won’t have any of these packages available. This where the argument of getting a dedicated server or virtual server shines. If you had your own server you could install and configure it whatever way you want. I personally prefer dedicated servers. You can pickup dedicated hosting for approximately $100-$300/month depending on what server specifications you’re looking for. All of my servers are around the $150/month rate and work great for me.
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