There has been some threads in user forum about the connection error which learners get in Slide Video. I got a chance to closely analyze many of these specific issues and in all the cases it turned out to be server configuration problems.
Some background Info: When you insert video into Captivate as Slide Video, it by default is configured to be progressive download. All you need to do is publish the project and upload the entire publish folder to the server – Some cases just a web server (IIS, Apache etc) and other cases to an LMS. In both these cases, slide video is supposed to work well – you should not be seeing a “connection error” message.
You don’t need to do any more specific changes in your captivate project to get Slide Video working. However some users were continually getting this “connection error”. All these has been due to server (web server or LMS) configuration issues. These things help you correct this:
- Make sure your server allows hosting and downloading FLV / F4V files. Here we see some specific setting required for Win 2003 server (though this has nothing to do with Captivate).
- You can verify whether your server setting is OK by using any FLV player like this. The URL will be http://<your_server>/<your_publish_folder>/<yourflv>.flv. This way you can test whether the server can serve FLV files at least outside captivate SWF.
- You can freely check whether your SCORM package is correctly working with video on scorm.com (here). If this works then it is time you talk to your LMS vendor.
- Lastly you need to talk to your LMS / Server vendor regarding video hosting. I have specifically seen situations where the LMS vendor has to change configuration to allow video.
I am getting the “connection error” message, only during the slide video slide, of a captivate movie hosted on my Intranet. To be clear, only that video slide fails (it keeps the same timing and resumes the traditional demo/mouse clicking parts without an issue). The weird part is that I am the only one getting this “connection error” message and I am the one that created the captivate movies. As they are hosted now on my Intranet, many other unrelated workstations work fine, but my system (the one on which they were created) gets the “connection error” message (only on the slide video slides of an otherwise perfect captivate movie).
What could possibly be the issue here? How am I the only one that can’t see the slide video correctly? We have tested 10+ other workstations in different departments around our enterprise.
OK — all 4 of these things now officially check out fine, and still no video. Maybe the slide video has a setting somewhere to link either relative or absolute to the video file, and it defaults to absolute? I can’t find any such setting though…does anyone have any ideas?
To me a “connection error” message suggests that it is trying and failing to find the video. Found the spot to enter a URL to the video under Video Management. Made sure video lived right next to the SWF in the published folder. Still doesn’t work.
I have spent two days troubleshooting this with our IT dept, the LMS vendor, and the Adobe forums. We have checked IIS server MIME settings and all the rest. If Adobe reps read this forum for purposes other than to assert that an issue “isn’t an issue,” I’d sure appreciate their help right about now.
I am having exactly this problem. I have done suggestions #2 and #3 and those check out just fine. I have our server guy looking into step #1 and our LMS vendor looking into step #4. Stay tuned…
So what happens when the video is in the same folder as the rest of the published files, but not yet in a web server, just in a file server? How do I point the URL then?
Connection error message happens due to Captivate not able to load the video from server.
If you are using progressive download, then just uploading the entire publish folder(yes, including videos) to web server would do. Captivate uses the relative path internally and would load the video. This is all possible only if it is a web-server (Progressive download is NOT at all possible from file server – neither ftp or windows file share).
If it is Streaming (RTMP), then the entire RTMP:// URL needs to fed into Captivate and ensure that video is in deed available at the part and stream-able.
Thanks a lot. I understand the problem now.
So what is my choice for inserting a video and playing the files from a file server?
–JC
You cannot if the file is not reachable through an HTTP or RTMP URL.
This is a technology limitation where the Progressive Download and Streaming (two ways to deliver video) dont work on FTP or other file share means.
I don’t understand step 2. I have downloaded the flv player linked in step 2 but it seems to be for conversion. I don’t know where I enter the URL to my F4V file to test my server settings. If I enter that address into IE it gives me the download/open message. No option to stream even with the player installed.
Can you give a bit more direction?
Thanks,
Aimee
You can install “Applian FLV Player” (and not the FreeCoder). This will help FLV links.
Any thoughts on a connection error with slide video that happens only in firefox. I can view everything in IE and Chrome… and I can view the non-video elements in Firefox… but the video always gives the connection error in Firefox. All browsers mentioned are latest versions and Flash has been updated.
Hey Don Townsend,
how did you solve the firefox problem?
greets,
Melli
Hi Melli,
No I never did solve this issue exactly, but knowing what I know now about firefox and proprietary video formats I have to wonder if that was part of the issue. In the end I just went down the road of recommending a different browser.
Cheers,
Don
I feel like just using Adobe Flash to create my Video content. Sorry this is ridiculous as this was supposed ot be one of the main advantages of using Captivate 5.5.
There is no issue with inserting Slide video in #AdobeCaptivate. This blog post was to help customers who were having difficulty in inserting slide video- they received ‘Connection errors’ due to server configuration problems and incorrect URLs. The 4 steps mentioned in the post help you test your server settings and host the slide video.
But there is a URL formatting bug in the ‘insert FLV object’ workflow. This other blog post provides a workaround for the same: https://elearning.adobe.com/2011/03/workaround-for-video-streaming-issues-in-captivate.html
Hello,
I had the message “connection error” using my LMS. The flv was ok, I could read it easely.
I discover that an “é” (french accent letter) in the video flv file name was causing the trouble.
So my advice is to name video and other object with simple file name without special letter in the file name.
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