Silverlight for Web Hosting Companies

1. Silverlight for Web Hosting Companies Michael S. Scherotter Microsoft Corporation mischero@microsoft.com

2. What is Silverlight? • Cross Browser: Safari, FireFox, Internet Explorer • Cross Platform: Mac, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and now Suse Linux (Moonlight) • XML-based graphics, animation, audio, video, and events (XAML) scripted with JavaScript • Integrates with Web Servers via AJAX design patterns

3. Demo

4. What do Web Hosting Companies Need to Know? • Media Formats • Streaming vs. Progressive Download • MIME Types • Integrating with Web Analytics • Integrating with Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) • Additional Services around RIA Construction

5. Media Formats: Video • WMV1: Windows Media Video 7 • WMV2: Windows Media Video 8 • WMV3: Windows Media Video 9 • WMVA: Windows Media Video Advanced Profile, non-VC-1 • WMVC1: Windows Media Video Advanced Profile, VC-1 • + Multiple Bit Rate (MBR)

6. Media Formats: Audio • WMA 7: Windows Media Audio 7 • WMA 8: Windows Media Audio 8 • WMA 9: Windows Media Audio 9 • MP3: ISO/MPEG Layer-3 – see Silverlight SDK for additional detail

7. Media Formats: Encoding • Use Expression Encoder • Has command-line interface so it can be scripted as part of a media workflow • Encode from .3g2 .mod .3gp .mov .asf .mp4 .avi .mpeg .dv .mpg .dvr-ms .ts .m2v .vob .m4v .wmv .aiff .m4A m4B bwf mp3 wav wma • Use Windows Media Encoder • Use any other encoder that creates supported formats

8. Streaming vs. Progressive Download • Progressive Download • Put a media file on any server – vanilla hosting • Can only view content that’s been download so far • Cannot monitor consumption from server • Streaming • On demand/live media • Can monitor consumption from server • Windows Media Server – IIS Add-on • Random-access: Can fast forward/move around content immediately

9. MIME Types • You must at the MIME type for XAML to the website configuration to support Silverlight • .XAML = application/xaml+xml

10. Integrating with Web Analytics • Measuring the performance of your website with respect to business goals. • Most web analytics services use JavaScript page tags • JavaScript page tags can be triggered by Silverlight events • Scenarios: • Track user interaction behavior • Track media drop-off with progressive download

11. Web Analytics: User Interaction • Analytics can be introduced at any stage of the web development process • With compiled RIA formats, analytics must be introduced before design is created. • Add Event handlers that then call page tags

12. Web Analytics: Media Drop-Off • Use invisible media markers every 5 seconds inserted in media when it is initially loaded. • Media markers trigger JavaScript events • JavaScript events call page tags

13. Web Analytics: A/B Testing • Design in XAML is separated from the code in JavaScript • Very easy to try different XAML in controlled tests • Upcoming webinar on Silverlight + Web Analytics • Tuesday, Oct 16 2007, 11:00 AM PST • Detail on my blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/synergist

14. Integrating with CDNs • What should be on CDNs? • Images • Video • Audio • What shouldn’t be on CDNs? • XAML • Cross-domain access security issues • Microsoft is working on a solution

15. Additional Services around Silverlight • RIA Design & Development using Expression Blend • Media Encoding using Expression Encoder • Media Storage

16. Resources • Silverlight Community: http://silverlight.net • My Blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/synergist • Thank You! • Michael S. Scherotter • mischero@microsoft.com