FAQ
From Fliqz FAQ
Media files
What types of media files do you accept?
Fliqz encodes the video and audio files listed below.
Video
.avi, .dv, .mov, .qt, .mpeg, .mpg, .mp4, .3gp, .asf, .wmv, .flv, .3g2
Audio
.mp3, .m4a, .wav, .wma, QCELP, AMR-NB, .mod
What file types do you produce?
After uploading to Fliqz, a video or audio file is encoded into
- A Flash Video (FLV) file containing the (video or audio) asset.
- A collection of zero or more thumbnail images. These are only produced for video files since audio files contain no visual content.
What is the maximum file size I can upload?
In general, files up to 300 MB may be uploaded.
Do you support HD?
Yes, Fliqz accepts HD (more properly H.264) formatted files. However, Fliqz encodes these files into, and displays these files in, Flash Video format, which may lead to some reduction in quality. This reduction in quality is noticeable only when playing the video in full-screen mode.
In the near future, Fliqz will support the streaming of native H.264 files.
Uploading media files
How can I upload media files?
You can upload files using one of the following techniques:
- The Fliqz Flash Uploader, a Flash 9 component with a progress bar. This is the easiest component to use. The HTML code to place the component into your Web site, configured to upload to your account, may be found in your Control Panel.
- The Fliqzster, an HTML iframe element.
- The Fliqz QuickVid Internet Explorer Toolbar.
- HTTP POST through HTTP POST support exposed by Fliqz. This is the most complicated approach but also the most flexible because few restrictions are placed on your use.
- The Fliqz Webcam Component.
All of the above, except the QuickVid Internet Explorer Toolbar, can be easily customized to upload to your account.
How can I limit the size of uploaded files?
Currently, we can only detect the size of file once it has been uploaded. However, we can reject a file at that point, in which case the user receives a suitable error message.
How can I limit the types of uploaded files?
You can use the API of the Fliqz Webcam Component to limit the types of files that users can upload.
If you are developing your own solution based on HTTP POST, then you can add client-side JavaScript to limit the file types uploaded to Fliqz.
What is the bulk import process?
To support new customers we provide a bulk import process to upload files to Fliqz when the sign on.
You upload the files to a http://ftp.fliqz.com directory exposed by Fliqz. Specific instructions and a password are provided to customers when they joni the Fliqz family.
The process is offline and not real time and could take between 1-2 weeks to get your intital files asscoaited with your account. Please contact your Account Manager or email support@fliqz.com if you are interested in this process.
Encoding
Encoding is the process whereby the original file is translated into another format.
How do I choose the format of the encoded media file?
Currently, Fliqz only supports encoding media files into the Flash Video.
How do I know when my file is encoded?
Each media file has an associated state. When a media file has been encoded and is ready for display, its state is set to Available.
You can find the state of a media file through the Control Panel by querying through the Management API or by registering for syndication content from your account.
How long does encoding take?
In general, most media files are encoded within 20 minutes of being submitted.
However, the actual encoding time depends on many other factors, including:
- The size of the original media file
- The density of the information in the original media file
- The current size of the encoding queue
Estimated encoding times by file size:
- Less than 5 MB: 5 minutes or less
- Less than 50 MB: 15 minutes or less
- Less then 100 MB: 25 minutes or less
- Less than 200 MB: 50 minutes or less
- Other: Anything up to 90 minutes
Please note that this is an estimate and may not be accurate in some cases.
Sometimes my media file sits for an hour or more before being encoded. What's going on?
Encoding can be unpredictable, and we have found that it may take more than one attempt to encode a given file. If a media file fails to encode, we retry the process using slightly different settings.
If all else fails, we then attempt to encode your file using a manual process.
Why do some media files fail to encode?
Our encoding success rate is approximately 98 percent. In general, files that fail to encode do so for a specific reason, such as corruption.
What happens to the original media file after encoding?
We store the original. Currently, there are no limits on the time that we store original media files.
How can I access the original media file?
We do not currently provide the means to access the original media files.
What do I do if I don't like the quality of the encoded media file?
Occasionally, the file is encoded without video or sound, or the encoded file is otherwise corrupted. In this situation you should contact Fliqz mailto:support@fliqz.com and ask for the encoding process to be repeated manually. In many cases, however, it is not possible to improve on the result from the automated process.
Why do you encode FLV files?
We encode Flash Video files in order to extract thumb images.
When are thumb images taken?
Currently, we take 5 thumb images spaced at equal intervals throughout the encoded video.
This is intended to give a reasonable overview of the video.
Advertising
Fliqz provides support for a wide range of advertising platforms, and we are adding new platforms as required.
To support advertising in your account, please contact Fliqz Customer Service.
What advertising platforms do you support?
We currently support:
What types of ads do you support?
- Pre/post/interstitial
- Overlay
