[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by sNator

Not all files are getting streamed and I have to wait for some files to be fully downloaded before I can start to look at it.
Is this the cause of the filetype or webserver setting or what?

As far as I can understand, the main factor is the program that plays the media. Some programs are able to start handling streams as they are delivered. Others are not, or only do so with some filetypes.

For example, I think that Winamp is perfectly happy to start to play an mp3 stream when it's delivered via an m3u file, but not when the mp3 comes directly. On the other hand, Windows Media Player starts playing mp3s immediately.

Similarly, the Flash media player will start playing before the transfer completes - it just buffers enough material to prevent jerkiness.

*But* there's an important consideration. You must tell VBulletin/LDM about the filetype, by setting up the correct mimetype information in the VB/admin/attachments table. This information is sent to the user before the file transfer starts, and tells the PC what to do. If you give the wrong mimetype information (or give none at all), then the PC is likely to do the wrong thing, or simply wait for the whole file to be transferred.

There's a further point - by getting the mimetype information right, the media player can recognise the possibility to selectively download parts of the file. LDM handles this (so-called HTTP 206 transfers) correctly. For example, it allows people who are playing videos to scroll to another part of the video without waiting for everything to be transferred.

Maybe a media buff can explain more?