There are two different ways to place a multimedia file in a Web page:

• Linking the file
• Embedding the file
  

You can link multimedia files just as you would any other file. For example:

<a href=“bob.avi”>Click here to view Bob’s Movie!</a>

The other medthod, embedding the file, places the file directly in the Web page, loading it at the same time as the rest of the page.

Files can be embedded in Web pages with a new tag command: <EMBED> This tag allows you to embed many different types of files into the Web page.

Like the <IMG> tag, <EMBED> has one absolutely crucial parameter: SRC (Source, the file to be embedded):

<EMBED SRC=“bob.avi”>

<EMBED> also has two other parameters that can be applied, no matter what is being embedded: HEIGHT and WIDTH. These indicate the size (in pixels) that the embedded document will be displayed at.

For example:

<EMBED SRC=“bob2.mov” HEIGHT=320 WIDTH=240>

will display the QuickTime movie file “bob2.mov” on the Web page with a size of 320 pixels by 240 pixels, regardless of the original size of the QuickTime display.

Each different type of file that is placed with the <EMBED> tag also has additional parameters specific to that file type. These control different aspects of how the file is displayed, or how much control the user has over it.

Video file parameters usually involve how the video starts, and whether the video automatically repeats or not. Other file types (like audio) can also hide the file.

For “Live Video” files (AVI’s), the following additional parameters are available:

• AUTOSTART (Values: True or False)
• LOOP (Values: True or False)
• CONTROLS (Values: True or False)

For QuickTime movie files (.MOV), the following additional parameters are available:

• AUTOPLAY (Values: True or False)
• CONTROLLER (Values: True or False)
• LOOP (Values: True, False, or Palindrome)

(A "Palindrome" is a sentence that reads the same backwards as forwards...for example "Rats live on no evil star." The "Palindrome" setting causes the video file to play first forwards, then backwards.)

What will each of the following commands do?

<EMBED SRC=“bob.avi”>

(Answer: Just embeds the file bob.avi in the document at its default size)

<EMBED SRC=“bob.avi” AUTOSTART=TRUE LOOP=FALSE WIDTH=240 HEIGHT=180>

(Answer: Embeds the file bob.avi in the document, tells it to start automatically without user input, tells it not to play again when it's finished, and set the width and height values of the display)

<EMBED SRC=“bob.mov” CONTROLLER=FALSE AUTOPLAY=FALSE>

(Answer: Embeds the file bob.mov in the document. Unfortunately, as it removes the "controller," which allows users to start, stop, and pause the movie, and also shuts off the "autoplay" feature, this will load the file...but the viewer won't be able to watch it!)

<EMBED SRC=“bob2.mov” CONTROLLER=FALSE AUTOPLAY=TRUE LOOP=PALINDROME>

(Answer: Embeds the file bob2.mov in the document. Removes the "controller, meaning the user can't start, stop, and pause the movie. Starts the movie automatically, and when the movie file reaches the end, automatically plays the file backwards to the beginning again.)