Java vs Flash for webcam access

Question

I will make a video chat site, but based on PHP and Python for the Internet, I have no experience with a video.

What do you recommend? Java or Flash? Which is more flexible?

I’m even thinking of creating a C ++ server-side application for flow control with a PHP front. Since it will be a website with high traffic, and performance is imperative.

Can you point in some direction? Any documentation? Framework?

Answer 1

I'm going to warn you: this is not a small project. There is a reason why most of the pre-packaged websites and video chat services cost hundreds of dollars per month.

First, you need to choose the runtime of your client side. This is an important decision because it will affect your available client base and the cost of entry for your site. Flash is the most common tool, but Java is quite common in the technology culture. Silverlight is wrong, but you should check the latest stats . Please note that you must choose the specific version that you intend to develop, since the APIs can change, and market penetration is different.

Once you have developed the client-side code, you need to choose the server environment. If you use Silverlight, obviously you need to use C # .NET to develop server-side code (for video streaming). Both Java and Flash as clients use Java as a server.

If you decide to go with Flash, keep in mind that you can either go with the official Flash Media Server , or you can go with the open-source Red5 server.

Answer 2

As noted by SEK, you should be careful because providing a reliable streaming service may not be as easy as it sounds.

I would recommend reading about streaming (what this / means, technology, etc.), and then move on to implementation.

Serving streams to customers

Solutions like Flash Media Server can give you less headache. Red5, as already mentioned, is a “good” open source solution, although I'm not sure about capacity and stability.

You might want to check:

http://www.wowzamedia.com/ (Flash Media Server) - interesting

NOTE: Wowza Media Server 2 for Amazon EC2 is also available.

http://mammothserver.org/ (Another open source Flash Media Server)

http://fmsguru.com/ (tutorials related to Flash Media)

Google is always your friend on this big topic ... good luck.