Enabling Windows Server 2003 to Stream FLV Videos

Many users that host their web-pages using Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operating system have problems with .flv files playback. The fact is that when you create video for your web-page using AVS Video Converter, the program creates not one but several files as an output: FLV video itself, flash player with controls to manage the video on the web-page (play, pause the video), and the page source. The Windows Server 2003 platform plays the flash player correctly but requires additional setup to playback FLV files.

Internet Information Server (IIS) 6.0 is used as a default web server for Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operating system, and the way streaming media is handled was changed as compared to the previous versions of IIS which did not require any modification to stream Flash Video. Microsoft IIS 6.0 requires a MIME type to recognize that FLV files are streamed media.

You can do that the following way:

1. On the Windows Server 2003, open the Internet Information Services Manager: go to Start -> All Programs -> Administrative Tools -> Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
   Note: if you do not have permissions to access the server please contact your hosting provider or administrator and explain the problem there.
2. Expand the local computer server - right-click the local computer server and select Properties option.

3. Click the MIME Types... button to open the MIME Types window.

4. Click New... and enter the following information:
   • Associated Extension box - .FLV;
   • MIME Type box - FLV application/octet-stream;
   and click the OK button to accept changes.
5. Restart the World Wide Web Publishing Service - go to Start -> All Programs -> Administrative Tools -> Services, in the list of services find the World Wide Web Publishing Service and click Restart.

After that the uploaded videos should stream correctly.