putting a video file online to be streamed - how?

[pointyskull]

If anyone can help, I'd be eternally grateful because I'm tearing my hair out.

Here's my problem:

-I've put together a site for a local independent film, and the director wants me to add the film's trailer to the site.

-He uses Pinnacle, so I imagine he can output the trailer to me in a number of formats, but so far he has given to me as an MPEG-2

-The web host I'm using offers Real Video Streaming

-what (hopefully) free software can I use in order make a two-minute video file (in this case a movie trailer) efficiently viewable online.

I don't even know the right questions to ask about this.

[mastersmurfie]

Try this:

http://www.realnetworks.com/products/producer/index.html

I got the free version the other day.

I think it will accept MPEG-2 (so far, only been playing with it for a couple of days, and only for audio files)

mastersmurfie

[Gritz]

If you have WinXP you can use Windows Movie Maker (get the free upgrade to ver 2). I used it on a simple site I put together last winter ... http://www.peaceofficerministriesvideo.com/ Seems to work ok.

[thecoalman]

For streaming I'd go with .wmv since nearly everyone has the player. Here's a link for the encoder. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/encoder/default.aspx

You could also use the mpg, you'd have to provide instructions that they right click and "save as"