Add Quicktime movies using Active X

Before the advent of Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 with XP service pack 2 and Internet Explorer 5.0 we could use the plugin method to add Quicktime video to our webpages. As these browsers no longer support Netscape style plugins we have to use another method for inserting Quicktime movies in our webpages. The following method will walk you through adding Quicktime movies to your page using Active X.

Step 1: Setting Preferences

Choose Edit > Preferences > Code Rewriting (Win) or Dreamweaver > Preferences > Code Rewriting (Mac) and make sure that the options for Active content options "Insert using browser-safe scripts" and "Convert tags to scripts on file open" are checked. This will facilitates Dreamweavers creation of browser safe scripts to make the media on your web pages accessable to some of the newer browsers.

Step 2: Add the ActiveX control

Place your cursor on the page where you wish to add the Quicktime movie then either choose Insert > Media > ActiveX or select the ActiveX icon from the media dropdown list on the common pane of the insert bar.

Step 3: Configure accessibility options

Enter a title for your Quicktime movie and if you wish specify an access key or Tab index and click OK.

Note: A tab index specifies the order in which the tab key will move among the individual page elements. In many browsers, the tab key will move among links, media objects, and form objects on the page. The default tab order is determined by the order in which these objects appear in the HTML code. If this order differs from the visual layout, a tab index might prove helpful.

Step 4: Configuring the ActiveX control

Once you have clicked OK on the accessibility dialog box Dreamweaver inserts a place holder ActiveX control on your page.

Select it and in the propery inspector enter the following values

• Name: Title of your Movie (i.e. "My Class")
• Width: The width of your movie
• Height: The height of your movie Tip: if you are going to display a control you will need to add 16 pixels to the height of your movie.
• Embed: Check the embed checkbox
• Base: type in the following: "http://www.apple.com/qtactivex/qtplugin.cab"
• ClassID: Type (or copy and paste) in the following: "clsid:02BF25D5-8C17-4B23-BC80-D3488ABDDC6B".
• Src: By clicking on the folder next to this field, you should be able to navigate to the location of your movie file.

Step 4: Configure Parameters

Click on the Parameters button to open the Parameters window.

Click in the window beneath Parameter, and it will open a field for you to type in. Use the + button to add a parameter and use the tab key to move between fields.

Enter the following parameters:

for a more complete list of available Quicktime parameters visit: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/tutorials/embed2.html

Test your movie in the browser.