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Web server

There are two ways to serve video files over HTTP:

  • The built-in HTTP server included with Fast Video Cataloger Server (recommended, new in version 10).
  • An external web server such as IIS, Apache, or nginx.

This page covers the external web server option. For most new setups, prefer the built-in HTTP server — it requires no additional software, supports authentication, and serves files from any location on disk via ID-based streaming.

When to use an external web server

Use an external web server only if you already operate one and want to keep using it, or if you need it to serve other content alongside your videos. Otherwise the built-in HTTP server gives you the same playback experience with less setup.

How it works

You place your video and image files in a folder under the web server's document root and configure the Fast Video Cataloger Server to map local file paths to the corresponding URLs. The Fast Video Cataloger Server still handles all metadata, catalog access, and uploads — only the bulk file delivery (videos and companion images) goes through the web server.

This setup also makes the same files reachable from a browser, which can be useful if you want to embed video URLs in other web pages.

Limitations

Limited seeking -- A standard web server does not support efficient seeking inside a video. Clients typically need to download the file from the start to play from a specific position.

Format restrictions -- Older video formats do not stream reliably over HTTP. Use MP4 with H.264 for the broadest compatibility, and re-encode older formats if you need them to play in a browser.

Memory footprint -- Some web server configurations buffer requested videos in memory, so streaming many large files at once can require significant RAM.

Setting it up

The desktop application's Share Catalog wizard configures the path-to-URL mapping for you. See Host Video from a Web Server for the walkthrough.