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General
Why choose VideoApp over GoDaddy, Rackspace or other hosting providers?
Why choose VideoApp over GoDaddy, Rackspace or other hosting providers? Many reasons. VideoApp provides a more intimate level of support with a specialization in your industry. You don't need to fear talking about your business nor being terminated because of the industry you are in. VideoApp has built a highly-available infrastructure in a Tier 1 datacenter that rivals any competitor, at prices that are competitive with even the slumlords of the net. VideoApp also offers services specific to your industry that rivals may not offer, such as streaming video, digital rights management, additional storage, and custom site development (membership, VOD, community). Lastly, VideoApp goes above and beyond what the competition typical provides in terms of included security controls. Ie. we include a firewall with port-knocking for added protection for all servers.
VideoApp's sweet spot is small to medium size business with under 10 servers, running database driven transactional databases (ie. MySQL), 3rd party applications (ie. shopping carts, etc.) These environments require dedicated resources (ie. not a shared hosting environment) and a robust, high-availability infrastructure. VideoApp's VMware Infrastructure provides a multitude of advantage over traditional baremetal hosting including fast failover and dynamic provisioning of resources. Ie. if a server fails, it can be restored remotely in minutes. If you need more RAM, disk, or CPU, we can provision this dynamically without having to physically shut down and dissect your server.
Will you match the price I am currently paying?
Will you match the price I am currently paying? For comparable services, we can meet or beat what you are currently paying, and in additional, we will cover the costs of a seamless migration for your current provider. Email info@videoapp.net to discuss your needs.
Isn't moving my servers a nightmare? Will my sites go down?
Isn't moving my servers a nightmare? Will my sites go down? No. We can migrate your servers seamlessly, with minimal to no downtime. We do this at no charge for new customers.
Where is your datacenter?
Where is your datacenter? Our datacenter is at an Equinix IBX in Newark, New Jersey. Equinix provides the leading Tier 1 carrier-neutral datacenters in the world. Equinix is a publicly-traded, financially secure corporation servicing corporate datacenters for many of the Fortune 100, including the likes of IBM and Sony.
Webhosting
How do I connect to my server?
How do I connect to my server?Linux Servers:
The primary methods of access to all flavors of Linux servers are SSH, FTP, and cPanel. We assume you are familiar with these protocols and the popular client applications to facilitate their use, as well as the operating environment. Check our Resources page for links to popular, free SSH and FTP client applications like PuTTY and FileZilla.
SSH: You are provided a username/password pair and a hostname when your server is built. This is all you need to SSH to your server. If the SSH service is protected with port-knocking, you will be advised of this, and there are separate instructions below for unlocking the firewall.
FTP: You are provided a username/password pair and a hostname when your server is built. This is all you need to FTP to your server. If the FTP service is firewalled, you will be advised of this, and there are separate instructions below for unlocking the firewall.
cPanel / WHM: WHM is the administrative web interface for global server management and creating users accounts. cPanel is the web interface for managing user accounts. We assume you are familiar with the use of cPanel. There are links to documentation in the Support > Resources section of this site. There is also a tremendous amount of documentation on cPanel available online as it is one of the most popular control panels. Feel free to open a ticket with our support department if you need assistance.
To access WHM: http://{hostname}/whm
To access cPanel: http://{hostname}/cpanel
WHM requires a root account. cPanel requires a Linux user account.
Windows Servers: The primary method of access for Windows 2003/2008 servers is Remote Desktop. We assume you are familiar with RDP as well as the Windows server environment.
How do I add new domains?
How do I add new domains? You register the domain at your registrar. Popular registrars are GoDaddy or Network Solutions.
If you are a Managed Platinum customer, you can simply open a ticket and we'll do everything for you. Just explain in English what you need done and we'll make it happen.
If you are a Pro Managed customer: Login to your domain registrar account and make sure to change the nameservers for your domain to ns1.videoapp.net and ns2.videoapp.net . Then, submit a ticket with us stating that you added a new domain and we'll add all the necessary DNS zones immediately. That's it. We'll make sure everything is completed properly and working. We'll also setup SPF records to help maximize your email deliverability, if appropriate.
If you are a Basic or Plus support customer: Please use your domain registrar to host the DNS and point the A records and MX records for the domain zone file to the IP address of your server. Your domain registrar can provide support in using their interface. Plus customers can open a ticket if you need any assistance, for example, ascertaining what your IP address is.
How do I setup my email accounts?
How do I setup my email accounts?If you are a Managed Platinum customer, you can simply open a ticket and we'll do everything for you. Just explain in English what you need done and we'll make it happen.
All other customers can using cPanel to create and administer email accounts. Open a ticket if you need assistance
Again, new servers come with cPanel for easy administration. cPanel provides total control to create accounts and access your email via POP3, IMAP or web-based mail. Creating email accounts is literally a few clicks. We suggest you become familiar with this powerful tool.
Firewall and Port-knocking
Firewall and port-knocking Video App utilizes a combination of border gateway access lists and server resident firewalls. Most non-typical ports are blocked by default to your server, so please contact support if you need a port opened. You can use tools such as nmap and netstat to determine what ports are listening. Feel free to open a ticket if you need help troubleshooting.
If desired, VideoApp can implement firewall port-knocking to lockdown high-risk services such as SSH and FTP. Hackers typically go after these services first, using simple brute-force style password guessing schemes. Whilest today's protocols are quite secure, some customers prefer to have these services hidden from the public altogether, for obvious reasons.
If port-knocking is implemted on your server: To unlock protected services (typically FTP, SSH and non-encrypted WHM/cPanel ports), simply go to command prompt on your local Windows, Mac or Linux computer and type: telnet {hostname} {secret port} . You will receive no response. Simply close the window and that's it. You will need to unlock your firewall only once per machine. The secret port will be provided when the port-knocking is activated.
Reverse DNS
Reverse DNS
By default, VideoApp creates a reverse DNS record for rDNS lookups of your IP address. This is very important for internet legitimacy and mail deliverability concerns. The resulting hostname is the same as was originally provided to you. ie. {customer code}-{server number}.VIDEOAPP.NET
Managed Platinum customers can request a custom reverse DNS domain name, if desired.
Streaming
What is the difference between on-demand and live streaming?
What is the difference between on-demand and live streaming? On-demand is pre-recorded content. Live is live. The difference in terms of practical application is that pre-recorded content requires storage space, and live requires that you are equipped to support a live upstream of content from your office, or site location.
What is the difference between Flash video and Flasher! DRM streaming ?
What is the difference between Flash video and Flasher! DRM streaming ? Adobe's Flash video has become the most popular video format on the web. Sites like YouTube and Google use Flash video. 99% of internet surfers can play Flash video on their PC's right now, without needing to install plugins or software.
VideoApp's Flasher! technology is an extension of Flash video, specifically providing two additional features: copy-protection of Flash video, and an intelligent multi-bitrate capable Flash player. The same 99% of users can access Flasher! video, the only difference being that the quality is optimized for users based on their connection speed, and the videos cannot be stolen. VideoApp charges the same price for either standard Flash or Flasher! streaming. Live streaming is not available for Flasher!
What is the difference between self-service and managed streaming?
What is the difference between self-service and managed streaming? Self-service means that we provide you with the instructions to upload and publish your content, and you encode, manage and publish your videos yourself. Managed means you send us the video files, or DVDs, and we do everything for you. We can provide you with sample code to launch the videos or work with your developers to integrate into your websites. We can work with you to meet your regular site updates, or even update your sites directly.
Why should I use VideoApp instead of another streaming provider?
Why should I use VideoApp instead of another streaming provider? VideoApp is an expert in streaming. We have been streaming audio and video since the early 1990s. VideoApp also has a large storage infrastructure suited for on-demand applications. VideoApp is uniquely sized to be able to provide streaming services to smaller companies at far more competitive prices than large CDNs (content delivery networks). Further, our prices are insane! We guarantee we can beat anyone elses prices by a large margin. Check out our pricing plans and see for yourself. Same quality. Much lower price.
How can I test that the video servers are operational?
How can I test that the video servers are operational? If you are having difficulty viewing a stream, you may want to console yourself by making sure the video servers are operational and that you are able to connect to them. Servers are clustered in multiple redundant pools and monitored 24/7, however, you may want to test this for yourself.
Using a browser, point to http://{RTMPserverPoolIP}:1935/ . RTMPServerPoolIP is provided when you setup your account, for reference. You should get a simple line of text back that says something like "Wowza Media Server Pro10 1.7.0 build11414"
What is the difference between H.264 and ON2 VP6, etc?
Can VideoApp host Real or Windows Media content?
Can VideoApp host Real or Windows Media content?No. VideoApp currently provides both Windows Media and RealMedia streaming services to legacy customers, however, we are phasing out these technologies and only accepting new Flash media customers.
Can VideoApp encode my videos for me?
Can VideoApp encode my videos for me?Yes. We have a complete encoding facility with racks of encoding servers. Over the years we have encoded literally thousands and thousands of hours of video from every imaginable source. [more]