Video streaming solutions for WebBased e-learning courses

The background of this work is the development of multimedia courses for an Internet-based master program in Business Informatics. This program is provided by a virtual organization. Delivering multimedia-based courses over the Internet is a challenging task. Low-cost multimedia technologies, in particular technologies for video production and delivery over the Internet, have just become available. Established rules and recommendations how to use those technologies effectively are still missing. In this paper an approach is discussed in which course material is divided into separate parts - one silent video file containing visual demonstrations, and another video with sound, with the instructor's explanations. We discuss approaches to achieve synchronization among two separate videos streams. Based on Microsoft Windows Media technology this problem can be solved but the solution is not straightforward. Problems encountered and the final solution to those problems are outlined.