HTML - Problem Embedding Video Into Web Page

I'm having trouble with embedding multiple videos to the same player. I'm not using asx files, but rather wmv to make a selection-list. I found a site that solved my due problem and the thing works. however!! The URL in the code refers to youtube videos, and that's great and all, but I needed 'em to link to my own media files. so I changed the URL's to those on my server, and here's the problem: when doing it offline with the files on my harddrive I can add as many files I want to without it complaining, but the second it goes online or I link to wmv files on the internet it can't seem to get a connection. It only works if I have but a single <div> entry typed. As soon as I add more the thing bugs. I even tried changing "application/x-shockwave-flash" to "application/x-mplayer2" Please!! Any solution to this?? What am I doing wrong??

Example with ref's to youtube-videos, below.

<div id='videoPlayback' style='width: 435px; height:350px; background-color: #800000;'></div>

<div id='selectDemo2' style='display: none'>
<object width="320" height="285">
<param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/c6SHsF1n9Qw"></param>
<param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/c6SHsF1n9Qw&autoplay=1"
type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"
width="320" height="285"
autostart=0
showstatusbar=1>
</embed>
</object>
</div>

<div id='selectDemo2' style='display: none'>
<object width="320" height="285">
<param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-is63goeBgc"></param>
<param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-is63goeBgc&autoplay=1"
type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"
width="320" height="285"
autostart=0
showstatusbar=1>
</embed>
</object>
</div>

<A HREF="#" onclick='return playVideo("selectDemo1","videoPlayback")'>RvD2: Ryan vs. Dorkman 2</A>
<BR>
<A HREF="#" onclick='return playVideo("selectDemo2","videoPlayback")'>Beatboxing Flute <q>Peter and the Wolf</q></A
<BR>

<script type="text/javascript">function playVideo(sourceId, targetId) { if (typeof(sourceId)=='string') {sourceId=document.getElementById(sourceId);} if (typeof(targetId)=='string') {targetId=document.getElementById(targetId);} targetId.innerHTML=sourceId.innerHTML; return false;}</script>

This is my first attempt at putting a .avi video on a webpage. Right now, here's my code:
<embed src="name.avi"></embed>

Internet Explorer will load up a video player, but then the whole page will freeze. The file's 12.9 mb and is being ran on my computer, so it shouldn't be a size issue. To run the video originally, I had to download this codec:

http://www.techsmith.com/download/codecs.asp

Any ideas?

Okay, this one is a tough one for me. On my website, Celtics Insider, where the picture of the banners are (right above the "About Us" and "Our History" sections), I want to change that image into a video. I want to have a video like ESPN, where it doesn't say "YouTube" or show any of that crap, just a little transparent "play" button (the image, not the text). I'm just wondering a few things. First off, how do I resize the video so it is 442 x 200? Also, how do I make it so the YouTube thing doesn't show up? And how do I make a little transparent play button to click on before the video starts? I want to be able to have text below as well with a link to the story, like ESPN does. If you don't know what I mean, look at ESPN: http://espn.go.com/

Does anyone know the best practice for creating/embedding a video (3gpp/3gpp2/mp4) in html?

Thanks in advance,
James

Hi,

I'm new here. I'm also a beginner web programmer so please take it easy on me. I've taken on a job where I need to embed a video into a webpage, I think I can figure out how to do that however my employer wants this video to be slanted. I have no idea how I would slant the video using HTML/CSS/DHTML. For an example of what I am talking about please view this website:

http://www.wavecam.com/

I am aware that the video on that site was embedded into Flash so I'm wondering if that is the only way to do this.

Thanks in advance for any help provided.