Back when I first started learning web technologies (ages ago!) I found VTC videos. I’m a visual learner, so they really helped me get a handle on new concepts.

Well, they are still around and going strong, with lots of new titles covering current software and technologies — including, of course, Flash Video!

Michael Hurwicz has put together 8+ hours of video training walking you through the basics (and more) of deploying video using Flash CS4. He gives you self-paced tutorials on encoding, deployment options, using SWFObject embedding, cuepoints, metadata, preview images, buffering captioning, video effects and more — in both AS2 and AS3. New CS4 features such as text-to-speech and pixel-bender effects are even covered. It starts out with the very basics so you can understand concepts such as progressive vs. streaming, and takes you all the way through more advanced player creation tasks such as instantiating components.

It’s a bit more expensive than a book, but much less expensive than a training course. At $99 I think its a great value, especially if you are a visual learner like me. The first three chapters are free, so check it out:

http://www.computer-training-software.com/flash-cs4-video.htm