OT: Quicktime Streaming Server on LInux

[Sivakatirswami]

All insights welcome

I don't see any solution on the horizon for our "Rich Media" delivery 
troubles where
we are not able to get either a Revolution player OR a web browser with 
QT plug installed, to
consistently "pick up" on the Fast Start Header and begin displaying 
frames as soon as
enough data is buffered. I'm talking here about some serious data:
100 plus megabyte movies at 320 X 240

On some machines and on some connections,--both Mac
and Windows... (I was thinking it was only Windows, but turned out some Mac
users are now reporting the same behavior:)

Both Revolution and-or the browser just appear to "lock up"  when in fact
all that has happened is that the OS + QT API has made some mysterious
decision like "Umm I'm not at all happy with this connection, so I'm going
to ignore the Fast Start Header and make a pre-emptive decision to
not show any frames at all until I have downloaded the entire movie."

With no feedback mechanism... I don't see how one could trap
for this "event" as it is not consistent across platforms or connections
and it has nothing to do with, as far as we have determined, with any
scripting variations (using "Play" or "Set the Play Rate" etc...
all important to understand but nothing helps")

Debugging this problem seems to be outside the scope of what is possible.

So, I'm think now we *must* install Quicktime Streaming Server on our
web box OR host the movies on  reputable IPS whose  only job is just
to serve QT movies.   ServePath, our current host, has great streaming
services for just $$99 a month, but only Windows Media... :-(
Sales there says QT is on their roadmap, but we don't see it happening
everyone is agog with Flash...

OK... bottom line questions:

1) It appears that QT Streaming serve is available for linux... anyone 
know if
it works OK on Fedora Core 3?  I only see references to "Red Hat" and am
quite ignorant on all the Linux "flavors"

2) Any thoughts, pointers, experience to share "gotchas" on strategy?

3) Are other getting good success with streaming movies into Revolution
Players with QT Streaming on the web box?

4) If we go this way... are we going to get good results on Windows too?

5) How does it work for those with lo-band width connections?


Thanks!

Sivakatirswami