Putting a Video on a website

When I click on a video on line, it starts playing immediately…even if the video plays for an hour or two. It’ll do that about everywhere I go on line… except my web site.

When I upload a video to my website, that plays for only 15 minutes, when someone clicks on the video link on the website it takes an excessively long time to “load” before it will play…anywhere between 20 minutes, to an hour, to “never”.

I’m new to posting video on a website so I’m sure that I must be making a really classic mistake because I haven’t learned yet what I am doing.

As far as I know, my website is with Verizon. It is broadband. I can upload an mpeg or flv. I am not working with html directly. I use their handy “novice” help yourself create a website software. I upload the video file, create a link to it on my web page, and when I click on the link it takes forever to load into the Windows Media Player.

I can always work to learn what to do to make it work… but I haven’t a clue what the problem is. Do you?

Thanks.