Dan, Can we have a link to the page? Lets make sure were all clear on what your trying to accomplish.

I think the answer lies here...
"...I tried the background image"
Background images usually do just that...they act as a background and there is no interactivity possible. Either you want it just as a background image, or you want it in the foreground as an interactive map.

It would be different if you had both the mapped image and the media player as two separate objects on the page...on top of a simple background image. Then as Tom says, there should be no reason for them not to work properly.