Read Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed Online
Authors: Noel Morimoto
3. Enter a name for your playlist, and then click Next.
4. A choice to select content playback gives you the option to loop videos, shuffle
videos, both, or none. For more information on these options, see the “Loop,
Shuffle, Both, or None” sidebar earlier in this chapter. Click Next to continue.
5. Select the Enable Logging option if you want to log media events, and then click Next.
6. The next screen shows a summary of the created publishing point. You can choose
to start the publishing point when the wizard is finished, and if you want to capture
and archive the live event, select the Start Archiving When Publishing Point Starts
option. Click Next to continue.
For either the broadcast or on-demand publishing options, before finishing the Add
Publishing Point Wizard, you are prompted to choose between three file creation options:
.
Create an Announcement File (.asx) or Web Page (.htm)—
An announcement
file is similar to an invitation file that can be used to notify users of a pending live
broadcast or the availability of an on-demand video playback session.
.
Create a Wrapper Playlist (.wsx)—
A wrapper playlist is content that can be added
ptg
to either the start or end of a broadcast. An example of wrapper content might be a
welcome or closing message, advertisements, or broadcast identification.
36
.
Create a Wrapper Playlist (.wsx) and Announcement File (.asx) or Web Page
(.htm)—
Choosing this option launches both the Announcement File and Wrapper
Playlist Wizards to create the invitation announcement, as well as the capability to
add content at the start or end of a broadcast.
Choose one of these three options or deselect the After the Wizard Finishes check box if
you don’t want to choose any of the options. Click Finish when complete.
Starting a Playlist from Within the Playlist Publishing Point
A playlist can be launched to initiate the playback of media contained within the playlist
file. Depending on the option selected, a user simply enters the URL of the directory
publishing point (such as mms://media.companyabc.com/Corp Playlist). The playlist of
files will begin to publish the first of the media clips and will continue through the entire
playlist until the list is complete. If the loop option was selected in the publishing point
configuration settings, the playlist will continuously loop the media content of the
playlist. If shuffle was selected, the files within the playlist will be played randomly.
Any of the options selected from within the configuration setting can be modified at any
time to change or reconfigure settings initially created in the wizard installation process.
1504
CHAPTER 36
Windows Media Services
Understanding Windows Media Encoder
For any media content producer that is working with audio and video content, the
Microsoft free Windows Media Encoder is a must-have tool for capturing and converting
media content. Although the Windows Media server can be used to capture and publish
video files, it’s unlikely that a content producer will want to travel around with a media
server everywhere. Instead, you can download Windows Media Encoder and install it on
Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, or Windows
2000 Server. Either the 32-bit or 64-bit edition can be downloaded and installed.
NOTE
Windows Media Encoder can be downloaded from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/
windowsmedia/forpros/encoder/default.mspx.
In addition, Windows Media Encoder provides tools to convert files from one video
format to another, such as from AVI format to MPG format. One of the biggest limitations
of Windows Media Encoder is its inability to perform simple edits to the media files. For
this, you need to download and use third-party tools.
ptg
Editing Tools
Because Microsoft does not provide freely downloadable video-editing tools, content
producers need to look for other tools to perform basic cropping at the start or end of
a video file, or when merging video files. There are dozens of professional video editing
and content production programs available, such as Adobe’s Premiere Pro or Ulead’s
VideoStudio. There are also hundreds of third-party shareware and freeware tools that
can be downloaded from the Internet for little or no money.
The biggest challenge video producers face is selecting a utility that meets all their
needs. Most downloadable tools offer trial versions with trial periods that allow you to
try the software before buying it. If you don’t find the tool you’re looking for at first,
jump back on the Internet and keep searching. Tools for every video and audio editing
need seem to be readily available.
Understanding the Requirements for Windows Media Encoder
Windows Media Encoder runs on Windows Vista, Windows 2000, and Windows XP desk-
tops, as well as on Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003 systems. The basic
configuration of the system depends on the task being performed by the Windows Media
Encoder software. Microsoft recommends the system configurations shown in Table 36.2.
Because Windows Media Encoder does not work on Windows Server 2008 R2 servers or
Windows 7 client systems, for media encoding using this tool, install it on an earlier
release of Windows that is supported and transfer the encoded file to a Windows Server
2008 R2 Media Server system.
Understanding Windows Media Encoder
1505
Installing Windows Media Encoder
After downloading Windows Media Encoder from the Microsoft website, the software can
be installed on any system meeting the requirements noted in Table 36.2. The installation
process is as follows:
1. Run the wmencoder.exe file to begin the installation process.
2. Click Next to move past the Welcome screen.
3. To accept the licensing agreement, click the I Accept the Terms of the License
Agreement option, and click Next.
4. Select a custom installation folder, or just click Next to choose the default folder.
Then click Install to begin the installation.
5. Click Finish when prompted.
After being installed, Windows Media Encoder can be launched by selecting Start, All
Programs, Windows Media, Windows Media Encoder. Upon launching Windows Media
Encoder, you will see a New Session screen.
TABLE 36.2
Requirements for Windows Media Encoder
ptg
Encoding Task
32-Bit Recommendation
64-Bit Recommendation
36
Conversion of files
500MHz processor or higher
1800MHz processor or higher
and at least 128MB of RAM
and at least 512MB of RAM or
or higher
higher
Capture and broadcast of
866MHz processor or higher
2000MHz processor or higher
audio files
and at least 128MB of RAM
and at least 512MB of RAM or
or higher
higher
Capture and broadcast of
866MHz processor or higher,
Dual 2000Mhz processor or
audio and video files for dial-
128MB of RAM, and a single
higher, 512MB of RAM, and a
up modem and mid-bandwidth
stream bit rate of 100Kbs
single stream bit rate of
audiences using Windows
through 500Kbs
100Kbs through 500Kbs
Media Audio 9 and Windows
Media Video 7 codecs
Capture and broadcast of
Dual 1Ghz processor or
Dual 2000Mhz processor or
audio and video files for dial-
higher, 256MB of RAM, and a
higher, 768MB of RAM, and a
up modem and mid-bandwidth
single stream bit rate of
single stream bit rate of
audiences using Windows
100Kbs through 500Kbs
100Kbs through 500Kbs
Media Audio and Video 9
codecs
Capture and broadcast of
Dual 2Ghz processor or
Dual 2400Mhz processor or
audio and video files for high-
higher, 256MB of RAM, and a
higher, 1024MB of RAM, and a
bandwidth audiences using
single stream bit rate of
single stream bit rate of
Windows Media Audio and
500Kbs through 2Mbps
500Kbs through 2Mbps
Video 9 codecs
1506
CHAPTER 36
Windows Media Services
Windows Media Encoder can be used in conjunction with a Windows Media server to
broadcast a live event. This gives an organization the capability to use the Windows Media
server as the back-end server to publish the live content to multiple users. Also, a laptop
or some other mobile or portable device can then act as the system capturing the
video/audio content that will be published by the Windows Media server.
Preparing for a Live Broadcast
To prepare for a live broadcast, a Windows Server 2008 server or Windows Vista worksta-
tion with a compatible camera and microphone, or a system with a video/audio capture
card, must be configured and tested for basic functionality. The camera and audio
devices should be able to capture and record video and audio content at the desired level
of quality.
After the remote system is working properly, the live broadcast can be initiated.
Initiating a Live Broadcast
To start a live broadcast, Windows Media Encoder should be launched on the broadcasting
system. After being launched, follow these steps:
ptg
1. Select Broadcast a New Event, and then click OK.
2. Select the video and audio device source that will be capturing the event. Click Next
when you are ready.
NOTE
For systems with only a single video and audio source, the options should default to
the only devices in the system. However, for systems with an audio and video capture
card installed, the onboard audio might also be an option, so be certain that the
correct video and audio devices are selected.
When choosing the audio device, you might want to click Configure and confirm
that the microphone has been enabled. Many systems automatically have the micro-
phone disabled, so although the correct device has been selected, no sound will be
captured.
3. The next setting allows the Windows Media Encoder system to either push the
video/audio stream to a Windows Media server on the network, or allows the
Windows Media server to initiate a pull from the encoder system. Make the choice
and then click Next to continue.
Broadcasting a Live Event
1507
NOTE
The choice of whether to push or pull media content depends on what you are closer
to. If you are closest to the Windows Media Encoder system (you are in the room
where the event is taking place), you probably want to push the video/audio stream to
the Windows Media server. A push from the encoder system causes the Windows
Media server to automatically start publishing the session.
If the Windows Media Encoder system is set up in a room and you are with the server,
but not necessarily where the encoder system is located, you can initiate the capture
remotely by choosing to have the Windows Media server initiate the session.
If you choose to push to the Windows Media server, you will be prompted with the
following steps:
1. You will be prompted to enter the name of the Windows Media server and the
publishing point, and you have the option of copying the publishing point settings
from another configuration. Click Next when ready.
2. The next screen will prompt for the encoding options. The various bit rates for
encoding will be shown, displaying Total Bit Rate, Frame Rate, and Output Size.
ptg
Choose the desired bit rate or bit rates, and then click Next to continue.
36
Choosing the Bit Rate(s)
When given the option of choosing the bit rate or bit rates supported, keep in mind the
quality desired as well as the bandwidth available to publish the media files.
If users are dialing in to receive the published content, you do not want a total bit rate
that exceeds the available bandwidth of the dial-up modem session. Just because a
user has a 56KB modem does not mean that user is getting a 56KB bit-rate speed.
You should choose a bit rate lower than the available bandwidth.
Multiple bit rates can be selected for the encoding options so that a modem rate (possi-
bly 24Kbps or 37Kbps), a DSL/cable modem rate (possibly 135Kbps or 240Kbps), or
high-quality rate (possibly 500Kbps or greater) can be selected. With multiple bit rates,
the bit rate that meets the transmission speed of the remote client system will be used.
Therefore, a user coming in over DSL might get a 135Kbps transmission, and a user
coming in over a dial-up modem might get the same transmission at 24Kbps.
When selecting multiple bit rates, one thing to consider is the size of the captured file.
The more bit rates that are selected, the larger the file will be. Each bit-rate encoding
option selected will capture a video and audio stream for that mode. So if 12 bit-rate
encoding options are selected, 12 streams of the content will be stored in the file.
Another point to consider is the desired available bandwidth. Even if all the users have