Setting up Your Windows Media Services Real-Time Encoder for Radio

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May 22, 1998

Here's how you can get your Windows Media Services ready to send out the radio signals:

1. Make sure that your encoder PC meets the Windows Media Services system requirements . You can use Windows® 95 or Windows NT® on the encoder PC.
2. Download the Windows Media Services software from the Windows Media Services product site and install the tools.
3. Open the Windows Media Encoder (Start, Programs, Microsoft Windows Media Services, ASF Real-Time Encoder).
4. You can choose to either use a template or create your own custom settings.

   QuickStart

   • Select your target bit rate and the type of content you want to stream.
   • Click the Start button to start the encoder.

   Template with I/O options

   • Select your target bit rate and the type of content you want to stream, and then select the Next button.
   • Select the Live Source option, and then select the Next button.
   • Select Live Source. Your audio card should already be detected. However, if you are not using your default audio device, select the one you will be using, and then select the Next button.
   • Select To Windows Media Services over a network, and then select the Next button.
   • Select Allow Windows Media Services to connect via a fixed port, and then select the port number. Accepting the default is the easiest way to go (just be sure to remember the port number you select). Then select the Next button.
   • Enter a description of the stream. This is where you can summarize what the feed is coming from, what codecs you used, whom to contact if something goes wrong, or whatever you want. This step is optional. Then select the Finish button.
   • Next you'll see a summary of the ASD, or Windows Media Services description file. Press the Start button to start encoding.

   Custom setting

   • Select the Live Source option, and then click the Next button.
   • Select Live Source. Your audio card should already be detected. Then select the Next button.
   • Select the bandwidth to target.
   • Select To Windows Media Services over a network, and then select the Next button.
   • Select Allow Windows Media Services to connect via a fixed port, and then select the port number. Accepting the default is the easiest way to go (just be sure to remember the port number you select). Then select the Next button.
   • Enter a description of the stream. This is where you can summarize what the feed is coming from, what codecs you used, who to contact if something goes wrong, or whatever you want. This is optional. Then select the Finish button.
   • Next you'll see a summary of the ASD, or Windows Media Services description file. Press the Start button to start encoding.
5. Select the appropriate compression codec, and then select the Next button. Here are our recommendations:
   • 28.8 Kbps - Voxware MetaSound AC16v1 at 16 Kbps, 16 kHz mono
   • 56 Kbps - Voxware MetaSound AC48v2 at 48.1 Kbps, 44 kHz mono
6. Create an ASX file and host it on your Web server.
7. Test the feed by going to a computer connected to the network, open up the Windows Media Player, select File and then Open, and typemms://servername/publishingpoint/yourasxname.asx (where servername is the name of your Windows Media Services, publishingpoint is the name of the publishing point you set up on your Windows Media Services, and yourasxname.asx is the name of the ASX file you created above.