Setting up Your Windows Media Encoder for a Live Video Feed

May 22, 1998

Here's how you can get your Windows Media Encoder ready to encode live video 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. Make sure that you are using a capture card that has been tested with the Windows Media Services Real-Time Encoder .

3. Download the Windows Media Services software from the Windows Media Services product site and install the tools.

4. Open the Windows Media Encoder (Start, Programs, Microsoft Windows Media Services, Beta Windows Media Encoder).

5. 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 video capture card should already be detected. However, if you are not using your default video and audio card, select the ones 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 video capture 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.

Here is a list of codecs we recommend:

Type of Content	Modem Speed (28.8 Kbps)	ISDN Speed (56 Kbps)	Intranet Speed (110 Kbps)
Voice and Video	ACELP.net Format: 5 Kbps, 8,000 Hz, Mono MPEG-4v2 Advanced: Image size: QCIF (176 x 144) Frame rate: 5 - 10 fps	ACELP.net Format: 5 Kbps, 8,000 Hz, Mono MPEG-4v2 Advanced: Image size: QCIF (176 x 144) Frame rate: 10 - 15 fps	ACELP.net Format: 16 Kbps, 16,000 Hz, Mono MPEG-4v2 Advanced: Image size: QCIF (176 x 144) Frame rate: 15 fps
Music and Video	Voxware AC8v1 Format: 8 Kbps, 8,000 Hz, Mono MPEG-4 Video High-Speed Compressor Advanced: Image size: QCIF (176 x 144) Frame rate: 5 - 10 fps	Voxware AC8v1 Format: 10 Kbps, 11,000 Hz, Mono MPEG-4 Video High-Speed Compressor Advanced: Image size: QCIF (176 x 144) Frame rate: 10 - 15 fps	Voxware AC16v1 Format: 16 Kbps, 16,000 Hz, Mono MPEG-4 Video High-Speed Compressor Advanced: Image size: QCIF (176 x 144) Frame rate: 15 fps

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 Windows Media Player, select File, then Open Location, and type mms://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.