Contents of Windows Media Technologies 4.1 Readme

ID: Q246699

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows Media Services version 4.1
Microsoft Windows Media Rights Manager version 1.0
Microsoft Windows Media Tools version 4.1

SUMMARY

The "More Information" section of this article contains the Readme file for Microsoft Windows Media Technologies version 4.1. It is included here so that the topics it covers are searchable in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.

MORE INFORMATION

Following are the contents of the Readme file as it shipped with the products listed above. It has not been edited by the Microsoft Developer Support Knowledge Base editing team.

Microsoft, MS-DOS, MS, Windows, the Windows logo, and other Microsoft product names or titles are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S.A. and/or other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. This document provides complementary or late-breaking information to supplement the Microsoft® Media™ Technologies 5.0 documentation.

CONTENTS

Setup Issues
Windows Media Services
Windows Media Tools
Windows Media Rights Manager
Other Issues
Other Issues
Product Support

Setup Issues

Windows Media Technologies system requirements
If you have the proper system requirements, the Microsoft® Windows Media™ Services installation installs the services needed to stream multimedia and Windows Media™ Administrator, the tool for administering a Windows Media server either locally or remotely. If you want to install the server and administrative tool, the supported platform is Microsoft® Windows NT™ Server version 4.0 with Service Pack 5 (SP5) and Microsoft® Internet Explorer 5. It is possible to run Windows Media Services on Windows NT Server version 4.0 with Service Pack 4 (SP4) and Internet Explorer version 4.01; however, these are not supported platforms.

If you are only running Windows Media Administrator, the supported platforms are Microsoft® Windows® 98 or Microsoft® Windows NT® Workstation with Internet Explorer 5. It is possible to run Windows Media Administrator on Microsoft® Windows 95 and Internet Explorer version 4.01; however, these are not supported platforms.

For more information about the system requirements for Windows Media Technologies, go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/en/download/sysreq.asp.

Windows Media Services
Optimizing network performance by configuring your LAN for full duplex communication
Network performance in an Ethernet LAN environment can be greatly improved by using full duplex hardware. Full duplex hardware allows for two-way communication between networked devices. Without full duplex hardware, information is sent one way and then the other. Packets frequently collide on the network in a half duplex hardware configuration, and each time a collision occurs, the packets that collided must be resent. This creates even more traffic that can degrade network performance.

Because media streaming can require large amounts of bandwidth, the benefit derived from full duplex hardware is even greater than that experienced with file or Web-based traffic. When your hardware is configured correctly for optimal performance and stream quality, resource utilization on the server is reduced because fewer packet resends require less processing.

If many packets are colliding on the network or if network performance is being degraded, it is possible that full duplex communication is not taking place, even on devices that support it. Some network adapters that are set to automatically detect if the network switch supports full duplex communication can fail to detect full duplex support and do not communicate in full duplex mode. If this occurs, you can manually set your network devices to full duplex mode rather than relying on auto-detection.

Logging multicast and unicast client information when using Netscape Navigator
Netscape Navigator 3.04 can fail to obtain the URL of the Web page that contains the embedded client. This prevents the client information, that is, the URL value of the cs(Referrer) field, from being properly logged when Netscape Navigator 3.04 is used on the client side.

Using Windows Media server components and Microsoft Site Server with Membership Authentication plug-in

If you are using Windows Media server components with Microsoft® Site Server version 3.0, and you have the Site Server Membership Authentication plug-in enabled, there is a known "boot race" problem. The Membership Authentication plug-in fails to load when the Windows Media server starts, and clients are unable to connect to the Windows Media server.

When this occurs, the Microsoft® Windows NT® Server Event log service fails to log the error. To verify the failure, connect to the Windows Media server using Windows Media™ Administrator. Windows Media Administrator messages appear, indicating that the plug-in has failed to start, and you are prompted to restart the Windows Media™ Unicast service.

To work around this problem, restart the Windows Media Unicast service.

Windows Media Station Event Monitor does not display the deleted station event
When you delete a multicast station in Windows Media Administrator, the Windows Media™ Station Event Monitor does not display the deleted station event.

The Help file inaccurately states that you cannot run Windows Media Services and Internet Information Services on the same computer to use HTTP streaming through port 80.

This inaccurate information appears in two topics: "Setting and administering HTTP streaming and distribution" and "Delivering streams through a firewall".

You can run Windows Media Services and Microsoft(R) Internet Information Services (IIS) 4.0 or later on the same computer to stream ASF content through port 80. For the correct information about using Windows Media Services and IIS on the same computer to stream ASF content through port 80, see the topic "Using Windows Media server components and IIS on the same server".

Upgrading or moving from one language to another language
If you are upgrading or reinstalling Windows Media Services you cannot change from one language to another (for example, English to German). This is an unsupported upgrade/change. If you want to change languages for Windows Media Services, you must save/export all publishing point and station information from the installed language, once you've done this, uninstall the existing version of Windows Media Services, install the new language version of Windows Media Services, and then import or add the publishing point and station information.

Windows Media Tools

Installing Microsoft® Windows Media™ Tools disables Windows Media Audio codec version 1
Sonic Foundry's Vegas v1.0, Windows Media® On-Demand Producer, and the Microsoft™ Mobile Audio Player Manager use Windows Media Audio codec version 1. Installing the final version of Microsoft® Windows Media™ Tools or the Windows Media Audio Software Development Kit will install Windows Media Audio codec version 2 which is incompatible with Windows Media Audio codec version 1.

The final versions of all version 4 Windows Media services and tools (including Windows Media Player) are designed to work with Windows Media Audio codec version 2. Windows Media Player is backward compatible with Windows Media Audio codec version 1.

PLEASE NOTE: The final version of Windows Media On-Demand Producer will be released one week after all other version 4 tools, services, and player are released. Until the Windows Media On-Demand Producer is released in its final state, it is incompatible with Windows Media Audio codec version 2. Please check back for the updates on the final release of the Windows Media On-Demand Producer.

Running Windows Media Encoder with the MPEG-4 or Windows Media Audio codec on a Pentium III computer
You can run Windows Media(TM) Encoder with the MPEG-4 or Windows Media Audio codec on a Pentium III computer only if Windows 98 or Windows NT 4.0 with SP4 or later is installed.

If Windows NT version 4.0 with SP4 is installed on your Pentium III computer, you must install an Intel driver to run Windows Media Encoder with these codecs. The driver can be downloaded from the Intel Corporation Web site at http://developer.intel.com/vtune/optidrvr/index.htm. You must install Windows NT 4.0 with SP4 before you install the driver to prevent other problems from occurring.

Encoding platform localization causes problems for Lernout Hauspie audio codec
When using Windows Media Encoder to create .asd files, care must be taken in localizing the encoding platform. If a localization applet is used to change character definitions and an .asd file is saved on that computer, do not transfer the .asd file to a non-localized computer without first changing the character definitions back to the default values and resaving the .asd file. If this is not done and the Lernout Hauspie audio codec is used, the non-localized computer cannot recognize the codec and an error occurs.
Using Windows Media Encoder automatic indexing
If you are encoding content to both an .asf file and a Windows Media server and you use automatic indexing, do not move the .asf file before you stop the encoder. The index is created for the .asf file when the encoding process stops. If you have set a limit on the file size or duration of the .asf file, encoding of the .asf file could be completed prior to the end of the encoding session. If the .asf file is not in the folder in which Windows Media Encoder created it, the indexing process fails and produces an error message.

Creating .asf files without automatic indexing
If automatic indexing is not selected when you encode an .asf file to a disk (defaults to selected), the file, when played locally, plays only once if Repeat forever is selected on the player. You correct this by running Windows Media ASF Indexer on the .asf file.

Using Windows Media Encoder with the Crystal Semiconductor audio card Certain older drivers for the Crystal Semiconductor Audio Cards are not compatible with Windows Media Encoder. If you try to use one of these cards, an error message is displayed that reads, "There are no active audio mixer devices available. You may install or activate mixer devices from the Control Panel." An updated version of the driver is available from the Cirrus Logic Web site (http://www.cirrus.com).

Also, when viewing the summary settings on Windows Media Encoder when using this audio card, the Audio Input field remains blank, although the audio input is being received and encoded. This is a known issue that is related to the drivers, but it has not yet been resolved.

Using Windows Media Encoder with Hauppauge Wincast/TV NT drivers (version 1.06)
If Windows Media Encoder tries to open a video capture device that is already in use, the error message, "All boards in use by another process" is displayed many times in a row before finally being cleared. This is a known problem with the latest Hauppauge Wincast/TV NT drivers (version 1.06), and it has not yet been resolved.

Another problem has been found where selecting Video Capture in Windows Media Encoder sometimes fails to bring up the Wincast capture card properties page. To download any Wincast/TV driver or WinTV application updates that may resolve this problem or the earlier problem, see the Hauppauge Web site (http://www.hauppauge.com).

Using .avi files compressed with the H.263 video codec as input to Windows Media Encoder
If you are going to use an .avi file as an input source for Windows Media Encoder, you may encounter a problem if the application used to create the .avi file used the H.263 video codec with the YVU12 pixel format. When an .avi file of this type is transcoded using Windows Media Encoder, the video content cannot be properly decoded and the resulting .asf file will have black video. If you encounter this problem, the original .avi file must be recreated using RGB32 as the pixel format before it can be converted.

Creating illustrated audio with Windows Media Author
When using Windows Media™ Author, it is assumed that a presentation ends with the last image placed on the timeline. If you have audio content or script commands placed after the last image, this content is not included in the .asf file. To avoid this, make sure that a closing image is placed at the end of your timeline, after all of the content that you want to include in the .asf file.

Aggregate bit rate value requirements for distributing multiple bit rate content to a Windows Media server
When using the multiple bit rate templates in Windows Media Encoder for encoding content that is distributed directly to a Windows Media server, the bandwidth requirement for the network connection between the encoder and server is an aggregate of the supported network bandwidths. The following table shows the aggregate requirements for the default multiple bit rate template stream formats. The target bandwidth represents the bandwidths at which the client computer can connect to the server and receive the content. The aggregate bandwidth is the amount of bandwidth necessary for distributing the stream from the encoder to the server.

Template Target Bandwidths (Kbps) Aggregate Bandwidth (Kbps)

Dial-Up Modems Multiple Bit Rate Video 37, 22, 17* (w/ 8k audio) 59

ISDN Corporate Multiple Bit Rate Video 100, 80, 52* (w/ 10k audio) 209

Dial-Up Modems Corporate Multiple Bit Rate Video 80, 37, 22, 17* (w/ 8k audio) 127

28.8 Video Voice 22, 17* (w/ 5k audio) 34

28.8 Video Audio Emphasis 22, 17* (w/ 8k audio) 30

56 Dial-up Modem Video 37, 22, 17* (w/ 10k audio) 52

*An automatic "insurance" bandwidth that is created when multiple bit rate encoding is enabled. Figures are approximate.

Using Windows Media Encoder with script commands in Windows 98
If you create a Windows Media Encoder configuration that uses script commands in Microsoft Windows 98, all commands in a Windows Media Encoder menu may appear to be disabled. However, the commands are not disabled and function as designed. Toggle the script command interface in the Input Properties screen to display the menu commands. If you experience this problem, install the most recent service packs for Windows 98 from the Microsoft Web site.

Using progressive JPEG images with Windows Media Author
Progressive JPEG files are interlaced so that the image renders over time. This behavior is not compatible with the Windows Media file format. Therefore, Windows Media Author does not support the progressive JPEG image format. Attempting to use this type of JPEG with Windows Media Author will produce unpredictable results, such as:

An error message stating that the file has copy errors when attempting to insert media.

An access violation error message that may cause your system to fail after the successful insertion of media.

Inability to preview your Windows Media Author project.

Publishing .asf file that will not render in Microsoft® Windows Media™ Player.

To determine if the .jpg file you want to include in your Windows Media Author project was encoded using the progressive mode, use a JPEG image viewer to display the file information. If it was, you must convert the image to standard JPEG format before you use it with Windows Media Author.

Known problem with editing Input properties in Windows Media Encoder
It is a known issue that while editing the Windows Media Encoder's Input properties, if you uncheck the Script Commands setting (which is on by default) and then switch from Live source to AVI/WAV/MP3 file, when you click OK, the Script Commands setting is lost. If you want to turn off Script Commands and switch the input source from Live to AVI/WAV/MP3 File, turn off Script Commands, click Apply to save this setting, and then switch from Live to AVI/WAV/MP3 File on the Input tab. Click OK to save your edits.

Windows Media Rights Manager

Windows Media Rights Manager system requirements
The following hardware and software is required to use Microsoft(R) Windows Media(TM) Rights Manager:

A computer with Pentium-class or higher processor

5 megabytes (MB) of available hard-disk space

Windows NT Server version 4.0 with Service Pack 4

Windows NT version 4.0 Option Pack with ServicePack 1

Internet Explorer 5 (preferred) or Internet Explorer 4.01 with Service Pack 1

Microsoft(R) SQL Server 7.0

Windows Media Tools 4.0 Note: If you installed the beta version of Windows Media Tools, you must upgrade to the released version.

Windows Media Player 6.2 or later

For more information about the system requirements for Windows Media Rights Manager, see http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/en/support/DRM.asp. For a product overview and a list of known issues about Rights Manager, see the release notes installed with Rights Manager in %SystemDrive%\Program Files\Windows Media Components\Rights Manager.

Other Issues

Using forms in a Web page to deliver content
If you use a form in an HTML document to deliver content to a user (based on user input), you must use the Get method (method = "get") for form submission. If you use the Post method for form submission, the URL returned to the player does not contain the information needed to fully resolve the script processed when the form is submitted.

Using Event elements in an .asx file
If you use Event elements in an .asx file, the first Entry element in the .asx file must be within an Event element. If the first Entry element is not within an Event element, events of subsequent Entry elements sometimes do not function correctly.

Naming limitations with .asx files
Currently, .asx files cannot be saved with a double-byte file name. An .asx file saved with such a name cannot be read.

Saving .asx files
At this time, .asx files cannot be saved as unicode files. An .asx file saved as unicode cannot be correctly parsed.

Product Support
Help is available from many different sources. Please take the time to read the following so we may direct you to the most appropriate help source for you, depending on the type of user you are and how you are using this product.

MICROSOFT PRODUCT SUPPORT SERVICES
The services and prices listed here are available in the United States only. Support outside the United States may vary. Microsoft’s support services are subject to Microsoft’s then-current prices, terms, and conditions, which are subject to change without notice.

International Support
SELF HELP

Whether you are an IT Professional, system administrator, developer, reseller, consultant, or solution provider, Microsoft’s Professional Online Support can help you get the most up-to-date answers swiftly and easily. Here you can use self-help tools plus search on a wide variety of technical information. If you still need help, Professional Online Support provides an easy way to submit support incidents directly to Microsoft via the web.

Connect to Online Support at http://www.microsoft.com/support.

ASSISTED SUPPORT

Paid Assisted Professional Support
You may access Paid Assisted Professional Support via Professional Online Support or telephone. Support fees are billed to your VISA, MasterCard, or American Express card.

Note: If your Microsoft product was preinstalled or distributed with your personal computer or dedicated system (Windows CE-based device), or provided by an Internet Service Provider (ISP), and your Product ID (PID) contains the letters "OEM" after the first five digits, you are welcome to use the many online no-charge self-help or paid assisted support offerings provided by Microsoft. No-charge assisted support for OEM licenses is not provided by Microsoft. Please contact the personal computer manufacturer, device/system manufacturer, or ISP directly for more information regarding their no-charge and paid offerings for support of your product. Please check the documentation that came with your personal computer or check our list of manufacturer phone numbers at http://support.microsoft.com/support/webresponse/pid/oem.asp.

Retail versions of Microsoft software are those stand alone packaged products purchased at retail stores or mail order resellers. Microsoft products preinstalled or distributed with your personal computer, dedicated system (Windows CE-based device), or provided by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or purchased through a volume licensing program such as Select, Open, or License Packs receive all Microsoft support privileges, excluding no-charge assisted support.

GETTING ASSISTED SUPPORT
When you contact Product Support Services, you should be at your computer and have the following information at hand:
- The version of your Microsoft product – The type of hardware, including network hardware, if applicable
– The operating system (e.g., DOS, Windows 95, Windows NT, and so on)
– The exact wording of any informational or error messages that appeared on your screen
– A description of what happened and what you were doing when the problem occurred
– A description of how you tried to solve the problem

To find which offering meets your needs, please select from the list below:

Which of the following describes you best?
Administrator in small or medium organization
System administrator or user in large enterprise
IT Professional
Microsoft Certified Solution Provider
Developer
Reseller or consultant

Administrator in small or medium organization and IT Professionals

SELF-HELP

Help yourself to Professional Support from the TechNet Web site – a great resource for IT Professionals and Administrators: http://technet.microsoft.com

ASSISTED SUPPORT

To work directly with a Microsoft Support Professional, you can use Assisted Professional Support via the Web or the telephone.

GETTING ASSISTED SUPPORT

In the US: $195 US per Web incident and $245 US per phone incident. Professional Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.

Via Web

Microsoft’s Professional Support via the Web is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via the TechNet website. To submit an incident, go to http://technet.microsoft.com/reg/support/.

Via Phone

US: (800) 936-4900 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including holidays.
Text telephone (TTY/TDD) available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including holidays. In the United States and Canada, call (425) 635-4948.

System administrator or user in large enterprise

Most large enterprises will have an internal support organization that will have a formal support arrangement with Microsoft or its partners. Check with this group first for your technical support. In addition, Web-based self-help support is available direct from Microsoft at http://www.microsoft.com/support. This site also has details about purchasing support contracts from Microsoft or its partners.

Microsoft Certified Solution Provider

SELF-HELP

Help yourself to Professional Support from the MCSP Program web site – a great resource for Microsoft Certified Solution Providers: http://www.microsoft.com/mcsp/ASSISTED SUPPORT

To work directly with a Microsoft Support Professional, you can use Assisted Professional Support via the Web or the telephone.

GETTING ASSISTED SUPPORT

In the US: $100 US per Web incident and $125 US per phone incident. Professional Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.

Via Web:

Microsoft’s Professional Support via the Web is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via the MCSP Program Web site. To submit an incident go to http://www.microsoft.com/mcsp/.

Via Phone:

US: (888) 677-9444 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including holidays.

Text telephone (TTY/TDD) available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including holidays. In the United States call (425) 635-4948.

If you are interested in becoming a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider, go to http://www.microsoft.com/mcsp/.

Developer

SELF-HELP

Help yourself to Professional Support from the MSDN web site -- a great resource for developers: http://msdn.microsoft.com.

ASSISTED SUPPORT

To work directly with a Microsoft Support Professional, you can use Assisted Professional Support via the Web or the telephone.

GETTING ASSISTED SUPPORT

In the US: $195 US per Web incident and $245 US per phone incident. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.

Via Web:

Microsoft’s Professional Support via the web is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via the MSDN web site. To submit an incident go to http://support.microsoft.com/servicedesks/msdn/

Via Phone:

US and Canada: (800) 936-5800 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including holidays.

Text telephone (TTY/TDD) available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including holidays. In the United States call (425) 635-4948.

Reseller or consultant

SELF-HELP

Help yourself to Professional Support from the Direct Access web site – a great Web resource for resellers and consultants: http://www.microsoft.com/directaccess.

ASSISTED SUPPORT

To work directly with a Microsoft Support Professional, you can use Assisted Professional Support via the Web or the telephone.

GETTING ASSISTED SUPPORT

In the US: $195 US per Web incident and $245 US per phone incident. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.

Via Web:

Microsoft’s Professional Support via the web is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via the Direct Access web site. To submit an incident go to http://premium.microsoft.com/da_support/

Via Phone:

US: (888) 456-5570 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including holidays.
Text telephone (TTY/TDD) available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including holidays. In the United States and Canada, call (425) 635-4948.
Microsoft provides a mailing list and newsgroup for you to provide feedback on this release. For more information about mailing lists and newsgroups, visit http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/essentials/mail.asp.

Peer discussion on Microsoft-sponsored mailing lists and newsgroups

A Microsoft-sponsored public list server e-mail discussion group offers peer-based support.

– To subscribe, send an e-mail message to Listserv@discuss.microsoft.com. Leave the Subject line blank and for the message text, type "SUBSCRIBE WMTALK your name". For example:


SUBSCRIBE WMTALK John Doe

– To unsubscribe, send an e-mail message to Listserv@discuss.microsoft.com. Leave the Subject line blank and for the message text, type "SIGNOFF WMTALK".

Several Microsoft-sponsored newsgroups offer peer-based support on Windows Media Technologies:

– microsoft.public.windowsmedia.technologies
– microsoft.public.windowsmedia.technologies.rightsmanager

For more information about how to read newsgroups, visit http://support.microsoft.com/support/news/howto/.

Reporting bugs by e-mail

You can report bugs by sending an e-mail to WMTBug@microsoft.com. This e-mail address is for bug reporting only. General product support is not available via this process.

Include the following information in your bug report:

Product name and date obtained.

System information: type of machine, processor, amount of RAM, video card, sound device, video capture device, etc.

Operating system.

A concise 1-sentence description of the problem.

A verbose description of the problem.

Details or steps to reproduce the problem.

Full contact information, if follow up is necessary.

Additional query words: netshow wms wmp wmt

Keywords : kbwms41
Version : :4.1; winnt:1.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbinfo