Microsoft Corporation
Updated: February 2000

Here's how to get Windows Media™ Encoder ready to encode live video signals:

1. Make sure that your encoding computer meets the Microsoft® Windows Media Services system requirements. You can use Microsoft Windows® 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT®.
2. Make sure you are using a capture card that has been tested with Windows Media Encoder.
3. Download and install Microsoft Windows Media Tools from the Windows Media product site .
4. Open Windows Media Encoder. On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Windows Media, and then click Windows Media Encoder.
5. In the Welcome window, select either QuickStart, Template with I/O options, or Custom settings. If the Welcome window does not appear when Windows Media Encoder opens, on the File menu, click New.

Quickstart

Select this option if you want to use one of the pre-configured template stream formats for encoding, and you do not need to change default input and output settings.

1. On the QuickStart screen, click a suitable template in the list, and then click OK. When you click a template, a description and details are displayed.
2. Click Start to begin encoding.

Template with I/O Options

Select this option if you want to use one of the pre-configured template stream formats for encoding, and enter your own input and output settings.

1. On the Template Stream Format screen, click a suitable video template in the list. When you click a template, a description and details are displayed.
2. On the Input Source screen, select Live source.
3. On the Capture Source screen, accept the default video capture and sound cards, or, if you have more than one card on your computer, click Custom and choose from the lists.
4. On the Output Options screen, click To Windows Media Server(s) over a network.
5. On the Transmission screen, click Allow Remote Server(s) to connect via fixed port, and then type a port number in the MSBD on port box. Unless you are encoding with more than one Windows Media Encoder on a computer, you can usually accept the default value. Leave the HTTP on port value set to 80.
6. Click Finish. The main Windows Media Encoder interface appears.
7. Click Start. View encoding progress using the Time display.

Custom Setting

Select this option if you want to create your own configuration for encoding.

1. On the Input Source screen, select Live source.
2. On the Capture Source screen, use the default settings. If you have more than one video capture card or sound card on your computer, you can click Custom and select a different capture source.
3. On the first Bandwidth Selection screen, select Use multiple bit rate video. If your computer does not meet the recommended requirements for encoding a multiple bit rate live stream, select Use single bit rate video and skip to step 5.
4. On the second Bandwidth Selection screen, select Low Bandwidth or High Bandwidth. The encoded live stream will contain multiple streams encoded at the bit rates shown in the lower list. You can Add, Remove, or Edit bit rates in the list, or accept the default settings. .
5. On the Compression and Formats screen, select audio and video compression codecs for the bandwidth you are targeting. If you are encoding multiple bit rates, choose a video codec suitable for the highest bandwidth, and an audio codec suitable for the lowest bandwidth. The following table gives suggested codecs for different types of content and bandwidths.

   Type of content	Audio codec	Video codec
   Voice and video - modem speed (28.8 kilobits per second [Kbps])	ACELP.net Format: 5 Kbps, 8,000 hertz (Hz), Mono	Microsoft MPEG-4 version 3 video codec Advanced: Image size: QCIF (176 x 144) Frame rate: 15 frames per second (fps) Quality 0
   Music and video - modem speed (28.8 Kbps)	Microsoft Windows Media Audio codec: 8 Kbps, 8 kilohertz (kHz), Mono	Microsoft MPEG-4 v3 video codec Advanced: Image size: 160 x 120 Frame rate: 15 fps Quality: 0
   Music and video - ISDN speed (56 Kbps)	Windows Media Audio codec: 10 Kbps, 11 kHz, Mono	Microsoft MPEG-4 v3 video codec Advanced: Image size: QCIF (176 x 144) Frame rate: 15 fps Quality: 0
   Music and video - Intranet speed (100 Kbps)	Windows Media Audio codec: 16 Kbps, 16 kHz, mono	Microsoft MPEG-4 v3 video codec Advanced: Image size: 320 x 240 Frame rate: 15 fps Quality: 0

6. On the Output Options screen, click To Windows Media Server(s) over a network.
7. On the Transmission screen, click Allow Remote Server(s) to connect via fixed port, and then type a port number in the MSBD on port box. Unless you are encoding with more than one Windows Media Encoder on a computer, you can usually accept the default value. Leave the HTTP on port value set to 80.
8. Click Finish. The main Windows Media Encoder interface appears.
9. Click Start. View encoding progress using the Time display.