Windows Media Encoder^™
 Encode Streaming Video

Microsoft® Windows Media™ Encoder 7 is an easy-to-use, powerful production tool for converting both live and prerecorded audio and video to Windows Media Format. With Windows Media Encoder, you can deliver live content in real time to client computers or to a file for later use.

Real-time sources of audio and video content include anything that you can plug into your audio or video card, including a CD player, microphone, VCR, video camera, or video player. Stored sources are audio or video files. Users can view encoded Windows Media-based content with Microsoft Windows Media Player or with any application built using the Windows Media Format 7 Software Development Kit (SDK).

Ease of use

• A new graphical user interface makes it easier for you to produce Windows Media-based audio and video content, both for live and on-demand viewing.

• The New Session Wizard and Profile Manager tools help you to set up an encoding session quickly and to create encoding profiles, which you can transfer to other computers that you use for encoding.
• The visual feedback was improved to provide pre-encode and post-encode views of your content. You can also monitor real-time encoding statistics right from the encoder main window.
• The ability to switch between input sources, such as between a main speaker and intermission video, was added, providing you with greater control over the production of live events.

• The deinterlacing feature helps you to produce high-quality output from interlaced National Television System Committee (NTSC) content.

• A new inverse telecine feature supports higher-quality output from film sources.
• The built-in support for high-motion content has improved, and the encoder can produce encoded content from an interlaced source that is 320 x 240 pixels and has a frame rate of 60 frames per second (fps).
• New codecs have improved the quality for encoding content at 640 x 480 resolution at 30 fps. Also, the Windows Media Screen codec helps you create screen capture demonstrations for both live and on-demand scenarios.
• New time compression technology means you can reduce the time it takes to play back encoded content.
• Added support for the leading video capture cards, including the new Osprey-500WM.

Improved programmability, administration, and delivery

• The Windows Media Format 7 SDK has expanded to enable third parties to develop applications that fully automate the encoder functionality. The automation interface enables automation of all of the encoder functions. Developers can also use the automation API to develop content production processes.

• A new remote administration API, when used in conjunction with distributed COM (DCOM), enables administrators to control encoders residing on other clients on the local area network (LAN), such as in corporate and multimedia production environments. This API also enables Web developers to remotely administer their servers over the Internet with full encoder functionality.
• The encoder is a redistributable component enabling application developers to include encoder support in third-party applications.
• With improved unicast support, up to 50 players can connect directly to the encoder to receive Windows Media-based content.