Windows Media Encoder 9 Series FAQJune 2005
This document provides answers to frequently asked questions about Microsoft® Windows Media® Encoder 9 Series. To view the complete text of each question and answer, click the question. To expand all questions, press SHIFT+A. To collapse all questions, press SHIFT+C.
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Sessions. Questions pertaining to encoding settings and sessions
Codecs. Questions about using codecs.
Devices. Questions about capture devices.
Broadcasts. Questions about streaming and broadcasting.
Files. Questions about files and files types.
Hardware and Software
Sessions
Screen Capture
Codecs
Encoding Feedback
Devices
Broadcasts
Files
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Hardware and software
1.1 What are the requirements for Windows Media Encoder 9 Series?For information about required and recommended configurations, see System Requirements.
For a list of supported audio and video capture cards, see Windows Media Hardware Product Vendors.
You can install Windows Media Encoder 9 Series on a computer running Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003. (For Windows 2000, you must also install Microsoft DirectX® 9.0. To install DirectX 9.0, see the Download page at the Microsoft Web site. The recommended configuration varies, depending on the encoding task, as described in the following paragraphs:
To convert a file, the minimum configuration is a 266 megahertz (MHz) processor and 64 megabytes (MB) of RAM. The recommended configuration is a 500 MHz processor or higher, Windows XP, and 128 MB of RAM.
To capture and broadcast audio and video files for 28.8 kilobits per second (Kbps) and 56 Kbps modems (using the Windows Media Audio 9 and Windows Media Video 7 codecs), the minimum configuration is a 300 MHz processor and 64 MB of RAM. For mid-bandwidth (100 Kbps to 500 Kbps) audiences, the recommended configuration is an 866 MHz processor or higher, Windows XP, and 256 MB of RAM.
To capture and broadcast audio and video files for 28.8 Kbps and 56 Kbps modems, (using the Windows Media Audio and Video 9 Series codecs), the minimum configuration is a 1.5 gigahertz (GHz) processor and 64 MB of RAM. For mid-bandwidth (100 Kbps to 500 Kbps) audiences, the recommended configuration is a 1 GHz dual processor or higher, Windows XP, and 256 MB of RAM.
To capture and broadcast an audio and video stream for high-bandwidth (500 Kbps through 2 Mbps) audiences (using the Windows Media Audio and Video 9 Series codecs), the recommended configuration is a 2 GHz dual processor or higher, Windows XP, and 256 MB of RAM.
1.2 Can I use multiple encoders on one computer? Yes. For optimal performance, use a computer with two or more processors. While each instance of the encoder can support multiple sources, input devices can be used by only one source at a time. Therefore, you should install several audio and video capture cards when you encode from multiple instances of the encoder.
When you are using multiple encoders on one computer, the identification name of the encoder enables applications created with Microsoft Visual Basic® and Visual C++® to distinguish between multiple instances of the encoder. To view the identification name of an instance of the encoder, on the toolbar, click Properties, and then click the Advanced tab.
1.3 Do I need to be an administrator to install Windows Media Encoder 9 Series?Yes. However, it is not necessary to be an administrator to use the encoder.
1.4 What can I do to improve encoding quality and performance?Use a computer with the following features: Fast and/or multiple processors; audio and video cards that have been tested for use with Windows Media Encoder 9 Series; Microsoft Windows XP Professional; a high-performance disk drive; a network that can accommodate the bandwidth required by both the stream from the encoder and the overhead for other network traffic. For more information about achieving optimal system performance, see Windows Media Encoder Help.
1.5 Can the encoder run if the workstation is locked?Yes.
1.6 Can the encoder run if no one is logged on?Yes, if you have set up the encoder to be controlled remotely.
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Sessions
2.1 I'm not getting the frame rate or bit rate I requested from the encoder. What should I do? What affects these settings?The setting you specify represents the maximum value; if you are encoding low-motion video, the frame rate or bit rate of the encoded content might be lower. Other factors that may reduce the frame rate or bit rate include a high video quality setting, insufficient network bandwidth, a large frame size, and a system that is not sufficiently powerful. Check that you are using capture cards that have been tested for use with Windows Media Encoder 9 Series and that the current drivers for the cards are installed. If the encoding system is not sufficiently powerful, try optimizing the system by closing all other applications while encoding, turning off video preview and postview, and adjusting the performance settings. For more information about achieving optimal system performance, see Windows Media Encoder Help.
2.2 Why can't I apply the inverse telecine filter to my content? The inverse telecine process removes frames that were added during the telecine process. (The telecine process is used to convert 24-fps film to 29.97 or 30-fps NTSC video.) The inverse telecine filter removes artifacts and improves the quality of encoded content, especially at low bit rates. You can apply the inverse telecine filter to an NTSC source that was previously telecined. It is not possible to apply the inverse telecine filter when you are also applying time compression or preserving or creating a time code.
2.3 Why are frames being dropped during encoding?Try increasing the bandwidth for the session and reducing the frame rate and frame size. In addition, if you are sourcing from devices, check that you are using capture cards that have been tested for use with Windows Media Encoder 9 Series and that the current drivers for the cards are installed. Finally, the encoding system may not be sufficiently powerful. Try optimizing the system by closing all other applications while encoding, turning off video preview and postview, and adjusting the performance settings. For more information about achieving optimal system performance, see Windows Media Encoder Help.
2.4 Why can't I use two-pass encoding? Two-pass encoding is not available for broadcasts, sessions that use quality-based VBR encoding, screen captures, or multisource sessions. If you are using the device control feature, you can use two-pass encoding if you chose to encode to a file and store content temporarily, and also set up an EDL for the content.
2.5 Using quality-based VBR encoding, I encoded two songs at the same quality setting. Why are the bit rates different between the encoded files?With quality-based VBR encoding, the bit rate fluctuates according to the complexity of the stream—a higher bit rate is used for intense detail or high motion, and a lower bit rate is used for simpler content. If a consistent bit rate is important, it is recommended that you use a CBR encoding mode.
2.6 I put URL flips into my encoded content, but I can't edit them with Windows Media File Editor. How do I fix this?Script commands (such as URL flips) inserted during encoding are contained within a separate stream and therefore are not displayed when you open the file using Windows Media File Editor. Windows Media File Editor only displays script commands that are in the header of the file. If you want to edit the script commands, use Windows Media File Editor to move the script commands to the file header and then edit them.
2.7 Does the encoder support file protection or digital rights management (DRM)? Yes, you can use live DRM to protect content (either files or broadcasts) while encoding. For more information about DRM, see Windows Media Encoder Help.
2.8 I entered a value for the Rating attribute; why isn't it displayed in Windows Media Player when my content is played?Values you add to the Rating attribute (by using Windows Media Encoder, Windows Media File Editor, or Windows Media Encoding Script) are displayed in the Parental Rating column in Media Library in Windows Media Player.
2.9 When I crop my video, why is the output video size slightly different than the size I expected?The height and width of the output video must be whole numbers. Since the default cropping values available in the encoder are based on percentages, it is possible that the output video size may include a value that is a decimal number (for example, 2.5). If this occurs, the digits after the decimal point are ignored.
2.10 What frame size dimensions does the encoder use with hardware cropping?If hardware cropping is available, the encoder uses it as the default cropping method. If you have chosen to match the frame size of the source video, the encoder automatically uses 640 x 480 pixels as the width and height of the source video and then applies cropping to those dimensions. If that fails (for example, if the crop margins are not valid), then the encoder applies cropping to the input size specified on the capture card.
2.11 When I set up a peak bit rate-based VBR session, why is the content sometimes encoded using two-pass CBR encoding?To use peak bit rate-based VBR encoding, the video peak bit rate must be more than 1.5 times the video average bit rate. If it is not, the content is encoded using two-pass CBR encoding.
2.12 How do I encode content that is supported by previous versions of Windows Media technologies?You can use Windows Media Encoder 9 Series to encode content that can be played back in Windows Media Player version 6.4, Windows Media Player 7.x, Windows Media Player for Windows XP, and Windows Media Player for Mac. You can also encode content that can be streamed by Windows Media Services version 4.1 or later.
To encode content that is supported by these technologies, first create one or more custom encoding profiles based on an existing streaming profile.
To create a custom profile based on this profile, do the following:
- On the Session Properties panel, click the Compression tab.
- In the Destination box, click Windows Media server (streaming).
- To customize this profile, click Edit.
- Use the following settings in the custom profile:
For the video codec, use either the Windows Media Video V7 or Windows Media Video V8 codec. Some of the features of the Windows Media Video 9 codec are not supported by previous versions of Windows Media Player.
For the audio codec, use the Windows Media Audio 9 codec. This version of the standard audio codec is supported by previous versions of the Player. However, the Windows Media Audio 9 Professional and Windows Media Audio 9 Voice codecs are not supported.
For both audio and video, use constant-bit-rate (CBR) encoding. Windows Media Player version 6.4, Windows Media Player for Mac, and Windows Media Services 4.1 support only CBR-encoded files.
Use the same video frame size for all bit rates for multiple-bit-rate (MBR) streaming. Previous versions of the Player support only one resolution or frame size for all bit rates streams in an MBR stream. For example, you could set a size of 320 pixels by 240 pixels for all of the bit rates.
Use the same audio format for all bit rates for MBR streaming. Previous versions of the Player support only one audio format for all of the bit rates in an MBR stream. You should use an audio format that is suitable for the lowest bit rate. For example, you could use the 10 Kbps, 16 kHz, mono CBR setting for an MBR stream that contains content with bit rates of 109 kilobits per second (Kbps) and 43 Kbps.
- After creating a custom profile, on the General tab of the Custom Encoding Settings dialog box, type a new name in the Name box.
- Click Export.
You can then use the custom encoding profile to encode your content. The next time you want to use the custom profile, import it into the new encoding session.
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Screen capture
3.1 What happens if I resize or minimize a window while capturing a screen by using the screen capture feature?If you resize the window after encoding has begun, the encoder either crops the original image or stretches it to fit the specified dimensions. If you minimize the window, the encoder restores the window automatically.
3.2 What can I do to improve the quality of my screen captures?There are a number of steps you can take to improve quality when capturing screens. For example, use the Windows Media Video 9 Screen codec, reduce the display size of the monitor, do not resize the source screen size, set your color display to 16-bit or 8-bit color, use a low frame rate, disable hardware acceleration, and capture a smaller image. For more information about improving the quality of screen captures, see Windows Media Encoder Help.
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Codecs
4.1 Some of the codecs I used in Windows Media Encoder 7.1 are missing. Where are they?The codecs that install with Windows Media Encoder 9 Series are updated versions of the codecs that were installed with Windows Media Encoder 7.1.
4.2 When should I use the Windows Media Audio 9 Voice codec instead of the Windows Media Audio 9 codec? The codec you use for encoding audio content depends on the type of audio. The Windows Media Audio 9 Voice codec is ideal for voice encoding at low bit rates. Use the Windows Media Audio 9 codec to encode all other types of audio streams at bit rates of 16 kilobits per second (Kbps) to 192 Kbps.
4.3 Can I add my own codecs to the encoder?The encoder does not support the addition of custom encoding codecs. However, the file you use as the source of an encoding session can be compressed with any codec, provided the codec is installed on the encoding computer as one of the following: DirectX Media Object (DMO), DirectShow filter, Audio Compression Manager (ACM) driver, or Image Color Management (ICM) driver. A good way to see whether a file can be used as a source is to try playing it with Windows Media Player 9 Series.
4.4 Can I use a multiple bit rate (MBR) profile for the screen capture codec?Yes. Keep in mind, however, that both an MBR profile and the screen capture codec are CPU-intensive, so you should verify that your system is sufficiently powerful to handle the encoding.
4.5 Can I use the Sipro Labs ACELP codec with the encoder?Yes. For example, you can import a profile that was created by using Windows Media Encoder 7.1. However, it is recommended that you use the Windows Media Audio 9 Voice codec instead.
4.6 Can I use the ISO MPEG-4 video codec with the encoder?Yes. For example, you can import a profile that was created by using Windows Media Encoder 7.1. However, it is recommended that you use the Windows Media Video 9 codec instead.
4.7 What players do the Windows Media Audio and Video 9 Series codecs support? Content encoded with the Windows Media Audio and Video 9 Series codecs (except for the Windows Media Audio 9 codec) is not supported in Windows Media Player version 6.4. Content encoded with the codecs can be played in Windows Media Player version 7.1 and Windows Media Player for Windows XP; however, the codecs must be downloaded before the content can be played.
Content encoded with the Windows Media Audio 9 codec can be played in Windows Media Player version 6.4. However, content encoded using VBR encoding with the Windows Media Audio 9 codec may have glitches or silence during playback. Content encoded with the Windows Media Audio 9 codec can be played in Windows Media Player version 7.1 and Windows Media Player for Windows XP; it is not necessary to download the codecs.
4.8 When I'm encoding, encoding stops, and the following message appears in the error log: "An unexpected error occurred with the audio codec (0xC00D0BC3)." Why does this happen?This message indicates that the content cannot be encoded using the current session settings. One possible cause of this problem is if you are using a two-pass VBR audio encoding mode (bit rate-based VBR or peak bit rate-based VBR), and the source audio changed between the first and second pass of encoding. This can occur, for example, if you are sourcing from a file with an .mpg file name extension and there is an issue with the MPEG-2 decoder. To encode the content, you can change the session to use two-pass CBR audio encoding. (You can continue to use a two-pass VBR encoding mode for the video if you want.) Alternatively, you can encode the content to an uncompressed file first and then encode the uncompressed file using a two-pass VBR audio encoding mode.
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Encoding feedback
5.1 How do I verify that the encoding session is working properly?You can monitor the main window of Windows Media Encoder as you are encoding. The General tab of the Monitor panel displays information such as elapsed time, CPU load, and remaining disk space. On the Video panel, you can view the pre-encoded content, the encoded output, or both, to check on the content quality. If you are pushing a stream to a Windows Media server, the Server tab of the Monitor panel displays status information about the server (unicast streams only). Note that you must have access permission to the Windows Media Services service through DCOM to receive the status information.
5.2 I'm not seeing anything in the Input or Output windows in the Video panel of the encoder. What's wrong?You cannot view pre-encoded content in the Input window in the following situations: you are capturing a screen; you are using the deinterlacing feature with AVI or MPEG files; or you are converting a Windows Media file with a .wmv or .asf file name extension and the file has the same properties as the output.
You cannot view encoded output when you are using the screen capture feature or an uncompressed profile, or when you are converting a Windows Media file with a .wmv or .asf file name extension and the file has the same properties as the output.
5.3 When I encode, why can I see video but not hear any audio?The encoding computer will play video, but not audio, while encoding. If there is no audio during playback, check that your mixer settings or input levels are configured properly.
5.4 When I preview a source while encoding, the encoder stops. What should I do?Previewing pre-encoded content can affect performance. Therefore, if your system is near to maximum capacity (the CPU is at 100 percent), attempting to preview may disrupt the encoding. To prevent this from occurring, you can turn off the preview option by doing the following:
- On the Video panel of the main encoder window, click Display, and then click Output.
5.5 When I run the encoder, it says I'm not receiving audio or video. What should I do?Check that your input devices are configured correctly. Verify with Sound Recorder or VidCap that you are actually receiving audio and video data. In addition, if your CPU usage is at 100 percent, you may need to improve system performance or reduce the encoding settings.
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Devices
6.1 Can I use my digital video (DV) device as a source to Windows Media Encoder?Yes. The device must be connected to an IEEE 1394 digital video port.
6.2 Why is my audio slider or mute button not available?The encoder uses the built-in mixer component on your audio card to control audio. Your audio card must have the master volume control for the audio slider to work. In addition, if the mute option is not in the volume control, it will not be enabled in the encoder.
6.3 How do I verify that audio and video capture cards are configured correctly?Start by encoding some content and then playing it back.
To determine if you have an audio or video feed, do the following:
- On the Start menu, click Control Panel.
- Click System, click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.
- Select the device from the list, and then click Properties.
The dialog box that is displayed will indicate whether the device is working properly.
- After you have set up an encoding session, on the Tools menu, click Configure Devices.
- Select the device, and then click Configure.
The properties dialog box for your device will be displayed.
If you are unsure of the proper settings, see your capture card documentation for instructions.
Screen capture properties are not available from the Configure Devices dialog box. You can also view the device settings on the General tab of the Monitor panel.
6.4 My capture device is not on the hardware list. Will it work with the encoder? The encoder works with most capture devices that have Video for Windows or Windows Driver Model (WDM) drivers. For a list of the capture devices that have been tested to work with Windows Media Encoder 9 Series, see the Microsoft Web site.
6.5 Why doesn't my M-JPEG card work?The encoder does not support M-JPEG content. In order to use M-JPEG content, use third-party software to convert the content to a format the encoder supports.
6.6 Why can't I configure a particular device from the encoder?Only the devices that are used in the current session are displayed in the Configure Devices dialog box.
To select a different device, do the following:
- On the Session menu, click Properties.
- Click the desired source, and then click Change.
- Select a different device from the Video or Audio drop-down lists, and then click Configure.
If you still are unable to configure the device, the device might not be supported.
The encoder works with most capture devices that have Video for Windows or Windows Driver Model (WDM) drivers. If your device has Video for Windows or WDM drivers, check that you are using the most current drivers. See the documentation that comes with your device. To see a list of the capture devices that have been tested to work with Windows Media Encoder 9 Series, see the Microsoft Web site.
6.7 Can I use multiple capture cards on a single computer?Yes. Having multiple capture cards installed on a single computer enables you to encode from multiple sources simultaneously.
6.8 What USB cameras will work with the encoder?The encoder works with most capture devices that have Video for Windows or Windows Driver Model (WDM) drivers. For a list of the capture devices that have been tested to work with Windows Media Encoder 9 Series, see the Microsoft Web site.
6.9 What capture driver version should I be using? In general, use the latest driver from the hardware vendor. Drivers can usually be found on the vendor's Web site. For a list of the capture devices that have been tested to work with Windows Media Encoder 9 Series, see the Microsoft Web site.
6.10 What happens if you press fast-forward, rewind, or pause on an external source while encoding?The encoder will encode source content exactly as it is given. For example, if you pause a VCR source device, the encoder will encode the paused screen.
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Broadcasts
7.1 At what point should I start using Windows Media Services? You can deliver Windows Media-based content from a server running Windows Media Services, a Web server, or directly from the encoder. The encoder supports up to five direct connections; if you need greater capacity, you must use a Web server or a Windows Media server.
A Windows Media server is designed specifically for streaming Windows Media-based content; a standard Web server is not. For example, a Windows Media server meters the stream delivery according to feedback information it receives while streaming, which helps to ensure a smooth presentation. A Windows Media server also supports MBR video and controls bandwidth more appropriately for a stream. For more information about the differences between a Windows Media server and a Web server, see Windows Media Encoder Help.
7.2 Why can't I push to a Windows Media server? Check that the WMS HTTP Server Control Protocol plug-in is enabled on the server. In addition, you must have write access permissions to the server through the WMS Publishing Points ACL Authorization plug-in. Finally, on the encoding computer, check that Integrated Windows Authentication is enabled in Microsoft Internet Explorer.
To determine if Integrated Windows Authentication is enabled in Internet Explorer, do the following:
- On the Tools menu, click Internet Options, and then click the Advanced tab.
- In the Security section, select the Enable Integrated Windows Authentication check box.
7.3 How can I reduce the amount of time it takes for someone to receive my content in a live broadcast?To answer your question, it's important to first understand the difference between buffering and delay. Buffering refers to the time it takes a player to fill its buffer before it starts playing the content. In other words, it's the difference between the time at which a user opens a connection to a streaming media server and time at which the content begins playing. On the other hand, delay refers to the difference, in a live broadcast, between the time at which content is encoded and the time at which the content is played. Delay is also known as network latency.
If you stream content using Windows Media 9 Series, buffering times are greatly reduced automatically as a result of the Fast Start and Fast Cache features (available and enabled by default in Windows Media Services 9 Series in Windows Server 2003). When you stream content, either as a live broadcast or an on-demand stream, the server takes advantage of available bandwidth to burst data to Windows Media Player 9 Series so that playback begins almost immediately.
While it is not possible to eliminate delay, you can minimize it by adjusting settings on the server, encoder, and the Player. Keep in mind that doing so will only reduce delay by a couple of seconds. Also, playback quality and performance may be impacted negatively.
To adjust the settings, do the following:
- On the server publishing point, disable buffering. (This option is available on the Properties tab of the publishing point.)
- In the Player, reduce the value for network buffering. (This option is available on the Performance tab of the Options dialog box.)
- In the encoder, check that the buffer size setting for a session is as low as possible. (This option is available if you click Edit on the Compression tab of the Properties panel.)
7.4 What network bandwidth is required for encoding?The network bandwidth required depends on the encoding session. The encoder displays the aggregate bandwidth for a session. This is the minimum bandwidth required to distribute a stream. Requirements for an MBR stream, for example, will need to take into account the sum of all the individual streams.
For direct connections to the encoder, the bit rate of the stream multiplied by the number of connected clients equals the network bandwidth required.
7.5 How many bit rates can I encode in one stream? You can encode up to 10 bit rates. For more information about setting up MBR streams, see Windows Media Encoder Help.
7.6 Can a stream be distributed through a firewall? Yes. The encoder supports HTTP streaming, which enables content to stream through a firewall. Note that the port the encoder is streaming through must be open on the firewall.
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Files
8.1 What source files does Windows Media Encoder 9 Series support? The encoder can source from files that have the following file name extensions: .wav, .wma, .wmv, .asf, .avi, .mpg, .mp3, .bmp, and .jpg.
8.2 Can Windows Media Encoder 9 Series convert MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 files?Yes. But in order to convert MPEG-2 files, you must have a Microsoft DirectShow® decode filter installed on your computer. The DirectShow decode filter is available from third-party software vendors. You can test the source file by playing it using Windows Media Player 9 Series. If the video does not appear correctly, then the file will not be encoded correctly.
8.3 What are the advantages of Windows Media Format as a capture format over AVI? Unlike AVI files, Windows Media Format files have no file size limitation. The encoder has been tested with output files of up to 30 GB.
8.4 Can I capture to an uncompressed format? If yes, which formats? Yes, the encoder can capture to uncompressed Windows Media Format. This enables creation of high-quality archives that can be reprocessed by the encoder. The encoder can output to the Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) audio format and to uncompressed video. The pixel format used for the video is IYUV (also known as YV12). Keep in mind that if the output exceeds 4 GB, you must use an NTFS-formatted hard disk partition.
8.5 Can I convert a file that has already been converted to Windows Media Format? Yes. In addition, the encoder will detect whether the file has the same configuration as the profile in the encoding session and will only apply additional compression if the configurations do not match.
8.6 When I capture from an AVI file, the video is upside-down. How do I fix this?Some capture devices create AVI files that do not fully conform to published specifications. Upside-down video may happen with the YUY2 pixel format only.
To prevent this problem, you can do one of the following:
- Set the driver on your capture device to use a different pixel format.
- "Flip" the image if your driver provides such a feature.
- Select the Flip vertically check box on the Processing tab of the Properties panel.
Note that if you are sourcing directly from the capture device without creating an AVI file, the encoder automatically uses a pixel format that displays the video correctly. Acceptable pixel formats include the following: IYUV (or I420) (12 bits per pixel), YV12 (12 bits per pixel), RGB 24 (24 bits per pixel), RGB 32 (32 bits per pixel), RGB 16 (16 bits per pixel), YVU9 (9 bits per pixel), and RGB 8 (8 bits per pixel).
8.7 I'm encoding from a digital video (DV) file, but the output results in no video. Why does this happen? The codec that was used in the file must exist on the encoding computer. To test whether this is the case, play the file in Windows Media Player. If the file does not play, check the name of the codec in the file properties.
8.8 I want to reduce the time it takes to encode a video file. Is this possible?Yes. You can apply time compression when converting a file. The amount of time compression that is applied depends on how powerful the encoding system is. It is not possible to apply time compression for a broadcast. For more information about applying time compression to content, see Windows Media Encoder Help.
8.9 Why is my multichannel audio file only playing in stereo? Multichannel audio can only be played on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows XP. In addition, check that the sound card on the computer supports multichannel audio output. Finally, check the speaker configuration on the computer:
To view the speaker configuration, do the following:
- On the Start menu, click Control Panel.
- Click Sounds and Audio Devices, click Advanced, and then, in Speaker setup.
- Click either 5.1 surround sound speakers or 7.1 surround sound speakers.
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