Setting up Windows Media Services for Streaming Video
Windows Media Services (WMS) is a streaming media server that allows a computer administrator to generate streaming media. The supported formats are Windows Media, JPEG and MP3s. Other options are available for serving broadcast or on-demand content, but they are often not compatible with the Windows Media Player or are very expensive. Windows Media Services is ideal for a small amount of data and is not intended for use with a large load.
Windows Media Services is no longer available by default for current Windows Server installations. In order to install Windows Media Services onto your computer, you must have the installation CD. By adding Windows Media Services to your Windows Components, the program will be usable.
Step 1 - Prepare a Port for Your Streaming Content
When inside Windows Media Service, click on Properties and highlight the phrase "Control Protocol." Right click on "WMS HTTP Server Control" Protocol to enable a server.
Step 2 - Prepare Your Streaming Video
Make sure your video is in Windows Media Format (.wma). You should have, at maximum, two MPEG layers of audio and video.
Step 3 - Add a Content Stream
Right click on the Publishing Points folder in the left pane and choose "Add Publishing Point." Skip past the welcome screen, give your media stream a name, then click next. For Content Type you have four options: a Playlist is for multiple files that you want to stream one after another (like a TV station), an Encoder assumes a live stream has already been made elsewhere, a One File is for one indivdual video, and Files are for a collection of videos you wish to upload at the same time but allows users to play individually (like On Demand.)
Once you have decided what your content type is click "Next." There are now two Pulishing Point Types: Broadcast and On-demand. Broadcast allows the end user to watch the uploaded files in any order. On-demand forces the user to begin with the first file uploaded. Click "Next."
Click Add Media, then use the Browse button to select the folder which contains the file, or files, you wish to upload. Click "Select Directory," click "OK," and then click "Next." You can now choose whether to rename the playlist or use the default. Do not change the location! Click "Next." Then choose whether you want your content to play in a loop (playing continuously) or shuffle (plays in random orders.)
Step 4 - Create Web Links to Your Video
On the final wizard page make sure the After the wizard finishes checkbox is ticked and Create an announcement file or Web page is bulleted. Click "Finish."
Use the Browse button to save the .asx file (if a web page is not already created) or .htm file (to add to an existing web page).
Step 5 - List on the Web
Simply link to the .htm page on any existing web page or use the .asx extension when linking within an intranet network. You have now created a streaming video using Windows Media Services!