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SMPublish (streaming media) Instructions


If you have a digital video(avi file) from your digital camera or any of the other formats listed belowa wmv file, this program will enable you to encode and upload (or just upload) the file to the server.

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Microsoft Windows Media® Audio (.wma)

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Windows Media Video (.wmv--already encoded so just upload do not encode)

  • Microsoft Producer screen capture (wmv--already encoded-just upload do not encode)
  • Camtasia (wmv-- already encoded upload only)

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Audio Video Interleaved (.avi)

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Windows Media Advanced Systems Format (.asf)

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Moving Picture Experts Group (.mpeg and .mp3)

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bmp

•

Windows Audio/Video (.wav)



Here is the actual address to the program:
http://stream1.olympic.edu/smpublish/ 

after you read the information below, just come back and click on this link to convet your video file to streaming media and upload it (or just upload wmv files).  You will be asked for your usename and password.  Just log in like you do for email or on-campus (e.g. office\jhanson) and password.

Below are "mock-ups" of the screens that you will be using to encode and upload your files ortest the smpublish application. 

First screen---
select the red button "Go To Encoder Page"

first screen Mock-up -------------------------------------------------------

OC Streaming Media Encoder

Is this tool right for the type of streaming media that I want to create?
If you want to create streaming media for short, modularized instructional units then this tool is appropriate.
If you want to create high quality or long shots then contact Media Services(7770). Steps Preparations and actions:

  1. Create your media in Producer or another streaming media editor in one of the following file formats: .wma, .wmv, .asf, . avi, .wav, .mpg, .mp3, or .bmp (review the documentation below for additional information)
  2. The box below has the number of people that have encoding process active. If the number in the box is more than 2-3 user and the encoder is slow you might want to try to encode later.
    Active Encoding Sessions:
  3. Click on the"Go To Encoder Page" button to encode your streaming media.

Other Functions You May Need:

  • Click on the button below to upload files to or delete file from your streaming media folder
  • To view documentation click the View Documentation button:

-----------------------------------------------------------end of first screen

Here is a mock-up of the "Go To Encoder Page" .  Just type in or select options and follow the steps 1-7. 

On step 1, use the gray browse button to select the video file on your computer (car.mpg or MVI_0725.avi or your own file).  
For step2 both of the files that I gave you have both video and audio so select " video and audio"   then complete steps 3-7.


Second screen Mockup--------------------

OC Streaming Media Encoder

Complete 1-8 below to encode your media to the publishing point on the server Stream1 
Steps Select option and fill in boxes below
1. Select file on your computer to encode and upload to your Publishing Point on Stream1. Please limt unencoded files to 50 megabytes:
2. Does your file contain Audio or Video or Both Videoand Audio?:
3. Author:
4. Description
5. User Connection Speed:Kbps:
6. Title
7. Click this to start encoding:
8. Check message (completion or errors) and copy published address to your web page. You can link it as: "mms://stream1 /InsertYourUserName
/NameOfStreamingMediaFileInBox1below."
example: mms://stream1/jhanson/MyStreamingFile.wmv

Published address--hypertext link this address on your web page to play media:

9. Return to the main page.
--------------------------end of second screen

NOTE--SomeAVI(video)  files are filmed with an codec (video software) that Stream1 doesn't understand (can use).  In these cases, you will get this message in Step 8:
"One or more codecs required to open this content could not be found." or  "File handle not released, please report to IT"

Always tell the HelpDesk about this error(s).  Two things can be done:
If you can tell us the name of the "codec", IT may be able to get this codec off of the Internet.  Then your avi file will "encode" correctly and create a wmv streaming file on the streaming server.
The file generating the error will be locked on the server.  IT needs to clean this file out.l


Now test your application.  In Step 8 you are given the address of your newly created streaming media.  You can block and copy it and then test it in two ways:
  • paste the address directly into a browser window (e.g. Internet Explorer)  mms://stream1/instructorUserName/MyStreamingFile.wmv
  • You could create a hypertext link on your web page but with the mms:// address not the http:// address.

Some of you may be interested in simply uploading encoded files (from MS Producer, MS Movie Maker or Camtasia). 

After you have created a publishing point with the "Start Encoding" button on the first screen or you can call the HelpDesk and ask them to create one for you.  After it is created, simply click the "maintenance" button on the first page (screen 1 above) and upload the WMV (don't upload AVI files only encoded WMV files) to your root directory.  Test that student can play the media by typing in the address to your file in a browser  (e.g. if I were uploading to my directory a streaming media file called test.wmv, the address to type in the browser would be:

mms://stream1.olympic.edu/jhanson/test.wmv

If you created a subfolder ( /testfolder )and put test.wmv in it the address would be:

mms://stream1.olympic.edu/jhanson/testfolder/test.wmv

Please give us feedback:

Some Potential Questions:

  1. Do we need any improvements to the “training” materials?
  2. Are the instructions in the program clear? Do they need improvement?
  3. Do the three streaming rates need to be refined/improved?
  4. Do the messages after encoding and publishing clearly indicate what address the instructor can use to set up a hyperlink that streams or how to start a stream from a browser?
  5. Did this application work from home as well as a college site?

Issues that you might run into:

  1. Codec not available—Since your video files can be produced with one of many formats that may require a unique codec (many of them not from Microsoft), we might need to find and install the codec on Stream1. There have been a few times that we have not been able to find a codec
  2. Encoding process taking to long. Usually it takes about 1 minute for a megabyte of video/audio to be encoded, to build a publishing point for you on the server, and make the streaming media file available to the public. However, if your video files are large, > 50 megabytes and require high quality, then you may just want to give your video to Media Services to encode and mount on the server. Roger Nick is your contact in Media Services.

Let me know how I can help.  Thanks, Jack Hanson-- jhanson@oc.ctc.edu