Windows Media 7 Authoring: Capturing from Screen, Live and Pre-Recorded Media Oliver Pribramsky Program Manager Windows Media Microsoft Corporation

Agenda Windows Media Tools v4.1 Windows Media Tools v4.1  Customer scenarios  Business opportunity  Windows Media solution  Best practices for deployment Windows Media Encoder v7 Windows Media Encoder v7  Customer scenarios  Business opportunity  Windows Media solution  Best practices for deployment Resources Resources

Encoding To Windows Media Live Feed Production Workstation Live Content Stored Content: DAT, Beta, DV, CDROM, DVD Input Encoder or Tool Web Server Windows Media Services Live Distribution Streaming from a WM Server Streaming from a Web Server Stored WM File Download & Play  Live  No Editing  Time!  MPU  Multiple encoders  Multiple bit rate  Single stream for web server and download and play

Video Capture Beta Beta  Capture full-size, full-framerate  Deinterlace DV DV  Use progressive scan if possible Film Film  Inverse Telecine (24fps progressive)  Crop off letterbox borders

Clean Up Your Video! Deinterlace / inverse telecine Deinterlace / inverse telecine Crop off black edges! Crop off black edges! High-quality scaling High-quality scaling Boost contrast Boost contrast Noise reduction vs. blurring Noise reduction vs. blurring

Image Settings Image size Image size  Doesn’t have to be 4:3 aspect ratio Frame rate= even divisor of source Frame rate= even divisor of source  NTSC = 30 -> 15, 10, 7.5, 6, 5  PAL = 25 -> 12.5, 6.25, 5  Film = 24 -> 12, 8, 6 Datarate Datarate  You never get 100%

Compression Settings Video quality = fps vs.clarity Video quality = fps vs.clarity Intelligent streaming Intelligent streaming  Safety margin for net congestion  Scales to a range of connections

Windows Media Video Guidelines Microsoft MPEG4 v3

Input Guidelines Audio Get a good soundcard Get a good soundcard  Sound Blaster Live, Echo Darla, Gina, Layla  Record at 44.1 kHz, 16-bit or better Use a mixer Use a mixer  Mackie 1202 VLZ, Samson Mixpad 9 Use good speakers Use good speakers  Event, KRK, Alesis, Mackie Use a good microphone Use a good microphone  Expect to pay at least $50 Set audio levels correctly Set audio levels correctly  Make it hot, but not too hot

Noise Removal Avoid Noise If Possible Avoid Noise If Possible  Record from a good source and avoid background noise Common Noise Problems Common Noise Problems  Broadband: Tape hiss, Fan noise, Air conditioners, 60 Hz electrical  Digital Clipping: Recorded too loud or improperly mixed  Clicks, Pops and Crackles: Vinyl, editing and digital errors  Background Noise: Trains, Planes and Automobiles Use Sonic Foundry Noise Reduction Use Sonic Foundry Noise Reduction  Four plug-ins designed for different types of noise

Dynamic Range Use a Dynamic Compressor Use a Dynamic Compressor  Evens out audio levels  Only necessary if it has not been done previously Normalizing Normalizing  Peak normalize to maintain dynamics  Normalize to –1.5 dB ‘peak’ to keep codecs from clipping  RMS normalize to make different files sound equally loud  Normalizing to –15 to –12 dB RMS is fairly common  Peak Limiters make content REALLY loud at the same volume Frequency dependant dynamics Frequency dependant dynamics  Sibilances and Plosives – Use Multiband Dynamics

Windows Media Audio Guidelines

Creating Content with Windows Media 4.1 Comprehensive suite of tools included: Comprehensive suite of tools included:  Windows Media Encoder  Windows Media On-Demand Producer  Windows Media Author  PowerPoint 2000  Terran Interactive Media Cleaner EZ for Windows Media Integral support for: Integral support for:  Advanced audio and video CODECS  Intelligent Streaming  Synchronized Multimedia Great third party tools Great third party tools

Windows Media Encoder 4 Encoding engine for Live (and on-demand) User-Friendly UI User-Friendly UI Template-based output Template-based output New controls for Intelligent Streaming New controls for Intelligent Streaming Author and store live content Author and store live content Mix with scripts and urls on the fly Mix with scripts and urls on the fly Encode live or AVI, WAV and MP3 files to Windows Media Encode live or AVI, WAV and MP3 files to Windows Media

Encoder Automation Windows Media SDK Remote control of encoder (and interfaces) Remote control of encoder (and interfaces) Real time insertion and synchronization of arbitrary data and script commands Real time insertion and synchronization of arbitrary data and script commands Start, stop, record to ASF Start, stop, record to ASF Control and get information on a wide variety of properties: Control and get information on a wide variety of properties:  Bandwidth of encoding stream  State (start, stop, recording, etc.) Source code kit available for advanced applications Source code kit available for advanced applications

Windows Media On-Demand Producer Easy ONE STEP encoding of audio/video Easy ONE STEP encoding of audio/video Add Table of Contents (Markers), URL flips and closed captioning Add Table of Contents (Markers), URL flips and closed captioning Excellent Video Controls and Audio enhancements Excellent Video Controls and Audio enhancements Batch Encoding supported Batch Encoding supported Includes HTML Templates Includes HTML Templates

Adobe Premiere Export Plug-In Easy Windows Media file creation for the #1 video editing tool Easy Windows Media file creation for the #1 video editing tool Encode to Windows Media directly from within Premiere Encode to Windows Media directly from within Premiere Common Template stream formats Common Template stream formats Easy steps to test and edit ASFs Easy steps to test and edit ASFs

Live Encoder Configuration Hardware requirements Rules of Thumb Rules of Thumb  Higher quality (high bit rates) require more power  Multiple or Fast processors make better encoders  You can never have enough network bandwidth  For best results, use Windows 2000 Professional Audio/Video Capture cards Audio/Video Capture cards  ViewCast.com Osprey-100: recommended capture card  You’ll need a Sound Card though…  Use a SoundBlaster-16 compatible card (onboard OK)  If you’re buying new, SoundBlaster Live is a great card…

Windows Media Technologies 7 Internet Broadband Ready Highest Quality Audio & Video Industrial Strength Security Highest Scalability & Reliability Easiest to Use & Extend

Highest Quality Audio & Video Windows Media Player Windows Media Encoder Windows Media Rights Manager Windows Media Format Windows Media SDK Windows Media Services Windows Media Technologies 7

Windows Media Encoder 7 An easy to use powerful production tool for converting both live and pre- recorded audio and video to Windows Media Improved ease of use and production Improved ease of use and production Improved encoding capabilities Improved encoding capabilities Improved programmability, administration, and delivery Improved programmability, administration, and delivery

WM Encoder 7 Improved Ease of Use and Production Session wizard, profile creation and management Session wizard, profile creation and management  Create custom session and profile settings Visual feedback and real-time controls for encoding and statistics Visual feedback and real-time controls for encoding and statistics  Enables greater monitoring of encoding process On-the-fly Source-switching On-the-fly Source-switching  Ability to define multiple sources  Switching enables greater control and production of live events Separate archive controls Separate archive controls  Archive pause and auto archive of sources

WM Encoder 7 Improved Encoding Capabilities (1 of 2) Support for processing of de-interlacing and Inverse Telecine Support for processing of de-interlacing and Inverse Telecine  Produces higher quality output from interlaced (NTSC and PAL) content  Produce higher quality output of film-sourced material Improved Output quality Improved Output quality  Support for the new Windows Media Format codecs  Support for high motion content: 320 x 240 x 60 fps from interlaced source  Improved quality at 640 x 480 x 30fps

WM Encoder 7 Improved Encoding Capabilities (2 of 2) Enables screen capture to file and real-time broadcast Enables screen capture to file and real-time broadcast  Simple process for creating screen capture and application demos Supports leading video cards Supports leading video cards  Including the new Viewcast.com Osprey 500WM.DVPro. Digital inputs and on-board cababilities enable hardware decoding, scaling and capture in real- time to a streaming media format!  And many others including Winnov, Hauppage, ATI, Intel Time compression at encode time Time compression at encode time  Time compression and pause removal reduces playback time

WM Encoder 7 Improved Programmability, Administration and Delivery (1 of 2) Improved Encoder SDK for full encoder automation Improved Encoder SDK for full encoder automation  Access to Encoder UI, engine control, inputs and outputs, source creation and switching… Remote administration capabilities Remote administration capabilities  Full access to administer encoder remotely  Admin encoders on the LAN (DCOM)  Remotely admin encoders over the Internet with full encoder functionality (ASP)  Improved Content delivery via unicast, now up to 50 streams Increased distribution capacity Increased distribution capacity  Allows distribution of up to 50 simultaneous Windows Media streams directly from the Encoder

A Host of Powerful Third-Party Tools Extend Authoring Functionality

Resources Windows Media Developer Center Windows Media Developer Center  External resources External resources 

Windows Windows Media 7: Platform Overview Windows Media 7: Platform Overview  Monday 6/5 12noon Incorporating Windows Media Into Web Sites Incorporating Windows Media Into Web Sites  Monday 6/5 5pm Hosting Windows Media: Best Practices Hosting Windows Media: Best Practices  Tuesday 6/6 315pm Creating Skins for the Windows Media Player 7 Creating Skins for the Windows Media Player 7  Wednesday 6/7 430pm Windows Media SDK: Under the Hood Windows Media SDK: Under the Hood  Thursday 6/8 315pm Digital Rights Management Digital Rights Management  Thursday 6/8 430pm Windows Media Authoring: Capturing from Screen, Live & Pre-Recorded Media Windows Media Authoring: Capturing from Screen, Live & Pre-Recorded Media  Thursday 6/8 615pm