Some articles on setting up streaming media (2)

Iii. Prepare the streaming media server hardware

Streaming Media Servers, like Web servers, must be accessed by many people at the same time. Compared with Web servers, because multimedia files require stronger processing capabilities, its hardware equipment should go beyond the servers generally used for web. Therefore, it is best for streaming media servers to meet the following hardware conditions.

A powerful "core ". If the CPU usage of a computer is too low and the processing capability is too slow, the computer will not be able to perform any other operations when being accessed by multiple users (I believe you may have some experience with those on-demand online video-on-demand websites, we are building the same server as they are, but the size is smaller ).
Large Memory and hard disk capacity. The production and transmission of streaming media is the black hole of system resources, and large memory capacity is the prerequisite for stable system operation. streaming media files are large in size and require more storage space for a large number of media files. It is recommended that the memory should be at least 256 MB and the hard disk should be at least 80 GB.

Sound cards that occupy less system resources. A sound card helps reduce the CPU usage and has a great impact on the quality of recordings (for online live broadcast). We recommend that you use the SB live of creative! OR Sb audigy, audigy 2 series, because the author's own machine is not a server (only used to do the article, there is no money to upgrade AH), so only the general integration for demonstration.
Good video capturing device. Our live video program comes from this device. We recommend that you use the winfast tv2000 XP deluxe edition of leadtek, both the ability to receive signals and the ability to compress hardware are outstanding (because I have no conditions, the acquisition device uses screen capture, but the method of using the collection device is the same, so please do not blame ).

As high as possible bandwidth. Of course, the faster the Internet is, the better, but we can limit the number of connections on the Streaming Media Server to avoid being a machine.

Of course, the above is a hardware device necessary to build a streaming media service website. If it is just like the author, I just want to learn how to set up a Streaming Media Server, big data can be boldly tested on the basis of existing machines.

Iv. Setting up streaming media servers

After preparing the hardware, we will start to teach you how to set up your own Streaming Media Server step by step. I divided it into Microsoft's Windows Media and RealNetworks's real media, both of which included the establishment of live broadcast and On-Demand Server, at last, I would like to introduce Apple's QuickTime and Nullsoft streaming media servers.

Because Microsoft's Windows Media on-demand service must be built on the server operating system, I chose Windows. NET Enterprise Server 3647 as the system platform established by the Streaming Media Server. To compare the advantages and disadvantages of RealNetworks and Microsoft's latest streaming media servers, I have adopted their latest streaming media systems. The following are the specific software used by the author:

Operating System: Windows. NET Enterprise Server 3647, Windows XP Service Pack 1
Streaming media software: Windows Media Services 9.0 (windows. NET Server), Windows Media Encoder 9 Series release candidate (because the software is in.. NET Server is not running normally, so it is installed in XP and only this software is installed in XP) windows Media Encoder 7.1, Windows Media Player 9.0 build z903, Helix Universal Server 9.01 for Win2k (9.0.2.794), helix producer plus 9.0.1, and RealOne Player 2.0 build 6.0.11.853.

Next, let's get started! Don't go away !!!

Winmedia online broadcast service

Simply use Windows Media Encoder to implement the online broadcast service. However, with the help of Windows Media Services, the streaming media files produced by Windows Media Encoder will provide more powerful functions for our online broadcast sites. Next, we will use Windows Media Encoder to create a separate broadcast station and incorporate it into Windows Media Services for more powerful functions.

1. Install Windows Media Services.

First install Windows 2000 Server or windows. NET Server, choose Start> Control Panel> Administrative Tools> Manage Your servers, or choose Start> Control Panel> add or delete Programs> Add/delete Windows Components. (the second method is recommended), check "Web Application Server", that is, the IIS server in 2000 Server, and click "Next" to add the server;

After IIS is added, start the Add/delete Windows component program again, check the windows media service items, and click details, select "Windows Media Services administrator for Web" to enable Web management for Windows Media Services. (These options may not exist in 2000. You only need to install Windows Media Services );

2. Install Windows Media Encoder.

Download Windows Media Encoder 7.1 from Microsoft website (because Windows Media Encoder 9.0 cannot work under. NET Server) for installation. Now, the server and Encoder of Windows Media Service are ready;

3. start Windows Media Encoder from "start-Program-Windows Media" and select the appropriate option based on your needs in the displayed wizard interface, we recommend that you select "broadcast, capture, or convert files in the new session wizard" and click OK;

4. because broadcast is performed, select "broadcast live events on the accessory device or computer screen" in the next pop-up screen ", this option enables Windows Media Encoder to broadcast directly or add it to the Windows Media Service;

5. Select a video or audio capture device from the next screen. If you do not have a video card, select "screen capture". If you have a video card, select your video card;

6. The broadcast signal must be transmitted through a valid port, so it must be set. The default port of Windows Media Encoder is 8080, but this port is often occupied by other software, therefore, it is recommended that you click "Search for available ports" to replace it with other random ports or directly enter unused ports. I have selected port 3170;

7. then we start to select the streaming media quality for broadcasting. There is a formula you can refer to: Streaming Media configuration file bandwidth × maximum number of connected users = Your upstream bandwidth (not download, upload ). If you have 2 Mbps upstream bandwidth and select a configuration file of kbps, 20 viewers can view your broadcast at the same time. This shows that streaming media has a huge demand for bandwidth;

8. In this window, you can choose to archive the broadcast streaming media for later watching or on-demand video. If it is only used as a live broadcast service and the hard disk space is not large, you can choose not;

9. After "Next", you can choose whether to add the built-in welcome, rest, and goodbye files from Microsoft. I don't need these items. Who will advertise Microsoft for free;

10. Then, we can add copyright information to our broadcast program, which will appear in Windows Media Player during playback;

11. after the last confirmation window is displayed, our final broadcast interface appears. If a video capturing device exists, click Start to start the broadcast station, if you enter "MMS: // server: port value" in client ie, the Media Player video is displayed. For example, if the address of the broadcast station I created is "MMS: // 192.168.0.1: 3170", you can view the information directly in the connection tag on this interface;

12. if you do not have video capture settings like me, or you want to play a recorded video to a user, click "session-properties" (this panel can be used to adjust all set data), click the "change" button, and select the drop-down box on the right of the video in the pop-up window, click "find file" to find the pre-recorded video file (supported formats include ASF, WMV, Avi, and MPG );

13. Go back to the broadcast page and click Start. Your file will be viewed by siblings on the network,

To add more files or devices, click "new" next to "change" in the preceding window;

14. you may think that we have achieved success. In fact, it is far from enough. This is just the most basic live broadcast. We also need to add it to the broadcast service of Windows Media Services, to achieve more powerful functions. Point your mouse to "start-control panel-management tools-Windows Media Services" and open Windows Media Manager (2000 server should be a web interface ). Select the server on the left and click "add release point (wizard)" in the Action menu. After the welcome page, the publishing point naming window appears. Enter your desired name, I entered "softicp. com_broadcast ";

15. in the next window, you will be asked to select the content type you want to publish. If you only want to live streaming media, select "encoder (live stream )", if you want to add other prepared files to the live stream, select "playlist". If you want to create a VOD Server, select "files in the directory ". Because I have prepared a ready-made file, I chose "playlist ";

16. After selecting the type of the published content, we need to select the release solution. We are conducting the network broadcast service, and of course we need to select the broadcast release point ". In the following window, We will select the content transfer method. Now, we can see that the basic concepts of unicast and multicast described earlier have played a role, generally, our network does not support multicast, so we need to select "unicast ";

17. if you have created a playlist file (wsx or HTM file), select "existing playlist" in the next window, "Create a playlist and add it ". In the Add window, you can add files, live streams of encoder, streaming media of remote publishing points, dynamic sources of ASP and CGI, and other media, you can also add ad information and adjust the playing sequence of the media;

18. After editing the playlist, click "Next" to save the playlist as a file. In the next window, you can choose whether to "loop playback" or "unordered playback. After several confirmation boxes, you have completed the establishment of the Windows Media Streaming Media Broadcast Server. For the sake of convenience, we will remove the check in front of "start other wizard after completing this wizard!

19. After the server is started, you can enter "MMS: // server IP Address/release point name" in Windows Media Player to watch the network broadcast. In the Windows Media Services Manager, we can monitor the playing status of streaming media at any time, add/delete and adjust the playback list, insert ads, and publish announcements (HTM pages can be generated directly), adjust the attributes of the broadcast station, and can start and stop the broadcast station at any time through the button below, and test whether the current streaming media is normal;

This figure shows the publishing point announcement page created using the Announcement Wizard. Is it very convenient?

20. you can also enter the manager URL in your browser or directly start "Windows Media Services (Web)" in the management tool to manage the web and remote management of the Streaming Media Server, the management interface is similar to local management except for a few functions.

Remote Management can also manage multiple servers in a server group.

So far, our Windows Media Network Broadcast Server has been fully built, and you already have a powerful network broadcast station, do you think it is not fun? Because there are still many excellent films that you want to share with your friends and want them to watch their favorite programs freely, not limited by your broadcast schedule? Then, come with me and we will build another Windows Media on-demand video server.