Introduction
The rapid development of computer technologies has fastered the process of the information transmission through the Internet. Nowadays, we cannot imagine our life without internet communication since it is closely connected with many spheres of our life. Thus, internet serves as a universal source of the electronic database that helps to exchange the information despite geographic and economic conditions. The introduction of the World Wide Web has influenced the sphere of Media coverage and of information distribution. Powerful software companies provide the customers with new media services and propose the advanced method for the information exchange. That is why, it is necessary to be aware of Microsoft Media services and to clarify different ways of information broadcasting.
Microsoft Media Services and Media Distribution
Microsoft Media Services uses the Microsoft Media Server protocol to transfer the unicast data. Microsoft Media Server may be transported ether by User Data Protocol or by Transmission Control Protocol. There are several standardized formats of Media transmission. The most widely used streaming platforms are MPPeg-1 and MPEG-4. The oldest one is MPEG-1 that is also called as MP3 is a digital audio player that encodes the information in a compressed form required to present audio materials. MPEG-2 and MPEG-3 were ejected by the MPEG-4, a more advanced format for encoding video and audio digital data. This type of format is used by web streaming data and CD distribution. This format allows to hold video conversations and to broadcast television (The University of Utah 2009).
Consequently, this type is the most appropriate platform for the broadcasting information because it gives the opportunity to stream data within the newspaper and television network. Moreover, telecommunications that broadcast information from different sites of the world require wireless data streaming.
Data streaming is often held through MPEG-2 platform. There is a wide variety of transporting data within MPEG-2 transport stream. The most appropriate techniques consist in asynchronous data streaming, synchronous data streaming and synchronized data streaming. The scope of the former mechanism is destined for the cases where the data rendering is not limited by time. The next type of data streaming is used for applications where data streaming should be rendered continuously without timing. Finally, the synchronized data transfer involves applications that is to be presented at the exact time but without (Jack, Keith 728).
The introduction of MPEG-4 platform facilitated the rendering of information streaming. Especially, it is the most typical mechanism for television broadcasting and media distribution within media organization.
Unicast and Multicast
For broadcasting audio and video, on can use unicast or multicast. The choice of one those types of broadcasting depends upon target clients and the type of network environment. Hence, uncast is a closed connection between the user and the server when there is a single receiver and a single recipient. This type of connection is delivered through User Data Protocol and Transmission Control Protocol. In other words, the user has a direct link with Windows Media Server.
Unlike Unicast, Multicast does not imply straight relationships between the customer and the server. This type of forecasting insures the transmission of packets and listening of the clients. Multicast has a single server and a selected number of receivers. Muticast is used to play online games for holding videoconferences or interact chat lines. With the help of Multicast, special newsgroups are created which provide you with additional material for distant learning.
Multicast’s principle is used in Multiple Unicasting when independent copies are rendered to a selected number of clients. Multicast is rarely used on the Internet since only separate areas of the Internet are multicast-enabled. However, this type of broadcasting is of high practical use within one company and is quite suitable for the improvement of collaboration management. Another advantage of the IP Multicast is possibility of the simultaneous information transfer to a specific group of people using unique copies for the selected links of the network. In addition, the copies are made in case there are several recipients (What is Multicast unpaged).
Windows Encoder Enable Streaming of Media over a Network
Windows Media Encoder permits to administer your PC and to encode the information from different media sources on your web camera or microphone. The Media Encoder helps to stream media over the internet by deciphering audio and video and sound data from the microphone. It also enables broadcasting the media streams on the port of your PC. It should be mention that Windows Media Encoder requires the hardware of the latest models with a diligent main storage.
Thus, if you are going to broadcast the information to your web camera, it will be impossible to carry out some additional operations on your PC. In addition, Video Media Explorer outputs can be viewed when Windows Media Player is installed. Windows Media Encoder is software that also allows broadcasting the life events though the laptop of even telephone (Aspiral, J 97).
The last version of the software is Windows Media Encoder 9 series. There are different procedures to encode video and audio files. If you want to encode video, first, you should seek foe the files and folders with.wav extension and the C hard drive to note the search results. Then you should copy the selected file to the temporary folder and name it. The audio files are encoded with the help of wizards that help to find the selected file for conversion.
Secondly, you should find the browser, which is usually Internet Explorer and find your source audio file. After opening the file, it is necessary to select the directory for saving the output file. Then, with the help of Windows Media server selected in the Content Distribution dialog, the Encoding Options window should be opened to check the 19 kbps options in Total Bit Rate Column (Follansbee J. 10).Finally, you are to define the location of the output file in the Settings Review Dialog. Therefore, Windows Media Encoder is free software that carries out media streaming (Follansbee J. 11).
Conclusion
The data streaming over the Internet influenced the improvement and invention of the updated media platforms. That opens a wider range of possibilities to render the live video and audio files at the newspaper and television stations. This function allows the station to transmit the output information directly to the users. Windows Media Platforms help to store the information in the compressed form that is quite important since volumes of data are growing fast. In addition, Multicast and Unicast services help to split the information and to transfer it to the selected number of users both within the stations and beyond them.
Works Cited
Aspiral, J. CNET Do-It-Yourself Home Networking Projects. US: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2007.
Follansbee J. Hands Guide to Streaming Media: an Introduction to delivering on-demand media. US: Focal Press, 2006.
Jack, Keith Video Demystified: a handbook for the digital engineer. US: Newnes, 2005.
The U on iT U –Terms. The University of Utah 2009. Web.
What is Multicast. University Information Technology Services 2005-2009. Web.