Streaming Media Services
Applies To: Windows Server 2008
The Streaming Media Services role enables you to manage the streaming delivery of digital media content over networks by using the administrative interfaces in Microsoft Windows Media Services 2008, the server component of the Windows Media platform. You can use Windows Media Services to configure and manage one or more Windows Media servers that deliver on-demand or live audio and video content, including Windows Media Audio (WMA) and Windows Media Video (WMV), to clients over the Internet or an intranet. Your clients can be:
- Computers or devices that play the content using a player, such as Windows Media Player.
- Computers running Windows Media Services that proxy, cache, or redistribute the content.
- Custom applications that have been developed by using the Windows Media Software Development Kit (SDK) Components.
Hierarchy of Managed Entities
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Managed Entities
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
Playlists provide a way to organize different pieces of digital media content into a single user experience. You can use playlists on a publishing point to accomplish different goals such as adding advertisements, switching between live and stored streams, or responding dynamically to a user's demographic information. If you reference your content in a playlist, you can combine different Windows Media files into a single stream. Both client-side playlists and server-side playlists can be used with Windows Media-based content. For more information, see Sourcing from playlists. |
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A Windows Media server is the server component in the Windows Media platform, a complete end-to-end system for creating and delivering digital media content to clients over networks. |
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Windows Media Services supports customizable server operation and configuration through the use of plug-ins, which are grouped into categories to identify their function. You can use plug-ins to perform a wide range of tasks, including protocol handling, data parsing, authentication, authorization, and archiving. The available plug-ins differ, depending upon which version of Windows Server 2008 that you are running. For more information, see Decide which version of Windows Server is right for you. |