Supported file types
By default, you can use the following file types with Windows Media Services. The file name extensions of these files are provided in parentheses:
Advanced Systems Format files (.asf). These are Windows Media files that can contain several elements, such as video, audio, script commands, HTML, and metadata and can be encoded with any codec.
Windows Media Audio files (.wma). These digital media files are formatted using Advanced Systems Format and are encoded using the Windows Media Audio codec. They are generally audio files, although they can also contain scripts, pictures, and metadata.
Windows Media Video files (.wmv). These digital media files are formatted using Advanced Systems Format and are encoded using the Windows Media Video codec. They are generally video files, although they can also contain scripts and other instructions.
MP3 files (.mp3). These digital media files use the audio format from the Motion Pictures Experts Group (MPEG). Windows Media Services cannot use the intelligent streaming feature to stream MP3-formatted files. In addition, Windows Media Services cannot stream multiple-bit-rate (MBR) MP3 files. If the MP3 file was encoded by using a multiple bit rate, it will not play back as expected when it is streamed from a Windows Media server.
JPEG files (.jpeg or .jpg). These files are image files that are formatted according the Joint Photographic Expert Group standard. You can add JPEG-encoded images as interstitial advertisements in a Windows Media playlist for unicast streaming. Streaming large image files can cause delays during rendering. To achieve optimal performance, avoid streaming JPEG files larger than 35 kilobytes (KB).
Multicast information files (.nsc). These files are Windows Media metafiles that direct clients to a multicast broadcast. They are used to define the properties of a multicast stream to a player, such as Windows Media Player.
Server-side playlist files (.wsx). These files are a Windows Media metafiles that are used as server-side playlists. They can contain combinations of audio, video and image files.
To ensure reliable rendering in Windows Media Player, content used with Windows Media Services must meet or exceed the minimum content length supported by the Player. The minimum supported content length for Windows Media Player 9 Series or later is 5 seconds. The minimum supported content length for previous versions of Windows Media Player is 30 seconds.
Note
Windows Media Services uses media parser plug-ins to control the ability to stream specific file types. By enabling or disabling the media parser plug-ins, you can control the ability of the Windows Media server to stream content.