Using the Unicast Announcement Wizard
If
you have selected to deliver streaming content by using the unicast
method, you can use the Unicast Announcement Wizard to configure the
appropriate options. By default, unicast URLs are prefixed with the mms
content type (for example, mms://Server2.contoso.com/Media).
Client media players such as Windows Media Player are automatically
associated with this URL type, so the content can start playback
automatically when the user clicks an appropriate hyperlink in a Web
page. The Save Announcement Options page of the wizard enables you to
specify the location into which the Announcement file (.asx) will be
saved. (See Figure 21.) The default location is within the root folder of the Web Server (IIS) server role’s Default Web Site object.
You can also use this
page to create an HTML Web page that includes an embedded player and a
link to the content. This method provides a simplified way for Web
developers to see the HTML and media player tags they need to include in
their own code. Later, you can load the Web page directly in Internet
Explorer. If you have Windows Media player installed, you can then test
the announcement by playing the video. (See Figure 22.)
If you plan to place the link to the media within an existing Web page,
you can use the Copy The Syntax For Embedding A Player In A Web Page To
The Clipboard option.
The Edit Announcement
Metadata page enables you to specify details related to the title and
author of the content as well as copyright details. This information
will be sent to users’ media player applications automatically.
To verify the settings you
have selected, you can use the buttons in the Test Unicast Announcement
window. This window is launched automatically after you have completed
the Unicast Announcement Wizard. (See Figure 23.)
The first Test button will provide direct access to the playlist and
should open Windows Media Player and start playing the content. The Test
Web Page With Embedded Player option Test button will launch Internet
Explorer and load the test Web page (if one was created).
