Webcam - General Discussion

[NairB]

Hi Everybody,

KachiWachi was wondering if I could put a few words together for everybody regarding Windows Media Encoder 9.

Windows Media Encoder enables the ability for you to "LIVE" broadcast using your webcam utilising Windows Media Encoder 9 and your participant viewers watching you using Windows Media Player at the recieving end. So in other words, you are effectively setting up "your own" live streaming broadcasts either video, audio(such as internet radio) or both from your PC without using the likes of Skype, Yahoo, IM etc.

So I have put together a quick tutorial that explains & shows via screen captures just how simple this is to get up and running.

***Please Take Note - This tutorial is HIGHLY DEPENDENT on a VERY GOOD BANDWIDTH as "streaming quality" can be very demanding if lots of folk  from all over the world are viewing your cam so please do not expect the very highest performance UNLESS you have THE very BEST bandwidth & PC specifications...!!! many thanks...NairB***

A) Firstly, download Windows Media Encoder 9 from Microsoft website as can be seen immediately below....

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/forpros/encoder/default.mspx

I presume you all know how to install software onto your PC after download so I need not go through this.

***All installation options use the default options it gives you during the installation.***

***ALLOW ALL FIREWALL CONNECTIONS TO USE THIS SOFTWARE***

***TO VERIFY YOUR NETWORK IP use http://whatsmyip.org/ to make sure!!!!***

***IF you are USING A ROUTER, you will be "adding" a new service using "port fowarding" as explained later.***

B) After you have INSTALLED and opened for the first time the following sreen will appear....Select "Broadcast a live event" then click OK.

C) This brings you to the next screen below where you can click the "configure" button so that you can set optimum settings to get the very best from your cam, note that I am going to use "video" only for this tutorial. You can enable audio at any time later by going into properties. Anyway, for now lets look at the "video"....

D) The next screen shows that in "device settings" I have disabled "auto" for the focus and setting the focus of my new QC Pro for notebook cam to max sharp focus.....you can do as you wish for your cam (IF YOU DO NOT NEED TO CHANGE THIS AND YOU ARE HAPPY....move on to step F).

E) The following screen shows that in "advanced" I have disabled the "auto" function for my QC Pro for Notebooks both "exposure" setting it at 1/30(s) meaning 30 fps & "gain" is maximum at 10000. Folks with "lesser" performing PC's might want to adjust these settings until they are happy, particularly the fps. Click "Apply" and "OK"....Again leave these settings if your happy and just move to the next step.

F) Whether you changed settings above or not you come back to the following screen so click "next"....

G) The next screen brings you to "broadcast method", select "pull from encoder" option and click "next"....

H) The next screen is very important as this is where your WME assigns an IP & Port address (please note that you should be very careful regarding disclosing your actual IP address for security reasons). Anyway, you will notice a textbox asking which port to use, let the software find one, if you prefer use 1755 which is set aside for Windows Media Player. An IP address will already be seen in the URL textbox, if you are going via a router, the routers may assign an IP that will be similar to your routers default IP and that means you have to add this address to your routers "port fowarding" section***(see immediately below for explanation of this).

The LAN box should also have your computer name etc already displayed in the URL For LAN box. Now click "next"

***Your Routers "port fowarding" needs to be set up to have the identical IP address you can see in your WME (Windows Media Encoder) URL Box.

Also, You will have to give your router the same "port" WME has assigned for your broadcast. After you have configured your router with the same IP address and port number as seen on WME, save & reboot your router. When it's back up and running you are ready to continue. Both WME & your router should now be using the same IP address and port number for this service.

Please note - The router IP address is used to work hand in hand with WME. Do Not confuse this address with your final Internet IP address that folks use to view your stream. I explain this at the end of the tutorial Step O). 

I) This screen asks you to select bit rate etc, I use 300Kbps as this will be dependent on your Internet connection and how much bandwidth you have......remember......if thousands connect to watch you the bit rate will dramatically decrease so be careful with this. You can change this as you go along of course. So once you select YOUR optimum bit rate click "Finish"

J) OK nearly there troops. The next screen shows a simple dialog warning you that anyone can view your broadcast...just click OK.

K) The following screen appears. Now you have to select "properties".

L) When the following screen appears select "video size" and change the video width & height to your preference. I like using 320x240 (email size) due to bandwidth. After you decide, click "apply" then close (cross) as seen in the following.

M) Whoopee, finally you can click the "start encoding" button as seen in the following....

N) If all has been successful then you should be able to see your "LIVE BROADCAST" without skype etc etc.

The following screen shows what you should see during this "live broadcast", ie frame rates, bit rates etc.

O) Finally, you want to view your broadcast like someone else would across the world.

Earlier you used an IP address to set up your WME & Router (if you are using one) NOW you need your World Wide Web INTERNET IP address, you can see what it is here, http://whatsmyip.org.  Type it into your browser address bar like the following mms:// (address) : (port) or mms://83.11.189.123:1755 for example. Notice the mms:// in front of the address and port number. This will open your windows media PLAYER that will play your broadcast streaming video.

Incidently, if you want to display a name or title to your stream instead of the IP address as it plays in media player simply type mms://83.11.189.123:1755/NAME OF TITLE and title name will display instead.

I hope this tutorial will help you set up your own webcam broadcast. If you have any problems please post and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.

Good luck.

-NairB

Message Edited by NairB on 10-09-2007 01:33 AM

[DzIzHypnotiz]

okay im just having one problem... once this is done... what IP # is it that i have to enter when on web cam websites they ask me for a ip URL ????

[KachiWachi Distinguished Logi Legend]

Welcome to the Logitech Community Webcam Forum DzIzHypnotiz!

I'm hoping that you will read my personal welcome thread as we progress. Thank you.

WME will provide an address in the form mms:// (address) : (port).

Thanks.

Edit - Fix typo.

Message Edited by KachiWachi on 09-09-2007 09:45 PM

[NairB]

---

KachiWachi wrote:

Welcome to the Logitech Community Webcam Forum DzIzHypnotiz!

I'm hoping that you will read my personal welcome thread as we progress. Thank you.

WME will provide an address in the form mms:// (address) : (port).

Thanks.

---

Thanks kachi. I updated the tutorial at the end section O) that states this.

Message Edited by NairB on 09-10-2007 02:50 AM

[KachiWachi Distinguished Logi Legend]

OK @NairB.

Thanks.

[KachiWachi Distinguished Logi Legend]

Problem -

My "networking" setup includes a router. When I get to step H (choose IP), what I see is my machine's local LAN IP address (http://192.168.1.45:8080) and not my public IP address.

I could not find a way to edit the IP information.

I am able to view the camera within my own LAN (naturally).

I'm sure I'll have to "port-forward" the router (topic for a later discussion)...but if there is no way to edit the IP information in WME, then this is a lost cause.

Thoughts?

[KachiWachi Distinguished Logi Legend]

Answer -

Just one example from searching the Internet:

http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:%20/2007/03/07/setting-up-your-own-live-video-feed/

This example also mentions how you can display your presentation in a web page, and how to broadcast pre-recorded media.

It appears you can use the http:// address as well...or so it seems. Please reference this Wikipedia® article about Microsoft Media Services (MMS).

Thanks.

[KachiWachi Distinguished Logi Legend]

A Word of Caution -
 
Please verify that you ISP allows you to "serve" information to the Internet. This *may* violate your ISP TOS.
 
 
Thanks.

[NairB]

Ahhhhrrrr drat, I apologize everyone for missing out such a crucial bit of information.

Anyway, if you are using a router of some sort you will need to tell your router the port number WME is using.

Because each router is different, you will have to do this from within your own diagnostics page for your router.

In my case, for my netgear router I did the following....

Select "port forwarding" and add a new service. It may ask for a name so choose one of your choice

It will ask you to enter a service IP address......to do this first look at your WME properties "Internet URL box" and it will have one already selected. This address MUST be the address you enter into your router.

It will ask you the "start" port you want to use, again look at your properties "Http port" WME found for you and enter this into your router.

It might also ask you an "end" port you want to use, use the same "http port" number as seen in WME.

Save these changes in your router if asked and reboot your router.......YES reboot it as I needed to do with mine.

Close WME then restart it and hopefully both your router and WME will see each other and everything will work.

Let me know how you get on.....

-NairB

Message Edited by NairB on 09-13-2007 01:07 AM

[KachiWachi Distinguished Logi Legend]

Additional Reference -

Firewall Information for Windows Media Services 9 Series

Thanks.