Windows Media Encoder 9 - A Quick FREE Way to Add Video To A Web Site

Next, download the FREE Windows Media Encoder 9. Be sure to download the Windows Media Encoder version 9.

Almost all video encoders work the same way.

The following is how to use the FREE Windows Media Encoder.

After you download the FREE Windows Media Encoder, unzip it and install it on your computer. Then start the program and do the following:

- Select 'Broadcast, capture or convert' from the first screen.
- Select 'convert audio video into a windows media file' from the second screen
- Enter the file name to convert and the file name for the saved video in the third screen
- Select 'file will stream from a web server' on the fourth screen
- Choose the video profile (start with video for broadband 256k)
- Enter any information you want stored with the video on the Display Information screen
- Click 'Finish', then 'OK'. The encoder will start converting your web ready video.

Depending on the length of your video, the program will take from a few seconds to minutes to encode your video. It is best to encode video in short clips not exceeding 5-10 minutes. Presenting video in short clips makes it easier for your viewer to select just the portion of the video they wish to view.

In most cases, you should encode your video clips two ways - one for high speed connections, and one for low speed connections. To do this requires running the same video source file through the encoding process twice: once at the high speed encoding option (Video for BroadBand 256) and then again at slow speed encoding (Video for web servers 56k). Be sure to name each output file differently.

Placing video on a web site

Placing the encoded video files on a web site is extremely simple. Just FTP the video files (Windows Media format video files ends in .wmv) to a folder on your web site.

Then place a link to the video within any page on your site.
Potential problems

When you have video on your web pages, your three biggest problems will be:

1. Visitors who can't view the videos because they haven't got the correct video players installed on their computers.

2. Visitors with internet connection speed too slow to display the video correctly.

3. Too many visitors viewing your video at once, which creates huge data transfer demands on your web account.

Before you load video on a site, be sure to find out the maximum monthly data transfer allowed with your web site account. If it is less than 1 gig, you might want to upgrade your hosting plan.

With video files on a web site, it can be easy to exceed your montly data transfer limits - and when that happens, you account can be closed for the month. (For example, if you have 10 video files and each is 5 meg, and those files are viewed by 1000 different people, the bandwidth demands are 10 * 5,000,000 * 100 = 50 gigabytes of data transfer.)

You can resolve the first problem by offering video in different formats (ie. Windows Media and Real Media).

You can resolve part of the second problem by encoding a version of the video for slow internet connections.

Feb 15 - 04:44 PM PT  |  filed under Internet Video & Photos  |   Printer-friendly version