FIX: Updates to the behavior of the Windows Media Encoder 9 Series (895182)

SUMMARY

The following updates have been made to the Microsoft Windows Media Encoder (WME) 9 Series:

You can try to reconnect to a Windows Media Services 9 Series-based server after an error occurs during push distribution.
You can control whether the encoder port is kept alive when you stop but do not close down the encoder. By leaving the port open, server side playlists may not roll over to the next item as expected.

Design changes have been made to the following behavior of the WME 9 Series:

When the encoder performs push distribution, if an error occurs on the server or if you lose network connectivity, you receive an error message in the encoder and the encoder stops the encoding process.
When the encoder performs push distribution, if the encoder is manually stopped but the application is not closed, the broadcast port remains open. By leaving the port open, server-side playlists may not roll over to the next item as expected.

RESOLUTION

A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Only apply it to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next release that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services telephone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

Note In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:

Download the WindowsMedia9-KB895182-x86-INTL.exe package now.

For more information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

119591 How to obtain Microsoft support files from online services

Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

   Date         Time   Version     Size       File name
   -------------------------------------------------------
   26-Apr-2005  06:57  9.0.0.3289  1,554,944  Wmenceng.dll

MORE INFORMATION

Important This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows registry

Each of the behaviors in the Summary section is enabled by setting the following registry keys.

Push distribution behavior

Click Start, click Run, type regedit , and then click .
Locate and then click the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Media Tools\Encoder\App\Properties
On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click Key
Create a key that is named ReconnectPushOnError.
To enable the fix, set the (Default) value to 1. To disable the fix, set the (Default) value to 0.

Note The install package automatically creates and then sets the ReconnectPushOnError value to 1.

Port keep-alive behavior

Click Start, click Run, type regedit , and then click OK
Locate and then click the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Media Tools\Encoder\App\Properties
On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click Key.
Create a key that is named DisconnectOnStop.
To enable the fix, set the (Default) value to 1. To disable the fix, set the (Default) value to 0.