To broadcast a live presentation

1. Start the encoding software and create a new broadcast session. Begin encoding the session and note the connection URL for the encoder.
2. In the Windows Media Services console tree, click Publishing Points.
3. On the Action menu, click Add Publishing Point (Wizard).
4. Complete the steps in the wizard, making sure to select the following options:
   • On the Content Type page, click Encoder.
   • On the Delivery Options for Broadcast Publishing Points page, if you want to stream the presentation using multicast, select the Multicast check box. If you want to stream the presentation using unicast, select the Unicast check box
5. For unicast broadcasts, on the Completing the Add Publishing Point Wizard page, you can select the Start archiving when publishing point starts check box to begin recording your broadcast to an archive file when the publishing point is activated. This option is useful if you want to broadcast a live program from an encoder because it creates a digital media file of the broadcast that you can rebroadcast later.
6. Also on the Completing the Add Publishing Point Wizard page, you can start other wizards to help you create announcements and wrappers:
   • Create an .asx or .htm file. Click this option if you want to provide users with an announcement file that they can use to receive your live broadcast. The Unicast Announcement Wizard or the Multicast Announcement Wizard will start.
   • Create a .wsx file. Click this option if you want to play certain content to users before they receive the live broadcast. This option is useful for providing speaker identification, introductory comments, or legal notices. You can also specify content to be played at the end of your live broadcast, but users will not receive that content if they close their players before the end of the broadcast. The Create Wrapper Wizard will start.
   • Create both a .wsx file then .asx file. Click this option if you want to use the wizards to create both a wrapper playlist and an announcement.

Notes

• This procedure only applies to the Windows Media Services snap-in.
• If you are using multicast delivery with your live presentation, you must run the Multicast Announcement Wizard for players to connect to your stream. A URL connection is not available for multicast delivery. In addition, wrapper playlists cannot be used with multicast delivery.
• Multicast streaming and the WMS Multicast Data Writer plug-in are available only if Windows Media Services 9 Series is running on the following editions of the operating system: Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition and Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition. If you are running Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition, these features are not supported.

Related topics

• Implement streaming scenarios
• Testing a stream
• Announcing content
• About wrapper playlists
• Working with the announcement wizards.
• Broadcasting executive speeches