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Windows Media

How to Test a Windows Media File

Summary

After you upload a Windows Media file to your streaming media directory (public_media) on Dante or Homer, you can use Windows Media Player to make sure it streams okay. If it doesn't, Windows Media Player's status bar may reveal the reason why.

Instructions

The instructions that follow refer to your Windows Media file as yourfile.asf. Substitute the filename of your file as needed.

  1. Start Windows Media Player.

  2. On the File menu, select Open URL.

  3. Type the URL of yourfile.asf on Windows Media Server:

    rtsp://media.type.washington.edu/userid/yourfile.asf

    Substitute type and userid appropriately, refering to the Windows Media Server URL Reference for help.

  4. Click OK.

Now Windows Media Player will connect to Windows Media Server and request a stream of your file.

Troubleshooting

When you open a URL in Windows Media Player, the status bar displays messages about the status of the resulting stream. These messages can be used to troubleshoot some problems.

Message Description
Connecting to... Windows Media Player is trying to make a connection to the server you specified.
Buffering... Windows Media Player has established a connection to the server and is filling its buffer before attempting to play your stream.
The specified server could not be found. Windows Media Player is unable to connect to the server. Double-check the URL for mistakes in the server name.
Access is denied. Windows Media Player can connect to the server, but the server cannot read the requested file due to file permissions. Fix the permissions and try again.
Unable to establish a connection to the server. Windows Media Player is misleading you. It has established a connection to the server, but the server cannot find the requested file or cannot access it due to directory permissions. Double-check the URL for mistakes in the path and file name. If you find none, you may have to fix the permissions of your streaming media directory or the subdirectory containing the file you want to stream. If this still does not help, then the file may have been corrupted by improper file transfer or it may not contain Windows Media-formatted content.