Using Flash Media Live Encoder

Flash Media Live Encoder is designed to enable live event producers to capture audio and video and stream it live to Flash Media Server or the FVSS.

The intuitive user interface of Flash Media Live Encoder works seamlessly with plug-and-play cameras and microphones, and compatible analog-to-digital converters. Flash Media Live Encoder produces live Flash video with On2 VP6 encoding, delivering high-quality footage with size and bit rate flexibility. You also get full audio control with the bit-rate efficient Nellymoser audio codec.

Flash Media Live Encoder installs just like a regular desktop application. Currently Flash Media Live Encoder is available only for Windows XP. To make sure that your computer can run Flash Media Live Encoder, review the system requirements.

Understanding the Flash Media Live Encoder interface

To help you get oriented to the Flash Media Live Encoder interface, Figure 2 highlights the Flash Media Live Encoder's main sections.

Figure 2. Overview of the Flash Media Live Encoder interface

Following is a key with descriptions for the numbered sections in Figure 2:

1. Menus
2. Preview displays: input (left) and output (right)
3. Control panel: preset selector, video encoding settings, audio encoding settings, and output settings (not shown output metadata and encoding log)
4. Control buttons: start and stop

Note: For a full description of all Flash Media Live Encoder's features, review the in-product help. You can access the help from the main menu by selecting Help > Flash Media Live Encoder Help.

Sending your first live stream from Flash Media Live Encoder to Flash Media Server

To configure Flash Media Live Encoder to send your first live stream:

1. Hook up a video source to the computer that Flash Media Live Encoder will be running on.
2. Launch Flash Media Live Encoder.
3. From the Preset Selector, select the setting for Medium Bandwidth (300 kbps).
4. In the Video area, from the Device selector, ensure that the video source that you would like to use is both displayed and selected. Also ensure that the Video option is checked.

5. In the Output area, set the following options to the values indicated (accepting the defaults on the other values should be fine):

   • Stream to Flash Media Server: Selected

   • FMS URL: rtmp://localhost/myLiveApp/instance1

     Make sure that there are no typos in your FMS URL. This URL is specifying the real-time messaging protocol, followed by host name (localhost), application name (myLiveApp), and creating an instance name (instance1). In the next section, when you create playback SWF files, you will reference this URL and must match the spelling exactly.

     Tip: If your Flash Media Server is on a server other than localhost, update the FMS URL here accordingly, along with all following instructions referencing localhost.

   • Stream Name: mylivestream

     Note: Ensure that there are no typos in your stream name. In the next section when you create playback SWF files, you will reference this stream and must match the spelling exactly.

   • Save to File: Deselected

6. In the Output area, click the Connect button.

   Note: If an error is returned, double-check all the previous steps in both this section and in the prior section.

7. Click the Start button along the bottom to start encoding.

At this point your stream is live! Now all you need is an audience.

The next section covers creating a playback SWF file you can publish on your website that your audience can download to connect to the live stream. Before proceeding to the next section, however, make sure that Flash Media Live Encoder is started and streaming.

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