Re: Complaints about Windows 2000 and Windows Media 9
- From: "Neil Smith [MVP Digital Media]" <neil@xxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 07 Aug 2006 21:11:07 GMT
On Fri, 4 Aug 2006 12:18:02 -0700, Peter
<Peter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
SYMPTOMS
1) listener browses to our site
2) listener launches embedded Windows Media player
3) the player appears to read through the `entries`
4) finally, the player status shows `Ready`
CLIENT
Player version: 9.x (we?re compiling a list of exact versions)
Operating System: Windows 2000 5.00.2195 SP4
SERVER
Streaming Software: Microsoft Windows Media v9.1.1.3814
Operating System: Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP1
Mount Point: http://www.sri.ca/asx/asxgen.php?mount=cfrb
Well, I tested the streams tonight, 10PM GMT+0000 (about 5pm there)
Your ASX has about 5 publishing points listed spread over 5 servers.
I'm assuming you have that many for redundancy, and the playlist is
set up to allow the player to roll over if each stream is determined
to be unavailable.
I tested on WMP7.10.00.3078 and WMP9.00.00.3344 both on Win 2000
[v5.00.2195 SP4] as per your listeners. The stream is distributed as
WMA9 16k @ 22khz, which is quite a low data rate. WMA9 is distributed
with WMP9 as standard, and is available through codec download on WMP7
Despite the low data rate the stream initially played fine. However
once the player reached a buffering state subsequent to connection, it
never seemed to return to playback.
There seems to be some problem with your streams restarting, since
they shouldn't end up buffering permanently (it should timeout and
disconnect) so I'm prepared to bet the server is misconfigured, has
incorrect limits compared to the available bandwidth, and is set not
to disconnect clients - which can result in open connection handles
not being closed and a logjam of open ports.
What I *reckon* is happening is the servers you have simply aren't
capable of distributing to the number of listeners you've got
connecting.
The player will attempt all the http stream locations first.
If it receives a timeout from the server, it will roll over to the
next, working its way through all 5 publishing points trying 2
protocols each, first purely http, then mms protocol.
Obviously this takes some time to negotiate, and it may cause the
ActiveX control to timeout, resulting in the 'Ready' state as it
attempts each connection (count them and see if it tries each of 10).
What I'd do really is to set up the mms protocols first in the ASX
file. From WMP9 and later, mms is an 'alias' for rtsp, in fact WMP9 is
detected and served an rtsp stream anyway, which is a lighter
transport protocol : mms is rolled over to rtsp without intervention.
Because it's based on UDP it has about 10% less overhead than the TCP
based http connection. That may be a mitigating point in case of
server overload.
However you'd have to watch carefully for problems with corporate
clients who block rtsp traffic, because they'd get the http streams
last (i.e. potentially after trying 5 mms rollovers).
If the player can't 'do' rtsp because of admin lockdown by corporates,
it may try http rolling over from mms/rtsp. That could result in a
proxy intercepting the stream (are the problem users all on corporate
networks ?)
As a better strategy therefore, interleave the stream locations
starting with mms / http / mms / http etc etc.
HTH
Cheers - Neil
------------------------------------------------
Digital Media MVP : 2004-2006
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/mvpfaqs
.
- References:
- Re: Complaints about Windows 2000 and Windows Media 9
- From: Neil Smith [MVP Digital Media]
- Re: Complaints about Windows 2000 and Windows Media 9
- Prev by Date: Re: Complaints about Windows 2000 and Windows Media 9
- Next by Date: Re: Opening a Windows Media Player Streaming Shortcut in Mini-Mode
- Previous by thread: Re: Complaints about Windows 2000 and Windows Media 9
- Next by thread: Re: Complaints about Windows 2000 and Windows Media 9
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
