Administration of Windows Media Encoder Does Not Work with Terminal Services (270866)



The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Media Encoder 7
  • Microsoft Windows Media Encoder 7.1
  • Microsoft Windows Media Tools 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows Media Tools 4.1

This article was previously published under Q270866

SYMPTOMS

When you try to create an encoding session through a Terminal Services session, the Windows Media Encoder may report that there are no audio or video devices present on the encoding machine. If you log on locally to the console of the encoding machine, you are able to encode by using the installed devices without a problem.

CAUSE

This is a known limitation of Terminal Server. The Windows Media Encoder cannot be initialized from a Terminal Server session or do a live capture with the devices installed on the system. File conversion (transcoding) with the encoder still works without a problem.

Terminal services cannot do device redirection to the client. Therefore, devices of this type are disabled all together while you are in a Terminal Services session. The server reports the "no audio or video devices" error message when in a session. Because of this, the Encoder is not allowed to directly access specific hardware devices on the server.

RESOLUTION

Use the Encoder automation objects to allow control of the Encoder through DCOM. The Windows Media Encoder version 7.0 comes with an administration sample that uses ASP pages.

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/26/2003
Keywords:kbpending kbprb KB270866