INFO: The first Windows Media Player client to connect to a broadcast publishing point on a WMS server may experience either buffering or a delay (905235)



The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Media Encoder 9 Series
  • Microsoft Windows Media Services 9 Series

SYMPTOMS

When the first Microsoft Windows Media Player client on a network connects to a broadcast publishing point on a Microsoft Windows Media Services 9 Series (WMS) server, the Windows Media Player client may experience either buffering or a delay before content starts to play back.

CAUSE

This behavior may occur if the WMS server has not buffered the content before the WMS server starts to deliver the content to the Windows Media Player client.
To work around this behavior, use one of the following methods.

Method 1

Start the broadcast publishing point on the WMS server before any Windows Media Player client connects to the WMS server. If you do this, the WMS server will have enough time to buffer the content. After the WMS server has buffered the content, the WMS server will use the Fast Start feature, the Advanced Fast Start feature, and the Start When First Client Connects feature to send the content to the first Windows Media Player client. The use of these features by the WMS server will reduce the time that the first Windows Media Player client will spend on buffering and on latency.

Method 2

Set up an additional WMS server on the computer that contains the content that is being broadcast. When the first Windows Media Player client connects to the broadcast publishing point that is on the additional WMS server, the first Windows Media Player client will experience better connection performance.

Note Use this method if you are concerned about the amount of Wide Area Network bandwidth that runs between the computer that contains the content that is being broadcast and the WMS server.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

REFERENCES

For more information about the Fast Start feature, the Advanced Fast Start feature, the Start When First Client Connects feature, and other features of Windows Media Services 9 Series, see the product documentation.

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:8/25/2005
Keywords:kbinfo KB905235 kbAudDeveloper kbAudITPRO