format confusion: asf / wmv

mazzo wrote on 3/20/2002, 8:38 AM
After producing streaming media in Real for some years, I've decided to start with Windows Media as well. But there is something I don't understand: What is ASF compared to WMV? I t seems that if you rename a .wmv to .asf, it will play anyway. And why can't I make an .asf file in Vegas (I have that option in Sound Forge)?

Comments

mazzo wrote on 3/20/2002, 4:35 PM
thanks
Cheesehole wrote on 3/20/2002, 6:26 PM
SF stopped supporting ASF sometime during the development of VV2. if you have VV2.0b, you can install that first, then install VV3 and you will be able to render to ASF. you'll have to customize the render templates in VV2 though, then choose one in VV3.

WMV is microsoft's newer format. ASF is still the most compatible. I wish SF hadn't stopped supporting it, because it is the primary destination format of almost all my paying work.

as long as your target audience has an active connection to the internet, you should be able to render to WMV without worry. their players will automatically download any necessary codecs.

- ben (cheesehole!)
swarrine wrote on 3/20/2002, 10:42 PM
Render to wmv then you can supposedly just rename the extention to asf.
Cheesehole wrote on 3/21/2002, 12:16 AM
>>>Render to wmv then you can supposedly just rename the extention to asf.

what is the point of that? you aren't changing the codec by renaming the file.
mazzo wrote on 3/21/2002, 2:04 AM
Hi guys, this is important:

When rendering wmv in Vegas and putting the file on a web server, the file WON'T STREAM properly. If you rename it to asf, it streams, but only in the "docked" internet explorer version. If you choose "play in default player" it starts to download the whole file from the server.

My (new) experience is: If you re-render the wmv in Windows Media Encoder, the new wmv will stream just fine. So the question is: Is there a bug in Vegas?
SonyEPM wrote on 3/21/2002, 8:29 AM
There was a streaming bug in Vegas 3.0, but our tests showed this was fixed in Vegas 3.0a (which you all should be running). If you have 3.0a and still can't produce files that stream correctly, please state so here and we'll take another look.
mazzo wrote on 3/21/2002, 10:57 AM
3.0a, yes.
SonyEPM wrote on 3/21/2002, 2:46 PM
mazzo: are you using server version 4?

Also, what is the build number of your Vegas wm plug-in (to find this out, got to render as, select wm, click about...) ?
shackrock wrote on 3/21/2002, 4:06 PM
hmmm....
i had a problem with streaming when i rendered to REAL media files....so your saying maybe with the new one (3.0a) that i will stream correctly? i havn't tryied with 3.0a yet...

by the way, files are hosted on tripod.
mazzo wrote on 3/22/2002, 9:20 AM
I'm streaming from a web server.

Sound Forge uses wmfplug.dll ver.1.2 build 232
Vegas uses wmfplug2.dll ver 1.0 build 18
SonyEPM wrote on 3/22/2002, 9:45 AM
Can you find out what version of streaming server is being used?

Also, if you render out a short clip and send it to me, I'll test it here.

send to: sonicepm@sonicfoundry.com
mazzo wrote on 3/22/2002, 10:02 AM
As I said, we're not using a streaming server, we stream from a web server only. Try this URL:

http://aftenbladet.no/multimedia/wm/quadra_platekomp_high.wmv

This is rendered with VV3a only.

And this one:

http://aftenbladet.no/multimedia/wm/nebbhigh.wmv

which is rerendered with Windows Media Encoder.
luke milligan wrote on 5/6/2002, 6:17 PM
I streamed both files from our windows media server without a hitch. What version of Windows Media Server are you using?

Luke
SF SQA
luke milligan wrote on 5/6/2002, 7:02 PM
Well I take back what I said.
For me the file that vegas rendered plays fine in vegas and streams from our WMServer.
The file that WMEncoder rerendered will not open in vegas nor stream from our WMServer. The file will play as a networked file in WMPlayer but won't stream.

Seems to be opposite of your results <sigh>

Luke

dpfresh wrote on 6/5/2002, 3:01 PM
Help please. We are using media services 2k trying to stream wmv files which choke and never stream. I rename to .asf and the same thing happens. I am using the Windows Media Screen v7 codec for these results. I change to the Windows Media Video 7 codec and it works a little better. Kick me in the Jimmy. Any ideas- if I could render out as asf to begin with I would but in VV3 I can't customize the settings which I need to be able to do.

- DP
Cheesehole wrote on 6/6/2002, 1:44 AM
do you get any error messages when you try to hit the file from over the net?

have you tried WMV files created from other sources? tried the WM7.1 encoder instead of VV3's encoder?

are you using ASX/WMX files instead of linking directly to the WMV file?

just some ideas... I feel your pain ;D