Windows Media Encoder

Joe from Pittsburgh called about how to get audio into Windows Media Encoder...

(Windows Media Encoder is tool for content producers who want to capture audio and video content.)

Because of all of the variables that need to be considered, this is one of those (many) situations where we need to be able to be there physically to possibly provide any reasonable assistance...but here's what I found that might help...

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For a list of supported audio and video capture cards, see Windows Media Hardware Product Vendors....

Joe said he was using a Realtek device: they are not supported...

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"You can install Windows Media Encoder 9 Series on a computer running Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003. (For Windows 2000, you must also install Microsoft DirectX® 9.0)...The recommended configuration varies, depending on the encoding task, as described in the following paragraphs...

(These next three questions seemed to be the closest thing to what Joe had described to us...)

6.6 Why can't I configure a particular device from the encoder?
Only the devices that are used in the current session are displayed in the Configure Devices dialog box.
To select a different device, do the following:
1. On the Session menu, click Properties.
2. Click the desired source, and then click Change.
3. Select a different device from the Video or Audio drop-down lists, and then click Configure.
If you still are unable to configure the device, the device might not be supported.
The encoder works with most capture devices that have Video for Windows or Windows Driver Model (WDM) drivers. If your device has Video for Windows or WDM drivers, check that you are using the most current drivers. See the documentation that comes with your device. To see a list of the capture devices that have been tested to work with Windows Media Encoder 9 Series, see the Microsoft Web site.

6.7 Can I use multiple capture cards on a single computer?
Yes. Having multiple capture cards installed on a single computer enables you to encode from multiple sources simultaneously.

6.9 What capture driver version should I be using?
In general, use the latest driver from the hardware vendor. Drivers can usually be found on the vendor's Web site. For a list of the capture devices that have been tested to work with Windows Media Encoder 9 Series, see the Microsoft Web site.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/forpros/encoder/faq.aspx

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System Requirements for Windows Media Encoder 9 Series

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