The document provides a comprehensive review of Windows Media Encoder, a discontinued software by Microsoft for capturing and converting media to Windows formats. It details its features, versions, installation process, and alternatives like MiniTool Video Converter which is recommended for current operating systems. Additionally, it includes technical encoding theories, codec information, and user guidance for maximizing the software's use.

1. Title: [Full Review] WindowsMediaEncoderand Its Alternative
Keywords: windowsmediaencoder,windowsmediaencoder9.0,what iswindowsmediaencoder
9 series, windowsmediaencoderdownload, whatiswindowsmediaencoder, windowsmedia
encoderuserguide
Description: What is WindowsMediaEncoder?Where todownloadthisdiscontinuedapp?How to
configure WindowsMediaEncoder?WhatisWindowsMediaEncoder’salternative?
URL: https://videoconvert.minitool.com/video-converter/windows-media-encoder.html
Summary: This article refined by videoconvert.minitool.com gives a complete review on a former
Windows media file encoding software well known as WindowsMediaEncoder.Itelaborateson the
definition,versions,encodingtheory,downloading,installing,aswell asusing.Since WindowsMedia
Encoderis discontinuedbyMicrosoft,thispostrecommendedaneasy-to-usealternative.
What Is Windows Media Encoder?
WindowsMediaEncoder(WME) isa discontinuedfreemediaencodersoftwaredevelopedby
Microsoft.It allowscontentdevelopersto capture orconvertprerecordedorlive screenimages,
audio,or videos toWindowsMediaformatsforon-demandandlive delivery.
WindowsMediaEncoderisthe successorof NetShow Encoder.Itsdownloadpage saysthatitdoes
not supportWindows7.So, there isno WindowsMediaEncoderforWindows7.
Now, WindowsMediaEncoderhasbeenreplacedbya free editionof MicrosoftExpressionEncoder.
The Media 8 EncodingUtilityisstill listed. WindowsMediaEncoderisavailable inboth64 bitand 32
bit.
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2. What Is Windows Media Encoder 9 Series?
WindowsMediaEncoder9.0 can encode video takingadvantage of WindowsMediaVideo(WMV)
version7,8, or 9. Audioencodingmakesuse of manyWindowsMediaAudio (WMA) version9.2or
10 (if the version10 codecsare installed)profilesanda WindowsMediaAudio9Voice speechcodec.
Besides,contentcanalsobe createdas uncompressedvideooraudio.
WindowsMediaEncoderversion9ensurestwo-passencodingtooptimize qualityforon-demand
(download-and-playorstreamed) content.Also, WindowsMediaEncodersupports variablebitrate
(VBR) encodingfordown-and-playscenarios.The VBRcan be usedoverthe entire durationof a high-
motionsequence whileensuringthe highestquality.
WindowsMediaEncoderedition9alsoenablesscripted encodingwiththe wmcmd.vbsVBScriptfile
while permittingcontentdeveloperstoencode large numbersof prerecordedmediafiles. Some
Windowsmediaprogramsare bundledwith WindowsMediaEncoder9includingWindowsMedia
File Editor,WindowsMediaProfile Editor,aswell as WindowsMediaStreamEditor.
The graphical userinterface (GUI) encoderapplicationisawrapperof the encoderitself.Developers
are able towrite theirappsusingVisual Studiotoperformthe same featuresfoundinthe program.
Those programscan be appliedtoautomate videoandaudioproduction.Inadditiontothat,an SDK
isalso available.
Withthe removal of the WindowsMediaDigital RightsManagement (WMDRM) service inthe
anniversaryupdate inWindows10,WindowsMediaEncoder9 is nolongercompatible withthe later
versionof Windowssince May2017. Thus, WindowsMediaEncoderisdiscontinuedbyMicrosoft.
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Versions of Windows Media Encoder
The followingare the historical versionsof WindowsMediaEncoder.The WindowsMediaEncoder
latestversionis WindowsMediaEncoderx64Edition.
 NetShowEncoder3.0
 NetShowEncoder3.0.1 (comeswithPowerPoint2000)
 WindowsMediaEncoder4.0 (partof the WindowsMediaTools)
 WindowsMediaEncoder7.1 (forWindows98, WindowsMe,andWindows2000)
 WindowsMediaEncoder8.0 EncodingUtility(command-line) forWindows98,WindowsMe,
and Windows2000
 WindowsMediaEncoder9.0
 WindowsMediaEncoderx64 Edition(basedonWindowsMedia10 SDK)
WindowsMediaEncoderStudioEditionwasaseparate plannedversionforWindowsMediaEncoder
9 withsupportforsegmentencodingandmultiple audiochannels.AfterBeta1, itwas eventually
canceled.Later,Microsoftpublishedthe commercialsoftware,MicrosoftExpressionEncoderaspart
of itsExpressionStudiosuite.
Tip: WindowsMediaTools4.1 was the last release for Windows95and WindowsNT4.0.
Windows Media Encoder Process Theory
Typically,anencoderconvertsuncompressedvideosoraudiointocompressedpacketsinaformat
specifiedbythe encodersoftware. ToconvertmediafilesintoAdvancedSystemFormat(ASF), you
can relyon WindowsMediavideoandaudiocodecs.

3. An encoderisidentifiedbythe globallyunique identifier(GUID) thatrepresentsthe category,video
or audio.The encoder’soutputtype isrepresentedbyamediatype’s majorandthe sub-type GUID.
The followingare the codecsof WindowsMediavideoandaudio.
Windows Media Video (WMV) Codecs
 Category:MFT_CATEGORY_VIDEO_ENCODER
 Major type:MFMediaType_Video
 SubType:MFVideoFormat_WVC1,MFVideoFormat_WMV3,MFVideoFormat_WMV2,
MFVideoFormat_WMV1
Windows Media Audio (WMA) Codecs
 Category:MFT_CATEGORY_AUDIO_ENCODER
 Major type:MFMediaType_Audio
 Sub-Type:MFAudioFormat_WMAudioV9,MFAudioFormat_WMAudioV8,
MFAudioFormat_WMAudio_Lossless,MFAudioFormat_WMASPDIF
Those encodersare implementedasMediaFoundationtransform(MFT).MediaFoundationoffers
access to the app throughthe IMFTransforminterface of the encoder. If youare usingpipelinelayer
componentsforASFencoding,the encoderMFTisinsertedintothe pipeline asa transformnode
since itsresponsible fortransformingmediadatathatflowsthrough the source to the sink. If the
source data is compressed,the pipelinewill addthe requireddecoderstoconvertthe source intoan
uncompressed type.
An encoderhas1 inputand 1 outputstream.Itreceivesinputdata.Then,itproducesencodeddata
accordingto the configurationandformatsetbythe app before the encodingsession. The output
streamformatis describedbyamediatype.
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Windows Media Encoder Download Free
Beloware some resourcesfor downloadingWindowsMediaEncoder app.
# uptodown
WindowsMediaEncoder9 Seriesdownload>>
# CNET
WindowsMediaEncoder7.0 download>>
# SOFTPEDIA
DownloadWindowsMediaEncoder9 >>
How to Install Windows Media Encoder?
Afteryoupickup a downloadingsource above andgetthe installationfile of WindowsMedia
Encoder,youcan follow the belowstepstoinstall itonyourWindowsPC.Here,we take Windows
MediaEncoder 9 for example toshowyouthe process.
Step1. Findthe downloadedwmencoder.exe fileonyourcomputer.
Step2. Double-clickonthe installationfileandclick Yestoallow the app to make changesto your
device inthe UserAccount Control (UAC) window.

4. Step3. Then,you will enterthe WindowsMediaEncoder Setupwindow. There,itinformsyouthat
the installationwizardwill installnotonlyWindowsMediaEncoder,butalsoitsbundlesincluding
WindowsMediaFile Editor,WindowsMediaStreamEditor,WindowsMediaProfile Editor, Windows
MediaEncodingScript,and User documentation. Tocontinue,click Next.
Step4. Next,youwill be directedtothe License Agreementwindow.Justreadthe enduserlicense
agreementforMicrosoftWindowsMediaEncoder,select“Iaccept the terms in the License
Agreement”,andclick Nextto go on.
Step5. Specifythe installationfolderorkeepthe default C:ProgramFiles(x86)WindowsMedia
ComponentsEncoder.ClickNext.
Step6. Finally,the wizardisreadytobeginthe installation. Justclick Install tobeginthe installation.
ClickBack to revieworchange anyinstallationsettings.ClickCancel toexitSetupandclose the
wizard.
Alt=finishinstallingWindowsMediaEncoder
Wait until the installationprocess completes.Then, clickthe Finishbuttontoclose andexitthe
wizard.
Windows Media Encoder User Guide
Here in thissection,let’ssee how tomake use of WindowsMediaEncoder.Still,itwill take Windows
MediaEncoder series9for instance.
Firstof all,youneedtofindand launchWindowsMediaEncoderonyour computer.Itseemsthat
there isno shortcut createdon yourdesktop.Then,youcan findWindowsMediaEncoderinthe
Start Menu.Or, search forit through the WindowsSearch utility. Whenyoufinallyfindthe program,
double-clicktoopenit.

5. # New Session
WhenyouopenWindowsMediaEncoderfor the firsttime,inadditiontothe maininterface of
WindowsMediaEncoder,the NewSessionwindow will alsopopup guidingyoutomake yourfirst
activity.
There are twotabs inthe NewSessionwindow.
1. Wizards
In the Wizardstab, youcan do the followingoperations.
 Customsession:create acustomencodingsession.
 Broadcast a live event (default):broadcastalive eventfromattacheddevicesorcomputer
screens.
 Capture audioor video:capture audioorvideocontent fromattacheddevicesandsave itto a
WindowsMediafile.
 Converta file:convertanaudioor videofile intoaWindowsMediafile.
 Capture screen:capture screenimagesfromthiscomputerandsave themto a WindowsMedia
file.
Alt=WindowsMediaEncoderNewSessionWizard
2. Quick Starts

6.  Capture live contentforlocal playback:use thistemplate tocapture audioandvideocontent
fromdevicesandencode itto a file forlocal playback.
 Capture live contentforstreaming(MBR):use thistemplate tocapture audioandvideocontent
fromdevicesandencode itto a file foron-demandstreamingfromaWindowsMediaServer
usingMultiple BitRates.
 Convertfilmcontenttovideo:use thistemplatetoconvertfile-basedcontentthatwas
originallyproducedonfilmtoWindowsMediaFormat.Thistemplate usesbit-rate-based
variable bitrate encodingtoproduce contentthatis suitable forplaybackonCDor DVD.It also
appliesthe inversetelecine filtertorestore yourcontentto itsoriginal 24 fpsformat.
 Broadcast companymeeting:use thistemplate tobroadcasta live event,suchasa company
meeting,viaaWindowsMediaServerandcreate an archive of the broadcast forlaterviewing.
Alt=WindowsMediaEncoderQuickStarts
Tip:
 If you don’twantto see the NewSessionwindowwheneveryoulaunch WindowsMedia
Encoderin the future,justuncheck the “Show thisdialogbox atstartup” option at the bottom
leftof the NewSessionwindow.
 In the mainuserinterface (UI) of WindowsMediaEncoder,youcan triggerthe New Session
windowfromthe upperlefttoolbar.
How to Encode with Quick Starts / New Session Wizard?
Before encodinganycontent,youhave to configure anencodingsession.Youcanmake easyaccess
by the NewSessionWizardor quickstarts.
Quickstarts are sessionfilesthatare includedwithWindowsMediaEncoder.Theyare designedto
deal withcommon encodingscenarios.Quickstarts containmostof the settingsyouneedtobegin

7. encodingwithoutdelay.Withquickstarts,all youneedtodo isto provide yoursource content
specificslikefilenamesorservernames.
Besides,youcantake advantage of NewSessionWizard toencode yoursource files.New Session
Wizardwill guide youthroughthe steps neededtosetup4 of the mostcommon encodingscenarios.
Afteryoucustomize yourencodingsession,youare readytoencode the content.If youwantto run
the same sessioninthe future,youcan save the settingstoa sessionfile of .wme extension.
1. In the Wizardtab in the NewSessionwindow,clickon the Converta file optionandclick OK.
2. Specifythe source file andprovide aname andlocationforthe WindowsMediafile thatwill be
createdthroughthissession.
Alt=selectsource andoutputfile inWindowsMediaEncoderNew SessionWizard
3. To determine the encodingsettings,selectadistributionmethod forthe encodedcontentfile.

8. Alt=selectdistributionforthe convertedfile
4. Selectencodingsettingsforyourcontent.Yourselectionsdeterminesettings suchas bitrate,
frame rate,and buffersize.

9. Alt=doencodingsettingsforyourcontent
5. Until now,youcan click Finishto complete yoursettingsandbegin the conversion.Or,youcan
clickNextto continue additional settings.
6. Specifyinformationaboutyourcontentincludingtitle,author,copyright,rating,anddescription.
Those specificswillbe shownduringthe playback.

10. Alt=specifydisplayinformationforthe encodedcontent
7. Reviewsettingsforthissession.Click Finishtosetupthe sessionorclickBack to change settings.

11. Alt=review contentencodingsettings
Wait patientlyuntilthe processcompletes.
WindowsMediaEncoderispowerful andstable.Yet,sometimes,youmay encountersome problems
like WindowsMediaEncoderslow orstopsworkingwiththese errors:
No such interfacesupported (0x80004002)

12. Alt=No such interface supported(0x80004002)
An error hasoccurred.If the error continues,considerreloading thesession file, starting a new
session,orrestarting the encoder.

13. Alt=WindowsMediaEncodernewsessionerror
Whenyoucome across the above errorsor similarones,youcansearch online forsolutions.Or,you
can turn to the helpof an alternative of WindowsMediaEncoder.
Alternative Windows Media Encoder for Windows 7/8/8.1/10/11
Justas mentionedabove,if your WindowsMediaEncoderfailstoconverta mediafile foryouor
capture your screen,youcan relyonone of itsreplacementssuchas MiniTool VideoConverter,
whichcan assistyouto convertvideo andaudiofilesto commonfile formatsof variousencoders.
Besides,itcancapture your computerinmanyvideoformats.
Moreover, MiniTool VideoConvertersupportsmore Windowsoperatingsystems (OSes)than
WindowsMediaEncoderincludingthe oldWindows7,Vista,andXP. As a continuedvideo/audio
encoder,MiniTool VideoConverterusuallyreleases anew versionwithnew updatesandfeatures.
Furthermore,youcanuse MiniTool VideoConverter withoutanycharge.Itis completelyfree and
there isno watermarkinthe convertedvideoorsoundmarkin the convertedaudio.
VC-Free
1. Download,install,andlaunchMiniTool VideoConverteronyourPC.
2. In the defaultVideoConverttab,underthe Convertingsub-tab,click AddorDrag filesto start
conversionto selectyoursource content.
3. Clickon the settingsicon(anarrowpointsinside asquare) toopena new window.

14. 4. In the newpopup,move tothe Videotab, selectyourpreferredvideoformat,andchoose a
videoqualityinthe rightsection.
5. You can furtherpersonalizethe selectedvideoquality byclickingthe settingsiconbehind it.Or,
youcan directly clickCreate Custominthe bottomright.
Alt=change videofileformat
6. In the nextwindow, youcanchange the followingsettingsof the outputvideofile.
 Title
 Quality
 Video:encoder, resolution,frame rate,bitrate.
 Audio:encoder,channel,sample rate, bitrate.

15. Alt=outputvideofile formatsettings
7. Selectyourcustomizedvideoformat.
8. Finally,clickthe Convertbuttontostart converting.

16. Alt=selectcustomizedvideo formatandstartconvert
Visitthisarticle to learnhowto capture a screenwith MiniTool VideoConverter.Besides, thistool
can alsodownloadYouTube videosforyou.
Compare and Conclusion
Why choose MiniTool VideoConverter?Let’scompare itwith WindowsMediaEncoder!
MiniTool VideoConverter WindowsMediaEncoder
Developmentstatus continued discontinued
SupportedOS Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP  Windows98, Me, 2000
 Windows7/8/10 (not
sure)
Supportedinput videoformat Most commonvideoformats Onlya few videoformats (mp4
not supported)
Batch conversion yes yes
Stability high Low especiallyinhigherOSes.
License free free
The above table isa simple comparisonbetween MiniTool VideoConverterandWindowsMedia
Encoder.Accordingto the comparison,youcan findoutthat MiniTool VideoConverterismore
suitable forconvertingvideosorsongs nowadayssince WindowsMediaEncoderiscompletelyout-
of-date.