Chapter 12: Live Events Channel

Overview

In the last chapter, the Contoso producers laid the groundwork for the movie info channels. In addition to providing broadcast channels with features and fan info, the Contoso Movies Online site will bring exclusive live events to the Web. For example, the site could run live coverage of a big movie premiere or exclusive, unedited interviews.

The live event channel is a broadcast publishing point. When broadcasting an event, a live encoding computer on location streams over a data connection, such as a T1 line, DSL connection, or even a phone line, to the publishing point on the host Windows Media server. End users then come to the live channel Web page and link to the publishing point through the CDN to view the event. The same process is used for any live broadcast on the Internet, such as a radio station.

We will take a look at the process Contoso goes through when producing a live event and streaming it on the Internet. There are as many ways to produce a live event as there are live event opportunities. However, our main focus will not be on describing all the possible ways to produce live events, but on how to use Windows Media in a live event context. To do that, we will describe how a live event might be produced by Contoso.

We will also explore what happens to streaming media content after it has been encoded. Like most content providers on the Internet, the Contoso Movies Online site will take advantage of a hosting service. We will look at the role of a hosting service and how content is distributed using a CDN.

This section includes the following topics:

• Producing live Web events. An overview of producing live events destined for distribution as streaming media.

• Ivanhoe wrap party. A description of the event and how the Contoso Movies Online producers approach production.

• Pre-production. A description of the phase of a production when the vision becomes a plan.

• Production. A description of the events that take place when the plan is implemented and production proceeds.

• Content delivery. A description of how on-demand content, live streams, playlists, and metafiles gets to the end user by using a CDN.