P

packaged Windows Media file

A Windows Media file encrypted with a key, which consumers cannot play unless they have a key provided by a license. A packaged Windows Media file is produced by and protected through the implementation of digital rights management using the Windows Media Rights Manager SDK or a program based on the Microsoft Windows Media Format SDK.

packaging

The process that protects and signs a Windows Media file, producing a packaged Windows Media file. The packaging process includes generating or specifying a key, generating and signing the content header, and then encrypting the Windows Media file with this information.

packaging server

A computer used for packaging Windows Media files.

packet

A unit of information transmitted as a whole from one device to another on a network.

PAL

See definition for: Phase Alternating Line (PAL)

parse

To break input into smaller chunks so that a program can act upon the information.

PCM

See definition for: pulse code modulation (PCM)

Phase Alternating Line (PAL)

The dominant television standard in Europe and China. PAL delivers 25 interlaced frames per second at 625 lines of resolution.

pixel format

The size and arrangement of pixel color components. The format is specified by the total number of bits used per pixel and the number of bits used to store the red, green, blue, and alpha components of the color of the pixel.

player

A client program or control that receives digital media content streamed from a server or played from local files. Windows Media Player is an example of a player.

playlist

In Windows Media, a list of digital media content that is interpreted and rendered by a player.

plug-in

An auxiliary software component that extends or enhances the features of other software.

port

A connection point in a computer through which a peripheral device or another computer can communicate.

portable device

A mobile electronic device that can exchange files or other data with a computer or device. Examples of portable devices include Pocket PCs, portable digital music players, and Smartphones.

postroll

To extend the amount of encoded video by a specified number of frames.

preroll

To capture or play a number of video frames or a portion of audio data before encoding or rendering begins, in order to allow the source device to stabilize. Also used as a noun to describe the portion of the data to be prerolled.

private key

The secret half of a public/private key pair used in cryptography. Private keys are typically used to encrypt a symmetric session key, digitally sign a message, or decrypt a message that has been encrypted with the corresponding public key.

profile

In Windows Media Encoder, a group of settings that match content type and bit rate with appropriate audio and video codecs.

Profile Editor

A tool provided with Windows Media Encoder that creates and edits the encoding profiles.

protect

To encrypt files with a key and add information such as the license acquisition URL.

protocol

A set of formats and procedures that enable computers to exchange information.

protocol rollover

A procedure that enables switching from one protocol to another when a Windows Media server fails to make a connection using a particular protocol.

proxy server

A server located on a network between client software, such as a Web browser, and another server. It intercepts all requests to the server to determine whether it can fulfill them itself. If not, it forwards the request to another server.

public key

The non-secret half of a public/private key pair used in cryptography. Public keys are typically used to encrypt sessions, files, and messages, which are then decrypted using the corresponding private key.

publishing point

An organized memory location that translates a client request for content into the physical path on the Windows Media server hosting the content. A publishing point essentially acts as a redirector.

pull

To deliver data to a client only upon client request.

pulse code modulation (PCM)

A technique for digitizing audio into an uncompressed format by assigning a value to the amplitude of the signal at fixed intervals.

push

To deliver data to a client without a client request for the data.