If you are reading this the switch over to SQL Azure Virtual Path Provider worked (along with the fancy cache invalidation logic). That means that the server-side code running inside of Windows Azure is actually coming from tables in SQL Azure. Which means I can update the server-side code through a Silverlight editor without having to republish the WinAzure code. Confused? So am I. But it is working A more detailed post to come once the kinks are worked out. I also wacked the Azure worker role which was costing me $80 per month so I’ll need to rework that into the web role at some point.
When I was working on the Expression Encoder Team we would get a number of questions about the possibility of hosting IIS Smooth Streaming files on Windows Azure blob storage. The Azure Publishing Plugin that I wrote supported file upload for regular non streaming files but for ISMV content, the service would have needed to support IIS Media Services in order for it to play back successfully.
MP4 Explorer was a possible way of converting a Smooth Streaming file back to multiple file chunks which could be uploaded to Azure that would play just fine but this was a somewhat clunky (chunky?) process.
Steve Marx, on the Azure team, has gone one step better and written an upload tool which takes a ISMV file and chunks it on the fly as it is uploaded to Azure:
Blog post:
http://blog.smarx.com/posts/smooth-streaming-with-windows-azure-blobs-and-cdn
Code:
http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/smoothstreamingazure
Now, all Steve needs to do is update the publishing plugin code to use this and there would be an integrated experience inside of Expression Encoder
Even better, the IIS and Azure guys should make their stuff play together and just support Smooth Streaming directly in Blob storage. Here’s hopin’
When one lives abroad, it is easy to focus on what’s better about living in a particular foreign country than in one’s place of birth and upbringing. For me, the former would be the US where I’ve been living with my family since September 2006 and the latter is the United Kingdom where I currently find myself on vacation (sadly, on the eve of my return).
Upon first becoming an expat, there are inevitably many advantages that one comes across on a day-to-day basis that can be tallied up. In fact, it becomes something of an obsession to focus on these benefits as one congratulates one’s self on an excellent life choice which invariably involved the somewhat violent act of up-rooting family and transplanting them to a far-flung location. Such are the artifacts of life’s insecurities.
But it is also easy to forget some of the good things to be cherished about the Mother Country. So it is interesting for me to return home to Blighty on vacation after a leave-of-absence of nearly four years and observe these obvious and, some might say, clichéd points first hand.
Pubs.. don’t exist in the US. Well, generally not at least. You come across the odd establishment of the Irish variety but really nothing to compare to an excellent English Country hostelry such as the Alford Arms.
News Papers.. The UK press certainly can’t be credited with having a particularly high moral fiber at the best of times. However, invasiveness notwithstanding the quality of journalism that emanates from Fleet Street is sorely missed in these quarters.
Architecture.. ‘Nuff Said (Louis IXIII stayed here in exile).
and this is my Brother’s place in Devon:
Baths.. no, not the well-known west country city but the more prosaic cast-iron tub that one can immerse oneself in (as I did yesterday). Armitage Shanks. In the US, baths are designed for midgets. It isn’t possible to stretch out, prone and enjoy a good soak. I don’t understand why not. And, no hot tubs do not make up for this inadequacy.
Tea.. OK super-cliché alert but.. having stopped off in Marlborough, Wiltshire (home to my Alma Mata) reminded me how quaint the ritual can be (even when one partakes at lunch time )
Chocolate.. Hershey's sorry.. fail. UK Crunchy Maltesers Ripple Confectionary world capital.
Countryside.. The US has some stunning spots there is no doubt. But on more than one occasion I’ve had a moment to pause and reflect.
Oh.. and lastly, Rain. The rain in Seattle is pretty amazing but I have to admit that UK rain really is the best there is.
It’s been a wonderful trip. Now back to wide roads & mountains
Thanks to all who came to the Soho meetup last night. Was great to catch up, drink some Cooper’s Butt and chew the fat (as well as some excellent Duck Jalfrezi)
Looking forward to seeing more folks tonight.. feel free to drop by The George on D’Arblay Street W1 from 6pm onwards if you want to join in.
Congrats to the Expression Encoder team for not only shipping V4 but also getting it propped to the MS Store where you can now pick it up the Pro version for $49:
http://store.microsoft.com/microsoft/Expression-Encoder-4-Pro/product/0BE96B98
For info on what’s new check out the product site:
http://www.microsoft.com/expression/products/EncoderPro_Features.aspx
One of my favorite new features is a small one: The ability select a precise screen capture size (eg 1024x768) and then resize a window into the capture region:
This makes it much easier to record quick demos of a particular app window at a deterministic capture size / bitrate.
There are some other nice UI improvements most notable of which is probably the greatly improved Live encoding mode:
Expression Encoder 4 (i.e. the non-pro version) is still available as a free download which now includes the ability to do non-live Smooth Streaming encoding.. check it out here: