There is a new build of Expression Encoder 4 available that fixes some issues related to Screen Capture:

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/expressionencoder/archive/2010/07/31/10044506.aspx 

It is also possible to download the screen capture CODEC as a separate package which enables you to open screen capture files in other tools:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=71895f93-d804-4b70-8440-6b726ea0f12c

Lastly, Steve Marx listened to my call for an Expression Encoder publishing plugin version of his Adaptive Streaming->Azure Blob Storage work and has made one:

http://blog.smarx.com/posts/publishing-adaptive-streaming-video-from-expression-encoder-to-windows-azure-blobs

Cool stuff.

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’

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:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=b686399e-db71-4c4c-a457-c5b69b60e4d5&displaylang=en

One of the new things being shown on the Microsoft Booth at NAB2010 is a preview of Expression Encoder 4.  The big new feature that everyone has been waiting for is Live Smooth Streaming support.  Here’s a quick look:

Interested and, I have to admit, somewhat surprised to see that the Expression Encoder 3 announcement blog post was the fifth most popular post on the Silverlight Team blog in 2009

http://team.silverlight.net/announcement/what-you-wanted-to-know-top-ldquo-how-to-rdquo-posts-of-2009/

*Grin* So video encoding is Cool and not just for nerds, right?