MMS VS HTTP or RTSP

[abouldin]

We are having issues with streaming MMS on our Windows Media server. Some of our agencies are having problems receiving our MMS files because of network security constraints. We have been streaming MMS for over six years now. My network people are telling me that MMS is obsolete and to use something else. Unfortunately we have about 30,000 files of WMV content on the MMS server now that agencies are link to our server.
Any ideas and is MMS really obsolete?

[reisfeld]

(11-20-2008 06:47 PM)abouldin Wrote:  We are having issues with streaming MMS on our Windows Media server. Some of our agencies are having problems receiving our MMS files because of network security constraints. We have been streaming MMS for over six years now. My network people are telling me that MMS is obsolete and to use something else. Unfortunately we have about 30,000 files of WMV content on the MMS server now that agencies are link to our server.
Any ideas and is MMS really obsolete?

MMS is absolutely depreciated, but fret not. Most WMS boxes support protocol rollover (enabled by default on most setups). Assuming that protocol rollover is enabled on your WMS service, the Windows Media player will auto-negotiate with the server over RTSP over TCP. If that fails, it will try RTSP over UDP. And if that fails, it will try to serve the stream via HTTP protocol. For really older players, if you specify mms, it will automatically try to delivery the content via http and not even try RTSP. Should you change your protocol, probably as the auto-negotiation does incur some slight performance penalty but not anything substantial that you should really be worried about. You can always force the protocol with something like RTSPT, RTSPU, etc. to cut down the auto-negations and speed up the time for first byte download.

The one thing to keep in mind is that most browser MIME types are codified to one player type so if you are using an embedded player in a browser, specifying RTSP may trigger a Real/QuickTime client to spin up rather than a Windows Media player. You will need to make sure that the you provide some language in your code to explicitly tell the end user client they should use WM player rather than a Real or QT player to playback your RTSP streams so the streams will play back properly.

So in summary, go ahead and keep using MMS for your stream links. The WM player is smart enough to play the stream back over RTSP so long as the streaming service you are using supports protocol rollover.

Dave

[jrsReign]

The one affair to accumulate in apperception is that a lot of browser MIME types are codification to one amateur blazon so if you are application an anchored amateur in a browser, allegorical RTSP may activate a Real/QuickTime applicant to circuit up rather than a Windows Media player. You will charge to accomplish abiding that the you accommodate some accent in your cipher to absolutely acquaint the end user applicant they should use WM amateur rather than a Real or QT amateur to playback your RTSP streams so the streams will play aback properly.

So in summary, go advanced and accumulate application MMS for your beck links. The WM amateur is acute abundant to play the beck aback over RTSP so continued as the alive account you are application supports agreement rollover.


________________
IP PBX

[voynex]

As you know MMS protocol does not included to WMS 9.5 (Windows Server 2008). Thus it is recomended to use RTSP or HTTP. RTSP is faster because it is designed for streaming (Real Time Streaming Protocol) and uses UDP, but HTTP has an advantage in corporate networks where only 80 port is enabled for security reasons.