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How to enable Windows Media Services in Windows Server 2016 Tech Preview 4?

Question

Saturday, March 12, 2016 7:23 PM

I cannot seem able to find any information in the new Dashboard or in forums.

Thank you

 

All replies (5)

Monday, March 14, 2016 10:43 AM ✅Answered | 3 votes

Hi

Research completed.

In windows Server 2016 TP4 the Essentials Media Pack will not install on the GUI version

And in the Windows Server 2016 TP4 (no GUI)

It does not appear in the list of roles and features returned by Get-WindowsFeature

I can only assume its in the list of things to do before release.

Yours

Ed

Please mark this as an answer if it was helpful

Yours

Ed

Sunday, March 13, 2016 5:20 PM | 2 votes

Ok

Having done some research.

Windows Media Services (Streaming Media Services) were placed into the Windows Essentials Experience in Windows Server 2012 (i.e. no longer a role)

This was then removed from Windows Server 2012 R2 and became available as a download only.

This link seems to suggest that in the TP4 (NON GUi - or Core edition) it is available as a Role.

However it doesn't appear as a role and I cannot find it in get-windowsfeature.

Next stage is to install Windows Essentials on a Server 2016 TP4 Azure VM (in progress)

If that doesn't work then It may be a download and I will try the 2012 R2 version and see if that works.

Link is here to that download

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40837

Should have a definitive answer by tomorrow

Yours

Ed

Please mark this as an answer if it was helpful

Sunday, May 8, 2016 8:17 AM

I have just installed Technical Preview 5 and no server role, no Streaming Media service. Trying to install the Essentials Media Pack returns the same error as above, when tried with Technical Preview 4. Quite annoying.

Sunday, May 8, 2016 10:00 AM | 1 vote

You could request it through uservoice.

https://windowsserver.uservoice.com/

Yours

Ed

Wednesday, January 17, 2018 11:06 PM

You really can't install Windows Media Services to Windows Server 2016 it is no longer an option.

To use WMS in a supported mode - you need Windows 2008 or 2008R2... the service was discontinued with 2012   below is a document that discuss current supported streaming offerings. 

* You can however create a 2008 VM on your 2012 or 2016 platform and use it as you normally would previously.

Microsoft Streaming offerings

We would sometimes get request for assistance to use the Essentials Media Pack for streaming media, we advise those requests to exclude this option from the list of options for streaming.    It’s not streaming; it is basically the same media sharing that Windows Media Player does for home networks.  Not an enterprise solution. 

We are adding Windows Media Services in the review below as It is older than the others but has the same lifecycle as IIS Media Services.  We provide the following information when a request is sent asking for streaming media best practices: 

** Windows Media Services:** 

IIS Media Services 

  • IIS Media Services is a module that installs on top of IIS and is supported on 2008 – 2012. 
  • Even though IIS Media Services installs on Windows Server 2012, from a lifecycle perspective it is considered a component of IIS 7.0.  IIS 7.0 is a component of both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 and follows their lifecycle.  This means mainstream support ended 1/13/2015.  Extended support ends 1/14/2020. 
  • IIS Media Services is a collection of plugins including the Smooth Streaming and Bitrate Throttling plugins. 

Smooth Streaming and Encoding 

  • Smooth Streaming can be delivered to Silverlight, but you must re-encode existing files into the ISMV format to stream them. 
  • Expression Encoder is typically what is used to create Smooth Streaming content.  There are two versions of Expression Encoder.  There is a free version that is limited in that it cannot do Live Smooth Streaming and it also cannot use the H.264 video codec.  The paid version of Expression Encoder can do this, but it is no longer sold. 
  • The bitrate throttling plugin can be used to deliver WMV or WMA content to Silverlight or Windows Media Player. This is done as a throttled progressive download. 
  • We consider the Windows Media Services platform a legacy platform.  Even though the lifecycle is the same as WMS, currently we would recommend using either IIS Media Services http://www.iis.net/mediafor on premise Smooth Stream and HLS.   

**Azure Media Services **

Microsoft Stream

Another alternative to simplify streaming support, is to use a service like the new Microsoft Stream offering which is presently in preview.  Please review this as a possible option to stream content for your organization:

Microsoft Stream
https://stream.microsoft.com/en-us/

**Microsoft Stream Website FAQ
https://stream.microsoft.com/en-us/support/

 
**