WMController FAQ
Last revised 2/15/2009

1)  How do I control Windows Media Encoder (WME)?
2)  How do I control Windows Media Services (WMS)?
3)  How can I automate it using Windows Task Scheduler?
4)  How can I stop the "Encoding Results" window from showing in WME?
5)  How is the software licensed and where can I get it?
6)  I want a new feature/change added.
7)  I'm getting an error message when trying to start/stop a WMS publishing point!
8)  What is supported in the free version and where can I get it?

1) How do I control Windows Media Encoder (WME)?

Windows Media Encoder must first be running as a process on the computer.  This program simulates a user pressing the "Start" button to start the encoding or the "Stop" button to stop the encoding.  This means WME must already be running and ready to go.  Additionally, you may want to turn off the "Encoding Results" dialog box that shows up by default when the encoding is stopped, especially if you're doing multiple starts/stops.

The syntax is as follows for a computer named "ws1" running WME:
wmcontroller -wme:ws1 -stop
wmcontroller -wme:ws1 -start

If WME is running on the same computer as WMController, use "localhost" for the computer name:
wmcontroller -wme:localhost -stop

If multiple instances of WME are running on the same computer, first list their names:
wmcontroller -wme:localhost -list

Then use the -name switch to control each one separately:
wmcontroller -wme:localhost -name:WMEncoder123 -start

2) How do I control Windows Media Services (WMS)?

WMController can start and stop broadcast publishing points configured in WMS.  The syntax is as follows for a server named "wms1" and a publishing point named "pub1":
wmcontroller -wms:wms1 -stop:pub1
wmcontroller -wms:wms1 -start:pub1

Additionally, you can also list all publishing points using this command:
wmcontroller -wms:wms1 -list

If WMS is running on the same computer as WMController, use "localhost" for the computer name:
wmcontroller -wms:localhost -stop:pub1

NOTE: Publishing point names are case sensitive!
3) How can I automate it using Windows Task Scheduler?

If you want to set specific start/stop times for your content, you can use Windows Task Scheduler to automate the program.  The easiest way to do this is to create a simple batch file with the wmcontroller arguments you want to use (as shown above.)  Configure Task Scheduler to launch the batch file(s) at the time(s) you desire.  In the future, a built-in scheduling tool may be added to the program if there is enough demand.
4) How can I stop the "Encoding Results" window from showing in WME?

If you do multiple start/stops on the same encoder, you may end up with several of these windows waiting to be closed.  You can configure WME to not show these windows by either unchecking the "show this dialog box when encoding finishes" or changing the settings in WME under Tools/Options.  If WMController is running on the same computer as WME, it should be able to close these windows automatically.
5) How is the software licensed and where can I get it?

WMController is licensed software and sold for a small fee.  Please read the About page for further information.
6) I want a new feature/change added.

The author will entertain requests for additional features/modifications but may ask for compensation.  Feel free to contact him here.
7) I'm getting an error message when trying to remotely start/stop/list WMS publishing points!

To create a remote server connection, Windows Media Services must be installed on the remote computer. Also, you must use the DCOMCnfg utility to set the access, launch, and configuration permissions, and identify the users who can administer the server. For more information, see Using DCOM to Customize Security Settings. On the local computer, either Windows Media Services must be installed or the type library must be registered. To register the type library, run regsvr32 WMSServerTypeLib.dll at the command prompt.
8) What is supported in the free version and where can I get it?

The limited free version is available for download here.  It supports loading a WME session file either locally or remotely, but does not allow starting or stopping of the encoder.  For WMS, it supports the starting and stopping (locally or remotely) of a single publishing point named "WMController".  The purpose of this free version is to allow testing of WMController in your particular environment.