Explorer Azure Media Services with the new Azure Media Services Explorer Tool (with source too)

Azure Blog - Announcements - Media Services - Managing Media Workflows with the new Azure Media Services Explorer Tool

Several months ago, a broadcaster asked me to provide a tool with a User Interface to upload, encode and manage assets with Azure Media Services. They wanted to easily, and without code, test our cloud encoding and streaming services before asking their developers to do the integration with their current system. The Azure Media Services management portal provides some of the features but has some limitations too (asset upload is limited, no possibility to call all the processors or to see detailed information on entities, not all API features are exposed, etc.).

For a few months, the tool has been trialed by several customers and based on their feedback it is time to release it widely.

So, I am pleased to announce the new Azure Media Services Explorer tool!

It’s a Windows Forms tool based on the Azure Media SDKs that can be used by non-developers to test media workflows, monitor activities on their Azure Media Services accounts, or do just about anything that the full API allows you to do today without writing a line of code.

You can find the installation package on http://aka.ms/amse.

We are also pleased to announce that the full source code for this tool is published to GitHub as well to help you better learn our APIs and integrate features into your own applications.

This sample tool will continue to evolve in the coming weeks and months. Check for updates! And please provide your feedback and suggestions to amse@microsoft.com.

Summary of features

Asset upload/download/management

Asset upload from files, folder, in batch mode, with a watch folder

Asset import from Azure Storage or from any http source

Asset download to local, and export to Azure Storage

Asset files management (upload or delete) within an existing asset

Duplicate/merge assets

Process assets

Encode with Azure Media Encoder (standard and custom presets, video stitching, audio or video overlay, etc)

Extract keywords and TTML caption files with Media Indexer

Encrypt with static packagers: PlayReady encryptor, MP4 to Smooth, Smooth to HLS, storage decryptor, multi MP4 validator

Generate thumbnails for your existing assets

Call any Media Processor generically

Manage jobs (progress, priority…)

List all available processors in your account

Live streaming

Enable live channels and programs (creation, start, stop, delete, reset)

Live preview playback, program playback

Publish assets

Dynamic encryption setup (AES, Common Encryption) and key/license delivery service

SAS and streaming locators creation/deletion

Playback assets with web based players (Silverlight, Flash, HTML5/Dash)

Manage streaming endpoints management (creation, deletion, settings)

Display and reporting

Display detailed information on assets (locators, protection), jobs (tasks), live channels, programs, streaming endpoints

Send email report for jobs and assets

Links to players and online documentation, and offline help file for Media Services

Note: you can select multiple assets, jobs, channels or programs for some features.

A first example..."

Two things I really dig about this (okay, three). The tool itself, making it easy easy to play with Azure Media Services. That it's based on the public API that we can all use to create our own like tools and that the source for this tool is available too. I've been interested in Media Services, wondering if it would let a little guy, a one man op, create my own cloud based studio and broadcasting solution. So instead of all the work and infrastructure required for sites like Channel 9 or twit.tv, that it would lower the bar? I don't think it's there yet, but it sure is getting closer.

Some tips, information, libraries, and tools for building a video consumption app for Win8

Updated Microsoft Media Platform Player Framework for Windows 8 RP Released
Building your first HTML Metro Style app with the Style Smooth Streaming Player walk through
MMPPF - Getting started guide for the Silverlight Microsoft Media Platform
That's smoooootttthhhh... The Smooth Streaming Client SDK Beta and Player Framework Beta for Windows 8 Metro

IIS Transform Manager 1.0 (RTW) An extensible media transform engine with "watch folder" job submission, queuing, management, integrated media transcoding/container format repackaging
IIS Media Pack 1.0 – Helps make IIS7 a happy, media serving, camper