Working with Profiles
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A profile specifies which codec to use for compression and determines the number of output streams and their bit rates. Each profile targets a specific audience and destination. For example, one profile might use a quality based variable bit rate (VBR) for a file download, while another profile might use a constant bit rate (CBR) for streaming. Each profile is used for a specific number and type of source streams. Only one profile can be associated with a source group at a time, and the profile must be the same for all source groups in the encoding session.
You can use your own custom profiles (.prx files) or the system profiles that are included with the Windows Media Encoder SDK. For new encoding applications, it is recommended that you create and use your own custom profiles to target the needs of your audience. The system profiles have not been updated to use the latest codecs and are included for backward-compatibility.
See the following topics for more information about working with profiles.
| Topic | Description |
| Encoding with CBR, MBR, and VBR | Describes the concepts of encoding with multiple bit rates, constant bit rates, and variable bit rates. |
| Enumerating and Setting Profiles | Explains how to enumerate existing profiles and select one for an encoding session. |
| Creating and Modifying Profiles | Describes different ways to create, modify, and manage existing profiles. |
See Also