About Expression Encoder

Microsoft Expression Encoder is an advanced application designed to bring your edited video project or live broadcast to the web for high-quality playback in Microsoft Silverlight and smooth-streaming scenarios. You can encode your edited video project in multiple bit rates and frame sizes, making it suitable for anything from streaming to multiple clients over a LAN server to downloading to a personal mobile device. Expression Encoder uses multiple bit-streams and high quality VC-1 and H.264 codecs to ensure that your video project is customized for your target audience, and that it plays back in high quality for that audience.

About Silverlight

Silverlight is a cross-platform technology that supports a true subset of the XML-based XAML (Extensible Application Markup Language). Silverlight enables next-generation, rich web-client experiences, and delivers a lightweight client that supports vector graphics, 2D animation, rich audio and video integration, and a rich .NET Framework programming model. Silverlight is cross-platform and cross-browser, supporting Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 7, and Apple Macintosh OS X 10.4.8 and above, and supporting playback in all versions of Windows Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari.

For more information about Silverlight technology, see the Silverlight Home page Cc375014.xtlink_newWindow(en-us,Expression.40).png and the Silverlight Community page Cc375014.xtlink_newWindow(en-us,Expression.40).png.

Versions of Expression Encoder

There are two versions of Expression Encoder: Expression Encoder and Expression Encoder Pro. Depending upon the version that you own, there will be certain advanced features that are either not supported, or are limited in some way. The following table outlines the versions of Expression Encoder, and the advanced features included in each version. Except for these advanced features, all versions of Expression Encoder offer identical functionality.

Feature Expression Encoder (Free version or version included with Microsoft Expression Studio Web and with Expression Studio Premium) Expression Encoder Pro (Available as a standalone purchase or included with Expression Studio Ultimate)

Encoding and decoding using MP4/H.264 codecs

Not supported.

Supported, except in MSDN and DreamSpark versions.

Decoding using the TS (Transport Stream)/MPEG2/AC3 decoder

Not supported.

Supported, except in MSDN and DreamSpark versions.

IIS Smooth Streaming

Supported in Transcoding and Silverlight Projects. Not supported in Live Broadcasting Projects.

Supported in all projects.

Digital Rights Management (DRM)

Not supported.

Supported.

See also

Concepts

What's new
The Expression Encoder workflow

Other resources

Adjusting your workspace

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