• Article
  • 7 minutes to read

by Dave Nelson

By default, Windows Media Player 11 in Windows Server 2008 creates playlists in WPL format (files with .wpl file name extensions). This commodity describes how to create copies of the playlist files in ASX format (files with .asx file name extensions) so that you can import them into the Web Playlists extension for Cyberspace Data Services (IIS). When you import the ASX files in Spider web Playlists, the equivalent Web playlist files (files with .isx file name extension) are created, which you must and so edit to enable them in the Spider web Playlists feature. This article describes how to edit ISX files in two different means, depending upon whether you want to serve the media files referenced in the playlist media entries either from the original user folder or from a Web site directory.

This article contains the following sections:

  • Prerequisites
  • Saving WPL Playlist Files every bit ASX Playlist Files in Windows Media Player
  • Importing ASX Playlist Files to the Web Playlists Characteristic
  • Enabling your Imported Web Playlist
  • Setting Playback Options
  • Related Manufactures

Prerequisites

To install the Web Playlists extension for IIS 7.0 and above, run across the Installation Notes department in the IIS Media Services Readme.

Note

This commodity assumes that you have created playlists in Windows Media Player on the local server reckoner using default Player settings. For more information most installing Windows Media Player 11 and creating Windows Media Player playlists, see the Related Articles section.

Windows Media Histrion creates its playlists in WPL format by default. This section shows how to create an ASX-formatted version of a Windows Media Actor playlist (.wpl) file to import into the Web Playlists feature.

To create ASX-formatted playlist files

  1. In the Windows Media Player Library, in the Contents pane, select the playlist that you lot want to add to the Web Playlists feature. Then, in the Details pane, click Edit in List Pane.
    Screenshot of Windows Media Player Library and Contents pane with playlist 1 selected and Edit in List Pane button highlighted.

    This will add the playlist to the List pane in Windows Media Player. In the following example, we show in the Listing pane a simple playlist (named playlist1) that contains two tracks (named track1 and track2).
    Screenshot of List pane in Windows Media Player showing playlist 1 that contains track 1 and track 2.

  2. Click the down pointer next to the playlist proper name, and then click Save Playlist As.
    Screenshot of List pane with down arrow next to the playlist 1 marked and Save Playlist As dot dot dot in the drop down menu highlighted.

    This activity will open the Salvage Every bit dialog box with default values.
    Screenshot of Save As dialog box with playlist 1 dot W P L as File name highlighted.

  3. In the Salve As dialog box, in Salvage equally blazon, select Whatever Playlist (*.wpl, *.asx, *.m3u).
    Screenshot of Save As dialog box with Any Playlist selected from the Save as type drop down menu.

  4. In the Save As dialog box, in File name, change the file name extension from wpl to asx.
    Screenshot of Save As dialog box with playlist 1 dot a s x inside the File name field highlighted.

  5. In the Save As dialog box, click Save.
    Screenshot of Save As dialog box with Save button highlighted.

Importing ASX Playlist Files to the Spider web Playlists Feature

This department shows how to import the ASX-formatted Windows Media Histrion playlist file that you created in the previous section.

To import ASX-formatted playlist files

  1. In IIS Managing director, select the Web site or virtual directory from which y'all want to serve your Windows Media Thespian playlist files (.wpl files), and then in the Contents pane, click the Web Playlists icon.
    Screenshot of I I S Manager console with Web Playlists in Contents pane selected.

  2. In the Actions pane, click Open up Feature.
    Screenshot of Actions pane with Open Feature highlighted.

    This activity displays the Web Playlists feature page. If y'all accept not previously created Web playlists for the site or virtual directory, the page will be empty as shown below.
    Screenshot of Web Playlists feature page.

  3. In the Actions pane, click Import ASX Playlist.
    Screenshot of Actions pane with Import A S X Playlist dot dot dot from drop down menu selected.

  4. In the Open dialog box, navigate to the location where the playlist file in ASX format is stored, select it, and and so click Open up.
    Screenshot of dialog box with playlist 1 dot A S X highlighted and Open button selected.

    The Windows Media Histrion playlist file (playlist1.asx) in imported to the Web Playlists feature as a Web playlist file (playlist1.isx), as shown below:
    Screenshot of Web Playlists feature page with playlist 1 as File name highlighted.

Enabling your Imported Web Playlist

Subsequently you import your ASX-formatted Windows Media Player playlist file, at that place are a couple of approaches to take regarding how you want to serve the media that is referenced in it. You can either leave the media files where they reside in your user folder, or you can copy them to a folder in your Web site root directory or virtual directory. Your option really depends on whether yous want to maintain multiple copies of your media files.

If you choose the first option (leave the media files where they are), then you must do the following:

  1. In the Web Playlists feature, set impersonation settings so that it can admission the files in the user folder.
  2. In the Web Playists characteristic, enable Absolute/UNC paths.
  3. In the ISX file, modify relative URIs for the media entries to physical paths.
  4. In the ISX file, alter the srcType from relative URI to physical path.
  5. In the ISX file, remove the param container with invalid extraparam attributes.

If y'all choose the second option (re-create the media files to your Web site or virtual directory), then you lot must do the post-obit:

  1. Copy your media files to a binder in the Web root directory or to the virtual directory.
  2. In the ISX file, update the relative URIs for the media entries.
  3. In the ISX file, remove the param container with invalid extraparam attributes.

The following sections provide details on both approaches:

  • Serve the media files from user folders
  • Serve the media files from the Web site

Serve the media files from user folders

  1. In the Web Playlists feature, prepare impersonation settings and so that information technology tin admission the files in the user binder. For detailed instructions, see Web Playlists for IIS - Serving Media Content from User Folders.

  2. In the Web Playlists feature, enable Absolute/UNC paths.

    a. In the Deportment pane, click Edit Feature Settings.
    Screenshot of Actions pane with Edit Feature Settings selected.

    b. In the Edit Feature Settings dialog box, select Allow absolute/UNC paths.
    Screenshot of Edit Feature Settings dialog box with Allow absolute forward slash U N C paths option checked and selected.

  3. In a text editor, such every bit Notepad, change the relative URI for each media entry in the ISX to a physical path. For instance:

    Modify: <ref src="..\track1.wma">
    To: <ref src="C:\Users\Ambassador\Music\track1.wma">

    Tip

    You tin utilise the Replace feature in Notepad to make this alter to all media entries at once.

  4. In the text editor, change the srcType for each media entry in the ISX to a physical path. For example:

    Alter: <param name="srcType" value="relativeURI" />
    To: <param proper noun="srcType" value="physicalPath" />

    Tip

    You can use the Replace feature in Notepad to brand this change to all media entries at in one case.

  5. When you import the Windows Media Thespian ASX playlist file, the Web Playlists feature groups the unsupported playlist attributes as extraParam values in a param container in the ISX playlist file. You must remove (or comment-out) the param container with invalid extraParam attributes for each media entry in the ISX.

    In the following example, we comment-out the param (start and catastrophe comment marks shown in red). As well, for brevity, we bear witness only the get-go and terminal extraParam values (for the rail length and number) in the example:

                      <!--<param name="extraParam" value="&amp;lt;Duration value=&amp;quot;00:04:36.532&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;  ...  Value=&amp;quot;four&amp;quot;" />-->

    Tip

    Because extraParam values vary for each track, do the following when using the Replace characteristic in Notepad:

Change: <param proper noun="extraParam"
To: <!--<param name="extraParam"

-and-

Change: <param proper name="title"
To: --><param proper name="championship"

This will comment-out the param container with the extraParam attributes, equally shown in the above example.

Serve the media files from the Web site

  1. Re-create the media files referenced in the Windows Media Histrion playlist (.wpl) file to a binder in the Web site directory or to a virtual directory. For example, if you lot imported the .asx version of the playlist to the Default Web site, copy the files to: <systemdrive>\inetpub\wwwroot\media.

  2. In a text editor, such as Notepad, update the relative URI for each media entry in the ISX. For instance:

    Change: <ref src="..\track1.wma">
    To: <ref src="media/track1.wma">

    Tip

    You can utilize the Supplant feature in Notepad to brand this change to all media entries at once.

  3. When you import the Windows Media Role player ASX playlist file, the Spider web Playlists feature groups the unsupported playlist attributes as extraParam values in a param container in the ISX playlist file. You lot must remove (or comment-out) the param container with invalid extraParam attributes for each media entry in the ISX.

    In the post-obit case, nosotros annotate-out the param (starting time and catastrophe comment marks shown in reddish). Also, for brevity, nosotros show but the first and last extraParam values (for the track length and number) in the example:

                      <!--<param name="extraParam" value="&amp;lt;Duration value=&amp;quot;00:04:36.532&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;  ...  Value=&amp;quot;4&amp;quot;" />-->

    Tip

    Because extraParam values vary for each rail, do the following when using the Replace characteristic in Notepad:

Change: <param name="extraParam"
To: <!--<param proper noun="extraParam

-and-

Alter: <param name="title"
To: --><param name="title"

This will annotate-out the param container with the extraParam attributes, every bit shown in the to a higher place example.

Setting Playback Options

Afterward updating the ISX, clients will be able to play the media items referenced in information technology. Past default, clients will accept total command of the playback experience, such as the power to skip (both forward and backward) to dissimilar entries in the playlist and to seek within a currently playing track. You can limit a client's power to seek or skip playlist media entries by configuring media entry settings in the Spider web Playlists feature. For more than data, encounter IIS Media Services Help.

To admission this aid, press F1 while using the Web Playlists characteristic in IIS Manager.

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