Microsoft Expression Encoder (formerly Expression Media Encoder) is a discontinued transcoding and non-linear video editing software application for Microsoft Windows. It can create video streams for distribution via Microsoft Silverlight. This utility is created to record the screen for various purposes such asYouTube, Twitch etc.

Overview

Expression Encoder is a transcoding and linear video editing program. It features a graphical user interface based on Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) as well as a command line interface. It can export videos to H.264 or VC-1 formats or prepare video streams for distribution via Microsoft Silverlight. It supports Silverlight player controls and Silverlight templates. Microsoft Expression Encoder is available in different editions:

History

Version 1.0 was released to manufacturing on September 6, 2007. A beta of version 2.0 was released in March 2008 which included new VC-1 codecs (Advanced, Main, and Simple profiles) and better Silverlight support. Version 2 was released to manufacturing in May 2008. Expression The first service pack added H.264+AAC encoding support for devices. According to Microsoft, Expression Encoder 2 was not a replacement for Windows Media Encoder, despite having many similarities. Expression Encoder 3 added multi-channel audio output, more built-in device profiles, like support for Zune HD, Xbox 360 and iPod Touch, as well as profiles for online services such as Facebook and YouTube. It also added Expression Encoder 3 Screen Capture, which allows users to create video screen captures. Version 4 added IIS live smooth streaming, screen capture improvements and an H.264 encoder based on the MainConcept SDK. Expression Encoder 4.0 SP1 was released in January 2011 and added CUDA-enabled GPU-assisted encoding, HE-AAC, screen captures as a live source, live broadcasting templates, Selective Blend de-interlacing and other features. Service Pack 2 (SP2) with about 300 bugs fixes was released on November 2, 2011, and added new features such GPU-accelerated video encoding and the removal of 10 minutes screen recording limit.

Features

Some Microsoft Expression Encoder components include:

System requirements

Limitations

Microsoft Expression Encoder cannot encode video streams in Windows Media Video formats older than version 9. Expression Encoder requires QuickTime to decode MP4 container format, although Media Foundation, a component of Windows 7, can natively decode this format.