Thanks XP-RTM for this news. Windows Media Encoder 9 Series (release candidate) is a powerful tool for content producers who want to take advantage of the many innovations in Windows Media 9 Series—including high-quality multichannel sound, high-definition video quality, new support for mixed-mode voice and music content, and more.
Note: This is a release candidate and is unsupported. To upgrade to the release candidate version from the previous beta, first uninstall the previous beta version using add/remove programs from the control panel. Installing the encoder will install system file protected components, and only system restore, which is part of Windows XP, can be used to completely remove all installed system components. Please read the release notes for more information before installing, and send any feedback to the Windows Media Encoder 9 Series Beta newsgroup.
Download: Windows Media Encoder 9 Series Release Candidate (9.1mb)