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Niagara 9100 Series V7.2 Manual

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Niagara
®
9100 Series User Guide
© 2013 ViewCast Corporation. All rights reserved.
ViewCast, Niagara SCX, ViewCast logo, SimulStream, Niagara, GoStream, Niagara logo, and Osprey
are trademarks or registered trademarks of ViewCast Corporation or its subsidiaries.
Microsoft, Windows XP, Windows, Windows Media, and Silverlight are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation
QuickTime, iPhone, iPad, and iPod are trademarks or registered trademarks of Apple Inc.
Adobe and Flash are trademarks or registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Inc.
Disclaimer
The information in this publication remains the property of Corporation. Users may not use, reproduce, or disclose this information without
the implied consent and written approval of the company.
ViewCast Corporation makes no representations or warranties with respect to the contents or use of this manual and specifically disclaims any
express or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further, ViewCast Corporation reserves the right to
revise this publication to make enhancements in the products described in this manual, at any time, without obligation to notify any person or
entity of such revisions or changes. In no event will ViewCast Corporation be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential
damages arising out of the use or inability to use the product or documentation, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
ViewCast Corporation is not responsible for any third-party license fees that may occur with the use of our products by an end user including
but not limited to creating or distributing content. The user is responsible for any fees the Multimedia Patent Trust may apply for creating and
distributing MPEG content.
Warranties
For complete warranty details, refer to the specific warranty included with each product. General warranty information includes the following:
Limited Warranty: ViewCast warrants its hardware products against defects in material and workmanship under normal use for the period of
one year (12 months) from date of sale. Where specific warranties exist that provide coverage that is more substantial, notwithstanding the
warranty provisions herein, such product warranties control and preempt or supersede the warranty provisions herein.
Reseller Pass Through of Standard Limited Warranties: Resellers pass the ViewCast standard limited warranties for the products through to
the customer without modification. Any modification of a product voids the ViewCast warranties or any other existing or available warranty.
Corporate Contact Information
ViewCast collaborates and partners with various clients to integrate products into their individual environments.
Niagara Technical Support: Phone: 972.488.7157, Fax: 972.488.7111 or submit the technical support online request from the ViewCast
website.
ViewCast USA Support: Monday through Friday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Central Time. Typical response time is within one business day for customers
without a Priority Support Agreement.
ViewCast Corporation 3701 West Plano Parkway, Suite 300, Plano, TX 75075-7840 USA
Toll Free (U.S. only): 800.250.6622 website: www.viewcast.com
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast iii
Contents
Before You Begin ................................................................................................................ 1
Product description .......................................................................................................................... 1
Audience .......................................................................................................................................... 1
Conventions for this guide ............................................................................................................... 2
Rack mount safety instructions ....................................................................................................... 3
FCC notice ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Installing additional software .......................................................................................................... 5
Connecting to the Internet .............................................................................................................. 5
Environmental notices ..................................................................................................................... 6
Warnings .......................................................................................................................................... 7
Overview .............................................................................................................................. 9
Media system functions ................................................................................................................... 9
Install overview .............................................................................................................................. 10
Prerequisites .................................................................................................................................. 10
Package contents ........................................................................................................................... 10
System requirements ..................................................................................................................... 11
Specifications ........................................................................................................................... 11
Niagara 9100 series front panel ..................................................................................................... 12
Niagara 9100 series back panel ..................................................................................................... 14
Connecting the system .................................................................................................................. 15
Niagara 9100 series directional buttons ........................................................................................ 16
Niagara 9100 series home page ..................................................................................................... 17
Menu bar commands .............................................................................................................. 17
Niagara 9100 series browser windows flow .................................................................................. 19
Easy Setup ......................................................................................................................... 21
Web interface ................................................................................................................................ 22
Easy first time set up ...................................................................................................................... 23
Connecting to an electrical power source ............................................................................... 23
Performing the initial startup .................................................................................................. 24
Registering your product ......................................................................................................... 26
Connecting to an IP network ................................................................................................... 29
Contents
iv ViewCast
Basic Operations ............................................................................................................... 31
Logging in ....................................................................................................................................... 31
Creating an encoder ....................................................................................................................... 33
Viewing all encoders ...................................................................................................................... 34
Starting an encoder ........................................................................................................................ 35
Stopping an encoder ...................................................................................................................... 36
Connecting an external storage device.......................................................................................... 37
Analog Inputs .................................................................................................................... 39
Adaptive Apple HTTP Live streaming encoder with analog inputs ................................................ 40
Video tab ................................................................................................................................. 41
Audio tab ................................................................................................................................. 45
Output tab ............................................................................................................................... 46
Adaptive Adobe Flash Dynamic streaming encoder with analog inputs ....................................... 48
Video tab ................................................................................................................................. 49
Audio tab ................................................................................................................................. 53
Output tab ............................................................................................................................... 54
Adaptive Microsoft Smooth Streaming encoder with analog inputs ............................................ 56
Video tab ................................................................................................................................. 57
Audio tab ................................................................................................................................. 61
Output tab ............................................................................................................................... 62
Adobe Flash H.264 encoder with analog inputs ............................................................................ 64
Video tab ................................................................................................................................. 65
Audio tab ................................................................................................................................. 67
Output tab ............................................................................................................................... 68
H.264 Presets ........................................................................................................................... 70
AVI encoder with analog inputs ..................................................................................................... 71
Video tab ................................................................................................................................. 72
Audio tab ................................................................................................................................. 74
Output tab ............................................................................................................................... 75
MPEG4 encoder with analog inputs .............................................................................................. 77
Video tab ................................................................................................................................. 78
Audio tab ................................................................................................................................. 82
Output tab ............................................................................................................................... 83
H.264 Presets tab .................................................................................................................... 85
MPEG-4 Presets tab ................................................................................................................. 86
MPEG-2 Presets tab ................................................................................................................. 87
Microsoft Windows Media encoder with analog inputs ............................................................... 88
Video tab ................................................................................................................................. 89
Audio tab ................................................................................................................................. 91
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
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Output tab ............................................................................................................................... 92
DRM tab ................................................................................................................................... 95
Digital Inputs ..................................................................................................................... 97
Adaptive Apple HTTP encoder with digital inputs ......................................................................... 98
Video tab ................................................................................................................................. 99
Audio tab ............................................................................................................................... 103
Output tab ............................................................................................................................. 104
Adaptive Adobe Flash encoder with digital inputs ...................................................................... 106
Video tab ............................................................................................................................... 107
Adaptive encoder video stream table ................................................................................... 109
Audio tab ............................................................................................................................... 111
Output tab ............................................................................................................................. 112
Adaptive Microsoft Smooth Streaming encoder with digital inputs ........................................... 114
Video tab ............................................................................................................................... 115
Audio tab ............................................................................................................................... 119
Output tab ............................................................................................................................. 120
Adobe Flash H.264 encoder with digital inputs ........................................................................... 122
Video tab ............................................................................................................................... 123
Audio tab ............................................................................................................................... 125
Output tab ............................................................................................................................. 126
H.264 Presets tab .................................................................................................................. 128
AVI encoder with digital inputs .................................................................................................... 129
Video tab ............................................................................................................................... 130
Audio tab ............................................................................................................................... 132
Output tab ............................................................................................................................. 133
MPEG4 encoder with digital inputs ............................................................................................. 135
Video tab ............................................................................................................................... 136
Audio tab ............................................................................................................................... 140
Output tab ............................................................................................................................. 142
H.264 Presets tab .................................................................................................................. 144
MPEG4 Presets tab ................................................................................................................ 145
MPEG2 Presets tab ................................................................................................................ 146
Windows Media encoder with digital inputs ............................................................................... 147
Video tab ............................................................................................................................... 148
Audio tab ............................................................................................................................... 150
Output tab ............................................................................................................................. 151
DRM tab ................................................................................................................................. 154
Contents
vi ViewCast
IP Inputs ........................................................................................................................... 155
IP ingest ........................................................................................................................................ 155
Video tab ............................................................................................................................... 156
Audio tab ............................................................................................................................... 159
TS Container .................................................................................................................... 161
Streaming to a TS container ......................................................................................................... 161
Streaming ..................................................................................................................................... 164
Output tab ............................................................................................................................. 164
Encoder Groups .............................................................................................................. 167
Viewing encoder groups .............................................................................................................. 167
Creating encoder groups.............................................................................................................. 168
Starting an encoder group ........................................................................................................... 169
Stopping an encoder group ......................................................................................................... 169
Editing encoder groups ................................................................................................................ 170
Additional Settings and Features ................................................................................... 171
Configuring machine properties .................................................................................................. 171
Changing the computer name ............................................................................................... 172
Changing the login password from the factory default ........................................................ 173
Configuring alerts ......................................................................................................................... 174
Configuring network properties .................................................................................................. 175
Configuring network cards .................................................................................................... 175
Configuring IP address ........................................................................................................... 176
Configuring advanced network settings ................................................................................ 176
IP Route table ............................................................................................................................... 177
System configuration settings...................................................................................................... 178
Setting current system configuration .................................................................................... 179
Configuring email/SMTP settings .......................................................................................... 180
Configuring default directory setting .................................................................................... 181
Setting CPU thresholds .......................................................................................................... 182
Restore Niagara factory defaults ........................................................................................... 183
Viewing the activity log ................................................................................................................ 184
Viewing alerts............................................................................................................................... 185
Connecting an external storage device........................................................................................ 186
Using the Niagara SCX web interface........................................................................................... 186
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
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SNMP ............................................................................................................................... 187
External SNMP Manager ....................................................................................................... 188
SNMP UDP Ports Used by SNMP Manager and SNMP Agents .................................................... 188
UDP Port for SNMP Requests ................................................................................................ 188
UDP Port for SNMP Traps ...................................................................................................... 188
Configure ViewCast SNMP Agent Service .................................................................................... 189
Configuring community names ............................................................................................. 189
Configuring permitted SNMP managers ............................................................................... 190
Configuring trap destinations ................................................................................................ 192
Configuring SNMP agent contact and location (optional)..................................................... 194
Use UDP Port Other Than 161 for SNMP Requests ..................................................................... 195
ViewCast SNMP Agent MIB Files .................................................................................................. 195
Retrieving IP and MAC Addresses of the Encoder System .......................................................... 196
SNMP Examples ........................................................................................................................... 196
Query system information (SNMP GET Example) ................................................................. 196
Start/stop an encoder through SNMP ................................................................................... 197
Start/stop all encoders per group through SNMP................................................................. 197
Start/stop all encoders in the system through SNMP ........................................................... 198
Start SNMP trap listener ........................................................................................................ 198
Appendix A: DRM for Windows Media ........................................................................... 199
Importing a DRM profile .............................................................................................................. 199
Appendix B: H.264 Advanced Settings .......................................................................... 205
H.264 Presets ............................................................................................................................... 205
Settings ........................................................................................................................................ 206
MPEG-4 Presets ........................................................................................................................... 208
Settings ........................................................................................................................................ 209
MPEG-2 Presets ........................................................................................................................... 212
Settings ........................................................................................................................................ 213
Appendix C: Mapped Network Drive Setup ................................................................... 217
Appendix D: System Menu (LCD Display) ..................................................................... 225
System status menu ..................................................................................................................... 225
CPU ........................................................................................................................................ 225
Memory ................................................................................................................................. 225
HDD ....................................................................................................................................... 225
Operating System .................................................................................................................. 225
Network I/F ............................................................................................................................ 225
Monitor status menu ................................................................................................................... 226
Contents
viii ViewCast
CPU&Mem Used .................................................................................................................... 226
Up Time ................................................................................................................................. 226
Index ................................................................................................................................ 227
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 1
Before You Begin
Thank you for purchasing the ViewCast Niagara 9100 series streaming media system. The Niagara 9100
is a high-density/high-performing multiple encoder platform for service providers, broadcasters, and
enterprises. The Niagara 9100 can be configured for a variety of video and audio inputs including HD SDI,
component, Y/C, composite video with balanced, unbalanced, embedded, and AES/EBU audio.
For the latest ViewCast product information and news, visit www.viewcast.com.
Product description
Depending on your model, encoding formats include:
Adobe® Flash® H.264
Adobe Flash dynamic streaming
Apple® HTTP live streaming (HLS)
Microsoft® Live IIS Smooth Streaming
Microsoft Windows Media® (Silverlight®) SD and HD*
MPEG-4, H.264, H.263
Transport stream
3GPP/3GPP2, MP4 container support
* Output streams tested up to 1080p at 30 fps using Flash H.264 and Windows Media
You can configure your system by attaching a monitor, keyboard, and mouse to the system (see Easy
Setup).To control your system from another networked computer, use the client interface for remote
management software. The web interface allows you to set many other system parameters for your
Niagara system.
Figure 1. ViewCast Niagara 9100 series
Audience
The audience for this publication includes anyone who uses or administers the Niagara 9100. They
should have a basic technical understanding of streaming media. This user guide provides information
on the Niagara 9100 series only.
Before You Begin
2 ViewCast
Conventions for this guide
This guide uses the following document conventions to help you identify different types of information.
Convention
Description
Example
Bold text
Characters to enter when
referenced in a procedure. The
name of fields or keys to press.
In the example, enter DTMF as
the group type.
Press Enter to save your
changes.
Note:
Provides supplemental
information.
Note: The prompt may not
display if …
IMPORTANT!
Provides important data that
affects how the system or software
responds.
IMPORTANT! You must install
Niagara SCX prior to
configuring SCX options…
CAUTION!
Provides information to help avoid
possible damage to hardware or a
system crash (without data loss).
CAUTION! Use case sensitive
commands to keep from
destroying…
WARNING!
Provides information to ensure
you avoid potential injury, death,
or permanent system damage.
WARNING! Do not touch
exposed wires.
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 3
Rack mount safety instructions
Operating Temperature
The operating ambient temperature of a rack environment may
be greater than room ambient if installed in a closed or multi-
unit rack assembly. Therefore, you should install the equipment
in an environment compatible with the maximum ambient
temperature of 40° C.
Reduced Air Flow
You must not compromise the airflow required for safe
equipment operation when you install the equipment in a rack.
Mechanical Loading
Mounting of the equipment in the rack should be such that you
do not cause a hazard due to uneven mechanical loading.
Circuit Overloading
Consider the connection of the equipment to the supply circuit
and the effect that the overloading of the circuits might have on
current protection and supply wiring. You must also consider and
use the equipment nameplate ratings when you address this
concern.
Reliable Grounding
You must maintain reliable earth grounding of rack-mounted
equipment. Pay particular attention to supply connections other
than direct connections to the branch circuit (such as using
power strips).
Before You Begin
4 ViewCast
FCC notice
WARNING! You must connect this device and peripherals using shielded cables to comply with
FCC radio emission limits.
WARNING! Modifications to this device not approved by ViewCast Corporation could void the
FCC-granted authority for you to operate the device.
WARNING! The Niagara 9100 series complies with the limits for a Class A digital device
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference when you operate the equipment in a commercial environment. This
equipment generates, uses, and may radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and
used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area will likely cause harmful
interference. In this case you must correct the interference at your own expense.
Note to CATV Installer: Pay special attention to Section 820-40 of the NEC that provides guidelines
for proper grounding. It particularly specifies that you must connect the cable ground to the
grounding system of the building as close to the point of cable entry as practical.
WARNING! Equipment installation must comply with local and national electrical codes.
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 5
Installing additional software
Niagara systems run an embedded version of the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system (OS), which is a
sub-set of the normal retail version. The Microsoft License agreement limits the use of the system to
what the machine is designed to do.
The Microsoft Update process is turned off by default to prevent interruptions during live streaming
events. It is also not advised to use a Windows 7 installation CD to add features to the system or the
system may fail.
You may load additional software on the system; however, ViewCast does not support this additional
software. You also need to ensure the primary drive is not full or the system will fail. In the event of a
problem, you may need to perform a Factory Restore, which returns the system to the original software
load. You may save the current encoder profiles and reload them when the Factory Restore is complete.
You can perform a Factory Restore at any time. This process returns the system to the software load
that came with the system. Perform a Factory Restore if the system becomes unstable due to installed
applications, viruses, etc. Please refer to the user guide for instructions.
ViewCast Support can provide assistance should the system fail to start. In most cases, you can restore a
system to operation without returning it to ViewCast. There is a fee in the event a user returns a system
due to applications the user installed or if the system failed because the primary partition (drive C) is
full.
Connecting to the Internet
Never connect a Niagara system directly to the Internet. ViewCast recommends taking precautions
against unwanted access such as installing Niagara systems behind a router or firewall. The speed of the
router or switch should match or exceed the speed of the system’s network card. See your network
administrator for recommendations.
Before You Begin
6 ViewCast
Environmental notices
Product Disposal
Information:
Dispose of this product in accordance with local and
national disposal regulations (if any) including those
regulations governing the recovery and recycling of Waste
Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).
RoHS Compliant:
ViewCast Corporation commits to compliance with the
European directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain
Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic
Equipment, Directive 2002/95/EC, the RoHS directive.
This product supplied to the European Union does comply
with the RoHS directive. ViewCast certifies that this
equipment shipped to the European Union conforms to
the 2002/95/EC directive.
For current RoHS statement, see www.viewcast.com.
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 7
Warnings
Only trained and qualified personnel should install, replace, or service this system.
Do not attempt to open the case of the system. If you do so, you incur a high risk of electrical shock that
may cause damage to the system or personal physical injury or death to you and/or others. No user-
serviceable parts exist inside the system. If you open the system case or make unauthorized changes to
the case, ViewCast voids your warranty.
Install the system away from any heat sources. This remains vital to the safety of the product users. Do
not install the system near any heat sources such as:
Radiators
Heat registers
Stoves
Other heat-producing equipment
WARNING! Installing the system near heat sources could result in personal injury or death.
WARNING! Never insert objects of any kind into the system through any system openings, as the
objects may touch dangerous voltage points, short out parts, and result in a risk of fire or
electrical shock.
Do not stack the system atop or below other electronic devices as this can cause heat build-up and
vibration of the system. These conditions can damage the system thereby voiding the limited warranty.
Do not install the system in any area where the temperature is less than 5°C or more than 40°C. Transfer
from temperature extremes may cause condensation. Let the system remain unplugged at room
temperature for at least 45 minutes before connecting it.
Use an outlet with surge suppression or ground fault protection when using the system. Unplug the
power cord from the wall outlet, disconnect the network connection, and disconnect the lines between
the system and the video source for added protection:
During a lightning storm
During dangerous weather conditions
When the encoder remains unattended or unused for long periods
Reduce the risk of fire or electric shock. Do not expose the system to any rain or moisture. Exposing the
system to rain or other types of moisture could result in system damages. Do not place any liquids on or
near the system. If you place liquids in any form on or near the system, do so at your own risk, for you
incur a high risk of electrical shock that could occur and cause damage to the system.
WARNING! Exposing the system to rain or other types of moisture could result in physical injury or
death. Any liquids on or near the system may result in electrical shock and personal injury or
death.
Before You Begin
8 ViewCast
Refer all servicing to authorized service personnel. You must have authorized personnel only service any
damaged system. Relevant damage may occur with but is not limited to the following:
An unplugged or damaged power supply cord
Spilled liquid on the system
Fallen objects in or on the system
System exposure to rain or other moisture or liquid
Failure to perform as described in the User Guide
A dropped system
ViewCast assumes no liability or responsibility for any damaged system that clients continue using.
Use only attachments, accessories, or equipment specified by the manufacturer with the system. Using
accessories or attachments not recommended by the encoder manufacturer voids the Limited
Warranty.
Do not attempt to service the system yourself. If you open or remove covers, you may be exposed to
dangerous voltage. Such action voids the Limited Warranty. Refer all servicing issues to authorized
service personnel only.
The plug-socket combination that serves as the main disconnecting device must be accessible at all
times.
Protect the power cord from anyone walking on it and being strained or pinched particularly at plugs,
electrical receptacles, and the point where the power cord exits the system.
Do not use adapter plugs or remove the grounding prong from the power cable.
Use only the type of power source indicated on the marking label on the back panel of the unit to
operate the system. Unplug the system power cord by gripping the plug and removing it from the power
source. Do not pull the cord to remove the power source from the system.
Do not plug the system into a wall outlet that contains an overload of electrical cords or power
strips/extension cords. This type of overload may result in fire or electrical shock risks.
Always handle the system carefully. Always avoid excessive shock and vibration to the system. Excessive
shock or vibration can damage the system.
WARNING! Excessive shock or vibration to the system may result in electrical shock and personal
injury or death.
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 9
Overview
Before you can use your Niagara 9100 series streaming media system, you first need to set up and
configure it. This chapter is dedicated to providing you with the details and step-by-step instructions you
need to make your installation as quick-and-easy as possible.
All you need to get started are the four following requirements:
AC power source (100 - 240 V)
Your audio and video source (such as a camera, video player, or other audiovisual output device)
A streaming media server or hosting provider
IP connection and/or Internet connection
The Niagara 9100 series are easy-to-use streaming systems that allow you to:
Connect to a compatible browser on a dynamic host configuration protocol/domain name server (DHCP/DNS)
network.
Configure and connect your audio and video source to the Niagara system.
Select your output formats and streaming settings.
Enter your streaming server information.
Start streaming your media.
Use the web interface for setting options and controlling your Niagara system from another networked
computer, as well as options that are more advanced.
Note: Read the information in this section before connecting the system to the power source.
Media system functions
Although it has many features and capabilities, the Niagara series streaming media systems perform the
following functions:
Supports both Multi-Program Transport Stream (MPTS) and Single Program Transport Stream (SPTS).
Accepts digital standard definition (SD) or high definition (HD) SDI video and a variety of digital and analog audio
inputs depending on the configuration of your system
Encodes the signals into digital IP video formats
Delivers the IP audio and video content over an IP network and can save an archival copy
Overview
10 ViewCast
Install overview
You must complete the following primary tasks to install the Niagara system:
1. Address and comply with all prerequisites.
2. Connect the Niagara system using its power source.
3. Connect the video source (camera or video recorder) to the system.
4. Connect the system to an IP network.
5. Configure the Niagara system.
Prerequisites
Before installing and connecting the Niagara system, ensure you comply with the following
prerequisites:
All packaged items are undamaged and in working order.
Your environment meets all system requirements.
Safety instructions, notices, and warnings detailed in Before You Begin including:
o Rack Mount Safety Instructions
o FCC Notice
o Environmental Notices
o Warnings
Package contents
Completely unpack all contents from the box and inspect each item for damage. Ensure that you have all
the components listed below:
System
Niagara streaming media system
Power Cables
One of the following:
o North America power cable (110 vac)
o International power cable (220 vac)
o UK power cable (220 vac)
Hardware
1 pair rack slide rails
Guides
Package insert (end-user license agreement)
User guide (on CD in PDF format)
Software
Niagara product CD
If any components are missing or damaged, do not continue with the installation. Contact the ViewCast
reseller from which you purchased your Niagara system for assistance in obtaining any missing parts or
for parts replacement.
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 11
System requirements
Ensure your computer meets the following system requirements.
Browser interface Any Firefox or Internet Explorer (IE)-based computer, workstation, or laptop
that interfaces to a dynamic host configuration protocol/domain name server (DHCP/DNS)-
compatible network
User Interface High-speed Internet and dial-up users
Specifications
Multi-core processors
500 GB SATA HDD
1U rack mount system (1RU x 17” W x 25.6” D)
41 lbs (18.6 Kgs)
560 W power supply
Overview
12 ViewCast
Niagara 9100 series front panel
You should familiarize yourself with the front panel controls for the Niagara 9100 series. Remove the
front panel to access additional functionality such as USB ports and the power button. Figure 2 and the
table below illustrate the buttons and lights that constitute the front panel functions.
Figure 2. Niagara 9100 series front panel
A.
The LCD display shows the system menu and allows you to perform basic functions.
B.
Press this button to Cancel a system menu action.
C.
Press this button to Enter or accept a system menu action.
D.
Directional buttons enable you to maneuver through the system menu (see Niagara 9100
series ).
E.
LED light illuminates when you press the UID (unit identifier) button on the rear of the
chassis. This function is for easy system location in large stack configurations.
F.
Indicator light flashes when there is network activity on LAN1 or LAN2.
G.
Indicator light flashes when there is SATA and/or USB port activity.
H.
Light indicates power is being supplied to the system’s power supply units. This LED should
normally be illuminated when the system is operating.
I.
Locks the cover on the Niagara 9100. (Key is included.)
J.
Press this button to release the front cover from the Niagara 9100.
Note: If you remove the front cover and then place it back, the LCD display will no longer
show the system menu. To restart the LCD display, you can reboot the system or using a
monitor connected to the system:
1. Click the Windows start icon.
2. Click All Programs
Startup
LCDMainUI.bat. The system menu displays.
K.
Hard-drive bays. Pull the lever to release the bay.
WARNING! The hard drives are not hot swappable. Trying to hot swap can damage the
system.
L.
Dual USB ports allow the export of files to USB storage devices, installing updates or
firmware, or connecting USB devices.
M.
Press this unit identifier (UID) button to illuminate the LED on both the front and rear of the
machine. The LED remains lit until you push the button a second time.
N.
Universal information LED light:
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 13
Fast blinking red – fan failure
Slow blinking red – power failure
Solid red – CPU overheat
Solid blue – Local UID button depressed
Blinking blue – IPMI-activated UID
O.
Press the reset button to reboot the system.
P.
The main power button is used to turn off the power supply to the server system. Turning off
system power removes the main power but keeps standby power supplied to the system.
Overview
14 ViewCast
Niagara 9100 series back panel
Figure 3 illustrates all connectors and other components of the Niagara 9100 series back panel. The
connectors vary depending on the Osprey capture card installed. Figure 3 depicts the Niagara 9100-2D
model.
Figure 3. Niagara 9100 series back panel
A.
Provides system power.
B.
Use this port to connect a PS/2 mouse.
C.
Use this port to connect a PS/2 keyboard.
D.
Use these ports to connect USB control devices, such as a USB memory device, keyboard,
and mouse.
E.
Use this port for an IPMI LAN connection.
F.
A COM1 RS232
G.
Use this auxiliary VGA output port to connect an external VGA monitor so you can view the
operating system interface.
H.
Dual Ethernet ports provide redundant connections to your network.
I.
Press this unit identifier (UID) button to illuminate the LED on both the front and rear of
the machine. The LED remains lit until you push the button a second time.
J.
Connect the video and audio.
Depending on the Niagara 9100 series model, the back may have additional components. For example,
Figure 4 depicts the Niagara 9100-4IPR with redundant power supply and IP connectors.
Figure 4. Niagara 9100-4IPR
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 15
Connecting the system
The following steps refer to a direct connection to the Niagara 9100 series systems only.
Note: The redundant models include hot swappable power supply modules.
To connect the system:
1.
Connect the appropriate video and audio connectors (item J on Figure 3).
2.
Connect the power AC adaptor (item A on Figure 3). For redundant models, two AC power
connectors are available (Figure 4).
3.
Attach the system to the network input (item H on Figure 3).
4.
Press Power (item P on Figure 2).
Overview
16 ViewCast
Niagara 9100 series directional buttons
The Niagara 9100 series directional buttons (Figure 5) are located on front panel. The buttons direct the
system menu that is also on the front panel. The menu allows you to view the status of the system and
monitor. The system menu displays automatically when the Niagara 9100 is booted up. See Appendix D:
System Menu (LCD Display) for a complete reference guide to the functions available through the system
menu.
Figure 5. Directional buttons
To use the directional buttons:
1.
Press any of the four-directional buttons until the desired status menu displays.
2.
Press Enter. The status displays.
Note: Press Cancel to return to the main menu.
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Niagara 9100 series home page
The home page (Figure 6) is the first page presented after you log into the Niagara SCX remote
management software. From this page, you can access the different windows for configuring,
controlling, and monitoring the activities and alerts of the Niagara system.
Figure 6. Series home page
Menu bar commands
The home page menu bar allows you to use the commands described in the table below.
Menu
Command
Function
Home
View general administrative information about
the Niagara system.
Use the menu bar commands.
Encoders
All Encoders – View the encoder profiles.
Groups – Manage specific encoder groups that
have one or more encoders assigned.
Configuration
Machine Properties – View details on the
machine properties including the network
name, serial number, and all software versions
installed.
Alerts – Modify the settings to control how the
system manages application alerts that occur
during normal operations or streaming.
Network Properties – View information on the
network properties and addresses for both NIC
ports and modify these properties.
IP Route Table – Add or delete IP destinations.
System Configuration – Modify the system
configuration including setup for email alerts
from the Niagara system whenever it
Overview
18 ViewCast
Menu
Command
Function
encounters an operation error.
Status
View Activity Log – View all system activities
including the time and date of each event.
View Alerts – View all alerts including the time
and date of each alert.
Maintenance
Product Registration – Register your Niagara
system to protect your investment.
Log Out
Log out of the system and return to the login
screen.
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Niagara 9100 series browser windows flow
Figure 7 shows the interrelationship and flow of the available configuration windows you may use to
configure the Niagara 9100 system.
Figure 7. Niagara 9100 series browser windows
Overview
20 ViewCast
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 21
Easy Setup
You should perform most setup and operations by accessing the web interface from a computer that
resides on the same network as your Niagara system.
The web interface provides the ability to control your Niagara system remotely from a computer that can
be rooms or continents away from the system if both your Niagara system and the computer have
Internet access to communicate with each other.
The easy setup option explores the optimal configurations for the novice user to set up the Niagara system
easily and quickly. Easy set up includes actions you can perform on your Niagara system using the web
interface to include configuring the following:
Encoder settings
Groups
Network properties
Machine properties
System properties
System alerts
Easy Setup
22 ViewCast
Web interface
The web interface presents a logical flow of configuration information for the encoding system. Refer to
Figure 7 for a diagram and menu bar commands, which include:
Home
Encoders
o All Encoders including Encoder Properties
o Groups
Configuration
o Niagara Properties
o Alerts including Settings
o Network Properties
o IP Route
o System Configuration
Status
o Activity Log
o Alerts
Maintenance
o Product Registration
Log Out
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
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Easy first time set up
You should read all instructions, notices, and warnings in the Before You Begin section before getting
started with your new Niagara system for the first time. Also, ensure you have all required parts and meet
all system requirements before installing this product.
Do not continue with the installation if you find any components missing or damaged. Contact the
ViewCast reseller where you purchased your Niagara system for assistance in obtaining any missing or
replacement parts.
Connecting to an electrical power source
Niagara system ships with one of the following power cables:
North America power cable
International power cable
UK power cable
To connect the power source:
1.
Attach the block end to the power input located next to the fan on the rear panel of the
system.
2.
Plug the other end of the cable into a wall outlet or surge protection enabled power
strip connected to a wall outlet or other common power source.
WARNING! The plug-socket combination must remain accessible at all times as it serves as the main
disconnecting device.
WARNING! Do not work on the system, connect, or disconnect cables during periods of lightning
activity.
Easy Setup
24 ViewCast
Performing the initial startup
The steps in the following table refer to a direct connection to the Niagara 9100 series systems only.
To perform the initial startup:
1.
Ensure that you connect all devices (power cords, cables, audio/video sources, etc.) to the
system.
2.
Remove the front panel by pressing the release button and gently pulling the cover toward
you.
3.
Press Power on the front panel to start the system. Allow the system to boot.
4.
From another computer on the same DHCP/DNS network as the Niagara 9100, launch
Internet Explorer and enter http:// and the serial number of your system.
Note: The serial is on the top of the system in the format fexxxxxxx.
Note: If you do not have a DHCP network or you cannot connect to the Niagara 9100
through its DNS name, connect a monitor, mouse, and keyboard directly to the Niagara
9100 to obtain or change the IP address. Connect a standard VGA monitor to the
service connector and the mouse/keyboard to USB ports. The Niagara 9100 will have a
Microsoft 7 desktop. From the desktop, launch Internet Explorer or Firefox.
5.
Enter admin as the user name and admin as the password and click Log In when the Admin
Log In window displays (Figure 8).
Figure 8. Log In window
Note: The version and SKU fields display the current numbers for your system.
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
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6.
The first time you start the Niagara 9100 and log in, the system prompts you for the date,
time, and video standard. You may accept the default date, time, and video standard or
enter your desired date, time, and video standard (Figure 9).
Note: The Video Standard options in the drop-down list will vary depending on the
configuration of your system.
Figure 9. Date and time settings
7.
Click Submit.
8.
The Admin Log In window may reappear once you submit the date, time, and video
standard fields. You must enter admin as the user name and admin as the password again.
This time when you enter your valid user name and password, the system displays the
Welcome window and Niagara 9100 main menu (Figure 10).
Figure 10. Welcome window
Easy Setup
26 ViewCast
Registering your product
You have 30 days to register your product when you first activate the system. A reminder displays at the
bottom of the Home and Encoders pages. You can register your system using three different methods:
Product Registration page
ViewCast website
ViewCast Support help desk (Call 972-488-7157 and provide the serial number and SKU.)
To register online:
1.
Access the Product Registration page:
Click Maintenance Product Registration. The Product Registration page displays (Figure
11).
Figure 11. Product Registration
Note: The default is Register the product online.
2.
Enter your name and contact information in the spaces provided.
3.
Click Submit. After a few seconds, a confirmation message displays.
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
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To register at viewcast.com:
1.
Access the Product Registration page:
Click Maintenance Product Registration. The Product Registration page displays (Figure
11).
Note: The default is Register the product online.
2.
Click Register the product on another computer or over the phone.
Figure 12. Product registration
3.
Copy the registration URL.
4.
From another computer, open a browser and paste the URL into the address bar.
Easy Setup
28 ViewCast
5.
Enter your name and contact information in the spaces provided.
Figure 13. Contact information
6.
Select the type of product. The serial number and SKU are automatically populated.
Figure 14. Product information
7.
Click Submit. After a few seconds, a confirmation message displays.
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 29
Connecting to an IP network
Some Niagara 9100 series systems have two 1 Gbit network interface ports and some have redundant IP
connections. The network settings for these ports default to dynamically obtain an IP address from a DHCP
server on the network. If a DHCP server is not available or is not found on the network, the system assigns
its own IP address.
Note: If you are not familiar with network protocols, contact your network administrator for
assistance. If you are not able to browse to the unit with a DHCP network, you may connect a
monitor, keyboard, and mouse to the system to determine and set the network connections.
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
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Basic Operations
Basic operations include but are not limited to the following:
Creating an encoder
Viewing all encoder
Starting an encoder
Editing an encoder
Stopping an encoder
Logging in
To log in:
1.
Locate the serial number on the side or bottom of the system (in the format fe11430001).
2.
Open the web browser on your computer.
3.
You can either:
Type the Niagara 9100 serial number in the address bar (Figure 15).
Figure 15. Serial number
Or
Type the IP address in the address bar (Figure 16).
Figure 16. IP address
4.
Press Enter. The Admin Log In window displays (Figure 17).
Figure 17. Admin Log In window
Note: The version and SKU fields display the current numbers for your system.
5.
Type the User Name and Password.
IMPORTANT! The setting to log in for the first time, defaults to the user name admin and
password admin.
Basic Operations
32 ViewCast
6.
Press Log In. The Niagara 9100 Welcome window and menu bar appear (Figure 18).
Figure 18. Welcome window
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 33
Creating an encoder
The Niagara 9100 does not have any default encoders. You must create an encoder before you start
streaming. To create an encoder, click Encoders All Encoders. The Encoders window displays (Figure
19).
Figure 19. Encoders window
To create an encoder:
1.
Click the Create New Encoder link. The Create New Encoder window displays (Figure 20).
Figure 20. Create New Encoder window
2.
Select the Encoder Type from the drop-down list.
3.
Enter the name of the encoder.
Note: Valid characters are alphanumeric, space, dash, and dot.
4.
If you create an Adaptive Live Streaming encoder, you need to select a Publisher from the
drop-down list.
5.
To use the same properties from another encoder, enable Clone Properties From.
6.
Select the Encoder Name from the drop-down list.
7.
Click Create New Encoder.
8.
The steps for configuring the encoder vary according to the inputs. Follow the steps for the
desired inputs referring to the information for that encoder.
Basic Operations
34 ViewCast
Viewing all encoders
The Encoders window provides a list of the encoders loaded on the Niagara 9100 series system. On the
home page, click Encoders All Encoders.
Figure 21. Encoders window
A.
Click this link to edit the encoder properties, streaming settings, and advanced
streaming settings.
B.
Click this link to delete an encoder from the list.
C.
Displays the encoder type (for example the Flash icon ).
D.
Displays the name you assigned to the encoder.
E.
Displays the status of the last action.
F.
Displays the result of the last operation.
G.
Click this link to create a new encoder.
H.
Displays the amount of CPU usage.
I.
Displays as either a blue circle icon (started) or a red circle icon (stopped) as the options
for streaming this encoder. You can start or stop the encoder by clicking the icons.
J.
Click this link to view and edit encoder groups.
K.
Click this link to stop all encoders
L.
Displays the total number of encoders.
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Starting an encoder
To start an encoder, on the home page click Encoders All Encoders.
To start an encoder:
1.
Click the red circle (stopped) icon (Figure 22) in the Streaming column for the encoder you
want to start streaming.
Figure 22. Stopped icon
Messages appear detailing the encoder start progress (Figure 23).
Figure 23. Encoder status
2.
The Encoders window appears with the encoder status updated and the streaming indicator
changes to a blue circle Started icon (Figure 24).
Figure 24. Encoders window
Basic Operations
36 ViewCast
Stopping an encoder
To stop an encoder, on the home page click Encoders All Encoders.
To stop an encoder:
1.
Click the blue circle (started) icon of the encoder you wish to stop streaming (Figure 25).
Figure 25. Started icon
Messages appear detailing the encoder stop progress (Figure 26).
Figure 26. Encoder status
The Encoders window appears with the encoder status updated to reflect the Stopped mode
and the streaming indicator changes to a red circle Stopped icon (Figure 27).
Figure 27. Encoders window
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 37
Connecting an external storage device
The Niagara 9100 series systems have two USB ports on the front panel and two on the back panel. You
can connect almost any standard USB device to one or both of these ports. You can then export any
audiovisual files you may have created on the system’s local storage drive. The local storage drive is drive
D when you use the Save to File setting from the web interface.
When you insert a USB storage device in one of the USB ports, the system automatically detects the
removable storage device, and assigns a drive letter to the device.
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 39
Analog Inputs
The Niagara system includes a web interface, which allows you to access the advanced system settings.
The web interface also provides detailed settings and controls over the encoder profiles installed on the
Niagara system.
The web interface works with any computer that has a current web browser (Internet Explorer and
Firefox), including Windows®, Macintosh®, and Linux® machines. For the best user experience, ViewCast
recommends Internet Explorer. The system must reside either on a shared IP network with the
computer or directly connected to a Microsoft® Windows computer using an Ethernet cable (RJ45).
Analog Inputs
40 ViewCast
Adaptive Apple HTTP Live streaming encoder
with analog inputs
To create an adaptive encoder, Encoders All Encoders Create New Encoder link Encoder Name
field Publisher drop-down list.
When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The steps for editing a new
encoder or an existing encoder are identical. You must configure the video and audio settings for each
encoder type.
Use the Video, Audio, and Output tabs to edit the settings. Begin with configuring the video and audio
settings, then the server and destination settings. The server and destination settings are different for
each type of encoder.
From the Encoder Properties window (Figure 28), you can set the encoder to start streaming
automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start an encoder from this window by
clicking the Start Apple HTTP Live Streaming Encoder link in the top right corner of the window.
IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save
Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.
Figure 28. Adaptive Apple HTTP Live streaming encoder
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 41
Video tab
Use the following table to configure the video analog input settings for an Adaptive Apple HTTP live
streaming encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down lists may vary.
Figure 29. Video tab
To configure video settings:
1.
Select the video input Source from the drop-down list.
Note: When SimulStream is enabled, you may use the same input source in another encoding
profile. This lets you encode the same audio and video at multiple data rates and multiple
formats to provide the best user experience for different viewing audiences.
2.
In the Input field, select the video input.
IMPORTANT! The video input must match the connectors on the back of the system and your
video source.
3.
In the Input Size field, select the pre-determined size of the encoded video from the drop-
down list.
You can also specify a custom size for your video. This customization is useful when you are
capturing video to be played on a mobile video-device that requires a non-standard size for
compatibility.
When you click Custom, two additional fields appear so you can enter the exact size you
want the resulting video to be (Figure 30).
Note: The size in the Width and Height fields must be divisible by 2.
Figure 30. Custom fields
4.
Enter the seconds for the GOP/Segment Length.
Analog Inputs
42 ViewCast
5.
In the adaptive encoder video stream table, indicate which stream the player will use first
(see Adaptive encoder video stream table).
6.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 31).
Figure 31. Video Filter Settings
Note: Click Restore to the right of the filter to reset the settings to the default.
7.
Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 32). Options include:
None
– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.
Auto
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Applies motion adaptive de-interlacing to all video that is not telecine.
– Switches dynamically between the two modes as the content changes.
– Available for NTSC video only.
InverseTelecine
– Drops the redundant fields and reassembles the video in a 24 fps progressive format.
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Performs no de-interlacing of video that is not telecine.
–Available for NTSC video only.
MotionAdaptive
– Is an algorithm for de-interlacing pure video (non-telecine) content.
– Applies motion adaptive interlacing to all video. It detects which portions of the image
are still and which portions are in motion then applies different processing to each
scenario.
Figure 32. De-Interlace settings
Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only apply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL and
SECAM video. The system disables Auto and Inverse Telecine choices when you select
either PAL or SECAM as the video standard.
8.
Select Add Statistics to overlay video statistics within the video stream for diagnostic
purposes.
9.
Click Save Settings.
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
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Adaptive encoder video stream table
The adaptive encoder video stream table (Figure 33) contains five default streams. You can add a new
stream, edit, delete, disable, and set which stream the player will use first. You can sort each column by
clicking on the column heading.
The system validates the stream settings according to the capabilities of your Niagara system.
Figure 33. Adaptive encoder video stream table
A.
The table displays five streams at a time. Additional streams display on additional pages.
Click the page number to display the streams on that page. You can also click First to go to
the first page or click Last to go to the last page.
B.
Click this link to add a stream.
Note: If you click Custom as the Input Size, the system will automatically adjust the width
and height of subsequent streams according to the custom settings.
C.
The bit rate displays in kilobits per second. This field can only contain whole numbers.
Note: Two streams at the same bit rate cannot run simultaneously.
D.
Displays the frames per second. You can enter up to two decimal places.
E.
Displays the width of the picture frame in the stream.
F.
Displays the height of the picture frame in the stream.
G.
The profile field has two settings:
Base – This profile is typically for video conferencing and mobile applications and has the
lowest demands on CPU load and memory usage, but lowest resulting quality.
Main – This profile is targeted at standard-definition TV. This profile is not acceptable for
streaming to iPhone mobile devices.
When you hover your cursor over a stream setting, additional functions display (Figure 34).
Analog Inputs
44 ViewCast
Figure 34. Additional functions
Edit
Click this link to change the settings for a particular stream. Click Update to accept the
changes.
Note: Click Cancel to stop this action.
Del
Click this link to delete the stream.
Disable
Click this link to disable this stream. The settings are still visible but appear to be
“crossed out.”
Initial
Click this link to have the player use this stream first. The settings for the initial stream
appear in bold.
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
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Audio tab
Use the following table to configure the audio analog input settings for an Adaptive Apple encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down lists may vary.
Figure 35. Audio tab
To configure audio settings:
1.
In the Source field, select an audio source from the drop-down list.
IMPORTANT! The audio input must match the connectors on the back of the system and your
audio source.
2.
Select the Overlay Closed Caption check box to enable overlay closed captions. Field 1 CC 1 is
the default setting.
3.
Drag the slider to adjust the Left Volume and Right Volume.
4.
(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence the audio.
5.
Click Save Settings.
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46 ViewCast
Output tab
Use the following table to configure the output analog input settings for an Adaptive Apple encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down lists may vary.
Figure 36. Output tab
To configure output settings:
1.
Select Stream to Network Host.
CAUTION! Simultaneously publishing to server and file system increases CPU usage.
2.
Select the Host Address.
Note: When you select ftp://, the Passive FTP Mode displays. Select this field to use passive
FTP mode or clear this field to use active FTP mode.
3.
Enter the address in the next field.
4.
Indicate the maximum HTTP Cache by dragging the slider for the number of files to maintain.
Note: The Stream Path that displays is a combination of the Host Address, Subfolder, and
Filename.
5.
Select Create unique folder to create a file that the system does not overwrite.
Note: The format is Subfolder_YYMMDD_HHMMSS.
6.
Enter the name of the Subfolder used in the network destination and/or the local file system
full filename.
7.
Enter the name of the variant playlist file in the Filename field.
8.
Enter the Number of Segments Per Folder.
9.
Select Stream to File System to enable archiving content to the file system.
10.
Accept the default location that displays in the Folder field or choose your own location for
the file. To choose your own personal location, select the link (horizontal ellipses or … ) to
the right of the Folder field to display the options.
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
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Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D:\AVFiles.
Figure 37. Select a folder
WARNING! You can only save media files to drive D. check drive properties for available
free space to determine your storage capacity.
A better practice would be to use the streaming server to save a file or to save it to a
remote drive. If you fill all available space, you risk losing your stream during a
streaming event.
Note: The File System that displays is a combination of the Folder, Subfolder, and Filename.
11.
Select Allow client to cache content.
12.
Select Encrypt Media Segment Files to protect the content.
13.
Select the Key File.
Note: http:// is currently the only choice.
14.
Enter the URL.
15.
Enter the user authentication Type. If the host address is:
http:// the selections are None and Akamai
Note: If you select Akamai, you must set the time zone according to where the Niagara 9100
is located. To change the time zone:
1. Right click on the time in the system tray.
2. Click on Adjust Date/Time.
3. In the Date and Time window, click Change time zone
4. Click on the appropriate time zone from the drop-down list and click OK.
5. Click Change date and time.
6. In the Date and Time Settings window, enter the current time and click OK. The time
must be as exact as possible.
ftp:// the selections are None or ftp.
16.
Enter the Username.
17.
Enter the Password.
18.
Click Save Settings.
Analog Inputs
48 ViewCast
Adaptive Adobe Flash Dynamic streaming
encoder with analog inputs
To create an adaptive encoder, Encoders All Encoders Create New Encoder link Encoder Name
field Publisher drop-down list.
When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The steps for editing a new
encoder or an existing encoder are identical. You must configure the video and audio settings for each
encoder type.
Use the Video, Audio, and Output tabs to edit the settings. Begin with configuring the video and audio
settings, then the server and destination settings. The server and destination settings are different for
each type of encoder.
From the Encoder Properties window (Figure 38), you can set the encoder to start streaming
automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start an encoder from this window by
clicking the Start Adobe Flash Dynamic Streaming Encoder link in the top right corner of the window.
IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save
Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.
Figure 38. Adaptive Flash Dynamic streaming encoder
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
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Video tab
Use the following table to configure the video analog input settings for an Adaptive Adobe Flash
dynamic streaming encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down lists may vary.
Figure 39. Video tab
To configure video settings:
1.
Select the video input Source from the drop-down list.
Note: When SimulStream is enabled, you may use the same input source in another encoding
profile. This lets you encode the same audio and video at multiple data rates and
multiple formats to provide the best user experience for different viewing audiences.
2.
In the Input field, select the video input.
IMPORTANT! The video input must match the connectors on the back of the system and
your video source.
4.
In the Input Size field, select the pre-determined size of the encoded video from the drop-
down list.
You can also specify a custom size for your video. This customization is useful when you are
capturing video to be played on a mobile video-device that requires a non-standard size for
compatibility.
When you click Custom, two additional fields appear so you can enter the exact size you
want the resulting video to be (Figure 40).
Note: The size in the Width and Height fields must be divisible by 2.
Figure 40. Custom fields
5.
Enter the seconds for the GOP/Segment Length.
Analog Inputs
50 ViewCast
6.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 41).
Figure 41. Video Filter Settings
Note: Click Restore to the right of the filter to reset the settings to the default.
7.
Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 42). Options include:
None
– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.
Auto
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Applies motion adaptive de-interlacing to all video that is not telecine.
– Switches dynamically between the two modes as the content changes.
– Available for NTSC video only.
InverseTelecine
– Drops the redundant fields and reassembles the video in a 24 fps progressive format.
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Performs no de-interlacing of video that is not telecine.
– Available for NTSC video only.
MotionAdaptive
– Is an algorithm for de-interlacing pure video (non-telecine) content.
– Applies motion adaptive interlacing to all video. It detects which portions of the image
are still and which portions are in motion then applies different processing to each
scenario.
Figure 42. De-Interlace settings
Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only apply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL
and SECAM video. The system disables Auto and Inverse Telecine choices when you
select either PAL or SECAM as the video standard.
8.
Select Add Statistics to overlay video statistics within the video stream for diagnostic
purposes.
9.
Select Embed Timecode to enable embed system time as timecode. This action tags
individual video frames with timecode data. This feature should be used if embedded
timecode is required but your capture device cannot generate it.
10.
Specify the Frame Interval at which timecode should be embedded into the video stream in
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
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the Frame Interval field.
0=disabled
The range is 1 to 30 frames.
11.
Click Save Settings.
Encoder video stream table
The adaptive encoder video stream table (Figure 43) contains five default streams. You can add a new
stream, edit, delete, disable, and set which stream the player will use first. You can sort each column by
clicking on the column heading.
The system validates the stream settings according to the capabilities of your Niagara system.
Figure 43. Encoder video stream table
A.
The table displays five streams at a time. Additional streams display on additional pages.
Click the page number to display the streams on that page. You can also click First to go to
the first page or click Last to go to the last page.
B.
Click this link to add a stream.
Note: If you click Custom as the Input Size, the system will automatically adjust the width
and height of subsequent streams according to the custom settings.
C.
The bit rate displays in kilobits per second. This field can only contain whole numbers.
Note: Two streams at the same bit rate cannot run simultaneously.
D.
Displays the frames per second. You can enter up to two decimal places.
E.
Displays the width of the picture frame in the stream.
F.
Displays the height of the picture frame in the stream.
G.
The profile field has two settings:
Base – This profile is typically for video conferencing and mobile applications and has the
lowest demands on CPU load and memory usage, but lowest resulting quality.
Main – This profile is targeted at standard-definition TV. This profile is not acceptable for
streaming to iPhone mobile devices.
When you hover your cursor over a stream setting, additional functions display (Figure 44).
Analog Inputs
52 ViewCast
Figure 44. Additional functions
Edit
Click this link to change the settings for a particular stream. Click Update to accept the
changes.
Note: Click Cancel to stop this action.
Del
Click this link to delete the stream.
Disable
Click this link to disable this stream. The settings are still visible but appear to be
“crossed out.”
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Audio tab
Use the following table to configure the audio analog input settings for an Adaptive Adobe Flash
dynamic streaming encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down lists may vary.
Figure 45. Audio tab
To configure audio settings:
1.
In the Source field, select an audio source from the drop-down list.
IMPORTANT! The audio input must match the connectors on the back of the system and your
audio source.
2.
Select the Overlay Closed Caption check box to enable overlay closed captions. Field 1 CC 1 is
the default setting.
3.
Drag the slider to adjust the Left Volume and Right Volume.
4.
(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence the audio.
5.
Click Save Settings.
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Output tab
Use the following table to configure the output analog input settings for an Adaptive Adobe Flash
dynamic streaming encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down lists may vary.
Figure 46. Output tab
To configure output settings:
1.
Select Stream to Flash Media Server.
CAUTION! Simultaneously publishing to server and file system increases CPU usage.
2.
Enter the destination FMS Address.
Note: The Stream Path that displays is a combination of the FMS (Flash media Server)
address and the stream name.
3.
Enter the Stream Name.
Note: The system accepts the %v parameter for video bitrate, %i for indexing, and %b for
overall bitrate, which is compatible with Adobe Flash media encoder.
4.
Select Stream to File System to enable archiving content to the file system.
5.
Accept the default location that displays in the Folder field or choose your own location for
the file. To choose your own personal location, select the link (horizontal ellipses or … ) to
the right of the Folder field and display the options (Figure 47).
Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D:\AVFiles. See Connecting an external
storage device for instructions on saving video files to a USB storage device.
Figure 47. Select a folder
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WARNING! You can only save media files to drive D. Check drive properties for available
free space to determine your storage capacity.
A better practice would be to use a Flash Media server to save a file or to save it to a
remote drive. If you fill all available space, you risk losing your stream during a
streaming event.
6.
Select Create unique folder to create a file that the system does not overwrite.
7.
Enter the user authentication Type. If the host address is:
None
Adobe
Akamai
Limelight
8.
Enter the Username.
9.
Enter the Password.
10.
Click Save Settings.
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Adaptive Microsoft Smooth Streaming encoder
with analog inputs
To create an adaptive encoder, Encoders All Encoders Create New Encoder link Encoder Name
field Publisher drop-down list.
When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The steps for editing a new
encoder or an existing encoder are identical. You must configure the video and audio settings for each
encoder type.
Use the Video, Audio, and Output tabs to edit the settings. Begin with configuring the video and audio
settings, then the server and destination settings. The server and destination settings are different for
each type of encoder.
From the Encoder Properties window (Figure 48), you can set the encoder to start streaming
automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start an encoder from this window by
clicking the Start Microsoft Smooth Streaming Encoder link in the top right corner of the window.
IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save
Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.
Figure 48. Microsoft Smooth Streaming encoder
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Video tab
Use the following table to configure the video analog input settings for an Adaptive Microsoft Smooth
Streaming encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down lists may vary.
Figure 49. Video tab
To configure video settings:
1.
Select the video input Source from the drop-down list.
Note: When SimulStream is enabled, you may use the same input source in another encoding
profile. This lets you encode the same audio and video at multiple data rates and
multiple formats to provide the best user experience for different viewing audiences.
2.
In the Input field, select the video input.
IMPORTANT! The video input must match the connectors on the back of the system and
your video source.
3.
In the Input Size field, select the pre-determined size of the encoded video from the drop-
down list.
You can also specify a custom size for your video. This customization is useful when you are
capturing video to be played on a mobile video-device that requires a non-standard size for
compatibility.
When you click Custom, two additional fields appear so you can enter the exact size you
want the resulting video to be (Figure 50).
Note: The size in the Width and Height fields must be divisible by 2.
Figure 50. Custom fields
4.
Enter the seconds for the GOP/Segment Length.
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5.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 51).
Figure 51. Video Filter Settings
Note: Click Restore to the right of the filter to reset the settings to the default.
6.
Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 52). Options include:
None
– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.
Auto
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Applies motion adaptive de-interlacing to all video that is not telecine.
– Switches dynamically between the two modes as the content changes.
– Available for NTSC video only.
InverseTelecine
– Drops the redundant fields and reassembles the video in a 24 fps progressive format.
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Performs no de-interlacing of video that is not telecine.
– Available for NTSC video only.
MotionAdaptive
– Is an algorithm for de-interlacing pure video (non-telecine) content.
– Applies motion adaptive interlacing to all video. It detects which portions of the image
are still and which portions are in motion then applies different processing to each
scenario.
Figure 52. De-Interlace settings
Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only apply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL
and SECAM video. The system disables Auto and Inverse Telecine choices when you
select either PAL or SECAM as the video standard.
7.
Select Add Statistics to overlay video statistics within the video stream for diagnostic
purposes.
8.
Click Save Settings.
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Adaptive encoder video stream table
The adaptive encoder video stream table (Figure 53) contains five default streams. You can add a new
stream, edit, delete, disable, and set which stream the player will use first. You can sort each column by
clicking on the column heading.
The system validates the stream settings according to the capabilities of your Niagara system.
Figure 53. Adaptive encoder video stream table
A.
The table displays five streams at a time. Additional streams display on additional pages.
Click the page number to display the streams on that page. You can also click First to go to
the first page or click Last to go to the last page.
B.
Click this link to add a stream.
Note: If you click Custom as the Input Size, the system will automatically adjust the width
and height of subsequent streams according to the custom settings.
C.
The bit rate displays in kilobits per second. This field can only contain whole numbers.
Note: Two streams at the same bit rate cannot run simultaneously.
D.
Displays the frames per second. You can enter up to two decimal places.
E.
Displays the width of the picture frame in the stream.
F.
Displays the height of the picture frame in the stream.
G.
The profile field has two settings:
Base – This profile is typically for video conferencing and mobile applications and has the
lowest demands on CPU load and memory usage, but lowest resulting quality.
Main – This profile is targeted at standard-definition TV. This profile is not acceptable for
streaming to iPhone mobile devices.
When you hover your cursor over a stream setting, additional functions display (Figure 54).
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Figure 54. Additional functions
Edit
Click this link to change the settings for a particular stream. Click Update to accept the
changes.
Note: Click Cancel to stop this action.
Del
Click this link to delete the stream.
Disable
Click this link to disable this stream. The settings are still visible but appear to be
“crossed out.”
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Audio tab
Use the following table to configure the audio analog input settings for an Adaptive Microsoft Smooth
Streaming encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down lists may vary.
Figure 55. Audio tab
To configure audio settings:
1.
In the Source field, select an audio source from the drop-down list.
IMPORTANT! The audio input must match the connectors on the back of the system and
your audio source.
2.
Select the Overlay Closed Caption check box to enable overlay closed captions. Field 1 CC 1
is the default setting.
3.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Left Volume and Right Volume.
4.
(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence the audio.
5.
Click Save Settings.
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Output tab
Use the following table to configure the output analog input settings for an Adaptive Microsoft Smooth
Streaming encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 56. Output tab
To configure output settings:
1.
Select Publish to IIS Host.
2.
Enter the destination Host Address.
Note: The Stream Path that displays is a combination of the host address and the publish
point.
3.
Enter the Publish Point.
4.
Select PlayReady DRM to enable Digital Rights Management support. PlayReady requires
external License Server provider support. The URL and the seed must be acquired from the
license hosting provider.
5.
Select the Key URL:
http://
https://
6.
Enter the PlayReady key URL.
7.
Click Create to generate a unique Key ID.
8.
Enter the Key Seed.
9.
Click Stream to File System.
10.
Accept the default location that displays in the Folder field or choose your own location for
the file. To choose your own personal location select the link (horizontal ellipses or … ) to the
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right of the Folder field and display the options (Figure 57).
Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D:\AVFiles. See Connecting an external
storage device for instructions on saving video files to a USB storage device.
Figure 57. Select a folder
WARNING! You can only save media files to drive D. Check drive properties for available
free space to determine your storage capacity.
A better practice would be to use a remote file server to save a file or to save it to a
remote drive. If you fill all available space, you risk losing your stream during a
streaming event.
Smooth Streaming files created when you enable Output to File are not designed to be
played locally by a media player but should be hosted on an IIS server for Video On
Demand services.
11.
Enter the Username.
Note: You can enter a maximum of 80 characters.
IIS authentication types supported are Basic and Digest.
12.
Enter the Password.
Note: You can enter a maximum of 20 characters.
13.
Click Save Settings.
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Adobe Flash H.264 encoder with analog inputs
To create an encoder, Encoders All Encoders Create New Encoder link Encoder Name field.
When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The steps for editing a new
encoder or an existing encoder are identical. You must configure the video and audio settings for each
encoder type.
Use the Video, Audio, Output, and H.264 Presets tabs to edit the settings. Begin with configuring the
video and audio settings, then the server and destination settings. The server and destination settings
are different for each type of encoder.
From the Encoder Properties window (Figure 58), you can set the encoder to start streaming
automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start an encoder from this window by
clicking the Start Flash Encoder link in the top right corner of the window.
IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save
Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.
Figure 58. Flash encoder
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Video tab
Use the following table to configure the video analog input settings for a Flash encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 59. Video tab
To configure video settings:
1.
Select the video input Source from the drop-down list.
Note: When SimulStream is enabled, you may use the same input source in another encoding
profile. This lets you encode the same audio and video at multiple data rates and multiple
formats to provide the best user experience for different viewing audiences.
2.
In the Input field, select the video input.
IMPORTANT! The video input must match the connectors on the back of the system and your
video source.
3.
In the Size field, select the pre-determined size of the encoded video from the drop-down list.
You can also specify a custom size for your video. This customization is useful when you are
capturing video to be played on a mobile video-device that requires a non-standard size for
compatibility.
When you click Custom, two additional fields appear so you can enter the exact size you want
the resulting video to be (Figure 60).
Note: The size in the Width and Height fields must be divisible by 2.
Figure 60. Custom fields
4.
Select the Video Encoder from the drop-down list.
5.
Enter the frames per second in the Frame Rate field.
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6.
Enter the Bitrate.
7.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 61).
Figure 61. Video Filter Settings
Note: Click the Restore button to the right of the filter to reset the settings to the default.
8.
Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 62). Options include:
None
– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.
Auto
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Applies motion adaptive de-interlacing to all video that is not telecine.
– Switches dynamically between the two modes as the content changes.
– Available for NTSC video only.
InverseTelecine
– Drops the redundant fields and reassembles the video in a 24 fps progressive format.
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Performs no de-interlacing of video that is not telecine.
– Available for NTSC video only.
Motion Adaptive
– Is an algorithm for de-interlacing pure video (non-telecine) content.
– Applies motion adaptive interlacing to all video. It detects which portions of the image
are still and which portions are in motion then applies different processing to each
scenario.
Figure 62. De-Interlace Settings
Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only apply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL and
SECAM video. The system disables Auto and Inverse Telecine choices when you select
either PAL or SECAM as the video standard.
9.
Click Save Settings.
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Audio tab
Use the following table to configure the audio analog input settings for a Flash encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 63. Audio tab
To configure audio settings:
1.
In the Source field, select an audio source from the drop-down list.
IMPORTANT! The audio input must match the source connected on the back of the system and
your audio source.
2.
Select the Overlay Closed Caption check box to enable overlay closed captions. Field 1 CC 1 is
the default setting.
3.
Click the audio Format from the drop-down list.
4.
Click the Audio Type from the drop-down list.
5.
Click the Bitrate from the drop-down list.
6.
The Audio Encoder setting is AAC.
7.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Left Volume and Right Volume.
8.
(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence audio.
9.
Click Save Settings.
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Output tab
Use the following table to configure the output analog input settings for a Flash encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 64. Output tab
To configure output settings:
1.
Select Enable Streaming to enable live Flash streaming.
2.
Enter the proper IP address in the Server Address field.
3.
Enter the Stream Name.
4.
Select the Authentication Type from the drop-down list. Options are available for streaming
directly to Adobe, Akamai, and Limelight CDNs.
5.
Enter the User Name and Password.
6.
Select the Embed System Time as Timecode.
7.
Click the Frame Interval from the drop-down list.
8.
Enable Save to File to save the encoded content to a file. Each time you start this encoder,
the system overwrites the previous file.
Note: You must enable either Enable Streaming or Save to File. If both Enable Streaming
and Save to File are disabled, the encoder will not start and an error is generated.
9.
Select Create unique file to create a file that the system does not overwrite.
10.
Accept the default location that displays in the File Name field or choose your own location
for the file. To choose your own personal location select the link (horizontal ellipses or … ) to
the right of the File Name field and display the options (Figure 65).
Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D:\AVFiles with a default file name of
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capture.f4v.
Figure 65. Select a folder
WARNING! You can only save media files to drive D. Check drive properties for available
free space to determine your storage capacity.
A better practice would be to use the streaming server to save a file or to save it to a
remote drive. If you fill all available space, you risk losing your stream during a
streaming event.
11.
Click Save Settings.
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H.264 Presets
These advanced presets affect the way the encoder performs and if set incorrectly may lead to
abnormal encoder operations (Figure 66). Each preset contains properties that you can modify. Refer to
Appendix B for suggested values for the type of video you are streaming.
Use the following table to configure the H.264 analog presets for a Flash encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 66. H.264 Presets tab
To configure H.264 presets:
1.
Click Edit next to the property you want to modify.
IMPORTANT! These advanced presets affect the way the encoder performs and if set
incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder operations. Refer to the H.264 Presets section
for suggested values for the type of video you are streaming.
2.
Change the value.
3.
Click Update.
4.
Click the Restore Defaults link at the bottom of the window to return the settings to the
defaults.
Note: The database has multiple properties for each preset. Clicking Restore Defaults for one
property will change all properties to the default settings.
5.
Click Save Settings.
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AVI encoder with analog inputs
To create an encoder, Encoders All Encoders Create New Encoder link Encoder Name field.
When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The steps for editing a new
encoder or an existing encoder are identical. You must configure the video and audio settings for each
encoder type. Use the Video, Audio, and Output tabs to edit the settings.
From the Encoder Properties window (Figure 67), you can set the encoder to start streaming
automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start an encoder from this window by
clicking the Start AVI Encoder link in the top right corner of the window.
IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save
Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.
Figure 67. AVI encoder
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Video tab
Use the following table to configure the video analog input settings for an AVI encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 68. Video tab
To configure video settings:
1.
Select the video input Source from the drop-down list.
Note: When SimulStream is enabled, you may use the same input source in another encoding
profile. This lets you encode the same audio and video at multiple data rates and multiple
formats to provide the best user experience for different viewing audiences.
2.
In the Input field, select the video input.
IMPORTANT! The video input must match the connectors on the back of the system and your
video source.
3.
In the Size field, select the pixel size of the encoded video from the pre-determined sizes in
the drop-down list.
You can also specify a custom size for your video. This customization is useful when you are
capturing video to be played on a mobile video-device that requires a non-standard size for
compatibility.
When you click Custom, two additional fields appear so you can enter the exact size you
want the resulting video to be (Figure 69).
Note: The size in the Width and Height fields must be divisible by 2.
Figure 69. Custom fields
4.
Select the Format from the drop-down list.
5.
Enter the Frame Rate.
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6.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 70).
Figure 70. Video Filter Settings
Note: Click Restore to the right of the filter to reset the settings to the default.
7.
Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 71). Options include:
None
– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.
Auto
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Applies motion adaptive de-interlacing to all video that is not telecine.
– Switches dynamically between the two modes as the content changes.
– Available for NTSC video only.
InverseTelecine
– Drops the redundant fields and reassembles the video in a 24 fps progressive format.
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Performs no de-interlacing of video that is not telecine.
– Available for NTSC video only.
MotionAdaptive
– Is an algorithm for de-interlacing pure video (non-telecine) content.
– Applies motion adaptive interlacing to all video. It detects which portions of the image
are still and which portions are in motion then applies different processing to each
scenario.
Figure 71. De-Interlace settings
Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only apply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL and
SECAM video. The system disables Auto and Inverse Telecine choices when you select
either PAL or SECAM as the video standard.
8.
Click Save Settings.
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Audio tab
Use the following table to configure the audio analog input settings for an AVI encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 72. Audio tab
To configure audio settings:
1.
In the Source field, select an audio source from the drop-down list.
IMPORTANT! The audio input must match the connectors on the back of the system and your
video source.
2.
Select the Overlay Closed Caption check box to enable overlay closed captions. Field 1 CC 1 is
the default setting.
3.
Click the Audio Format from the drop-down list.
4.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Left Volume and Right Volume.
5.
(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence audio.
6.
Click Save Settings.
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Output tab
Use the following table to configure the output analog input settings for an AVI encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 73. Output tab
To configure output settings:
1.
You can:
Use the default setting, Save to File, to save the encoded content to a file. Each time
you start this encoder, the system overwrites the previous file.
Click Create unique file to create a file that the system does not overwrite.
2.
Accept the default location that displays in the File Name field or choose your own
location for the file. To choose your own personal location select the link (horizontal
ellipses or … ) to the right of the File Name field and display the options (Figure 74).
Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D:\AVFiles with a default file name of
capture.avi.
See Connecting an external storage device section for instructions on saving video
files to a USB device.
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76 ViewCast
Figure 74. Select a folder
WARNING! You can only save media files to drive D. Check drive properties for available
free space to determine your storage capacity.
A better practice would be to use the streaming server to save a file or to save it to a
remote drive. If you fill all available space, you risk losing your stream during a
streaming event.
3.
Click Save Settings.
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MPEG4 encoder with analog inputs
To create an encoder, Encoders All Encoders Create New Encoder link Encoder Name field.
When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The steps for editing a new
encoder or an existing encoder are identical. You must configure the video and audio settings for each
encoder type.
Use the Video, Audio, and Output tabs to edit the settings. Begin with configuring the video and audio
settings, then the server and destination settings. The server and destination settings are different for
each type of encoder.
From the Encoder Properties window (Figure 75), you can set the encoder to start streaming
automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start an encoder from this window by
clicking the Start MPEG4 Encoder link in the top right corner of the window.
IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save
Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.
Figure 75. MPEG4 encoder
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Video tab
Use the following table to configure the video analog input settings for an MPEG4 encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 76. Video tab
To configure video settings:
1.
Select the video input Source from the drop-down list.
Note: When SimulStream is enabled, you may use the same input source in another encoding
profile. This lets you encode the same audio and video at multiple data rates and multiple
formats to provide the best user experience for different viewing audiences.
2.
In the Input field, select the video input.
IMPORTANT! The video input must match the connectors on the back of the system and your
video source.
3.
In the Size field, select the pre-determined size of the encoded video from the drop-down list.
You can also specify a custom size for your video. This customization is useful when you are
capturing video to be played on a mobile video-device that requires a non-standard size for
compatibility.
When you click Custom, two additional fields (Figure 77) appear so you can enter the exact
size you want the resulting video to be.
Note: The size in the Width and Height fields must be divisible by 2.
Figure 77. Custom fields
IMPORTANT! Ensure all of the encoders using the same video Proportion and Size settings
also use the same Video and Audio Source settings. For example, all encoders capturing at
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Standard proportion and CIF size are set to Video Device 1.1 while encoders capturing at
Standard proportion but QCIF resolution are set to Video Device 1.2.
4.
Click the type of Video Encoder for Internet video, mobile phones, set top boxes, and create
media files for other MPEG-4 compatible devices such as iPods according to the Motion
Picture Expert Group (MPEG) types (refer to Table 1 and Table 2).
IMPORTANT! Choose the container type (MP4, TS, 3GP, and 3G2) on the Output tab.
If you select MPEG4 from the drop-down list, the MPEG-4 Presets tab displays (see MPEG-4
Presets tab). The fields on the Video, Audio, and Output tabs will change depending on the
type of video encoder you select.
See TS Container for steps on streaming to a TS container.
5.
Enter the frames per second in the Frame Rate field.
6.
Enter the kilobits per second in the Bitrate field.
7.
In the Format field, indicate the color space format.
IMPORTANT! If you specify a video size incompatible with the color space of your source
video, the system will automatically correct the size to the closest compatible setting when
you click Save Settings.
8.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 78).
Figure 78. Video filter settings
Note: Click Restore to the right of the filter to reset the settings to the default.
9.
Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 79). Options include:
None
– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.
Auto
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Applies motion adaptive de-interlacing to all video that is not telecine.
– Switches dynamically between the two modes as the content changes.
– Available for NTSC video only.
Inverse Telecine
– Drops the redundant fields and reassembles the video in a 24 fps progressive format.
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Performs no de-interlacing of video that is not telecine.
– Available for NTSC video only.
Motion Adaptive
– Is an algorithm for de-interlacing pure video (non-telecine) content.
– Applies motion adaptive interlacing to all video. It detects which portions of the image
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are still and which portions are in motion then applies different processing to each
scenario.
Figure 79. De-Interlace settings
Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only apply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL and
SECAM video. The system disables Auto and Inverse Telecine choices when you select
either PAL or SECAM as the video standard.
11.
Click Save Settings.
Table 1. MPEG encoder and container descriptions
MPEG4 – MP4
MPEG-4 Part 2 is for situations where low bit rate and low resolution are
mandated by other conditions of the applications, such as network
bandwidth or device size. Examples of video applications for MPEG-4 are
cell phones, some low-end video conferencing systems, and surveillance
systems. MPEG-4 is important for legacy handheld devices that do not
support H.264.
H264 – MP4
H.264, MPEG-4 Part 10, or AVC (Advanced Video Coding) was designed
for high data compression while maintaining better quality than its
predecessor, H.263. It also addresses a broad range of applications from
low bit rate to high bit rate and from low resolution such as cell phones
to high resolution such as broadcast.
MPEG-TS
MPEG transport stream is a standard format for transmission and storage
of audio, video, and Program and System Information Protocol (PSIP)
data. It is used in broadcast systems such as DVB, ATSC and IPTV.
H.264-TS
H.264 encoding provided a MPEG-2 transport stream (TS) container.
The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) defined 3GP as a multimedia container
format for use on 3G mobile phones. It stores video streams such as MPEG-4 or H.264 and
audio streams such as AAC.
This format has two defined standards:
3GPP for GSM-based mobile phones
3GPP2 for CDMA-based mobile phones
This setting creates an H.263 stream stored in a 3GPP container.
H264 – 3GP
This setting creates an H.264 stream stored in a 3GP container.
H264 – 3G2
This setting creates an H.264 stream stored in a 3G2 container.
MPEG4 – 3GP
This setting creates an MPEG-4 stream stored in a 3GP container.
MPEG4 – 3G2
This setting creates an MPEG-4 stream stored in a 3G2 container.
H263 – 3GP
This setting creates an H.263 stream stored in a 3GP container.
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H263 – 3G2
This setting creates an H.263 stream stored in a 3G2 container.
Table 2. Valid output container selections for video encoder types
Container
H.263 Video
MPEG-4 Video
H.264 Video
MPEG-2
MP4
N/A
3GP
3G2
TS
IMPORTANT! You must select container type 3GP or 3G2 on the Output tab before video encoder
H263 will appear on the Video tab.
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Audio tab
Use the following table to configure the audio analog input settings for an MPEG4 encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 80. Audio tab
To configure audio settings:
1.
In the Source field, select an audio source from the drop-down list.
2.
Select the Overlay Closed Caption check box to enable overlay closed captions. Field 1 CC 1 is
the default setting.
3.
Click the Audio Format.
4.
Click the Audio Type. The drop-down list box provides two choices:
Main – The same as Low Complexity, but adds backward prediction.
Low Complexity – The simplest and most widely used and supports AAC audio format.
HE-AAC VI – Uses spectral band replication (SBR) to enhance the compression efficiency in
the frequency domain.
HE-AAC V2 – Enhances the compression efficiency of stereo signals.
Note: Depending on the player on which the resulting stream will be heard, either choice will
use a specific set of tools to encode the audio stream. Make your choice based on the
requirement of the playback software or device. The most widely supported format is the
Low Complexity profile.
5.
The default Audio Encoder is AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) – a standardized, lossy
compression and encoding scheme for digital audio. AAC achieves better audio quality than
MP3. AAC and MP3 are MPEG standards.
6.
Click the Bitrate.
7.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Left Volume and Right Volume.
8.
(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence audio.
9.
Click Save Settings.
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Output tab
Use the following table to configure the output analog input settings for an MPEG4 encoder.
Note: This tab is dynamic depending upon which encoder you select on the Video tab. The choices in
the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 81. Output tab
To configure output settings:
1.
Select Enable Streaming to stream your audiovisual content via RTSP.
2.
Set the appropriate streaming properties.
Note: The default settings will enable multicast streaming. If you do not want this setting,
change the IP address for Group to the IP address of the server to which you want to
stream from the encoder.
3.
In the SDP File field, enter a name and a destination path for the resulting SDP file created
when you start the stream. If you are streaming to a Helix, a QuickTime, or a Darwin server,
refer to its respective documentation or online message boards for setup details specific for
the individual streaming server.
Note: You can stream point-to-point by selecting a share destination directory for the saved
SDP file. Remember to disable multicasting by entering in the IP address of the PC to
which you want to stream.
For example, if you want another PC to view the stream, save the SDP file to a share
folder on the local drive. The other PC can open the SDP file and the stream can be
played in a QuickTime or other MPEG-4 compatible streaming player. Since MPEG-4
encoding can be CPU intensive, it is not recommended that you view the stream on the
same system as the Niagara SCX encoder unless you have a powerful system (dual-core
processors or better). Doing so may overtax the host CPU, which will cause video
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84 ViewCast
quality degradation and encode session failure.
4.
Select Save to File to save the encoded content to a file. Each time you start this encoder,
the system overwrites the previous file.
5.
Select Create unique file to create a file that the system does not overwrite.
6.
Accept the default location that displays in the File Name field or choose your own location
for the file (Figure 82). To choose your own personal location select the link (horizontal
ellipses or … ) to the right of the File Name field and display the options.
Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D:\AVFiles with a default file name of
capture.mp4.
Figure 82. Select a folder
WARNING! You can only media files to drive D. Check drive properties for available free
space to determine your storage capacity.
A better practice would be to use the streaming server to save a file or to save it to a
remote drive. If you fill all available space, you risk losing your stream during a
streaming event.
7.
Click the Container Type.
8.
Select Enable Injection to inject an SDP file onto your server.
9.
Enter the username and password.
10.
Enter the Server SDP File Name.
11.
Enter the Server Port Number.
12.
Click Save Settings.
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H.264 Presets tab
Each preset contains properties that you can modify. Use the following table to configure the H.264
presets analog input settings for an MPEG4 encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 83. H.264 Presets tab
To configure H.264 presets:
1.
Click Edit next to the property you want to modify.
IMPORTANT! These advanced presets affect the way the encoder performs and if set
incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder operations. Refer to the H.264 Presets section for
suggested values for the type of video you are streaming.
2.
Change the Value.
3.
Click Update.
4.
Click the Restore Defaults link at the bottom of the window to return the settings to the
default.
Note: The database has multiple properties for each preset. Clicking Restore Defaults for one
property will change all properties to the default settings.
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MPEG-4 Presets tab
Each preset contains properties that you can modify. Use the following table to configure the MPEG-4
presets analog input settings for an MPEG4 encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 84. MPEG-4 Presets tab
To configure MPEG-4 presets:
1.
Click Edit next to the property you want to modify.
IMPORTANT! These advanced presets affect the way the encoder performs and if set
incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder operations. Refer to the H.264 Presets section for
suggested values for the type of video you are streaming.
2.
Change the Value.
3.
Click Update.
4.
Click the Restore Defaults link at the bottom of the window to return the settings to the
default.
Note: The database has multiple properties for each preset. Clicking Restore Defaults for one
property will change all properties to the default settings.
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MPEG-2 Presets tab
Each preset contains properties that you can modify. Use the following table to configure the MPEG-2
presets analog input settings for an MPEG2 encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 85. MPEG-2 Presets tab
To configure MPEG-2 presets:
5.
Click Edit next to the property you want to modify.
IMPORTANT! These advanced presets affect the way the encoder performs and if set
incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder operations. Refer to the H.264 Presets section for
suggested values for the type of video you are streaming.
6.
Change the Value.
7.
Click Update.
8.
Click the Restore Defaults link at the bottom of the window to return the settings to the
default.
Note: The database has multiple properties for each preset. Clicking Restore Defaults for one
property will change all properties to the default settings.
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Microsoft Windows Media encoder with analog
inputs
To create an encoder, Encoders All Encoders Create New Encoder link Encoder Name field.
When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The steps for editing a new
encoder or an existing encoder are identical. You must configure the video and audio settings for each
encoder type.
Use the Video, Audio, Output, and DRM tabs to edit the settings. Begin with configuring the video and
audio settings, then the server and destination settings. The server and destination settings are different
for each type of encoder.
From the Encoder Properties window (Figure 86), you can set the encoder to start streaming
automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start an encoder from this window by
clicking the Start Windows Media Encoder link in the top right corner of the window.
IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save
Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.
Figure 86. Windows Media encoder
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Video tab
Use the following table to configure the video analog input settings for a Windows Media encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 87. Video tab
To configure video settings:
1.
Select the video input Source from the drop-down list.
Note: When SimulStream is enabled, you may use the same input source in another encoding
profile. This lets you encode the same audio and video at multiple data rates and multiple
formats to provide the best user experience for different viewing audiences.
2.
In the Input field, select the video input.
IMPORTANT! The video input must match the connectors on the back of the system and
your video source.
3.
In the Size field, select the pre-determined size of the encoded video from the drop-down
list.
You can also specify a custom size for your video. This customization is useful when you are
capturing video to be played on a mobile video-device that requires a non-standard size for
compatibility.
When you click Custom, two additional fields appear so you can enter the exact size you
want the resulting video to be (Figure 88).
Note: The size in the Width and Height fields must be divisible by 2.
Figure 88. Custom fields
IMPORTANT! Ensure all of the encoders using the same video Proportion and Size settings
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90 ViewCast
also use the same Video and Audio Source settings.
4.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation.
Figure 89. Video Filter Settings
Note: Click Restore to the right of each filter to return the setting to the default.
5.
Click the De-Interlace settings you want to apply (Figure 90). Options include:
None
– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.
Auto
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Applies motion adaptive de-interlacing to all video that is not telecine.
– Switches dynamically between the two modes as the content changes.
– Available for NTSC video only.
InverseTelecine
– Drops the redundant fields and reassembles the video in a 24 fps progressive format.
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Performs no de-interlacing of video that is not telecine.
– Available for NTSC video only.
Motion Adaptive
– Is an algorithm for de-interlacing pure video (non-telecine) content.
– Applies motion adaptive interlacing to all video. It detects which portions of the image
are still and which portions are in motion then applies different processing to each
scenario.
Figure 90. De-Interlace settings
Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only apply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL and
SECAM video. The system disables Auto and Inverse Telecine choices when you select
either PAL or SECAM as the video standard.
6.
Click Save Settings.
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Audio tab
Use the following table to configure the audio analog input settings for a Windows Media encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 91. Audio tab
To configure audio settings:
1.
In the Source field, select an audio source from the drop-down list.
2.
Select the Overlay Closed Caption check box to enable overlay closed captions. Field 1 CC 1 is
the default setting.
3.
Select the Embedded Closed Caption to embed the closed captions.
4.
Drag the slider to adjust the Left Volume and Right Volume.
5.
(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence audio.
6.
Click Save Settings.
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Output tab
Windows Media is both a storage format and a streaming format. In addition to the ability to output to a
file, the Windows Media encoder can stream to a Windows Media Server. The settings for Windows
Media encoder include the ability to set parameters for connecting and streaming to the server.
Some Windows Media Capture Profiles have pre-defined video resolutions and input selections. When
you select a Windows Media Capture Profile, verify your current video and audio settings have not been
modified. If they have been modified, simply change these settings back to their previous settings and
click Save Settings.
When streaming audio and video, the two methods are pull and push.
Pull method
In the pull method, the system begins to generate broadcast packets as soon as you start as soon as you
start the encoding. However, it does not deliver the broadcast stream until Windows Media Server
requests the stream. This method does not provide a secure connection to the server and should only
be used if the encoder and server reside within the same network firewall.
To enable clients to pull the stream from the Niagara system, set up a session and begin broadcasting
directly from the system. Clients (Windows Media servers or players) can connect to the stream at any
time. You can use mms or http scheme with either the IP address of DNS host name. For example:
http://encoding_computer_name:port
Push method
With the push method, the system maintains a secure connection to Windows Media Server. This
connection allows it to pass a user name and password to authenticate access to the server.
http://IP_address:port/publishing point
By default, the system supports up to 50 direct connections during a broadcast, but if you’re sending to
a lot of clients push to Windows Media Server. Use the pull method for testing. Use the push method for
a wide distribution.
Note: The more direct connections to the system, the more system resources are required. ViewCast
does not recommend directly connecting players to the system. Streaming servers should connect
to the system and, in turn, players should connect to the servers.
Use the following table to configure the output analog input settings for a Windows Media encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
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Figure 92. Output tab
To configure output settings:
1.
Click on a Windows Media Capture Profile from the drop-down list.
Note: When you select ATT UVERSE PEG from the drop-down list, the Pixel Aspect Ratio
field displays (Figure 93). Select the Pixel Aspect Ratio from the drop-down list.
Figure 93. Pixel Aspect Ratio field
2.
Select Enable Pull.
3.
Enter a port number that the server will use to pull the stream from the Niagara system.
4.
Select Enable Push.
IMPORTANT! Be sure to enter a port number not already assigned to another encoder. If two
encoders attempt to use the same port number, one or both encoders will fail to start.
5.
Enter a port number that the server will use to push the stream from the Niagara system.
6.
Enter the Server name or IP address.
7.
Enter the Alias.
Note: This field is optional.
8.
Enter the User Name.
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94 ViewCast
9.
Enter the Password.
10.
Select Enable Scripting to embed closed captions.
Note: If closed captions is enabled through the Osprey driver, you cannot enable scripting.
11.
You can either:
Select Save to File to save the encoded content to a file. Each time you start this encoder,
the system overwrites the previous file.
Select Index the file to drag the slider to any point in your video capture.
Select Create unique file to create a file that the system does not overwrite.
12.
Accept the default location that displays in the File Name field or choose your own location
for the file. To choose your own personal location select the link (horizontal ellipses or … ) to
the right of the File Name field and display the options (Figure 94).
Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D:\AVFiles with a default file name of
capture.wmv.
Figure 94. Select a folder
WARNING! You can only save media files to drive D. Check drive properties for available
free space to determine your storage capacity.
A better practice would be to use the streaming server to save a file or to save it to a
remote drive. If you fill all available space, you risk losing your stream during a
streaming event.
13.
Click Save Settings.
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DRM tab
You can protect your content using a technology called Digital Rights Management (DRM). Niagara SCX
allows you to encrypt your content with DRM technology while you are encoding. You can apply DRM
while encoding to a file and when broadcasting a stream. Users are required to obtain a license to play
to content. This license contains the key to unlock the content and the rights that govern its use (Figure
95).
Refer to Appendix A: DRM for Windows Media on how to set up and import a DRM profile.
Use the following table to configure the DRM analog input settings for a Windows Media encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 95. DRM tab
To configure DRM settings:
1.
Select Enable DRM.
2.
Click the DRM Profile you wish to apply from the drop-down list.
Note: When you enable DRM, Niagara SCX automatically changes the Windows Media
Capture Profile setting to a DRM-compatible Windows Media 9 setting. You may need to
adjust this setting after you enable DRM.
3.
Click Save Settings.
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Digital Inputs
The Niagara system includes a web interface, which allows you to access the advanced system settings.
The web interface also provides detailed settings and controls over the encoder profiles installed on the
Niagara system.
The web interface works with any computer that has a current web browser (Internet Explorer and
Firefox), including Windows®, Macintosh®, and Linux® machines. For the best user experience, ViewCast
recommends Internet Explorer. The system must reside either on a shared IP network with the
computer or directly connected to a Microsoft® Windows computer using an Ethernet cable (RJ45).
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Adaptive Apple HTTP encoder with digital inputs
To create an adaptive encoder, Encoders All Encoders Create New Encoder link Encoder Name
field Publisher drop-down list.
When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The steps for editing a new
encoder or an existing encoder are identical. You must configure the video and audio settings for each
encoder type.
Use the Video, Audio, and Output tabs to edit the settings. Begin with configuring the video and audio
settings, then the server and destination settings. The server and destination settings are different for
each type of encoder.
From the Adaptive Encoder Properties window (Figure 96), you can set the encoder to start streaming
automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start an encoder from this window by
clicking the Start Apple HTTP Live Streaming Encoder link in the top right corner of the window.
IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save
Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.
Figure 96. Adaptive Apple HTTP Live streaming encoder
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Video tab
Use the following table to configure the video digital input settings for an Adaptive Apple HTTP encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 97. Video tab
To configure video settings:
1.
Select the video input Source from the drop-down list.
2.
The Input field setting is SerialDigital.
IMPORTANT! The video input must match the connectors on the back of the system and your
video source.
3.
In the Input Size field, select the pixel size of the encoded video from the pre-determined
sizes in the drop-down list.
You can also specify a custom size for your video. This customization is useful when you are
capturing video to be played on a mobile video device that requires a non-standard size for
compatibility.
When you click Custom, two additional fields appear so you can enter the exact size you
want the resulting video to be (Figure 98).
Note: The size in the Width and Height fields must be divisible by 2.
Figure 98. Custom fields
4.
Enter the seconds for the GOP/Segment Length.
5.
In the adaptive encoder video stream table, indicate which stream the player will use first
(see Adaptive encoder video stream table).
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6.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 99).
Figure 99. Video Filter Settings
Note: Click Restore to the right of the filter to reset the settings to the default.
7.
Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 100). Options include:
None
– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.
Bob0
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Applies motion adaptive de-interlacing to all video that is not telecine.
– Switches dynamically between the two modes as the content changes.
– Available for NTSC video only.
Bob1
– Drops the redundant fields and reassembles the video in a 24 fps progressive format.
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Performs no de-interlacing of video that is not telecine.
– Available for NTSC video only.
Advanced
– Is an algorithm for de-interlacing pure video (non-telecine) content.
– Applies motion adaptive interlacing to all video. It detects which portions of the image
are still and which portions are in motion then applies different processing to each
scenario.
Figure 100. De-Interlace settings
Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only apply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL and
SECAM video. The system disables Bob0 and Bob1 choices when you select either PAL
or SECAM as the video standard.
8.
Select Add Statistics to overlay video statistics within the video stream for diagnostic
purposes.
9.
Click Save Settings.
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Adaptive encoder video stream table
The adaptive encoder video stream table (Figure 101) contains five default streams. You can add a new
stream, edit, delete, disable, and set which stream the player will use first. You can sort each column by
clicking on the column heading.
The system validates the stream settings according to the capabilities of your Niagara system.
Figure 101. Adaptive encoder video stream table
A.
The table displays five streams at a time. Additional streams display on additional pages.
Click the page number to display the streams on that page. You can also click First to go to
the first page or click Last to go to the last page.
B.
Click this link to add a stream.
Note: All streams must have a width less than or equal to 0. All streams must have a height
less than or equal to 0.
C.
The bit rate displays in kilobits per second. This field can only contain whole numbers.
Note: Two streams at the same bit rate cannot run simultaneously.
D.
Displays the frames per second. You can enter up to two decimal places.
E.
Displays the width of the picture frame in the stream.
F.
Displays the height of the picture frame in the stream.
G.
The profile field has two settings:
Base – This profile is typically for video conferencing and mobile applications and has the
lowest demands on CPU load and memory usage, but lowest resulting quality.
Main – This profile is targeted at standard-definition TV. This profile is not acceptable for
streaming to iPhone mobile devices.
When you hover your cursor over a stream setting, additional functions display (Figure 102).
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102 ViewCast
Figure 102. Additional functions
Edit
Click this link to change the settings for a particular stream. Click Update to accept the
changes.
Note: Click Cancel to stop this action.
Del
Click this link to delete the stream.
Disable
Click this link to disable this stream. The settings are still visible but appear to be
“crossed out.”
Initial
Click this link to have the player use this stream first. The settings for the initial stream
appear in bold.
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Audio tab
Use the following table to configure the audio digital input settings for an Adaptive Apple HTTP encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 103. Audio tab
To configure audio settings:
1.
Select the video input Source from the drop-down list.
2.
Select the Overlay Closed Caption check box to enable overlay closed captions. Field 1 CC1 is
the default.
2.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Left Volume and Right Volume.
3.
(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence the audio.
4.
Click Save Settings.
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Output tab
Use the following table to configure the output digital input settings for an Adaptive Apple encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 104. Output tab
To configure output settings:
1.
Select Stream to Network Host.
CAUTION! Simultaneously publishing to server and file system increases CPU usage.
2.
Select the Host Address:
http://
ftp://
Note: When you select ftp://, the Passive FTP Mode displays. Select this field to use passive
FTP mode or clear this field to use active FTP mode.
3.
Enter the address in the next field.
4.
Indicate the maximum HTTP Cache by dragging the slider for the number of files to maintain.
Note: The Stream Path that displays is a combination of the Host Address, Subfolder, and
Filename.
5.
Select Create unique folder to create a file that the system does not overwrite.
Note: The format is Subfolder_YYMMDD_HHMMSS.
6.
Enter the name of the Subfolder used in the network destination and/or the local file system
full filename.
7.
Enter the name of the variant playlist file in the Filename field.
8.
Enter the Number of Segments Per Folder.
9.
Select Stream to File System to enable archiving content to the file system.
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10.
Accept the default location that displays in the Folder field or choose your own location for
the file (Figure 105). To choose your own personal location select the link (horizontal ellipses
or …) to the right of the Folder field to display the options.
Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D:\AVFiles. See Connecting an external
storage device for instructions on saving video files to a USB storage device.
Figure 105. Select a folder
WARNING! You can only save media files to drive D. Check drive properties for available
free space to determine your storage capacity.
A better practice would be to use the streaming server to save a file or to save it to a
remote drive. If you fill all available space, you risk losing your stream during a
streaming event.
Note: The File System that displays is a combination of the Folder, Subfolder, and
Filename.
11.
Select Allow client to cache content.
12.
Select Encrypt Media Segment Files to protect the content.
13.
Select the Key File.
Note: http:// is currently the only choice.
14.
Enter the URL.
15.
Enter the user authentication Type. If the host address is:
http:// the selections are None and Akamai.
Note: If you select Akamai, you must set the time zone according to where the Niagara 9100
is located. To change the time zone:
1. Right click on the time in the system tray.
2. Click on Adjust Date/Time.
3. In the Date and Time window, click Change time zone
4. Click on the appropriate time zone from the drop-down list and click OK.
5. Click Change date and time.
6. In the Date and Time Settings window, enter the current time and click OK. The time
must be as exact as possible.
ftp:// the selections are None or ftp.
16.
Enter the Username.
17.
Enter the Password.
18.
Click Save Settings.
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Adaptive Adobe Flash encoder with digital
inputs
To create an adaptive encoder, Encoders All Encoders Create New Encoder link Encoder Name
field Publisher drop-down list.
When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The steps for editing a new
encoder or an existing encoder are identical. You must configure the audio and video settings for each
encoder type.
Use the Video, Audio, and Output tabs to edit the settings. Begin with configuring the video and audio
settings, then the streaming properties. The server settings are different for each type of encoder.
From the Adaptive Adobe Flash Encoder Properties window (Figure 106), you can set the encoder to
start streaming automatically by clicking the Auto Start check box. You can also start the encoder from
this window by clicking the Start Adobe Flash Dynamic Streaming Encoder link in the top right corner of
the window.
IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save
Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.
Figure 106. Adaptive Flash encoder
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Video tab
Use the following table to configure the video digital input settings for an Adaptive Adobe Flash
encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 107. Video tab
To configure video settings:
1.
Select the video input Source from the drop-down list.
2.
In the Input field, the video input is SerialDigital.
3.
In the Input Size field, select the pixel size of the encoded video from the pre-determined
sizes in the drop-down list.
You can also specify a custom size for your video. This customization is useful when you are
capturing video to be played on a mobile video-device that requires a non-standard size for
compatibility.
When you click Custom, two additional fields appear so you can enter the exact size you
want the resulting video to be (Figure 108).
Figure 108. Custom fields
4.
Select the Frame Rate from the drop-down list.
5.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 109).
Figure 109. Video Filter Settings
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108 ViewCast
Note: Click the Restore button to the right of the filter to reset the settings to the default.
6.
Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 110). Options include:
None
– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.
Bob0
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Applies motion adaptive de-interlacing to all video that is not telecine.
– Switches dynamically between the two modes as the content changes.
– Available for NTSC video only.
Bob1
– Drops the redundant fields and reassembles the video in a 24 fps progressive format.
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Performs no de-interlacing of video that is not telecine.
– Available for NTSC video only.
MotionAdaptive
– Is an algorithm for de-interlacing pure video (non-telecine) content.
– Applies motion adaptive interlacing to all video. It detects which portions of the image
are still and which portions are in motion. It then applies different processing to each
scenario.
Figure 110. De-Interlace settings
Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only apply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL and
SECAM video. The system disables Bob0 and Bob1 choices when you select either PAL
or SECAM as the video standard.
7.
Click Save Settings.
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Adaptive encoder video stream table
The adaptive encoder video stream table (Figure 111) contains four default streams. You can add a new
stream, edit, delete, and disable. You can sort each column by clicking on the column heading.
The system validates the stream settings according to the capabilities of your Niagara system.
Figure 111. Adaptive encoder video stream table
A.
The table displays five streams at a time. Additional streams display on additional pages.
Click the page number to display the streams on that page. You can also click First to go to
the first page or click Last to go to the last page.
B.
Click this link to add a stream.
C.
The bit rate displays in kilobits per second. This field can only contain whole numbers.
Note: Two streams at the same bit rate cannot run simultaneously.
D.
Displays the frames per second. You can enter up to two decimal places.
E.
Displays the width of the picture frame in the stream.
F.
Displays the height of the picture frame in the stream.
G.
The profile field has two settings:
Base – This profile is typically for video conferencing and mobile applications and has the
lowest demands on CPU load and memory usage, but lowest resulting quality.
Main – This profile is targeted at standard-definition TV.
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110 ViewCast
When you hover your cursor over a stream setting, additional functions display (Figure 112).
Figure 112. Additional functions
Edit
Click this link to change the settings for a particular stream. Click Update to accept the
changes.
Note: Click Cancel to stop this action.
Del
Click this link to delete the stream.
Disable
Click this link to disable this stream. The settings are still visible but appear to be
“crossed out.”
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Audio tab
Use the following table to configure the audio digital input settings for an Adaptive Adobe Flash
encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 113. Audio tab
To configure audio settings:
1.
In the Source field, select an audio source from the drop-down list.
IMPORTANT! The audio input must match the connectors on the back of the system and your
audio source.
2.
Select the Overlay Closed Caption check box to enable overlay closed captions. Field 1 CC 1
is the default setting.
3.
Drag the slider to adjust the Left Volume and Right Volume.
4.
(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence the audio.
5.
Click Save Settings.
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112 ViewCast
Output tab
Use the following table to configure the output digital input settings for an Adaptive Adobe Flash
encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 114. Output tab
To configure output settings:
1.
Select Stream to Flash Media Server.
2.
Enter the destination FMS Address.
Note: The Stream Path that displays is a combination of the FMS (Flash Media Server)
address and the stream name.
3.
Enter the Stream Name.
Note: The system accepts the %v parameter for video bitrate, %i for indexing, and %b for
overall bitrate, which is compatible with Adobe Flash media encoder.
4.
Select Stream to File System to enable archiving content to the file system.
5.
Accept the default location that displays in the Folder field or choose your own location for
the file. To choose your own personal location select the link (horizontal ellipses or … ) to the
right of the Folder field and display the options (Figure 115).
Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D:\AVFiles. See Connecting an external
storage device for instructions on saving video files to a USB storage device.
Figure 115. Select a folder
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WARNING! You can only save media files to drive D. Check drive properties for available
free space to determine your storage capacity.
A better practice would be to use a Flash Media server to save a file or to save it to a
remote drive. If you fill all available space, you risk losing your stream during a
streaming event.
6.
Select Create Unique file.
7.
Enter the Filename.
Note: The File System that displays is a combination of the Folder and Filename.
8.
Select the user authentication Type:
None
Adobe
Akamai
Limelight
9.
Enter the Username.
Note: You can enter a maximum of 80 characters.
10.
Enter the Password.
Note: You can enter a maximum of 20 characters.
11.
Click Save Settings.
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114 ViewCast
Adaptive Microsoft Smooth Streaming encoder
with digital inputs
To create an adaptive encoder, Encoders All Encoders Create New Encoder link Encoder Name
field Publisher drop-down list.
When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The steps for editing a new
encoder or an existing encoder are identical. You must configure the video and audio settings for each
encoder type.
Use the Video, Audio, and Output tabs to edit the settings. Begin with configuring the video and audio
settings, then the server and destination settings. The server and destination settings are different for
each type of encoder.
From the Encoder Properties window (Figure 116), you can set the encoder to start streaming
automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start an encoder from this window by
clicking the Start Microsoft Smooth Streaming Encoder link in the top right corner of the window.
IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save
Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.
Figure 116. Smooth Streaming encoder
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Video tab
Use the following table to configure the video digital input settings for an Adaptive Microsoft Smooth
Streaming encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down lists may vary.
Figure 117. Video tab
To configure video settings:
1.
Select the video input Source from the drop-down list.
2.
In the Input field, select the video input.
IMPORTANT! The video input must match the connectors on the back of the system and your
video source.
3.
In the Input Size field, select the pixel size of the encoded video from the pre-determined
sizes.
You can specify a custom size for your video. When you click Custom, two additional fields
appear so you can enter the exact size you want the resulting video to be (Figure 118).
Note: The size in the Width and Height fields must be divisible by 2.
Figure 118. Custom fields
4.
Enter the seconds for the GOP/Segment Length.
5.
In the adaptive encoder video stream table, indicate which stream the player will use first
(see
Adaptive encoder video stream tableAdaptive encoder video stream table).
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116 ViewCast
6.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 119).
Figure 119. Video Filter Settings
Note: Click Restore to the right of the filter to reset the settings to the default.
7.
Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 120). Options include:
None
– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.
Bob0
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Applies motion adaptive de-interlacing to all video that is not telecine.
– Switches dynamically between the two modes as the content changes.
– Available for NTSC video only.
Bob1
– Drops the redundant fields and reassembles the video in a 24 fps progressive format.
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Performs no de-interlacing of video that is not telecine.
– Available for NTSC video only.
Advanced
– Is an algorithm for de-interlacing pure video (non-telecine) content.
– Applies motion adaptive interlacing to all video. It detects which portions of the image
are still and which portions are in motion then applies different processing to each
scenario.
Figure 120. De-Interlace settings
Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only apply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL and
SECAM video. The system disables Bob0 and Bob1 choices when you select either PAL
or SECAM as the video standard.
8.
Select Add Statistics to overlay video statistics within the video stream for diagnostic
purposes.
9.
Click Save Settings.
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Adaptive encoder video stream table
The adaptive encoder video stream table (Figure 121) contains five default streams. You can add a new
stream, edit, delete, disable, and set which stream the player will use first. You can sort each column by
clicking on the column heading.
The system validates the stream settings according to the capabilities of your Niagara system.
Figure 121. Adaptive encoder video stream table
A.
The table displays five streams at a time. Additional streams display on additional pages.
Click the page number to display the streams on that page. You can also click First to go to
the first page or click Last to go to the last page.
B.
Click this link to add a stream.
C.
The bit rate displays in kilobits per second. This field can only contain whole numbers.
Note: Two streams at the same bit rate cannot run simultaneously.
D.
Displays the frames per second. You can enter up to two decimal places.
E.
Displays the width of the picture frame in the stream.
F.
Displays the height of the picture frame in the stream.
G.
The profile field has two settings:
Base – This profile is typically for video conferencing and mobile applications and has the
lowest demands on CPU load and memory usage, but lowest resulting quality.
Main – This profile is targeted at standard-definition TV.
When you hover your cursor over a stream setting, additional functions display (Figure 122).
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118 ViewCast
Figure 122. Additional functions
Edit
Click this link to change the settings for a particular stream. Click Update to accept the
changes.
Note: Click Cancel to stop this action.
Del
Click this link to delete the stream.
Disable
Click this link to disable this stream. The settings are still visible but appear to be
“crossed out.”
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Audio tab
Use the following table to configure the audio digital input settings for an Adaptive Microsoft Smooth
Streaming encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down lists may vary.
Figure 123. Audio tab
To configure audio settings:
1.
In the Source field, select an audio source from the drop-down list.
IMPORTANT! The audio input must match the connectors on the back of the system and
your audio source.
2.
Select the Overlay Closed Caption check box to enable overlay closed captions. Field 1 CC 1
is the default setting.
3.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Left Volume and Right Volume.
4.
(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence the audio.
5.
Click Save Settings.
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120 ViewCast
Output tab
Use the following table to configure the output digital input settings for an Adaptive Microsoft Smooth
Streaming encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 124. Output tab
To configure output settings:
1.
Select Publish to IIS Host.
2.
Enter the destination Host Address.
Note: The Stream Path that displays is a combination of the host address and the publish
point.
3.
Enter the Publish Point.
4.
Select PlayReady DRM to enable Digital Rights Management support. PlayReady requires
external License Server provider support. The URL and the seed must be acquired from the
license hosting provider.
5.
Select the Key URL:
http://
https://
6.
Enter the PlayReady key URL.
7.
Click Create to generate a unique key ID.
8.
Enter the Key Seed.
9.
Click Stream to File System.
10.
Accept the default location that displays in the Folder field or choose your own location for
the file. To choose your own personal location select the link (horizontal ellipses or … ) to the
right of the Folder field and display the options (Figure 125).
Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D:\AVFiles. See Connecting an external
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storage device for instructions on saving video files to a USB storage device.
Figure 125. Select a folder
WARNING! You can only save media files to drive D. Check drive properties for available
free space to determine your storage capacity.
A better practice would be to use a remote file server to save a file or to save it to a
remote drive. If you fill all available space, you risk losing your stream during a
streaming event.
Smooth Streaming files created when you enable Output to File are not designed to be
played locally by a media player but should be hosted on an IIS server for Video On
Demand services.
11.
Enter the Username.
Note: You can enter a maximum of 80 characters.
IIS authentication types supported are Basic and Digest.
12.
Enter the Password.
Note: You can enter a maximum of 20 characters.
13.
Click Save Settings.
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Adobe Flash H.264 encoder with digital inputs
To create an encoder, Encoders All Encoders Create New Encoder link Encoder Name field.
When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The steps for editing a new
encoder or an existing encoder are identical. You must configure the video and audio settings for each
encoder type.
Use the Video, Audio, Output, and H.264 Presets tabs to edit the settings. Begin with configuring the
video and audio settings, then the server and destination settings. The server and destination settings
are different for each type of encoder.
From the Encoder Properties window (Figure 126), you can set the encoder to start streaming
automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start an encoder from this window by
clicking the Start Flash Encoder link in the top right corner of the window.
IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save
Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.
Figure 126. Flash encoder
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Video tab
Use the following table to configure the video digital input settings for a Flash encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 127. Video tab
To configure video settings:
1.
Select the video input Source from the drop-down list.
2.
In the Input field, select the video input.
IMPORTANT! The video input must match the connectors on the back of the Niagara 9100
and your video source.
3.
In the Size field, click the pixel size of the encoded video from the drop-down list.
You can also specify a custom size for your video. This customization is useful when you are
capturing video to be played on a mobile video-device that requires a non-standard size for
compatibility.
When you click Custom, two additional fields appear so you can enter the exact size you
want the resulting video to be (Figure 128).
Note: The size in the Width and Height fields must be divisible by 2.
Figure 128. Custom fields
4.
Select the Video Encoder from the drop-down list.
5.
Enter the frames per second in the Frame Rate field.
6.
Enter the Bitrate.
7.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 129).
Digital Inputs
124 ViewCast
Figure 129. Video Filter Settings
Note: Click Restore to the right of the filter to reset the settings to the default.
8.
Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 130). Options include:
None
– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.
Bob0
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Applies motion adaptive de-interlacing to all video that is not telecine.
– Switches dynamically between the two modes as the content changes.
– Available for NTSC video only.
Bob1
– Drops the redundant fields and reassembles the video in a 24 fps progressive format.
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Performs no de-interlacing of video that is not telecine.
– Available for NTSC video only.
Advanced
– Is an algorithm for de-interlacing pure video (non-telecine) content.
– Applies motion adaptive interlacing to all video. It detects which portions of the image
are still and which portions are in motion then applies different processing to each
scenario.
Figure 130. De-Interlace settings
Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only apply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL and
SECAM video. The system disables Bob0 and Bob1 choices when you select either PAL
or SECAM as the video standard.
9.
Click Save Settings.
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Audio tab
Use the following table to configure the audio digital input settings for a Flash encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 131. Audio tab
To configure audio settings:
1.
In the Source field, select an audio source from the drop-down list.
IMPORTANT! The audio input must match the source connected on the back of the system
and your audio source.
2.
Select the Overlay Closed Caption check box to enable overlay closed captions. Field 1 CC1 is
the default setting.
3.
Click the audio Format from the drop-down list.
4.
Click the Audio Type from the drop-down list.
5.
Click the Bitrate from the drop-down list.
6.
Click the Audio Encoder from the drop-down list.
7.
Grab and drag the slider to adjust the Left Volume and Right Volume.
8.
(Optional) Select the Mute Audio check box to silence audio.
9.
Click Save Settings.
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126 ViewCast
Output tab
Use the following table to configure the output digital input settings for a Flash encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 132. Output tab
To configure output settings:
1.
Select Enable Streaming to enable live Flash streaming.
2.
Enter the proper IP address in the Server Address field.
3.
Enter the Stream Name.
4.
Select the Authentication Type from the drop-down list. Options are available for streaming
directly to Akamai, Limelight CDNs, and Adobe.
5.
Enter the User Name and Password.
6.
Select Embed System Time as Timecode.
7.
(Optional) Click the Frame Interval from the drop-down list.
8.
Enable Save to File to save the encoded content to a file. Each time you start this encoder,
the system overwrites the previous file.
9.
Enable Create unique file to create a file that the system does not overwrite.
10.
Accept the default location that displays in the File Name field or choose your own location
for the file. To choose your own personal location select the link (horizontal ellipses or … ) to
the right of the File Name field and display the options (Figure 133).
Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D:\AVFiles\ with a default filename of
capture.f4v.
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Figure 133. Select a folder
WARNING! You can only save media files to drive D. Check drive properties for available
free space to determine your storage capacity.
A better practice would be to use the Flash Media server to save a file or to save it to a
remote drive. If you fill all available space, you risk losing your stream during a
streaming event.
11.
Click Save Settings.
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128 ViewCast
H.264 Presets tab
Each preset has multiple properties that you can edit. These advanced presets affect the way the
encoder performs and if set incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder operations. See Appendix B:
H.264 Advanced Settings for a complete list of typical settings.
Use the following table to configure the H.264 digital presets for a Flash encoder.
Figure 134. H.264 Presets tab
To configure H.264 settings:
1.
Click Edit next to the property you want to modify.
IMPORTANT! These advanced settings affect the way the encoder performs and if set
incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder operations. Refer to Appendix B: H.264
Advanced Settings for suggested values for the type of video you are streaming.
2.
Change the value.
3.
Click Update.
4.
Click the Restore Defaults link at the bottom of the window to return the settings to the
defaults.
Note: Each preset has multiple properties. Clicking Restore Defaults for one property will
change all properties to the default settings.
5.
Click Save Settings.
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AVI encoder with digital inputs
To create an encoder, Encoders All Encoders Create New Encoder link Encoder Name field.
When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The steps for editing a new
encoder or an existing encoder are identical. You must configure the video and audio settings for each
encoder type. Use the Video, Audio, and Output tabs to edit the settings.
From the Encoder Properties window (Figure 135), you can set the encoder to start streaming
automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start an encoder from this window by
clicking the Start AVI Encoder link in the top right corner of the window.
IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save
Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.
Figure 135. AVI encoder
Digital Inputs
130 ViewCast
Video tab
Use the following table to configure the video digital input settings for an AVI encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 136. Video tab
To configure video settings:
1.
Select the video input Source from the drop-down list.
2.
In the Input field, select the video input.
IMPORTANT! The video input must match the connectors on the back of the system and your
video source.
3.
In the Size field, select the pixel size of the encoded video from the pre-determined sizes in
the drop-down list.
You can also specify a custom size for your video. This customization is useful when you are
capturing video to be played on a mobile video-device that requires a non-standard size for
compatibility.
When you click Custom, two additional fields appear so you can enter the exact size you
want the resulting video to be (Figure 137).
Note: The size in the Width and Height fields must be divisible by 2.
Figure 137. Custom fields
4.
Select the Format from the drop-down list.
5.
Enter the Frame Rate.
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ViewCast 131
6.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 138).
Figure 138. Video Filter Settings
Note: Click Restore to the right of the filter to reset the settings to the default.
7.
Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 139). Options include:
None
– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.
Bob0
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Applies motion adaptive de-interlacing to all video that is not telecine.
– Switches dynamically between the two modes as the content changes.
– Available for NTSC video only.
Bob1
– Drops the redundant fields and reassembles the video in a 24 fps progressive format.
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Performs no de-interlacing of video that is not telecine.
– Available for NTSC video only.
Advanced
– Is an algorithm for de-interlacing pure video (non-telecine) content.
– Applies motion adaptive interlacing to all video. It detects which portions of the image
are still and which portions are in motion then applies different processing to each
scenario.
Figure 139. De-Interlace settings
Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only apply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL and
SECAM video. The system disables Bob0 and Bob1 choices when you select either PAL
or SECAM as the video standard.
8.
Click Save Settings.
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132 ViewCast
Audio tab
Use the following table to configure the audio digital input settings for an AVI encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 140. Audio tab
To configure audio settings:
1.
In the Source field, select an audio source from the drop-down list.
IMPORTANT! The audio input must match the connectors on the back of the system and your
audio source.
2.
Select the Overlay Closed Caption check box to enable overlay closed captions. Field 1 CC 1 is
the default setting.
3.
Click the Audio Format from the drop-down list.
4.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Left Volume and Right Volume.
5.
(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence audio.
6.
Click Save Settings.
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Output tab
Use the following table to configure the output digital input settings for an AVI encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 141. Output tab
To configure output settings:
1.
You can:
Use the default setting, Save to File, to save the encoded content to a file. Each time
you start this encoder, the system overwrites the previous file.
Click Create unique file to create a file that the system does not overwrite.
2.
Accept the default location that displays in the File Name field or choose your own
location for the file. To choose your own personal location select the link (horizontal
ellipses or … ) to the right of the File Name field and display the options (Figure 142).
Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D:\AVFiles with a default file name of
capture.avi.
See Connecting an external storage device section for instructions on saving video
files to a USB device.
Digital Inputs
134 ViewCast
Figure 142. Select a folder
WARNING! You can only save media files to drive D. Check drive properties for available
free space to determine your storage capacity.
A better practice would be to use the streaming server to save a file or to save it to a
remote drive. If you fill all available space, you risk losing your stream during a
streaming event.
3.
Click Save Settings.
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MPEG4 encoder with digital inputs
To create an encoder, Encoders All Encoders Create New Encoder link Encoder Name field.
When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The steps for editing a new
encoder or an existing encoder are identical. You must configure the video and audio settings for each
encoder type.
Use the Video, Audio, Output, and H.264 Presets tabs to edit the settings. Begin with configuring the
video and audio settings, then the streaming properties. The streaming properties and advanced
streaming settings are different for each type of encoder.
From the MPEG4 Encoder Properties window (Figure 143), you can set the encoder to start streaming
automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start an encoder from this window by
clicking the Start MPEG4 Encoder Driver link in the top right corner of the window.
IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save
Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.
Figure 143. MPEG4 encoder
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136 ViewCast
Video tab
Use the following table to configure the video digital input settings for an MPEG encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 144. Video tab
To configure video settings:
1.
Select the video input Source from the drop-down list.
2.
In the Size field, select the pixel size of the encoded video from the pre-determined sizes in
the drop-down list.
You can also specify a custom size for your video. This customization is useful when you are
capturing video to be played on a mobile video-device that requires a non-standard size for
compatibility.
When you click Custom, two additional fields (Figure 145) appear so you can enter the exact
size you want the resulting video to be.
Note: The size in the Width and Height fields must be divisible by 2.
Figure 145. Custom fields
Note: CIF and QCIF are proportional to the HD video resolution input.
3.
Select the type of Video Encoder for Internet video, mobile phones, set top boxes, and
create media files for other MPEG-4 compatible devices according to the Motion Picture
Expert Group (MPEG) types (refer to Table 3 and Table 4).
IMPORTANT: Choose the container type (MP4, 3G2, TS, and 3GP) on the Output tab.
If you select MPEG4 from the drop-down list, the MPEG-4 Presets tab displays (see MPEG4
Presets tab). The fields on the Video, Audio, and Output tabs will change depending on the
type of video encoder you select.
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See TS Container for steps on streaming to a TS container.
4.
Enter the frames per second in the Frame Rate field.
5.
Enter the kilobits per second in the Bitrate field.
6.
In the Format field, indicate the color space format.
7.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 146).
Figure 146. Video Filter Settings
Note: Click Restore to the right of the filter to reset the settings to the default.
8.
Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 147). Options include:
None
– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.
Bob0
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Applies motion adaptive de-interlacing to all video that is not telecine.
– Switches dynamically between the two modes as the content changes.
– Available for NTSC video only.
Bob1
– Drops the redundant fields and reassembles the video in a 24 fps progressive format.
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Performs no de-interlacing of video that is not telecine.
– Available for NTSC video only.
Advanced
– Is an algorithm for de-interlacing pure video (non-telecine) content.
– Applies motion adaptive interlacing to all video. It detects which portions of the image
are still and which portions are in motion. It then applies different processing to each
scenario.
Figure 147. De-Interlace settings
Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only apply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL and
SECAM video. The system disables Bob0 and Bob1 choices when you select either PAL
or SECAM as the video standard.
9.
Click Save Settings.
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Table 3. MPEG encoder and container descriptions
MPEG4 – MP4
MPEG-4 Part 2 is for situations where low bit rate and low resolution are
mandated by other conditions of the applications, such as network
bandwidth or device size. Examples of video applications for MPEG-4 are
cell phones, some low-end video conferencing systems, and surveillance
systems. MPEG-4 is important for legacy handheld devices that do not
support H.264.
H264 – MP4
H.264, MPEG-4 Part 10, or AVC (Advanced Video Coding) was designed
for high data compression while maintaining better quality than its
predecessor, H.263. It also addresses a broad range of applications from
low bit rate to high bit rate and from low resolution such as cell phones
to high resolution such as broadcast.
Niagara SCX’s H.264 is Baseline, Main, and High.
MPEG-TS
MPEG transport stream is a standard format for transmission and storage
of audio, video, and Program and System Information Protocol (PSIP)
data. It is used in broadcast systems such as DVB, ATSC and IPTV.
H.264-TS
H.264 encoding provided a MPEG-2 transport stream (TS) container.
The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) defined 3GP as a multimedia container
format for use on 3G mobile phones. It stores video streams such as MPEG-4 or H.264 and
audio streams such as AAC.
This format has two defined standards:
3GPP for GSM-based mobile phones
3GPP2 for CDMA-based mobile phones
This setting creates an H.263 stream stored in a 3GPP container.
H264 – 3GP
This setting creates an H.264 stream stored in a 3GP container.
H264 – 3G2
This setting creates an H.264 stream stored in a 3G2 container.
MPEG4 – 3GP
This setting creates an MPEG-4 stream stored in a 3GP container.
MPEG4 – 3G2
This setting creates an MPEG-4 stream stored in a 3G2 container.
H263 – 3GP
This setting creates an H.263 stream stored in a 3GP container.
H263 – 3G2
This setting creates an H.263 stream stored in a 3G2 container.
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Table 4. Valid output container selections for video encoder types
Container
H.263 Video
MPEG-4 Video
H.264 Video
MPEG-2
MP4
N/A
3GP
3G2
TS
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Audio tab
Use the following table to configure the audio digital input settings for an MPEG4 encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 148. Audio tab
To configure audio settings:
1.
In the Source field, select an audio source from the drop-down list.
IMPORTANT! The audio input must match the connectors on the back of the Niagara
system and your audio source.
2.
Select the Overlay closed Caption check box to enable overlay closed captions. Field 1 CC 1
is the default setting.
3.
Click the Audio Format.
4.
Click the Audio Type. The drop-down list box provides two choices:
Main – The same as Low Complexity, but adds backward prediction.
Low Complexity – The simplest and most widely used AAC audio format type.
HE-AAC VI – Uses spectral band replication (SBR) to enhance the compression efficiency
in the frequency domain.
HE-AAC V2 – Enhances the compression efficiency of stereo signals.
Note: Depending on the player on which the resulting stream will be rendered, either
choice will use a specific set of tools to encode the audio stream. Make your choice
based on the requirement of the playback software or device. The most widely
supported format is the Low Complexity profile.
5.
The default Audio Encoder is AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) – a standardized, lossy
compression and encoding scheme for digital audio. AAC achieves better audio quality
than MP3. AAC and MP3 are MPEG standards.
6.
Click the Bitrate from the drop-down list.
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7.
Drag the slider to adjust the Volume.
8.
(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence audio.
9.
Click Save Settings.
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Output tab
Use the following table to configure the output analog digital settings for an MPEG4 encoder.
Note: This tab is dynamic depending upon which encoder you select on the Video tab. The choices in
the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 149. Output tab
To configure output settings:
1.
Select Enable Streaming to stream your audiovisual content via RTSP.
2.
Set the appropriate streaming properties.
Note: The default settings will enable multicast streaming. If you do not want this type of
streaming, change the IP address for Group to the IP address of the server to which you
want to stream from the encoder.
3.
In the SDP File field, enter a name and a destination path for the resulting SDP file created
when you start the stream. If you are streaming to a Helix, a QuickTime, or a Darwin server,
refer to its respective documentation or online message boards for setup details specific for
the individual streaming server.
Note: You can stream point-to-point by selecting a share destination directory for the saved
SDP file. Remember to disable multicasting by entering in the IP address of the PC to
which you want to stream.
For example, if you want another PC to view the stream, save the SDP file to a share
folder on the local drive. The other PC can open the SDP file and the stream can be
played in a QuickTime or other MPEG-4 compatible streaming player. Since MPEG-4
encoding can be CPU intensive, it is not recommended that you view the stream on the
Niagara encoder. Doing so may overtax the host CPU, which will cause video quality
degradation and encode session failure.
4.
Select Save to File to save the encoded content to a file. Each time you start this encoder,
the system overwrites the previous file.
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5.
Select Create unique file to create a file that the system does not overwrite.
6.
Accept the default location that displays in the File Name field or choose your own location
for the file (Figure 150). To choose your own personal location select the link (horizontal
ellipses or … ) to the right of the File Name field and display the options.
Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D:\AVFiles\ with a default file name of
capture.mp4.
Figure 150. Select a Folder
WARNING! You can only save media files to drive D. Check drive properties for available
free space to determine your storage capacity.
A better practice would be to use the streaming server to save a file or to save it to a
remote drive. If you fill all available space, you risk losing your stream during a
streaming event.
7.
Select the Container Type (Table 4).
8.
Click the Enable Injection checkbox to inject an SDP file onto your server.
9.
Enter the username and password.
10.
Enter the Server SDP File Name.
11.
Enter the Server Port Number.
12.
Click Save Settings.
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H.264 Presets tab
Each preset contains properties that you can modify. Use the following table to configure the H.264
presets digital input settings for an MPEG4 encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 151. H.264 Presets tab
To configure H.264 presets:
1.
Click Edit next to the property you want to modify.
IMPORTANT! These advanced settings affect the way the encoder performs and if set
incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder operations. Refer to Appendix B: H.264
Advanced Settings for suggested values for the type of video you are streaming.
2.
Change the Value.
3.
Click Update.
4.
Click the Restore Defaults link at the bottom of the window to return the settings to the
default.
Note: Each preset has multiple properties. Clicking Restore Defaults for one property
will change all properties to the default settings.
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MPEG4 Presets tab
Each preset contains properties that you can modify. Use the following table to configure the MPEG-4
presets analog input settings for an MPEG4 encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 152. MPEG-4 Presets tab
To configure MPEG-4 presets:
1.
Click Edit next to the property you want to modify.
IMPORTANT! These advanced settings affect the way the encoder performs and if set
incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder operations. Refer to Appendix B: H.264
Advanced Settings for suggested values for the type of video you are streaming.
2.
Change the Value.
3.
Click Update.
4.
Click the Restore Defaults link at the bottom of the window to return the settings to the
default.
Note: Each preset has multiple properties. Clicking Restore Defaults for one property
will change all properties to the default settings.
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MPEG2 Presets tab
Each preset contains properties that you can modify. Use the following table to configure the MPEG-2
presets analog input settings for an MPEG2 encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 153. MPEG-2 Presets tab
To configure MPEG-2 presets:
1.
Click Edit next to the property you want to modify.
IMPORTANT! These advanced settings affect the way the encoder performs and if set
incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder operations. Refer to Appendix B: H.264
Advanced Settings for suggested values for the type of video you are streaming.
2.
Change the Value.
3.
Click Update.
4.
Click the Restore Defaults link at the bottom of the window to return the settings to the
default.
Note: Each preset has multiple properties. Clicking Restore Defaults for one property
will change all properties to the default settings.
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Windows Media encoder with digital inputs
To create an encoder, Encoders All Encoders Create New Encoder link Encoder Name field.
When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The steps for editing a new
encoder or an existing encoder are identical. You must configure the video and audio settings for each
encoder type.
Use the Video, Audio, Output, and DRM tabs to edit the settings. Begin with configuring the video and
audio settings then the streaming properties. The streaming properties and advanced streaming settings
are different for each type of encoder.
From the Windows Media Encoder Properties window (Figure 154), you can set the encoder to start
streaming automatically by selecting Auto Start. You can also start this encoder from this window by
clicking the Start Windows Media Encoder link at the top right corner of the window.
IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save
Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.
Figure 154. Windows Media Encoder Properties
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Video tab
Use the following table to configure the video digital input settings for a Windows Media encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 155. Video tab
To configure video settings:
1.
Select the video input Source from the drop-down list.
2.
In the Size field, click the pre-determined size of the encoded video from the drop-down list.
You can also specify a custom size for your video. This customization is useful when you are
capturing video to be played on a mobile video-device that requires a non-standard size for
compatibility.
When you click Custom, two additional fields appear so you can enter the exact size you want
the resulting video to be (Figure 156).
Note: The size in the Width and Height fields must be divisible by 2.
Figure 156. Custom fields
WARNING! Ensure all of the encoders using the same video Proportion and Size settings also
use the same Video and Audio Source settings.
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3.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation.
Figure 157. Video Filter Settings
Note: Click Restore to the right of each field to return the setting to the default.
4.
Click the De-Interlace settings you want to apply (Figure 158). Options include:
None
– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.
Bob0
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Applies motion adaptive de-interlacing to all video that is not telecine.
– Switches dynamically between the two modes as the content changes.
– Available for NTSC video only.
Bob1
– Drops the redundant fields and reassembles the video in a 24 fps progressive format.
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Performs no de-interlacing of video that is not telecine.
– Available for NTSC video only.
Advanced
– Is an algorithm for de-interlacing pure video (non-telecine) content.
– Applies motion adaptive interlacing to all video. It detects which portions of the image
are still and which portions are in motion. It then applies different processing to each
scenario.
Figure 158. De-Interlace settings
Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only apply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL
and SECAM video. The system disables Bob0 and Bob1 choices when you select
either PAL or SECAM as the video standard.
5.
Click Save Settings.
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Audio tab
Use the following table to configure the audio digital input settings for a Windows Media encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 159. Audio tab
To configure audio settings:
1.
In the Source field, select an audio source from the drop-down list.
IMPORTANT! The audio input must match the source connected on the back of the
Niagara system and your audio source.
2.
Select the Overlay Closed Caption check box to enable overlay closed captions.
3.
Select the Embedded Closed Caption check box to embed the closed captions. Field 1 CC 1 is
the default setting.
4.
Drag the slider to adjust the Left Volume and Right Volume.
5.
(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence audio.
6.
Click Save Settings.
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Output tab
Microsoft® Windows Media is both a storage format and a streaming format. In addition to the ability to
output to a file, the Windows Media encoder can stream to a Windows Media Server. The settings for
Windows Media encoder include the ability to set parameters for connecting and streaming to the
server.
Some Windows Media Capture Profiles have pre-defined video resolutions and input selections. When
you select a Windows Media Capture Profile, verify your current video and audio settings have not been
modified. If they have been modified, simply change these settings back to their previous settings and
click Save Settings.
When streaming audio and video, the two methods are pull and push.
Pull method
In the pull method, the system begins to generate broadcast packets as soon as you start as soon as you
start the encoding. However, it does not deliver the broadcast stream until Windows Media Server
requests the stream. This method does not provide a secure connection to the server and should only
be used if the encoder and server reside within the same network firewall.
To enable clients to pull the stream from the Niagara system, set up a session and begin broadcasting
directly from the system. Clients (Windows Media servers or players) can connect to the stream at any
time. You can use mms or http scheme with either the IP address of DNS host name. For example:
http://encoding_computer_name:port
Push method
With the push method, the system maintains a secure connection to Windows Media Server. This
connection allows it to pass a user name and password to authenticate access to the server.
http://IP_address:port/publishing point
By default, the system supports up to 50 direct connections during a broadcast, but if you’re sending to
a lot of clients push to Windows Media Server. Use the pull method for testing. Use the push method for
a wide distribution.
Note: The more direct connections to the system, the more system resources are required. ViewCast
does not recommend directly connecting players to the system. Streaming servers should connect
to the system and, in turn, players should connect to the servers.
Use the following table to configure the output digital input settings for a Windows Media encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
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Figure 160. Output tab
To configure output settings:
1.
Click on a Windows Media Capture Profile from the drop-down list.
Note: When you select ATT UVERSE PEG from the drop-down list, the Pixel Aspect Ratio
field displays (Figure 161). Select the Pixel Aspect Ratio from the drop-down list.
Figure 161. Pixel Aspect Ratio field
2.
Select Enable Pull.
3.
Enter a port number that the server will use to pull the stream.
4.
Select Enable Push.
IMPORTANT! Be sure to enter a port number not already assigned to another encoder. If
two encoders attempt to use the same port number, one or both encoders will fail to start.
5.
Enter a port number that the server will use to push the stream.
6.
Enter the Server name or IP address.
7.
Enter the Publishing Point.
Note: This field is optional.
8.
Enter the User Name.
9.
Enter the Password.
10.
Select Enable Scripting to embed closed captions.
Note: If you enable closed captions through the Osprey driver, you cannot enable scripting.
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11.
You can either:
Click the Save to File check box to save the encoded content to a file. Each time you start
this encoder, the system overwrites the previous file.
Click the Index the file to drag the slider to any point in your video capture.
Click Create unique file to create a file that the system does not overwrite.
12.
Accept the default location that displays in the File Name field or choose your own location
for the file. To choose your own personal location select the link (horizontal ellipses or … ) to
the right of the File Name field and display the options (Figure 162).
Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D:\AVFiles\ with a default filename of
capture.wmv.
Figure 162. Select a folder
WARNING! You can only save media files to drive D. Check drive properties for available
free space to determine your storage capacity.
A better practice would be to use the streaming server to save a file or to save it to a
remote drive. If you fill all available space, you risk losing your stream during a
streaming event.
13.
Click Save Settings.
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DRM tab
You can protect your content using a technology called Digital Rights Management (DRM). Niagara SCX
allows you to encrypt your content with DRM technology while you are encoding. You can apply DRM
while encoding to a file and when broadcasting a stream. Users are required to obtain a license to play
to content. This license contains the key to unlock the content and the rights that govern its use (Figure
163).
Refer to Appendix A on how to set up and import a DRM profile.
Use the following table to configure the DRM digital input settings for a Windows Media encoder.
Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.
Figure 163. DRM tab
To configure DRM settings:
1.
Select Enable DRM.
2.
Click the DRM Profile you wish to apply from the drop-down list.
Note: When you enable DRM, Niagara SCX automatically changes the Windows Media
Capture Profile setting to a DRM-compatible Windows Media 9 setting. You may need to
adjust this setting after you enable DRM.
3.
Click Save Settings.
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IP Inputs
The current version of Niagara SCX adds the ability to accept Multi-Program Transport Stream (MPTS)
and Single Program Transport Stream (SPTS) for all Niagara models via the Ethernet ports.
IP ingest
To enable IP ingest as the video source, you must either create a new encoder or edit an existing
encoder.
When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The steps for editing a new
encoder or an existing encoder are identical. Configure the IP inputs on the video and audio tabs for
each encoder type. This section explains the steps for configuring the IP inputs. Configure the rest of the
settings as you normally would.
IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save
Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.
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Video tab
Use the following table to configure the video IP input settings.
Figure 164. Video tab
To configure IP ingest video settings:
1.
Select IP Ingest from the drop-down list.
2.
The Address and PID fields display under the Source field (Figure 165). Select the desired
protocol from the drop-down list in the Address field.
Figure 165. Address and PID fields
Note: UDP and RTP are currently the only two protocols supported.
3.
Enter a valid IPv4 address in the textbox to the right of the Address field.
4.
Enter a valid port in the far right text box. The port should be between 2- 65535 including 2
and 65535. The IP source streams to this port. Once entered, the Detect button is enabled.
5.
Click Detect. While the system is detecting the IP stream, all of the IP Ingest controls are
disabled (Address and PID fields). The Detect button displays Detecting and a red working
icon spins to show that detection is occurring. This process may take as long as 30 seconds.
During this time, the UI is unresponsive. When the detection is complete, if an IP source was
detected at the provided IP address and port, it displays in the PID dropdown list (Figure
166).
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Figure 166. PID field
The PID displays in the format: Encode Type (PID X @ Prog# Y). X is the PID number and Y is
the Program number. The PID appears green if the detect is successful.
Note: The Size drop-down list defaults to the detected Input Video Size. You may change
this value if you want to stream this video at a different size.
6.
Select a PID from the Input Size drop-down list.
7.
If you update a control or you save and reload this encoder, then the PIDs appear yellow.
Yellow signifies the PID may or may not be valid or “stale.” IP sources can change over time.
The host may stop streaming, or the host may restart the stream and the PIDs and/or the
Progs#s may change even for the same content. The PID appears yellow on the Video and
Audio tabs.
Note: Because of the inherent volatility, run a detect on the stream before starting the
encoder to ensure that the stream PID is still valid (see PID Example ).
8.
Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 167).
Figure 167. Video Filter Settings
Note: Click Restore to the right of the filter to reset the settings to the default.
9.
Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 168). Options include:
None
– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.
Bob
– Frame doubler.
– Displays each half-picture as a full picture by displaying each line twice which preserves
temporal resolution of interlaced video.
– Uses kernel approach (less motion blur by applying additional de-interlacing method
only to moving parts leaving static parts of the frame intact).
Linear
– Frame doubler.
– Bob with linear interpolation. Instead of displaying each line twice, line 2 is created as
the average of line 1 and 3, etc.
YADIF (Yet Another De-Interlacing Filter)
– Frame doubler (Bob).
– Best general purpose de-interlacing filter. Offers fast and consistent high quality of
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interlaced image blending with very little artifacts.
– Uses bobbing, but it attempts to recover additional spatial information by looking
forward and backward in the video stream (uses previewous, current, and future frames).
Figure 168. De-Interlace settings
10.
Select Add Statistics to overlay video statistics within the video stream for diagnostic
purposes.
11.
Click Save Settings.
Note: If you save an encoder with a PID entered in the PID combination then edit that
encoder and press Detect, the saved PID appears green if it is detected, if undetected
it appears red. The PID on the Audio tab reflects the same color.
PID Example
If you detect three PIDs: 1, 2, and 3 and select 2 and click Save Settings, when you edit that encoder you
should still see 1, 2, and 3. PIDs 1 and 3 are cached in memory and PID 2 is saved. If you reboot the
system, the cache is lost and only PID 2 (which was saved) remains. When the detect occurs, the cache is
rebuilt with the current valid options, however, the drop-down list still contains the saved option even if
it is no longer valid. For instance, if PID 2 is saved and PIDs 1 and 3 are removed from the cache and
replaced with options 5 and 6. The drop-down list shows PID 2 in red, since it is the saved option and no
longer valid, and option 5 and 6 in green because they are valid options.
Note: If you change the IP address and/or the port, the options in the PID drop-down list change to
reflect what is in the cache for that combination. If you have not run a detect on that
combination, then the PID drop-down list is empty and disabled. The Audio tab updates
accordingly.
PID color chart
Before you can use the IP ingest function, you should verify whether the audio/video PIDs are valid.
After you click Detect, the color of the PID field changes to reflect the status of the PID at this time. The
following chart explains the colors and the status.
Color
Status
Green
PID is detected.
Yellow
You updated a control.
You saved and reloaded the encoder.
PID is stale.
Red
PID is not detected at this time.
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Audio tab
Use the following table to configure the audio IP input settings.
Figure 169. Video tab
To configure audio settings:
1.
The PID drop-down list is updated from the detect function on the Video tab. Make sure the
Video Prog# and the Audio Prog# match. Select the PID.
Note: The PIDs will not match. It is possible to have several Audio PIDs for a given
Prog#.
2.
Select the Overlay Closed Caption check box to enable overlay closed captions.
3.
Drag the slider to adjust the Left Volume and Right Volume.
4.
(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence the audio.
5.
Click Save Settings.
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TS Container
You can configure an MPEG encoder to stream to a TS container. To create an encoder, Encoder All
Encoders Create New Encoder link Encoder Name field. You can also modify an existing MPEG
encoder.
Note: The Type on the Encoders page (Encoders
All Encoders) displays as 264.
Streaming to a TS container
Figure 170. MPEG4 encoder
To configure TS container settings:
1.
In the Video Encoder field on the Video tab, select either MPEG2 or H264.
Note: H.264 and MPEG2 are the only currently accepted video encoder types that will
output with the TS container.
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2.
On the Output tab, Select TS as the Container Type.
Figure 171. MPEG4 Output tab
3.
Click on the Video tab. Two additional fields display: Video Bitrate and Mux Bitrate.
4.
Select either:
Video Bitrate and enter how much bandwidth to use for the video in the Bitrate field.
Mux Bitrate and enter the total bitrate the stream will consume (video and audio) in the
Bitrate field on the Audio tab.
Figure 172. New Video Encode Settings
5.
Click on the Audio tab.
Figure 173. Audio Output Settings
Note: For MPEG2, the Audio Type field is disabled and MP2 is the setting in the Audio
Encoder field.
6.
Select the Bitrate from the drop-down list.
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7.
View all the bitrates on the Output tab in the MPEGTS Muxer Settings.
Figure 174. MPEGTS Muxer Settings
Note: The total isn’t simply Audio Bitrate + Video Bitrate. A small amount of overhead is
built in ~10% of the Mux.
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Streaming
Streaming to a file with the TS container is the same for the other containers. Streaming is slightly
different.
Output tab
Figure 175. Output tab Enable Streaming
To configure streaming:
1.
Select Enable Streaming on the Output tab.
2.
Select the protocol. Currently only UDP and RTP are supported.
Figure 176. Server Settings Scheme
3.
Select either:
Unicast – To stream to a single computer or device.
Multicast – To stream to many computers and/or devices.
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Figure 177. Server Settings
4.
Enter the Destination IP (must be an IPv4 address). If you select Unicast, then the IP address
can not be in the 224.0.0.0 – 239.255.255 range. If you select Multicast, then the IP address
must be in the 224.0.0.0 – 239.255.255.255 range.
5.
Enter a valid Port.
6.
Enter a Time to Live.
7.
Click Save Settings.
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Encoder Groups
Viewing encoder groups
Encoder groups represent the cornerstone for streaming on the Niagara system.
The Encoder Groups window (Figure 178), a subset of Encoders (on the Encoders window), allows you
to view the list of encoder groups available for assignment to the Niagara system. Click Encoders
Groups from the menu bar on the home page.
Figure 178. Encoder Groups window
A.
Indicates the CPU usage.
B.
Click this link to create a new group.
C.
Click this link to edit a group.
D.
Click this link to delete a group.
E.
Displays the name of the group.
F.
Indicates the encoders assigned to this group.
G.
Click this link to view the Encoders window.
H.
Click the name of the encoder to view the Encoder Properties window
for this encoder.
I.
Indicates the total number of groups on the system.
J.
Click this link to start this group.
K.
Click this link to stop this group.
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Creating encoder groups
If two encoders try to use the same port number at the same time, an error will occur.
Select the Create New Group link on the Encoder Groups window. The encoder groups fields display
(Figure 179).
Figure 179. Encoder Groups fields
To create encoder groups:
1.
Enter the name of the group.
2.
Click on the encoders you want to assign to the group.
3.
Click Submit.
Note: It is possible to assign an encoder to two different encoder groups.
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Starting an encoder group
To start an encoder group, click the Start link to the right in the Start column of the group you want to
start. The encoder group will start in a few seconds. The system displays any errors on the Starting
window while the group starts.
Note: With each encoder started, more system resources (CPU cycles) are consumed. It is
recommended that the total CPU threshold not exceed an average of 80 %. Refer to the Setting
CPU thresholds section.
Stopping an encoder group
To stop an encoder group, click the Stop link to the right in the Stop column of the group you want to
stop. The encoder group will stop in a few seconds. The system displays any errors on the Stopping
window while the group stops.
Encoder Groups
170 ViewCast
Editing encoder groups
Select the Edit link on the Encoder Groups window. The encoder group fields display (Figure 180).
Figure 180. Encoder Groups field
To create encoder groups:
1.
Enter the name of the group.
2.
Click on the encoders you want to assign to the group.
3.
Click Submit.
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Additional Settings and Features
Additional settings and features include:
Machine properties
Alerts
Network properties
System configuration settings
Activity log
Alerts
External storage device
Configuring machine properties
The Machine Properties window (Figure 181) provides details on software versions, network name,
serial number, and hard drive configurations. Click Configuration Machine Properties from the menu
bar on the home page.
Figure 181. Machine Properties window
Most of the data on this window provides information only and users cannot alter it. However, you can
modify two fields:
Computer Name
Admin password
Additional Settings and Features
172 ViewCast
Changing the computer name
The Computer Name field contains the current network name for the Niagara system. This name is the
same name you typed into the web browser to access the Niagara SCX web interface.
To change computer name:
1.
Click the Edit link next to the Computer Name field (Figure 182).
Figure 182. Computer Name field
2.
The screen refreshes and the Computer Name field becomes an editable text field.
Type in a new name for the Niagara system.
3.
Click Submit at the bottom of the page.
Figure 183. Reboot Message
Note: The page refreshes, and the system prompts you to reboot the system. Your
changes do not take effect until the system restarts.
4.
Click the Click to Reboot Now link to restart the system and apply the Computer
Name change.
5.
Note: The restart process takes several minutes to complete.
When the system restarts, use the new system name in the IE browser URL to
return to the Login window.
If you close your web browser and later want to log into the web interface, you
must use the new computer name you created or the IP address of the system to
access it.
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Changing the login password from the factory default
The Niagara 9100 Properties section has two fields: User Name and Serial Number. Only the User Name
field can be changed, which changes the User Password from the factory default (Figure 184).
Figure 184. Properties section
To change the login password:
1.
Click the admin link in the User Name field.
Note: The system displays a new window (Figure 185) that allows you to change your
login password for the web interface.
Figure 185. Password Change window
Note: You cannot change the User Name for the web interface from this window.
2.
Type your current password in the Password field.
3.
Type your new password in both the New Password and Confirm New Password
fields.
Note: The web interface password is case sensitive.
4.
Click Change Password. The system confirms the change is successful.
Note: You must log back into the web interface with your password.
Additional Settings and Features
174 ViewCast
Configuring alerts
Click Configuration Alerts from the menu bar on the home page. The Alerts Window (Figure 186)
allows you to configure alerts for different situations that may occur during streaming or other
operations.
Figure 186. Alerts window
A.
Click this link to configure email settings on the System Configuration Settings
window.
B.
Click the Edit link next to the alert you want to change settings on.
C.
Enable Send Email to send an email to multiple recipients should an alarm occur.
Note: You can optionally send an email alert to specific email address in the event of
an application alarm. You must specify the email address where you want an
alert sent, along with your email server user name, password, and server name..
D.
Enable Light Alarm. The View Alerts window will display a list of the alerts.
E.
Displays the type of alert.
F.
Provides a description of the type of alert.
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Configuring network properties
The Network Properties window (Figure 187) provides detailed information on the current network
settings for the Network Card. Click Configuration Network Properties from the menu bar on the
home page.
Figure 187. Network Properties window
Configuring network cards
Each Niagara 9100 series system has two 1 Gbit network connections available on the Network
Properties window, Network Card(s) field. Select the card you wish to view from the drop-down list in
the Network Card(s) field (Figure 188) to view the current properties for each card.
Figure 188. Network card options
Additional Settings and Features
176 ViewCast
Configuring IP address
Depending on your system configuration, you may need to configure the IP Address (Figure 189).
Figure 189. IP address
To configure IP address:
1.
Enable Use the following IP information.
2.
Enter the appropriate information in the IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway,
Preferred DNS Server and Alternate DNS Server fields.
3.
Click Submit.
Configuring advanced network settings
Advanced Settings (Figure 190) provides the network name, MAC Address, and server IP address
settings.
Figure 190. Advanced Settings
The network name (FE11450001 in Figure 190) is a link. If you click this link, the system transfers you to
the Machine Properties window. From this window, you can change the name of the system.
The Active Network Link field uses one of two icons to indicate whether the network interface card
selected has a network connected.
The system detects the network link.
The system does not detect the network link.
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ViewCast 177
IP Route table
This window enables you to change the IP destination. Only experienced professionals should adjust
these settings.
Figure 191. IP Route Table
Additional Settings and Features
178 ViewCast
System configuration settings
The System Configuration Settings window (Figure 192) allows you to modify your default system
settings. You can configure email settings to enable the system to send an email to predefined email
addresses any time the system encounters an alert condition. You can also customize the information
the system displays on the touch panel when the system runs in idle mode.
This window also allows you to restore your system to its original factory disk image and return all the
system settings to their original states. The Restore Factory defaults option removes all custom settings.
It takes approximately 15 to 40 minutes to complete.
Click Configuration System Configuration from the menu bar on the home page.
Note: The selections in the drop-down lists will vary depending on the configuration of your system.
Figure 192. System Configuration Settings window
Note: The SimulStream Settings field is only on analog systems.
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 179
Setting current system configuration
You can set the current time, date, and the video standard for all encoders (Figure 193).
Figure 193. Current System Configuration
To set current system configuration settings:
1.
Click the Hour in the drop-down list.
2.
Click the Minutes in the drop-down list.
3.
Click AM or PM in the drop-down list.
4.
Click the Change Date link. A calendar appears.
5.
Click the date on the calendar.
6.
Click the Video Standard from the drop-down list.
Note: Video Standard is only available on a system with analog configurations.
7.
Click Submit.
Additional Settings and Features
180 ViewCast
Configuring email/SMTP settings
Figure 194. Email/SMTP Setting fields
To configure email settings:
1.
Enter the email address you want the system to send the email. Separate multiple email
addresses with a comma.
2.
Enter a valid originating email address.
3.
Enter a subject line for your email alert.
To configure SMTP (mail settings):
1.
Enter the SMTP user name for server access.
Note: If you are unfamiliar with setting up an SMTP Email account for sending
email, contact your network administrator for assistance.
2.
Enter the password if required.
Note: For security purposes, the password for your account does not display once
the system enters it into the system’s settings. Although this field appears blank
after you click Submit, the system retains the password information.
If you change any information in this dialog box, you need to re-enter your
SMTP password before clicking Submit. Not doing so overwrites the previously
entered password with a blank entry.
3.
Enter the name of the SMTP server.
4.
Click the Save and Send Test Email to test your settings. The resulting window reports
the email as successful or it sends information that a send failure occurred.
5.
Click Submit.
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Configuring default directory setting
The system stores audiovisual files when you select the Save to File option in the encoder profile in the
Default AV folder. Refer to the Save to File option under the Flash Encoder Properties (Figure 195)
sections for information on setting an encoder profile to create an audiovisual file.
Note: ViewCast strongly recommends you do not alter the default directory setting unless you
understand the risk of saving your files to a directory not located on drive D. If you save your
files to another drive on the Niagara system, the system could delete the files when you use the
Restore to Factory Defaults feature.
Only drive D on the Niagara system has available storage to save your files. Check the drive
properties for available free space to determine your storage capacity.
Use drives C, E, and F strictly for the Niagara operational programs. Any modifications to these
drives can permanently damage your system and void your warranty.
Figure 195. Default AV Folder field
Additional Settings and Features
182 ViewCast
Setting CPU thresholds
You may set the CPU Threshold field (Figure 196) to accommodate optimal encoding capabilities. You
also may set the time between repetitive intervals for checking the CPU threshold.
Figure 196. Encoder Startup Settings
Note: ViewCast recommends a CPU threshold setting of 80% or lower.
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Restore Niagara factory defaults
Restore to Factory Defaults allows you to restore drive C to its original factory system defaults. This
action removes all data (including stored files) on the primary drive and reinstalls the original factory
image.
Note: Select this option only if you wish to return your system to its factory defaults. Selecting this
option erases all data currently stored on drive C and stops all currently running programs.
Remove any USB storage device before performing a Factory Restore.
This operation takes approximately 15 to 45 minutes to complete. Do not power off or interrupt the
system restore once it starts. All services automatically restart when the system restore completes. You
may then use the Niagara system’s web interface tool to reset the time, date, and video format.
Click the Restore Niagara 9100 Factory defaults link on the Configuration System Configuration
Settings window (Figure 192) to start the process. The resulting window (Figure 197) allows you to
return to the Home Page, thereby cancelling this action, or continue with the restore action.
When you select Check this box to save the existing Encoder profiles during Factory Restore, the
settings for all your encoder profiles are retained and will display after the factory restore is complete.
Figure 197. Restore Factory Defaults
The window provides you details regarding the process you are about to execute and allows you the
opportunity to once again cancel the process by clicking Back to Home Page.
Note: Restore to Factory Defaults rebuilds the primary disk drive C with the original system image.
You lose all custom settings and any files saved to drive C. You cannot reverse this process.
However, you can manually re-enter your custom settings once the restore process is complete.
Use the default directory, D:\AV Files\ for saving your audio and video files. The system only re-
images drive C when you use the Restore to Factory Defaults option. It preserves all files and
folders on drive D. Always use the default directory – drive D – for storage of personal files to
ensure the system does not remove your personal files.
IMPORTANT! Remember that the system deletes all previously stored encoder profiles and groups
when you restore it to its factory defaults.
Additional Settings and Features
184 ViewCast
Viewing the activity log
The Activity Log records the encoder Start and Stop events (Figure 198). The system updates the log for
every event including the date and time. To view the activity log, on the home page click Status View
Activity Log.
Figure 198. Activity Log window
A.
Displays the system date and time stamps for each event.
B.
Indicates the type of activity.
C.
Select the types of activity you wish to view. Options include:
Show All
General
Errors
Warnings
D.
Displays a description of the activity.
E.
Click this link to clear all logged activities.
F.
Click to view multiple pages of activity log.
G.
Displays the total number of records for the selected view type. Click the printer icon for
a printer friendly view of activity log. When the print friendly view appears, click File
Print to print a hard copy or save a soft copy of the Activity Log.
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Viewing alerts
Click Status View Alerts (Figure 199) from the home page. The system records the encoder events
that register as alerts. The Alerts Window updates with every alert event on the Niagara system. The
alerts include any specific alert events for the encoder.
Figure 199. Alerts window
A.
Displays the date and time that the alert occurred.
B.
Displays the message ID number for the alert and the description.
C.
Indicates the number of alerts.
D.
Click this icon to clear all alerts.
Additional Settings and Features
186 ViewCast
Connecting an external storage device
Each Niagara 9100 series systems provide two USB ports on the rear panel and two on the front panel.
You can connect almost any standard USB storage device to these ports. This allows you to export any
audiovisual files you created on the local storage drive of the Niagara system. The encoder defaults to
set the local storage drive D when you use the Save to File setting with the Niagara system’s web
interface.
When you insert a USB storage device in one of the USB ports on the system, it automatically detects
the removable storage device, and assigns a drive letter to the device. Use standard Windows methods
to transfer audiovisual files from drive D to the attached USB storage device.
Using the Niagara SCX web interface
You may wish to perform even more advanced setup and operations. To do so, you may choose to
access the Niagara SCX interface. You may access the Niagara SCX interface through a remote desktop
by connecting a monitor, keyboard, and mouse to the Niagara system. Use the Niagara SCX User Guide
for specific information on how to use the Niagara SCX and the Niagara SCX Explorer software.
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187
SNMP
This section provides installation and setup information for the ViewCast SNMP agent service. This
release supports SNMP v1 and SNMP v2c. SNMP v3 will be supported in future releases.
The native Windows SNMP service implements standard MIB functions such as those defined in
RFC1213-MIB, HOST-RESOURCES-MIB including IP address table, interface table (MAC addresses) and
traps of cold start, interface link up, link down, etc.
The SuperMicro SNMP agent service is a third-party SNMP agent provided by Super Micro Computer to
monitor the health of system devices in the system, such as fan speed, CPU temperature, system
temperature, etc.
The ViewCast SNMP agent service will run as the master SNMP agent in the system. It will not only
implement ViewCast private MIBs as listed below, but also provide proxy functions to relay SNMP
requests/responses associated with those objects managed by other SNMP sub-agents.
The private MIBs include VIEWCAST-AVENCODER-MIB and VIEWCAST-AVENCODER-TRAP-
MIB, etc.
SNMP
188 ViewCast
External SNMP Manager
With ViewCast SNMP agent enabled in each Niagara system, you can start a single SNMP manager at a
central location to manage one or multiple systems at the same time.
The external SNMP manager could be a GUI-based commercial or free application tool or an SNMP
scripting tool. Which SNMP manager to use is your choice.
SNMP UDP Ports Used by SNMP Manager and
SNMP Agents
UDP Port for SNMP Requests
SNMP request messages are sent from SNMP manager to SNMP agent. When the external SNMP
manager expects to “talk” to the ViewCast SNMP agent, it sends SNMP requests to the ViewCast SNMP
agent over the default SNMP UDP port 161 with the following parameters:
Correct IP address of the encoder system
Other parameters such as an appropriate community name
Configure the corresponding community name
Note: For SNMP v1/v2c version, a community name is treated as a password to access the resources
managed by the SNMP agent. Different community names can have different access rights such
as NOTIFY ONLY, READ ONLY, WRITE ONLY, READ WRITE and READ CREATE etc.
You can configure the ViewCast SNMP agent to receive SNMP requests over a different UDP port other
than 161. You also have the option to configure the ViewCast SNMP agent to receive SNMP requests
over a different UDP port other than 161. Refer to information in this section on how to make these
changes.
Note: Once the SNMP UDP port is configured, you don’t have to manually enable it in the firewall
setting. Instead, it is automatically enabled when the ViewCast SNMP agent is started.
UDP Port for SNMP Traps
SNMP traps are sent from the SNMP agent to the SNMP trap listener. You can monitor and receive
SNMP traps over UDP port 162 from one or multiple SNMP-enabled Niagara systems. Perform the
following to monitor and receive SNMP traps:
Configure the IP address where the SNMP trap listener runs as one of the trap destinations for
each affected ViewCast SNMP agent.
Configure the corresponding community name.
Keep running an SNMP trap listener application to monitor traps over SNMP UDP port 162 with an
appropriate community name.
Allow the trap listener to pass through the firewall on UDP port 162.
Note: Choosing a trap listener is up to you. The trap listener doesn’t have to run on the system.
Instead, it runs in a centralized location.
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ViewCast 189
Configure ViewCast SNMP Agent Service
Complete the steps in the following tables to configure ViewCast SNMP Agent service. When the
configuration is complete, restart the system.
Configuring community names
To configure community names:
1.
Run Windows service management tool services.msc
2.
Right click on SNMP Service then click Properties.
3.
Click on the Security tab.
Figure 200. Security tab
4.
Click Add to add community names. For SNMP v1/v2c versions, treat each community
name as a password for access control of the SNMP-enabled systems.
Figure 201. Community Name field
You can define multiple community names with different community rights such as
NOTIFY, READ ONLY, READ WRITE and READ CREATE.
You can use these community names to access objects as defined in the standard
MIBs (such as RFC1213-MIB) and ViewCast private MIBs (such as VIEWCAST-
AVENCODER-MIB and VIEWCAST-AVENCODER-TRAP-MIB).
SNMP
190 ViewCast
READ CREATE has the maximum access right while the NOTIFY has the minimum
right.
Community names with NOTIFY permission can be used to monitor traps only, READ
ONLY community names can be used to retrieve data only while READ CREATE ones
can perform SNMP SET as well as GET requests, etc.
Configuring permitted SNMP managers
To configure permitted SNMP managers:
1.
Run Windows service management tool services.msc right click on SNMP Service.
2.
Click on Properties.
3.
Click the Security tab.
Figure 202. SNMP Service Properties – Security tab
4.
Select Accept SNMP packets from these hosts.
5.
Click Add.
6.
Enter the IP addresses of the permitted SNMP managers in the following window.
Figure 203. SNMP Service Configuration
7.
Click Add.
Note: The IP address shown above is just an example. It shall be the IP address of
the external SNMP manager.
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ViewCast 191
8.
Add all the IP addresses at which external SNMP manager may run.
Figure 204. IP Addresses
SNMP
192 ViewCast
Configuring trap destinations
To configure trap destinations:
1.
Run Windows service management tool services.msc
2.
Right click on SNMP Service then click on Properties.
3.
Click on the Traps tab.
4.
In the Community Name section, enter one of the community names that are defined
through the Security tab, for example, notifypassword.
5.
Click Add to list.
Figure 205. Traps tab
6.
In the Trap destinations section, enter the IP address of each trap destination at which
the trap listener may run.
Figure 206. SNMP Service Configuration
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 193
7.
After all the IP addresses under the trap destination section are added, click Apply.
Figure 207. Trap destinations
SNMP
194 ViewCast
Configuring SNMP agent contact and location (optional)
After community names, permitted SNMP managers and trap destinations are configured, you may
configure the contact and location information for the associated SNMP agent.
To configure SNMP Agent contact and location:
1.
Run Windows service management tool services.msc
2.
Right click on SNMP Service then click on Properties.
3.
Click on the Agent tab.
4.
Enter appropriate Contact and Location information.
Notes: You may retrieve the system contact information through SNMP query on
.iso.org.dod.internet.mgmt.mib-2.system.sysContact as defined in RFC1213-MIB.
You may retrieve the system location information through SNMP query on
.iso.org.dod.internet.mgmt.mib-2.system.sysLocation as defined in RFC1213-
MIB.
Figure 208. Agent tab
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ViewCast 195
Use UDP Port Other Than 161 for SNMP
Requests
The default UDP port used for SNMP requests sent from SNMP manager to SNMP agent is 161. The
ViewCast SNMP agent supports the use of a different UDP port. To make this change, perform the
following steps:
To use UDP port other than 161 for SNMP requests
1.
Access the default installation directory C:\Program Files (x86)\ViewCast\ViewCast
SNMP Agent\
2.
Make a copy of file vcst_snmp_agent_cfg_example.xml and save it to
vcst_snmp_agent_cfg.xml.
3.
In vcst_snmp_agent_cfg.xml , keep the default setting unchanged as shown below.
<snmp_setting_flags>
<permitted_managers_option use_win_snmp_settings = "true" />
<valid_communities_option use_win_snmp_settings = "true" />
<trap_configuration_option use_win_snmp_settings = "true" />
</snmp_setting_flags>
4.
In vcst_snmp_agent_cfg.xml, for element udp_port_to_snmp_manager, set the port
attribute to the desired port other than 161, for example 4071 as shown below:
<udp_port_to_snmp_manager port = "4071" />
5.
In vcst_snmp_agent_cfg.xml, keep all the other settings unchanged and save.
6.
Restart (or stop then start) ViewCast SNMP agent service by running Windows service
management tool services.msc
7.
Right click on ViewCast SNMP Agent.
8.
Click Restart or Stop then Start.
9.
Configure the SNMP manager to use the same UDP port for SNMP requests. To revert
to the use of UDP port 161, simply rename the file vcst_snmp_agent_cfg.xml or
remove it or set the above port to 161.
10.
Save and then restart the ViewCast SNMP agent.
ViewCast SNMP Agent MIB Files
By default, all standard MIB files and ViewCast private MIB files that come with the installation package
will be installed into the following directory:
C:\Program Files (x86)\ViewCast\ViewCast SNMP Agent\
You may load the following MIB files into the SNMP manager tool.
VIEWCAST-AVENCODER-MIB.txt (ViewCast private MIB)
VIEWCAST-AVENCODER-TRAP-MIB.txt (ViewCast private)
SUPERMICRO-HEALTH-MIB.txt ( 3rd-party MIB from SuperMicro Computer )
RFC1213-MIB.txt (Standard SNMP MIB)
SNMP-COMMUNITY-MIB.txt (Standard SNMP MIB)
SNMP
196 ViewCast
Retrieving IP and MAC Addresses of the Encoder
System
The IP address and interface table are part of standard MIB functions as defined in RFC1213-MIB. It is
implemented by the native Windows SNMP service.
The IP address per interface or NIC can be retrieved through .iso.org.dod.internet.mgmt.mib-
2.ip.ipAddrTable as defined in RFC1213-MIB.
The MAC address per interface or NIC can be retrieved through
.iso.org.dod.internet.mgmt.mib-2.interfaces.ifTable.ifEntry.ifPhysAddress as defined in RFC1213-
MIB
SNMP Examples
Query system information (SNMP GET Example)
To query system information:
1.
Locate the VIEWCAST-AVENCODER-MIB.txt under C:\Program Files
(x86)\ViewCast\ViewCast SNMP Agent\.
2.
Load the VIEWCAST-AVENCODER-MIB.txt into the SNMP manager.
3.
Set object ID to
.iso.org.dod.internet.private.enterprises.viewcast.avencoder.avencoderMIB.systemInfo.
4.
Specify correct IP address of the targeted ViewCast SNMP agent: xx.xx.xx.xx
5.
Verify the Port field is set to 161.
6.
Set SNMP version to v1.
7.
Specify community such as getpassword with at least community right of READ ONLY.
8.
Send SNMP GET request message to the targeted ViewCast SNMP agent.
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ViewCast 197
Start/stop an encoder through SNMP
Use the same steps to load and expand VIEWCAST-AVENCODER-MIB until
.iso.org.dod.internet.private.enterprises.viewcast.avencoder.avencoderMIB.avencoderObjects.avencod
erTable.avencoderEntry.avencoderCommand.
To start/stop an encoder through SNMP:
1.
Use the same method to load and expand VIEWCAST-AVENCODER-MIB until
iso.org.dod.internet.private.enterprises.viewcast.avencoder.avencoderMIB.avencoderO
bjects.avancoderTable.avencoderEntry.avencoderCommand.
2.
Set object ID to something like:
.iso.org.dod.internet.private.enterprises.viewcast.avencoder.avencoderMIB.avencoder
Objects.avencoderTable.avencoderEntry.avencoderCommand.77.80.69.71 where
77.80.69.71 is the ID of the associated encoder.
Note: With ViewCast SNMP agent V2.0, the index to the encoder table is no longer
the encoder name but an integer ID. Therefore, in this command, set it to
something like:
.iso.org.dod.internet.private.enterprises.viewcast.avencoder.avencoderMIB.aven
coderObjects.avencoderTable.avencoderEntry.avencoderCommand.10 where
‘10’ is the ID of the associated encoder.
3.
Specify correct IP address of the targeted ViewCast SNMP agent: xx.xx.xx.xx
4.
Verify the Port field is set to 161.
5.
Set SNMP version to v1.
6.
Specify community such as setpassword with community right of READ CREATE.
7.
Specify Set Value to start or stop.
8.
Send SNMP SET request message to the targeted ViewCast SNMP agent.
Start/stop all encoders per group through SNMP
Use the same steps to load and expand VIEWCAST-AVENCODER-MIB until
.iso.org.dod.internet.private.enterprises.viewcast.avencoder.avencoderMIB.avencoderObjects.avencod
erGroupTable.avencoderGroupEntry.groupCommand.
To start/stop all encoders per group through SNMP:
1.
Set object ID to something like
.iso.org.dod.internet.private.enterprises.viewcast.avencoder.avencoderMIB.avencoder
Objects.avencoderGroupTable.avencoderGroupEntry.groupCommand.71.114.111.117.1
12.49 where 71.114.111.117.112.49 is the ID of the associated encoder group.
Note: With ViewCast SNMP agent V2.0, the index to the encoder table is no longer
the encoder name but an integer ID. Therefore, in this command, set it to
something like:
.iso.org.dod.internet.private.enterprises.viewcast.avencoder.avencoderMIB.aven
coderObjects.avencoderTable.avencoderEntry.avencoderCommand.20 where 20
is the ID of the associated encoder group.
2.
Specify correct IP address of the targeted ViewCast SNMP agent: xx.xx.xx.xx
SNMP
198 ViewCast
3.
Verify the Port field is set to 161.
4.
Set SNMP version to v1.
5.
Specify community such as setpassword with community right of READ CREATE.
6.
Specify Set Value to start or stop.
7.
Send SNMP SET request message to the targeted ViewCast SNMP agent.
Start/stop all encoders in the system through SNMP
Use the same steps to load and expand VIEWCAST-AVENCODER-MIB until
.iso.org.dod.internet.private.enterprises.viewcast.avencoder.avencoderMIB.systemCommand.sysComm
and.
To start/stop all encoders in the system through SNMP:
1.
Set object ID to
.iso.org.dod.internet.private.enterprises.viewcast.avencoder.avencoderMIB.systemCom
mand.sysCommand.
2.
Specify correct IP address of the targeted ViewCast SNMP agent: xx.xx.xx.xx
3.
Verify the Port field is set to 161.
4.
Set SNMP version to v1.
5.
Specify community such as setpassword with community right of READ CREATE.
6.
Select Set Value to start_all_encoders or stop_all_encoders.
7.
Send SNMP SET request message to the targeted ViewCast SNMP agent.
Start SNMP trap listener
To start SNMP trap listener:
1.
Locate the VIEWCAST-AVENCODER-TRAP-MIB.txt under C:\Program Files
(x86)\ViewCast\ViewCast SNMP Agent\.
2.
Load the VIEWCAST-AVENCODER-TRAP-MIB.txt into the SNMP manager.
3.
Verify the Port field is set to 162.
4.
Specify community such as notifypassword with at least community right of NOTIFY.
5.
Select Authenticate v1/v2c traps to match community name.
6.
Start the Trap Listener.
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Appendix A: DRM for Windows Media
You can protect your content using a technology called Digital Rights Management (DRM). Niagara SCX
allows you to encrypt your content with DRM technology while you are encoding. You can apply DRM
while encoding to a file and when broadcasting a stream. Users will be required to obtain a license to
play the content. This license contains the key to unlock the content and the rights that govern its use.
Note: A third-party license provider issues licenses, so you must set up an account with a third-party
license provider to protect your content.
Niagara SCX automatically detects any available DRM profiles imported on the encoding system. If no
DRM profiles are installed, the DRM functions in Niagara SCX are disabled.
To enable the DRM function in Niagara SCX:
1. Set up an account with a third-party license provider and create a DRM profile.
2. Import the DRM profile using the Microsoft
®
Windows Media Encoder application included with
Niagara streaming media systems or available as a free download from Microsoft Corporation
(http://www.microsoft.com ).
3. Restart the unit on which Niagara SCX is installed, allowing the software to auto-detect and enable
its DRM functions.
Importing a DRM profile
If you have not already done so, set up an account with a licensed provider and create a DRM profile.
Once you create the DRM profile, you must use Windows Media Encoder to import the profile on the
encoding system.
Windows Media Encoder is included in Niagara streaming media systems that have Niagara SCX
version 5.0 or later installed. To access the desktop of the Niagara system, attach a keyboard, a mouse,
and a monitor to the system. If the system is installed in a location that does not provide physical access,
you can use Windows Remote Desktop Connection to access the desktop.
IMPORTANT! When connecting to a Niagara 9100 series system using a remote desktop
connection, it is extremely important you set the Local Resources to Leave at remote computer
before connecting to the system.
Appendix A: DRM for Windows
200 ViewCast
To open a remote desktop connection:
1.
Open the Remote Desktop Connection (Figure 209).
Figure 209. Remote Desktop Connection
2.
Click Options. The setting tabs display.
3.
Click the Local Resources tab.
4.
Under Remote computer sound, click Leave at remote computer option from the drop-
down list (Figure 210).
Figure 210. Local Resources tab
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 201
5.
Click the General tab (Figure 211).
Figure 211. General tab
6.
In the User Name field, type scxuser.
7.
In the Password field, type viewcast to connect the system using remote desktop.
WARNING! When exiting from Remote Desktop Connection, do not log off. Instead,
exit/close the session from the system. This step allows its internal programs to
continue running.
8.
Go into Windows Explorer and change the folder settings to show all files and show
protected files.
9.
Copy the DRM profiles to a protected location on the encoding system to ensure they are
not removed or erased accidentally (Figure 212).
Note: ViewCast recommends you create a new directory on drive D on the Niagara system
and use this directory to store your DRM profiles.
Figure 212. DRM Profiles
Appendix A: DRM for Windows
202 ViewCast
10.
Start the Windows Media Encoder application on the system (Figure 213).
Figure 213. Starting Windows Media Encoder
11.
When the New Session Wizard displays, click Cancel (Figure 214).
Figure 214. New Session Wizard
12.
Click Properties under the top menu bar (Figure 215).
Figure 215. Properties tab
13.
Click the Security tab.
14.
Click Import and browse to the location of the DRM profiles on the system’s hard drive.
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 203
15.
Select the DRM profile you wish to import and click Open (Figure 216).
Figure 216. DRM Profile
16.
Repeat this process for each DRM profile you wish to import.
17.
Exit from the Windows Media Encoder application when finished.
Note: If the system prompts if you want to save your encoding session, click No option.
18.
Disconnect Remote Desktop Connection from the system (Figure 217). Do not log out.
Figure 217. Disconnect Remote Desktop
19.
Restart the system.
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
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Appendix B: H.264 Advanced Settings
H.264 Presets
In general, the Main Profile Default presets for the H.264 encoder Custom Presets will meet your
streaming requirements. For devices with restricted bandwidths and under certain conditions such as
low bit rates, motion specific, or constant bit rate applications, you may need to adjust the Advanced
Encoder Settings values in each line. This section includes some information to help you select Advanced
Encoder Settings. These examples are suggestions. You should understand and select the appropriate
values for your streaming application. See Settings for explanations of each setting variable.
Setting
Value Range
BFramesMax
0 to 4
GOPSize
1 to 4000
GOPSizeMin
1 to 4000
InLoopDeblockingFilterAlpha
-6 to 6
InLoopDeblockingFilterBeta
-6 to 6
LookaheadFrames
0 to 200
NoiseReduction
0 to 1500
QuantizerMax
1 to 51
QuantizerMin
1 to 51
ReferenceFrames
0 to 16
SceneChangeDetectThreshold
0 to 4000
TrellisRDQuantization
0 to 2
The following Custom Presets are available for the H.264 Advanced Encoder Settings:
Baseline Profile
Baseline Profile - Minimal CPU
Main Profile Default
Main Profile – Minimal CPU
High Profile
High Profile – Minimal CPU
You can adjust all of the Custom Presets above. The preset titles are only a suggestion that the last three
be used for end-user custom modifications, while the first three could remain unmodified if you want to
compare the defaults to their own settings. You may also select the Restore Defaults link on the lower
right-hand corner of the table to set all values for all Custom Presets to the default settings.
Appendix B: H.264 Advanced Settings
206 ViewCast
Baseline profile is for video conferencing and mobile applications and has the lowest demands on CPU
load and memory usage, but the lowest resulting quality. Main profile is for standard-definition TV,
while high profile is best for HD video.
Note: You can use each profile for any resolution video with expected increases in video encode
quality and corresponding impacts to CPU and memory. Finally, you may use additional
changes to the Advanced Encoder Settings to further refine the video encoding.
Settings
Setting
Explanation
BFramesMax
This value sets the maximum number of concurrent B-frames
you can use. More B-frames improve video quality but also
increase CPU load, in some cases considerably. Only Main or
High Profile support B-frames. Changing this value when
Baseline Profile is selected has no effect.
GOPSize
This value sets the maximum interval between IDR (also
called reference) frames. Theoretically, higher values improve
compression because I-frames have more data but it can also
increase the appearance of fluctuating quality because more
P- or B-frames (partial) are used. If you see “pulsing” or
“strobing” in the encoded video, this value may be too low.
GOPSizeMin
This value sets the minimum length between IDR (reference)
frames. This setting limits the minimum length after each I-
frame before another can be placed. The suggested default is
1 x the frame rate.
InLoopDeblockingFilterAlpha
This value affects the overall amount of deblocking applied to
the video. Higher values remove blocky appearance more
efficiently, but retain less detail causing the image to appear
softened. This value is the most important parameter in
determining the overall sharpness of your encode. To make a
low bit rate encode look smoother, set this to a positive
number. The default value is 0 and should be sufficient to
eliminate most blocking. In general, values lower than -3 and
higher than 3 are usually not used, but could be if so desired.
InLoopDeblockingFilterBeta
This value determines whether something in a block is a detail
or not when deblocking is applied to it. Lower values apply
less deblocking to more flat blocks with detail present and
more deblocking to blocks without detail. Higher values cause
more deblocking to be applied to less flat blocks with details
present. Raising the value of Beta deblocking is a good way to
get rid of ringing artifacts by applying more aggressive
filtering to blocks that are not very flat. Lowering the value of
Beta deblocking is a good way to reduce the amount of DCT
blocks without blurring the entire picture. Again, the default
value of 0 usually is good enough. Set this to a positive
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 207
Setting
Explanation
number to smooth out low bit rate video encodes. In general,
values lower than -3 and higher than 3 are usually not used,
but could be if so desired.
LookaheadFrames
This value is the amount of frames the encoder keeps in its
buffers to perform various calculations. The higher this value,
the better the quality and the closer to a constant bit rate the
encoded video will be; however the CPU load is higher and
the latency from the source through the encoder is also
higher. Setting this to 0, depending on the encoder, will
provide the lowest latency possible.
NoiseReduction
This value performs adaptive noise reduction, estimates film
noise based on the value and attempts to remove the noise
by dropping small details before quantization (100 to 1000 for
de-noising). As a result, using Noise Reduction can make the
encoded video look smoother, but with much less detail.
QuantizerMax
This value sets the maximum for the quantizer. The range is 1
to 51 with 51 being the highest and least complex quantizer
available. The value 51 provides the most encoding, thus
making the picture quality farthest away from the original.
However, lowering this value increases CPU load, in some
cases considerably. Also, this value affects the bit rate with 51
keeping closer to a constant bit rate, while lower values cause
the bit rate to vary.
QuantizerMin
This value sets the minimum quantizer ever used in the
encoder. The lower the quantizer, the closer the encoded
video is to the original. For most video, any value below 10
appears almost the same as the original video.
ReferenceFrames
This value is the number of previous frames each P-frame can
use as a reference. More reference frames increase the
quality of the encoded video but increases the CPU load. Each
increase, however has reduced benefit and takes longer to
encode.
SceneChangeDetectThreshold
Higher values of this setting cause the encoder to detect
more scene changes. For example, a fast action movie that
has many scenes can have this value set lower than a
newscast, but the newscast video quality may suffer a bit at
the same value. 60 is a good default for most applications. 0
turns off scene change detection, but this is not
recommended. Higher values also increase CPU usage.
TrellisRDQuantization
This value performs Trellis quantization to increase the visual
quality of the encoded video: the higher the value, the better
the qualities of the video, but the higher the CPU load. This
value can also improve visual quality at lower bit rates.
However, settings above 0 are applicable for Main or High
Profile in the Custom Presets.
Appendix B: H.264 Advanced Settings
208 ViewCast
MPEG-4 Presets
In general, the Main Profile Default presets for the H.264 encoder Custom Presets will meet your
streaming requirements. For devices with restricted bandwidths and under certain conditions such as
low bit rates, motion specific, or constant bit rate applications, you may need to adjust the Advanced
Encoder Settings values in each line. This section includes some information to help you select those
Advanced Encoder Settings. These examples are suggestions and you should understand and select the
appropriate values for your streaming application. See Settings for explanations of each setting variable.
Setting
Value Range
BFramesMax
0 to 4
GOPSize
1 to 4000
GOPSizeMin
1 to 4000
InterlacedDCTComparison
0 to 14
LookaheadFrames
0 to 200
MotionEstimationComparison
0 to 256
MotionEstimationMethod
5 to 10
MotionEstimationPenaltyCompensation
0 to 256
MotionEstimationSubPixelComparison
0 to 256
MpegQuant
0 to 1
QuantizerMax
1 to 51
QuantizerMin
1 to 51
SceneChangeDetectThreshold
0 to 4000
TrellisRDQuantization
0 to 2
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 209
Settings
Setting
Explanation
BFramesMax
This value sets the maximum number of concurrent B-
frames that you can use. More B-frames improve video
quality but also increase CPU load, in some cases
considerably. Setting B-frames to a value more than 0
changes the video encoding format from Simple Profile
to Advanced Simple Profile.
GOPSize
This value sets the maximum interval between key
frames. Theoretically, higher values improve
compression because I-frames have more data but it
can also increase the appearance of fluctuating quality
because more P- or B-frames (partial) are used.
GOPSizeMin
This value sets the minimum length between key
frames. It limits the minimum length after each I-frame
before another can be placed. The suggested default is
1 x the frame rate.
InterlacedDCTComparison
This value optimizes processing of interlaced video
input. It is not usually used, but it may help the
encoding quality of interlaced video.
LookaheadFrames
This value is the amount of frames the encoder keeps in
its buffers to perform various calculations. The higher
this value, the better the quality and the closer to a
constant bit rate the encoded video will be, however
the CPU load is higher and the latency from the source
through the encoder is also higher. Setting this to 0,
depending on the encoder will provide the lowest
latency possible.
MotionEstimationComparison
Setting this value causes the encoder to select what
motion estimation comparison to use. 0 is the default
for MPEG4 encoding. You can use higher values but
they can increase CPU and memory usage, sometimes
with minimal significant gain in quality.
Note: The correct range is 0 to 14, but a value of 256
that affects the color portion of the video only is
available. Use this value only when you completely
understand the encoding needs. All other values
are ignored.
MotionEstimationMethod
Setting this value causes the encoder to select what
motion estimation method to use. 5 is the default for
MPEG4 encoding. You can use higher values but they
can increase CPU and memory usage, sometimes with
no significant gain in quality.
MotionEstimationPenaltyCompensation
Setting this value causes the encoder to apply a
Appendix B: H.264 Advanced Settings
210 ViewCast
Setting
Explanation
compensation for any errors that arise in the motion
estimation while encoding the video. The actual value
of 256 corresponds to a value of 1.0 and is set to
maximum as the default.
MotionEstimationSubPixelComparison
Setting this value causes the encoder to select the sub-
pixel motion estimation comparison. 0 is the default for
MPEG4 Simple Profile encoding because only Advanced
Simple Profile allows for sub-pixel motion estimation.
You can use higher values but they can increase CPU
and memory usage, sometimes with minimal significant
gain in quality.
Note: The correct range is 0 to 14, but a value of 256
that affects the color portion of the video only is
available. Only use this value when you completely
understand the encoding needs. All other values
are ignored.
MpegQuant
Setting the value of this to 0 will use quantizers for
Simple Profile MPEG4 encoding while using 1 will use
quantizers for Advanced Simple Profile and for high bit
rate encoding more detail from the original video will
be preserved. For lower bit rate encoding, using 0
smooths out the video appearance.
QuantizerMax
This value sets the maximum for the quantizer in use.
The range is 1 to 51 with 51 being the highest and least
complex quantizer available. The value 31 is a good
default. However lowering this value increases the CPU
load, in some cases considerably. Values above 31 are
available, but could significantly affect video quality
negatively.
QuantizerMin
This value sets the minimum quantizer used in the
encoder. The lower the quantizer, the closer the
encoded video is to the original. For most video, any
value below 10 appears almost the same as the original
video.
SceneChangeDetectThreshold
Higher values of this setting cause the encoder to
detect more scene changes and insert extra I-frames as
needed. For example, a fast-action movie with many
scenes could have this value set lower than a newscast,
but the newscast video quality may suffer a little at the
same value. 45 is a good default for most applications
using MPEG4 encoding. 0 turns off scene change
detection, but is not recommended. Higher values also
increase CPU usage.
TrellisRDQuantization
This value performs Trellis quantization to increase the
visual quality of the encoded video by determining the
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 211
Setting
Explanation
optimal encoding: the higher the value, the better the
video quality but the higher the CPU usage. This value
can also improve visual quality at lower bit rates.
Appendix B: H.264 Advanced Settings
212 ViewCast
MPEG-2 Presets
In general, the Main Profile Default presets for the H.264 encoder Custom Presets will meet your
streaming requirements. For devices with restricted bandwidths and under certain conditions such as
low bit rates, motion specific, or constant bit rate applications, you may need to adjust the Advanced
Encoder Settings values in each line. This section includes some information to help you select those
Advanced Encoder Settings. These examples are suggestions and you should understand and select the
appropriate values for your streaming application. See Settings for explanations of each setting variable.
Setting
Value Range
BFramesMax
0 to 4
GOPSize
1 to 4000
GOPSizeMin
1 to 4000
InterlacedDCTComparison
0 to 14
LookaheadFrames
0 to 200
MotionEstimationComparison
0 to 256
MotionEstimationMethod
5 to 10
MotionEstimationPenaltyCompensation
0 to 256
MotionEstimationSubPixelComparison
0 to 256
MpegQuant
0 to 1
QuantizerMax
1 to 51
QuantizerMin
1 to 51
SceneChangeDetectThreshold
0 to 4000
TrellisRDQuantization
0 to 2
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 213
Settings
Setting
Explanation
BFramesMax
This value sets the maximum number of concurrent B-
frames that you can use. More B-frames improve video
quality but also increase CPU load, in some cases
considerably. Setting B-frames to a value more than 0
changes the video encoding format from Simple Profile
to Advanced Simple Profile.
GOPSize
This value sets the maximum interval between key
frames. Theoretically, higher values improve
compression because I-frames have more data but it
can also increase the appearance of fluctuating quality
because more P- or B-frames (partial) are used.
GOPSizeMin
This value sets the minimum length between key
frames. It limits the minimum length after each I-frame
before another can be placed. The suggested default is
1 x the frame rate.
InterlacedDCTComparison
This value optimizes processing of interlaced video
input. It is not usually used, but it may help the
encoding quality of interlaced video.
LookaheadFrames
This value is the amount of frames the encoder keeps in
its buffers to perform various calculations. The higher
this value, the better the quality and the closer to a
constant bit rate the encoded video will be, however
the CPU load is higher and the latency from the source
through the encoder is also higher. Setting this to 0,
depending on the encoder will provide the lowest
latency possible.
MotionEstimationComparison
Setting this value causes the encoder to select what
motion estimation comparison to use. 0 is the default
for MPEG2 encoding. You can use higher values but
they can increase CPU and memory usage, sometimes
with minimal significant gain in quality.
Note: The correct range is 0 to 14, but a value of 256
that affects the color portion of the video only is
available. Use this value only when you completely
understand the encoding needs. All other values
are ignored.
MotionEstimationMethod
Setting this value causes the encoder to select what
motion estimation method to use. 5 is the default for
MPEG2 encoding. You can use higher values but they
can increase CPU and memory usage, sometimes with
no significant gain in quality.
MotionEstimationPenaltyCompensation
Setting this value causes the encoder to apply a
Appendix B: H.264 Advanced Settings
214 ViewCast
Setting
Explanation
compensation for any errors that arise in the motion
estimation while encoding the video. The actual value
of 256 corresponds to a value of 1.0 and is set to
maximum as the default.
MotionEstimationSubPixelComparison
Setting this value causes the encoder to select the sub-
pixel motion estimation comparison. 0 is the default for
MPEG2 Simple Profile encoding because only Advanced
Simple Profile allows for sub-pixel motion estimation.
You can use higher values but they can increase CPU
and memory usage, sometimes with minimal significant
gain in quality.
Note: The correct range is 0 to 14, but a value of 256
that affects the color portion of the video only is
available. Only use this value when you completely
understand the encoding needs. All other values
are ignored.
MpegQuant
Setting the value of this to 0 will use quantizers for
Simple Profile MPEG2 encoding while using 1 will use
quantizers for Advanced Simple Profile and for high bit
rate encoding more detail from the original video will
be preserved. For lower bit rate encoding, using 0
smooths out the video appearance.
QuantizerMax
This value sets the maximum for the quantizer in use.
The range is 1 to 51 with 51 being the highest and least
complex quantizer available. The value 31 is a good
default. However lowering this value increases the CPU
load, in some cases considerably. Values above 31 are
available, but could significantly affect video quality
negatively.
QuantizerMin
This value sets the minimum quantizer used in the
encoder. The lower the quantizer, the closer the
encoded video is to the original. For most video, any
value below 10 appears almost the same as the original
video.
SceneChangeDetectThreshold
Higher values of this setting cause the encoder to
detect more scene changes and insert extra I-frames as
needed. For example, a fast-action movie with many
scenes could have this value set lower than a newscast,
but the newscast video quality may suffer a little at the
same value. 45 is a good default for most applications
using MPEG2 encoding. 0 turns off scene change
detection, but is not recommended. Higher values also
increase CPU usage.
TrellisRDQuantization
This value performs Trellis quantization to increase the
visual quality of the encoded video by determining the
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 215
Setting
Explanation
optimal encoding: the higher the value, the better the
video quality but the higher the CPU usage. This value
can also improve visual quality at lower bit rates.
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 217
Appendix C: Mapped Network Drive
Setup
Setting up the network drive for a Niagara system to export files, requires setting up two administrator
accounts on a remote PC where the shared folder will be located:
One account for the username (for example, N9100)
One account for the username SCXUser
The shared folder is created on the remote PC with full access for both the Niagara system and the
SCXUser. On the system, the mapped network drive is created to reconnect at logon using the SCXUser
username.
To set up user accounts on a remote PC:
1.
Click on Start Control Panel.
2.
Double-click on Administrative Tools.
3.
Double-click on Computer Management.
4.
Expand Local Users and Groups. Click on Users.
Figure 218. Users
5.
Under Action, select New User.
6.
Enter the name of the system (for example, niagara9100) for the User name.
7.
Full name and Description are optional.
8.
Enter viewcast for the Password.
9.
Enter viewcast for the Confirm password.
10.
Clear User must change password at next logon.
11.
Select User cannot change password.
Appendix C: Mapped Network Drive Setup
218 ViewCast
12.
Enable Password never expires.
Figure 219. New User window
13.
Click Create.
14.
Repeat steps 5 through 13 to create the user SCXUser using the password viewcast.
15.
Click Close.
16.
The two new users appear in the users list.
Figure 220. Added Users
17.
In Computer Management, click Groups.
Figure 221. Groups
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 219
18.
Double-click on Administrators.
19.
Click Add.
Figure 222. Administrators Properties window
20.
Click Add. The Select Users window displays.
21.
Click Locations.
22.
Select the PC, then click OK.
Figure 223. Locations window
Appendix C: Mapped Network Drive Setup
220 ViewCast
23.
Enter the name of the system (for example, niagara 9100) for the object name, and then
click OK.
24.
The user name you entered in step 6 appears in the list of Administrators.
Figure 224. Administrators Properties
25.
Repeat steps 19 through 22 to add SCXUser as an administrator.
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 221
To create the shared folder:
Note: The shared folder(s) must be created on the remote PC.
1.
Open Computer.
2.
Open the drive where the shared folder will be created.
3.
Right click, select New, then Folder.
Figure 225. Create new folder
4.
Enter a name for the folder (for example, N7Share).
Figure 226. Folder name
Appendix C: Mapped Network Drive Setup
222 ViewCast
5.
Right click on the folder, and then select Properties.
Figure 227. Folder Properties window
6.
Click on the Sharing tab.
7.
Click Share. The File Sharing window displays.
8.
Type a name and then click Add, or click the arrow to select someone from the drop-down
list.
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 223
9.
Use the drop-down list under permission level for this user and select Read/Write.
Figure 228. Read/Write permissions
10.
Click Share.
11.
Repeat steps 2 through 9 to add SCXUser to the Share Permissions.
12.
Click Done.
Figure 229. File Sharing window
13.
Click Close to close the share properties.
Appendix C: Mapped Network Drive Setup
224 ViewCast
To map the network drive:
Note: Create a mapped network drive to the remote shared folder that will reconnect at logon. Once
the mapped drive is created and the Niagara system is rebooted, you will be able to export to the
network drive.
1.
On the Niagara system, open Computer.
2.
Under Tools, select Map Network Drive.
3.
Select a drive.
4.
In the text box for folder, enter the network path to the shared folder on the remote PC
(for example, \\DDSP052206\N7Share).
5.
Make sure Reconnect at logon is enabled.
6.
Select Connect using different credentials.
7.
Click Finish.
Figure 230. Map Network Drive window
8.
Enter SCXUser as the User name and viewcast as the Password.
9.
Click OK.
10.
Click Finish. After a few moments, the network share will open.
11.
Close the window. The mapped drive will now appear in My Computer under Network
Drives.
12.
Reboot the Niagara system.
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ViewCast 225
Appendix D: System Menu (LCD Display)
This section provides information on the front panel LCD display. The display is informational only. You
cannot perform any functions from the display.
System status menu
CPU
Displays CPU information.
Memory
Displays memory information.
HDD
Displays HDD information including the HDDs in the system and network.
Operating System
Displays OS information.
Network I/F
Displays LAN information including IP and MAC for the available network adaptor.
Appendix D: System Menu (LCD Display)
226 ViewCast
Monitor status menu
CPU&Mem Used
Monitors the usage of CPU and memory.
Up Time
Monitors the up time since the last boot.
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
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Index
A
Active Network Link field, 176
Activity Log window, 184
Adaptive Apple
Analog inputs, 40
Audio tab, 45
Output tab, 46
Video tab, 41
Digital inputs, 98
Audio tab, 103
Output tab, 104
Video tab, 99
Adaptive encoder video stream table, 43, 59,
101, 109, 117
Adaptive Flash
Analog inputs, 48
Audio tab, 53
Output tab, 54
Video tab, 49
Digital inputs, 106
Audio tab, 111
Output tab, 112
Video tab, 107
Added Users, 218
Additional functions, 44, 52, 60, 102, 110, 118
Admin Log In window, 31
Administrators Properties, 220
Administrators Properties window, 219
Advanced Settings, 176
Alerts window, 174, 185
audience for publication, 1
AVI
Analog inputs, 71
Audio tab, 74
Output tab, 75
Video tab, 72
Digital inputs, 129
Audio tab, 132
Output tab, 133
Video tab, 130
C
Changing
computer name, 172
the login password, 173
Computer Name field, 172
Configuration drop-down list, 17
Configuring
Adaptive Apple
Analog inputs
Audio tab settings, 45
Output tab settings, 46
Video tab settings, 41
Digital inputs
Audio tab settings, 103
Output tab settings, 104
Video tab settings, 99
IP inputs
Audio tab settings, 159
Adaptive Flash
Analog inputs
Audio tab settings, 53
Output tab settings, 54
Video tab settings, 49
Digital inputs
Audio tab settings, 111
Output tab settings, 112
Video tab settings, 107
Advanced Settings, 176
AVI
Analog inputs
Audio tab settings, 74
Output tab settings, 75
Index
228 ViewCast
C (cont.)
Video tab settings, 72
Digital inputs
Audio tab settings, 132
Output tab settings, 133
Video tab settings, 130
default directory setting, 181
email settings, 180
Flash
Analog inputs
Audio tab settings, 67
H.264 Presets tab settings, 70
Output tab settings, 68
Video tab settings, 65
Digital inputs
Audio tab settings, 125
H.264 presets tab settings, 128
Output tab settings, 126
Video tab settings, 123
IP address, 176
IP inputs
Video tab settings, 156
MPEG2
Analog inputs
MPEG-2 Presets tab settings, 87
Digital inputs
MPEG-2 Presets tab settings, 146
MPEG4
Analog inputs
Audio tab settings, 82
H.264 Presets tab settings, 85
MPEG-4 Presets tab settings, 86
Output tab settings, 83
Video tab settings, 78
Digital inputs
Audio tab settings, 140
H.264 Presets tab settings, 144
MPEG-4 Presets tab settings, 145
Output tab settings, 142
Video tab settings, 136
Network cards, 175
Smooth Streaming
Analog inputs
Audio tab settings, 61
Output tab settings, 62
Video tab settings, 57
Digital inputs
Audio tab settings, 119
Output tab settings, 120
Video tab settings, 115
SMTP (mail settings), 180
TS container
Streaming, 164
Streaming to a TS container, 161
WME
Analog inputs
Audio tab settings, 91
DRM tab settings, 95
Output tab settings, 93
Video tab settings, 89
Digital inputs
Audio tab settings, 150
DRM tab settings, 154
Output tab settings, 152
Video tab settings, 148
Configuring community names, 189
Configuring permitted SNMP managers, 190
Configuring SNMP Agent contact and location,
194
Configuring trap destinations, 192
Connecting
an external storage device, 186
the power source, 23
the system, 15
to an electrical power source, 23
to the Internet, 5
Conventions for this guide, 2
CPU Threshold field, 182
Create New Encoder window, 33
Create new folder, 221
Creating
an encoder, 33
encoder groups, 168, 170
shared folder, 221
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 229
C (cont.)
Current System Configuration, 179
Custom fields, 41, 49, 57, 65, 72, 78, 89, 99,
107, 115, 123, 130, 136, 148
D
Date and time settings, 25
Default AV Folder field, 181
De-Interlace settings, 42, 50, 58, 66, 73, 79, 90,
100, 108, 116, 124, 131, 137, 149
Digital Rights Management, 154, 199
Directional buttons, 16
Disclaimers, iv
DRM
Disconnect Remote Desktop, 203
DRM Profile, 203
DRM Profiles, 201
General tab, 201
Local Resources tab, 200
New Session Wizard, 202
Properties tab, 202
Remote Desktop Connection, 200
Starting Windows Media Encoder, 202
E
easy first setup, 21
Easy first time set up, 23
easy first time setup, 21
Edit Encoder Groups, 168
Editing Encoder Groups, 170
email alert, 174
Email/SMTP Setting fields, 180
Enabling
DRM function in Niagara SCX, 199
Encoder Groups field, 170
Encoder Groups fields, 168
Encoder Groups window, 167
Encoder Startup Settings, 182
Encoder status, 35, 36
Encoder video stream table, 51
Encoders drop-down list, 17
Encoders window, 33, 34, 35, 36
Environmental Notices, 6
F
FCC Notice, 4
File Sharing window, 223
Flash
Analog inputs, 64
Audio tab, 67
H.264 Presets tab, 70
Output tab, 68
Video tab, 65
Digital inputs
Audio tab, 125
H.264 Presets tab, 128
Output tab, 126
Video tab, 123
Flash encoder
Digital inputs, 122
Folder name, 221
Folder Properties window, 222
G
Groups, 218
H
H.264 Presets, 205
I
Importing
DRM profile, 199
Index, 227
install overview, 10
Installing
additional software, 5
Instructions, Notices, and Warnings, 23
IP address, 31, 176
IP inputs
Adaptive Apple
Video tab, 159
Address and PID fields, 156
PID field, 156
Video tab, 156
Index
230 ViewCast
I (cont.)
IP Route Table, 177
L
Locations window, 219
Log In window, 24
Logging in, 31
M
MAC Address, 176
Machine Properties window, 171
Map Network Drive window, 224
Mapped network drive setup, 217
Mapping
network drive, 224
media system functions, 9
menu bar commands, 17
Monitor status menu, 226
MPEG encoder and container descriptions, 80,
138
MPEG2
Analog inputs
MPEG-2 Presets tab, 87
Digital inputs
MPEG-2 Presets tab, 146
MPEG2 Presets, 212
MPEG4
Analog inputs, 77
Audio tab, 82
H.264 Presets tab, 85
MPEG-4 Presets tab, 86
Output tab, 83
Video tab, 78
Digital inputs, 135
Audio tab, 140
H.264 Presets tab, 144
MPEG-4 Presets tab, 145
Output tab, 142
Video tab, 136
MPEG4 Presets, 208
N
Network Card
Options, 175
Network Card(s), 175
Field, 175
Network Interface Card (NIC), 175
network name, 176
Network Properties window, 175
New User window, 218
Niagara 9100 series
Back panel, 14
Back panel, Review of, 14
Browser window, Flow of, 19
Browser windows flow, 19
Directional buttons, 16
Front panel, 12
Front Panel, Review of, 12
Home page, 17
Niagara SCX User Guide, 186
O
Opening
remote desktop connection, 200
Operating Temperature, 3
P
package contents, 10
Password Change window, 173
Performing
the initial startup, 24
Product Registration, 26
Properties section, 173
Q
Querying system information, 196
R
Rack Mount Safety Instructions, 3
Read/Write permissions, 223
Reboot Message, 172
Restart LCD menu, 12
Restore Factory Defaults, 183
Restoring
factory defaults, 183
Niagara 9100 Series User Guide
ViewCast 231
S
Select a folder, 46, 54, 62, 69, 76, 84, 94, 105,
112, 120, 127, 134, 153
Select a Folder, 143
Serial number, 31
Setting
CPU thresholds, 182
current system configuration settings, 179
up user accounts on a remote PC, 217
Smooth Streaming
Analog inputs
Audio tab, 61
Output tab, 62
Video tab, 57
Digital inputs
Audio tab, 119
Output tab, 120
Video tab, 115
Smooth Streaming encoder
Analog inputs, 56
Digital inputs, 114
SNMP
Agent tab, 194
Community Name field, 189
IP Addresses, 191
Security tab, 189
SNMP Service Configuration, 190, 192
SNMP Service Properties – Security tab, 190
Trap destinations, 193
Traps tab, 192
Started icon, 36
Starting
an encoder, 35
an encoder group, 169
Starting SNMP trap listener, 198
Starting/stopping all encoders in the system
through SNMP, 198
Starting/stopping all encoders per group
through SNMP, 197
Starting/stopping an encoder through SNMP,
197
Status drop-down list, 18
Stopped icon, 35
Stopping
an encoder, 36
an encoder group, 169
System Configuration Settings window, 178
system menu, 12
system requirements, 11
System status menu, 225
T
To register at viewcast.com, 27
To register online, 26
U
USB storage device, 186
Users, 217
Using
directional buttons, 16
Niagra SCX web interface, 186
Using UDP port other than 161 for SNMP
requests, 195
V
Valid output container selections for video
encoder types, 81, 139
Video Filter Settings, 42, 50, 58, 66, 73, 79, 90,
100, 107, 116, 123, 131, 137, 149
ViewCast Niagara 9100 Series, Picture of, 1
Viewing
activity log, 184
alerts, 185
list of encoder groups, 167
W
Warnings, 7
Warranties, iv
web interface, 22
Welcome window, 25, 31
WME
Analog inputs, 88
Audio tab, 91
DRM tab, 95
Output tab, 93
Video tab, 89
Index
232 ViewCast
Digital inputs, 147
Audio tab, 150
DRM tab, 154
Output tab, 152
Video tab, 148
© 2013 ViewCast Corporation. ViewCast
®
, Niagara
®
(and design)
TM
are registered trademarks of ViewCast Corporation or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks are the property
of their respective owners. Product specifications and availability may change without notice. 40-03291-05-A
viewcast.com
… 236 …


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