User Guide
Standalone VGA Grid
Release 3.14.4
April 24, 2015
UG103-004
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For additional terms and conditions, please refer to additional sections in this document.
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Thank You forChoosingEpiphan!
At Epiphan Systems Inc. (“Epiphan”), product function and quality are our top priority. We make every effort to
make sure that our products exceed your expectations.
Product Feedback
Your feedback is important! We regularly contact our customers to ensure our products meet your
performance and reliability requirements. We strive to continually enhance our products to accommodate your
needs. Please let us know how you think we can improve our products by emailing your suggestions to
info@epiphan.com.
Specifications
Go to the Professional Recording and StreamingSystems page of the Epiphan website to get the most recent
product specifications and additional information about Epiphan's Standalone VGA Grid.
Warranty
All Epiphan Systems products are provided with a 100% return to depot warranty for one year from the date of
purchase.
Technical Support
Epiphan’s products are backed by our professional support team. If you are having issues with your product,
please gather details about your system and contact our team by:
l Emailing support@epiphan.com
l Live chat via the link on our support site http://www.epiphan.com/support/
l Phone toll free at 1-877-599-6581 or call +1-613-599-6581
Be sure to include as much information about your problem as possible. Including:
l Problem description
l Details of the video or audio source (type, connection, resolution, refresh rate, etc.)
l Product serial number
l Product firmware version (if applicable, from web admin interface)
Copyright © 2014 Epiphan Systems Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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What's New in Release 3.14.4?
Release 3.14.4 brings additional streaming functionality through Wowza Cloud to Standalone VGA Grid.
New Streaming Functionality
Live Streaming via Wowza Cloud
Using a simple connection code, the power of Standalone VGA Grid can easily be combined with the flexibility
and worldwide accessibility of the Wowza Streaming Cloud to universally stream from any live video source. See
Stream your video.
Resolved issues
Along with many smaller bugs fixed in release 3.14.4, the following issues have been resolved:
l A blue line appearing on the right side of the captured image when capturing from an SDI source at
720p
l Inconsistent/inaccurate status results shown when attempting to extract a subset of a large, multi-track
file
Limitations and known issues
This section includes known issues or limitations that affect functionality or usability and ways that you can
work around these limitations.
Affecting encoding
l Encoding with MPEG-4 sometimes results in poor quality.
Workaround: From the channel's stream setup, increase the video bitrate to improve picture quality.
l Video bitrate for MJPEG streams are approximately one and a half to two times the configured value.
Workaround: Verify the actual bitrate on the channel's channel status page and adjust until the correct
value is achieved.
l In multiple source channel layouts, sources cannot overrun the top or left edges of the screen.
Workaround: Avoid using negative values for x and y axis coordinates.
l Encoding is unavailable if a branding logo is placed outside the frame size. (i.e. if the frame is 1024x768
and the logo is placed with an x-axis margin of 1200.)
Workaround:Always keep the branding logo within the frame.
l For VGAsources only, some wide-mode resolutions are not correctly identified and result in a slightly
squished image (e.g. for a 1360x768 source, the detected resolution may be 1024x768).
Workaround:This issue is related to the video output hardware. Test your source to see if it exhibits the
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issue. If possible, avoid using wide-mode for VGAdisplays that exhibit this issue.
l When changing a channel's source from a local encoder source to an external encoder source, it's
possible to have an AAC audio encoding bitrate that is higher than the VGAGrid HD Encoder supports.
The resulting stream or recording may be unplayable and you may encounter a warning about variable
audio bitrate.
Workaround: When changing from local to external sources, delete the channel rather than changing
the source(s).Or, if re-using channels, ensure audio encoding bitrate forVGAGrid HD Encoders is set to
no more than 160 kbps.
l Recordings made with encoded streams from VGAGrid HD Encoders, using AACaudio and AVI file
format are not playable via VLC.
Workaround: Use another media player, such as Windows Media Player; choose a different audio codec;
or save recordings as .MP4 or .MOV files.
l Some cameras are sensitive to EDIDs and are not captured at optimal settings. When capturing from
these cameras, the HD signal may be down-sampled by the camera to an SD signal because the Epiphan
system doesn't share the EDID the camera expects for its HD signal.
Workaround:ContactEpiphan customer support for a custom EDID to resolve this issue.
l Limitation: When audio is enabled on an SDIsource where video is already being captured, it takes up
to 15 seconds for the system to detect the audio. Once detected, the audio is properly synchronized
with the video.
Workaround: Start the SDI signal with audio enabled, or check to ensure audio is detected before
streaming or recording.
Affecting streaming
l You may see video artifacts when creating multiple source layouts where sources are partially
overlapped.
Workaround: Avoid overlapping sources in multiple source channels or disable the Keep Aspect Ratio
parameter.
Affecting recording
l You may see video artifacts when creating multiple source layouts where sources are partially
overlapped.
Workaround: Avoid overlapping sources in multiple source channels or disable the Keep Aspect Ratio
parameter.
Affecting the web interface
l It is possible to name two or more channels with the same value. Use of automatic file transfer and UPnP
is unpredictable if this occurs.
Workaround:Ensure each channel has a unique name.
l The automatic file upload (AFU) file queue shows a maximum of 15 files, Newer 15 and Top of the list
buttons do not work. All files are transfered, even though they are not lists.
Workaround: Wait for the queue to have fewer files in the list.
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Affecting other areas
l Limitation:Pearl fails to restart after improper shutdown (power cable removed or rapid power cycle).
LED and touch screen blink.
Workaround: Restart Pearl by removing the power cable for 20 seconds, then reattaching the cable and
powering the system back on.
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Table Of Contents
Thank You forChoosingEpiphan! ii
Product Feedback ii
Specifications ii
Warranty ii
Technical Support ii
Resolved issues iii
Limitations and known issues iii
Welcome 1
About this Guide 2
Standalone VGA Grid Overview 3
What's in the Box? 4
Front and back panel view for the VGAGrid 5
Quick Start 7
Step 1: Physical Setup and Power On 7
Step 2: Admin Discovery and Login 8
Step 3: Setup the Video Source 9
Step 4: Configure the Channel 11
Step 5: Testing the Stream 12
Step 6: Recording the Stream 13
What’s Next? 13
PART 1: Setup 14
1-1 Connect to the Admin Interface 15
Connect via DNS-based Service Discovery 15
Connect via the Epiphan Discovery Utility 16
Connect via Persistent Static IP Address 18
1-2 User Administration 19
Understanding User Privileges 19
Setting and Changing User Passwords 22
Removing User Passwords 23
Overcoming Lost Passwords 24
Configure LDAP 24
Changing the logged-in user 27
1-2 View system information 28
1-3 Configure Network Settings 29
Verify IP Address and MAC address 29
Configure a Static IP Address 30
Configure DHCP 32
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Tether to a Mobile Network 33
Perform Network Diagnostics 34
1-3 Configuration presets 36
Configuration presets overview 36
Configuration groups 39
Create a configuration preset 39
Apply a configuration preset 41
Apply theFactory default configuration preset 42
Update a configuration preset 43
Delete a configuration preset 44
Configurationpreset considerations 45
1-4 Configure Date and Time 49
Verify Date and Time Settings 49
Change the Time Zone 50
Configure Synchronized Time (NTP, PTP v1, and RDATE) 50
Configure a Local NTP Server 52
Manually Configure the Date and Time 52
1-5 Restrict Viewers by IPAddress 53
Examples 54
PART 2: Sources 57
2-1 Identify sources 58
Connecting sources 58
Previewing captured stream from sources 59
2-2 Configure a video source 60
Configure the video source's frame grabber parameters 60
Change a source name 64
2-3 Configure an audio source 66
Add an audio source to a channel 66
Configure audio encoding settings 67
Set audio volume 68
2-4 Fine-tune source configuration 70
Video is not centered on the screen (VGAsources only) 70
Video is too bright, too dark or washed out (VGAsources only) 71
Video looks squished (VGA sources only) 72
Remove the combing effect on images 74
Force the capture card to use a specific EDID 74
PART 3: Channels 78
3-1 Create and configure channels 79
Create a single source channel 79
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Create a multi-source layout 82
Delete a channel 86
Rename a channel 87
3-2 Identify a channel 88
3-3 Fine-tune channel configuration 89
Choose a codec to maximize your stream quality 89
Codec and file format compatibility 92
Adjust video quality 93
Upscale or downscale your video image 94
Control the matte (black bars) in the video output 95
Unstretch the output video 98
Limit the frame rate 99
Adjust key frame interval 100
3-4 Customize your channel 101
Add your logo and company information to your channel 101
Add a time stamp or text overlay to your channel 107
Select the background color for your channel 108
Add a customized background to a multiple source channel 109
3-5 Preview a channel 113
Preview a channel from the Info page 113
Preview a channel from the Status page 114
Preview all channels at once 114
PART 4: Stream 116
4-1 Stream your video 117
View available video formats 117
Choose a streaming option 118
Disable (and enable) streams for viewers 121
Restrict access to streams for viewers 122
Stream content using HTTPor RTSP 124
Configure streaming ports 125
Stream content using HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) 126
Stream content using UPnP 127
Stream content using a Content Distribution Network 133
Stream content using multicast streaming 144
4-2 Samples of stream settings 150
Streaming video content 150
Streaming slide content 151
PART 5: Record 152
5-1 Recorders 153
Add a recorder 153
Rename a recorder 154
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Change the channels recorded by a recorder 155
Delete a recorder 156
5-2 Create Recordings 157
Recording basics 157
Record a channel via the web interface 158
Record with a recorder via the web interface 160
Configure thetype and length of recording files 162
Close the current recording file while recording 164
Control recording with a mouse 165
5-3 File Maintenance 166
View the List of Stored Files 166
Rename Stored Files 167
Download Files Manually 168
Delete Files Manually 169
Pick Specific Tracks from a Multi-track Recorder File 170
5-4 File and recording transfer 172
Automatic file upload (AFU) overview 172
Configure the files included in AFU (part 1 of 3) 173
Enable and configure the frequency of AFU (part 2 of 3) 174
Configure AFU to an FTP server (part 2 of 3) 177
Configure AFU using RSync (part 2 of 3) 178
Configure AFU using CIFS (part 2 of 3) 179
Configure AFU to a secure FTP server (part 2 of 3) 181
Configure AFU using SCP (part 2 of 3) 183
Upload to an external USB drive 184
View the file upload log 191
5-5 Use the Local FTPServer 192
Configure the Local FTP Server 192
Downloading Files from the Local FTP Server 193
PART 6: View 196
6-1 View your video 197
View the live broadcast and retrieve stream URLs 197
Viewing with a web browser 200
Viewing with a media player 202
Viewing with UPnP 202
Viewing with Session Announcement Protocol (SAP) 204
PART 7: Maintenance 206
7-1 Mobile / Tablet Operator Interface 207
Connect to the tablet interface 207
Confidence monitoring using the tablet interface 209
Verify disk space via the tablet interface 211
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Control recording via the tablet interface 211
Switch to the full admin interface 212
7-2 Power Down and System Restart 213
Restarting the Device via the Web Interface 213
Shutting down the Device via the Web Interface 214
Shutting down the Device Manually 214
7-3 Save and Restore Device Configuration 216
Save device configuration 216
Load a saved device configuration 217
7-4 Perform Factory Reset 219
Restore Factory Configuration via the Web Interface 219
7-5 Firmware Upgrade 221
Check for Firmware Updates 221
Install firmware 222
7-6 Support 225
Download logs and "allinfo" 225
Configure Remote Support 227
Disable Remote Support 228
7-7 Storage Disk Maintenance 230
Check disk storage space 230
Schedule disk check 231
Perform disk check 231
Rebuild or replace storage disks 232
Verify RAID storage 236
Read data from removed storage disks 237
7-8 Control with RS-232 / Serial Port 240
Connect and configure the RS-232 cable 240
Control the Standalone VGA Grid with RS-232 241
RS-232 / Serialport command examples 244
7-9 Control with HTTPCommands 246
HTTP command syntax 246
HTTP command examples 248
7-10 ConfigurationKeys forThirdParty APIs 250
System-level Settings Keys(Read-only) 251
System-level SettingsKey (Read/Write) 251
Recording Configuration Keys 252
HTTPServer Configuration Keys 252
IP-Based Access Control Configuration Keys 253
UPnP Configuration Keys 253
SAP Configuration Keys 254
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Frame Grabber Configuration Keys 254
Broadcast ConfigurationKeys 255
Channel Encoder ConfigurationKeys 255
Channel Logo Configuration Keys 257
Audio Configuration Keys 258
Stream Publishing Configuration Keys 259
RTSPAnnounce Configuration Keys (Publish Type 2) 259
RTP/UDPConfiguration Keys (Publish Type 3) 260
MPEG-TSConfiguration Keys (Publish Types 4 and 5) 261
RTMPPush Configuration Keys (Publish Type 6) 261
ContentMetadata Configuration Keys 261
7-11 Troubleshooting 263
PART 8: Releases and Features 266
Release 3.14.3 Features 266
Release 3.14.1 Features 266
Release 3.12 Features 268
Release 3.11 Features 269
Software and Documentation License 273
Environmental Information 277
FCC & CE Compliance Statement 277
Other Jurisdictional Issues 278
Submissions to Epiphan and Affiliated Servers 278
Third Parties and Links to Third-Party Web Sites 278
Miscellaneous 278
Enforcement of Terms and Conditions 279
xi
Standalone VGA Grid User Guide Welcome
Welcome
Welcome, and thank you for buying Epiphan’s Standalone VGA Grid™. This guide will help you configure your
new system.
To get started, review the Standalone VGA Grid Overview and What's in the Box? sections. Next, a Quick Start
guide walks you through the basic steps to get a single video (and optional audio) source configured as a
streamable, recordable output from the Standalone VGA Grid.
Following the quick start section, a set of task-based procedures help you to tweak the system exactly how you
want it. These procedures are broken into seven categories: Setup, Sources, Channels , Stream, Record, View,
and Maintenance.
1
Standalone VGA Grid User Guide Welcome
About this Guide
Warnings are depicted as follows.
This is a warning.
Tips and Notes are depicted as follows.
This is a tip.
Throughout this guide there are situations where more than one solution will complete a task. In those cases
the guide describes the simplest or most common variation first.
2
Standalone VGA Grid User Guide Standalone VGA Grid Overview
Standalone VGA Grid Overview
Epiphan's VGAGrid allows you to capture, stream, and record audio and video from a large number of VGA,
DVI, HDMI, composite and component sources. It supports streaming to a large number of viewers using
industry-standard codecs such as H.264 and MPEG-TS. Supporting resolutions between 640×480 and
2048×2048, the VGAGrid is suitable for a broad range of applications.
This versatile system has a variety of options enabling you to create and configure any number of streaming
channels. You can choose to stream (or record) a single channel at once or a configuration of synchronized
channels with picture-in-picture or picture-with-picture multiplexing selections.
The VGAGrid comes in two styles to meet your needs:Networked and Standalone. The Standalone VGA Grid
captures video and audio through internal cards. Depending on the model it has 4 or 6 DVI source ports, 4 or 6
SDI source ports and 4 or 6 S-Video source ports. The latest hardware models(with SDIcapture) also support
HDMI and SDIaudio catpure. Encoding and synchronization of the stream is done locally on the Standalone
VGA Grid. The Networked VGAGrid has no internal capture cards, instead it uses VGAGrid HD Encoders to
capture and encode sources, sending the already encoded stream to the VGAGrid. Using external encoders
means the VGAGrid has less stress on its CPU so it can handle a greater number of inputs. HDMIaudio capture
and SDI video capture are not supported with Networked VGAGrid systems.
3
Standalone VGA Grid User Guide What's in the Box?
What's in the Box?
The Standalone VGA Grid is a 4U rackmount server with dimensions 522 mm (D) × 430 mm (W) × 176 mm(H)
(20.5” × 16.9” × 6.9”).
Latest Hardware Revision:
Standalone VGA Grid can now capture more HD content than ever before. The newest Standalone VGA Grids
comes with eight or twelve HD inputs (depending on the model). Half the inputs are for capturing from
DVI/HDMI/VGA sources while the other half are for SDI sources. As before there are also 4 or 6 S-Video ports.
With this combination of available input ports and applicable DVI, SDI or S-Videoadapters/converters you can
bring in signals from nearly any source. This hardware upgrade also provides audio capture support for HDMI
and SDI in addition to pre-existing support for 3.5 mm analog audio input ports.
Previous Hardware Revisions
Previous versions of Standalone VGA Grids came with four or six HD inputs (depending on the model). Many,
although not all, previous hardware revisions can support the latest software release.Use the Firmware
Upgrade feature to see if your device is upgradeable. Noteprevious hardware revisions do not support
HDMIaudio capture.
Unpacking the box
The following list applies only to new devices with the latest hardware revision.
1. 4 or 6 (depending on model) VGA to DVI-I cables
2. 4 or 6 (depending on model) HDMI to DVI-I adapters
3. 4 or 6 (depending on model) DVI-I to DVI-I cables
4. 4 or 6 (depending on model) composite to S-Video cables
5. 4 or 6 (depending on model) SDI cables
6. One Ethernet cable
7. Power cable
Image Name Description
VGA to DVI cable
Connects a VGA source to the system’s DVI
port(s).
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Standalone VGA Grid User Guide What's in the Box?
Image Name Description
HDMI to DVI adapter
DVI-I Single Link cable
Composite to S-Video
cable
SDI Cable
RJ-45 Ethernet cable Connects the system to your network.
Connects an HDMI source to the system’s DVI
port(s).
Connects a DVI source to the encoder’s DVI
port(s).
Connects a composite output from an analog
sources to the system’s S-Video port(s).
Connects anSDIsource to the system via
BNCconnectors.
Front and back panel view for the VGAGrid
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Standalone VGA Grid User Guide What's in the Box?
Table 1 Rackmount Standalone VGA Grid Front and Back Panel Descriptions
Label Name Description
Power Button (behind
door)
Reset (behind door)
Power LED Indicates the system is powered on.
Hard Drive LED Blinks when the system is recording or accessing the hard drive.
USB Ports (behind door)
USB Ports For connection of external hard drives, flash drives, or control interfaces.
USB Ports For connection of external hard drives, flash drives, or control interfaces.
RJ-45 Ethernet Auto-sensing gigabit Ethernet 10/100/1000 Base-T network port.
Unlock the door to reveal the power button.
Press to turn on; press and release to turn off the system.Press and
hold for 4 seconds for a forced system shutdown.
Unlock the door to reveal the reset button.
Cycles the power off then on, like a computer reset button.
Unlock the door to reveal two USB ports.
For connection of external hard drives, flash drives, or control interfaces.
Audio In (blue) Connect amplified line in audio sources to the system.
Audio In (pink) Connect unamplified microphone audio sources to the system.
Audio In (4 or 6) Connect audio sources to the system.
S-Video ports (4 or 6) Connect analog video sources (S-Video, composite, etc) to the system.
DVI-I Dual Link (4 or 6) Connect analog or HD video sources to the system.
SDIports (4 or 6) Connect digital SDI sources to the system.
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Standalone VGA Grid User Guide Quick Start
Quick Start
This section helps you get up and running quickly with your Standalone VGA Grid.
l Step 1: Physical Setup and Power On
l Step 2: Admin Discovery and Login
l Step 3: Setup the Video Source
l Step 4: Configure the Channel
l Step 5: Testing the Stream
l Step 6: Recording the Stream
Before you get started, make sure you have:
l an HD source (i.e. a computer, a tablet, or a phone)
l the appropriate cables or adapters to convert the output to DVI or SDI (if needed)
l ideally, a network with Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
l a computer with a web browser connected to the same network (this is referred to as the “admin”
computer in the steps below)
l optionally, an audio source such as a microphone or the headphone jack from a laptop . Note that audio
signals sent overHDMI andSDI are supported in the latest hardware revision(s). If you have SDIports,
your system supports HDMIand SDI audio.
These instructions include steps for setting up and configuring audio. Skip these optional steps if
you do not want to configure an audio source at this time.
Step 1: Physical Setup and Power On
Complete the following steps to prepare and power on the system. Refer to the Front and Back Panel View
section for your system to locate the appropriate input ports.
1. Turn on your HD source and connect the output cable to a DVI-I or SDI port on the back of the system.
2. (optional) Attach a 3.5 mm audio cable from your audio source to the system’s motherboard audio input
port(blue port on the back of the system).
3. Connect the Ethernet cable to the Standalone VGA Grid. Connect the Ethernet cable to your network.
4. Attach the power cable to the system and plug it into a power source.
5. Unlock the front panel and press the power button to turn on the system.
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Standalone VGA Grid User Guide Quick Start
6. Wait for the Standalone VGA Grid to complete the power up sequence. The power LED illuminates and
the hard drive LED flashes during start up.
Step 2: Admin Discovery and Login
The Standalone VGA Grid is managed from a web interface. This interface acts as a configuration utility and
system monitor. The first time you access the web interface you will not know the IP address of the system.
The steps below use DNS-based service discovery (a type of zero-configuration networking) to access the
system. Depending on the operating system on your admin computer you may need to install some software
before you can used DNS-based discovery.
This quick start is meant for systems that support DHCP and DNS, however if your system does not
support these mechanisms, refer toConnect to the Admin Interface and Connect via the Epiphan
Discovery Utility for alternative discovery mechanisms. Return to step 3 below you have
completed setting a static IP address for the Standalone VGA Grid.
Table 2 Installing Bonjour Print Services
System Action Needed
Microsoft Windows You must install Bonjour Print Services:
1. Use the following URL - http://support.apple.com/kb/DL999
2. Click Download.
3. Follow the system prompts to download and install the application.
MacOSX The Bonjour software used for service discovery is built in to the Mac OS. No special
actions needed.
Linux The Avahi implementation used for DNS-based discovery is shipped with most Linux
distributions. If necessary, check with your administrator to ensure you have the Avahi
package installed.
You are able to access the system web interface on the local network by specifying its serial number in a web
browser on your admin computer.
1. Find the system’s serial number. It is printed on a sticker on the back of the unit.
2. Type the following string into the address bar of your web browser on your admin computer (where
<serial> is the serial number of your Standalone VGA Grid):
http://<serial>.local/admin
For example: http://95dd40d5.local/admin
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Standalone VGA Grid User Guide Quick Start
3. Enter the user name and password then click OK. The administrative user is ‘admin’. Initially no
password is set. To set a password follow the procedure outlined in Setting and Changing User
Passwords.
4. Optionally, navigate to the Network link under the Configuration heading and note the IP address of
the system.
Step 3: Setup the Video Source
The web interface has a pre-configured list of the frame grabbers in the Sources section. Each video input card
on the back of the system is a frame grabber. Each frame grabber has one DVI port, one SDI port, one S-Video
port and one 3.5 mm audio port. The sources are listed by their frame grabber serial number.
DVI ports are listed with the suffix .vga, SDI ports are listed with the suffix .sdi, S-Video inputs listed with the
suffix .video, and analog audio inputs are listed with the suffix _analog or, for the audio port on the
motherboard:Analog. Digital audio inputs (for systems with SDIports) are listed with the suffix .hdmi-audio or
.sdi-audio, depending on their source.
The serial numbers for your system will not be the same as the examples shown below.
1. From the web interface, scroll to the Sources section. (You will see more sources than shown below.)
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Standalone VGA Grid User Guide Quick Start
2. Find the DVI (orSDI) source that you have connected by selecting each DVI (orSDI) source (named .vga
or .sdi as the suffix) and verifying if the preview on the right side of the screen reflects your source
material.
3. Make note of the name of the source, or optionally, change the source name to reflect the data it is
capturing.
To rename the input source:
a. Click on the source name at the top of the source configuration window. The name text becomes
red.
b. Edit the name. The following characters are supported: a-z; A-Z; 0-9; + (plus); - (hyphen); _
(underscore); , (comma), . (period); ~ (tilde); #(hash); [ ]; ( ). Although spaces are also supported, it
is suggested you use underscores to separate words.
c. Press Enter on the keyboard. The name is updated at the top of the screen and in the list of
sources at the left side.
4. Optionally, configure the audio source (if connected):
a. Scroll to the Sources section again and select the motherboard audio source. It is prefixed by the
word audio and suffixed Analog (i.e. aduio ALC892 Analog). The audio configuration page
appears.
b. From the Input source drop-down list, select Line for the blue port at the back of the system.
c. Click Apply.
Source setup is complete. The system automatically detected and adjusted the image capture settings at start
up and will continue to adjust every 60 seconds during operation (interval is configurable). The system’s goal is
to produce the best quality captured image given the source equipment used. Generally no further
configuration tweaks are needed.
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Standalone VGA Grid User Guide Quick Start
Step 4: Configure the Channel
Now that you have confirmed the system sees your source it is time to add and configure a channel for output
of your source. Channels expose your sources to your streaming users and prepare the sources for recording.
By default, when you add a channel, the system names it the same name as its source. If you changed the
source name in previous steps, your new channel's name will reflect the new name.
To add a channel for your source:
1. In the web interface, click Add channel from theChannels section; a new channel is created and the
channel configuration page opens.
2. From the Use video source drop-down list, select your source.
3. Click Apply.
To review and configure the channel:
1. From the web interface, scroll to the Channels section
2. Click the link for your channel; the channel expands.
3. Click Encoding for your channel
4. No need to change anything right now. Review some of the default settings. The four most useful
settings to know about are codec, frame size, frame rate and bitrate.
a. The codec is set to H.264 by default.
b. The frame size should reflect the resolution provided by your source. You can set it to something
different by typing in the fields or selecting an option from the different sizes shown. Scaling the
image (making it larger, smaller, or different aspect ratio) takes some processing power, so it’s
always best to leave this at the value detected by the system unless you know it is wrong or know
you need to scale the size.
c. The frame rate limit is set to 30. This means the system won’t spend extra computing time to
attempt to receive more than 30 frames per second. For perspective, NTSC TV signals use 24
frames per second and most hand-drawn animations show only 12 unique frames per second.
d. The bitrate is set to automatic, and the system will determine the best value.
5. Click Status for your channel.
6. Notice the Stream Info section has an item named Video that reflects the four settings reviewed in prior
steps (the frame rate is specified as <resolution size>@30 for 30 frames per second). It also provides an
indication of the current actual frame rate.
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Standalone VGA Grid User Guide Quick Start
You may now optionally add audio to your channel:
7. Click Sources for your channel; the media source page is displayed.
8. Select the audio source to which you connected your 3.5mm audio cable. If you connected to the blue
line-in on the back of the system, the audio source is the audio source without a frame grabber serial
number.
9. Click Apply.
10. Click Encoding for your channel; the Encoding page is displayed.
11. Scroll to the bottom of the Encoding and click the Enable audio checkbox.
12. Leave the default AAC format and audio bitrate.
13. Click Apply.
Step 5: Testing the Stream
The Status page contains a link to the live broadcast stream for your channel.
To preview the channel in a browser:
1. From the web interface, scroll to the Channels section.
2. Click the link for your channel.
3. Click the Status link for your channel.
4. Right-click on the Live broadcast link for your channel and select Open in a new tab or Open in a new
window.
5. The new tab or window opens with the stream displayed.
a. If the signal is not detected, reseat the DVI cable connections and try again.
Your stream setup is complete. Since most of the steps are pre-configured; you are up and running with a
stream very quickly. You can share the live broadcast link with your users.
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Standalone VGA Grid User Guide Quick Start
Step 6: Recording the Stream
The stream is set up and broadcasting. This may be all you need, but if you like, you can also record the stream.
To record the stream:
1. From the web interface, scroll to the Channels section.
2. Click Recording for your channel; the Recording page is displayed.
3. Click the red Start button; the text at the top of the screen changes to indicate the recording is starting,
then indicates the length of time since the recording started.
4. Click the black Stop button; the recorder stops.
5. Refresh the page by clicking Recording again; the page reloads and a file list appears that shows your
newly recorded stream snippet.
6. Click the file name to download and view your recording.
What’s Next?
Now that you have a source setup and ready to stream, you can fine-tune the system to your exact
requirements. You can look at topics such as:
l Create a multi-source layout
l Stream your video
l File and recording transfer
l User Administration
When you have completed system tuning, make sure to back up the system configuration using the procedure
described in:
l Save and Restore Device Configuration
Refer to the table of contents for a complete list of the topics covered.
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Standalone VGA Grid User Guide PART 1: Setup
PART 1: Setup
If you followed through the quick start guide, you already have a basic configuration and possibly a recording
of an input. Before you tweak the channel or configure more, this part of the manual helps you to get your
Standalone VGA Grid properly configured for your network.
Topics covered:
l Connect to the Admin Interface
l User Administration
l View system information
l Configure Network Settings
l Configure Date and Time
l Configuration presets
l Restrict Viewers by IPAddress
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Standalone VGA Grid User Guide 1-1 Connect to the Admin Interface
1-1
The Standalone VGA Grid is managed from a web interface. If you know the IP address of the system you may
type it into the address bar of your web browser.
This section covers two system discovery methods that work with networks that support Dynamic Host
Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and a method that works for networks that do not support DHCP.
For networks with DHCP use one of the following procedures:
For networks without DHCP, use the following procedure:
Connect to the Admin Interface
http://<IP Address of the Standalone VGA Grid>/admin
l Connect via DNS-based Service Discovery
l Connect via the Epiphan Discovery Utility
l Connect via Persistent Static IP Address
You can also connect to a reduced Operator tablet interface. See Connect to the tablet interface
Connect via DNS-based Service Discovery
The Standalone VGA Grid uses DNS-based messages to advertise details about itself, including its domain
name. With a compatible utility installed on your computer, you can access the system simply by typing its serial
number and the suffix “.local” into the address bar of your browser.
To ensure you have compatible software, refer to the following table.
Table 3 Installing Bonjour Print Services
System Action Needed
Microsoft Windows You must install Bonjour Print Services:
1. Use the following URL - http://support.apple.com/kb/DL999
2. Click Download.
3. Follow the system prompts to download and install the application.
MacOSX The Bonjour software used for service discovery is built into the Mac OS. No special
actions are needed.
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Standalone VGA Grid User Guide 1-1 Connect to the Admin Interface
System Action Needed
Linux The Avahi implementation used for DNS-based discovery is shipped with most Linux
distributions. If necessary, check with your administrator to ensure you have the Avahi
package installed.
To access the Standalone VGA Grid's web interface via DNS service discovery:
1. Find the system’s serial number. It is printed on a sticker on the back of the system.
2. Type the following string into the address bar of your web browser on your admin computer (where
<serial> is the serial number of your Standalone VGA Grid):
http://<serial>.local/admin
For example: http://95dd40d5.local/admin
3. Enter the user name and password then click OK. The administrative user is ‘admin’. Initially no
password is set. To set a password follow the procedure outlined in Setting and Changing User
Passwords.
4. Optionally, navigate to the Network link under the Configuration heading and note the IP address of
the system.
Connect via the Epiphan Discovery Utility
Epiphan provides a utility for discovering Epiphan systems on your network. The Epiphan network discovery
utility is a 32-bit Windows executable that works on most 32-bit and 64-bit Windows operating systems.
Download and install the utility via this link: http://www.epiphan.com/downloads/NetworkDiscovery.exe.
To access the Standalone VGA Grid's web interface via the Epiphan discovery utility:
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Standalone VGA Grid User Guide 1-1 Connect to the Admin Interface
1. Launch the discovery utility.
2. Click Search to find all the Epiphan systems on the network; a list similar to the following appears.
3. If more than one system appears, select the one you wish to configure by matching the serial number
listed with the serial number marked on the back of the system.
4. Optionally, note the IP Address shown in the stream properties. Use this for quicker access to the
system on future configuration sessions.
5. Click the Web config button; your browser will open and point to the web interface page.
http://<IP Address for Standalone VGA Grid>/admin
6. Enter the user name and password then click OK. The administrative user is ‘admin’. Initially no
password is set. To set a password follow the procedure outlined in User Administration.
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Standalone VGA Grid User Guide 1-1 Connect to the Admin Interface
Connect via Persistent Static IP Address
This section discusses how to directly connect to the Standalone VGA Grid using the factory default persistent
network settings. Use this method if your network does not have a DHCP server or if you prefer to connect
directly to the system for initial configuration.
To perform this procedure you will need a workstation computer for which you are able to modify network
settings.
The Standalone VGA Grid is pre-configured with the following static address defaults:
l IP Address: 192.168.255.250
l Netmask: 255.255.255.252
l User Name: admin
l Password: your admin password (by default set to no password)
To access the Standalone VGA Grid's web interface via the persistent static IP address:
1. Establish an Ethernet connection between the Standalone VGA Grid and the workstation by one of the
following methods:
a. Connect the system to a local Ethernet network shared with the workstation.
b. Connect the system directly to the workstation’s Ethernet port using either a regular or a
crossover Ethernet cable.
2. Record the network settings of the workstation being used to connect to the Standalone VGA Grid so
that they can be restored later.
3. Temporarily change the network configuration on the workstation to the following:
a. Use Static IP assignment
b. IP address: 192.168.255.249
c. Subnet mask: 255.255.255.252
4. Start a web browser on the workstation and browse to: http://192.168.255.250/admin/
5. Log in as the administrator user with the user name admin and the admin password (by default there is
no password); the web interface page opens.
6. Click the Networking link in the Configuration menu.
7. Select the radio button to use a static address and configure the system with a static IP address and
network settings relevant to the network being used. For specific details about the settings presented,
see Configure Network Settings.
8. Restore the previously saved network configurations on the workstation.
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