HELIX Broadcaster 100 User Manual

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HELIX BROADCASTER 100 TOUCH SCREEN USER GUIDE

Firmware Version 15.1.0.407.4.641058.642063

Revision Date: 1 July 2014

RealNetworks, Inc. PO Box 91123 Seattle, WA 98111-9223 U.S.A.

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Information in this document is subject to change without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of RealNetworks, Inc.

Printed in the United States of America.

Helix, the Helix Logo, Real, the Real "bubble" (logo), RealJukebox, RealOne, Real-rTV, RealArcade, RealAudio, RealDownload, RealNetworks, RealPix, RealPlayer, RealPresenter, RealProducer, RealProducer Plus, RealPoducer Pro, RealProxy, RealPublisher, RealSites, RealSystem, RealText, RealVideo, Rhapsody, ra/ve, SureStream, The Future is Real, TurboPlay, and Xing are trademarks or registered trademarks of RealNetworks, Inc.

Other product and corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

War rant y

All warranties are as documented in your Helix Broadcaster EULA .

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................................................1

How this Guide Is Organized.........................................................................................................1

CHAPTER 1: SYSTEM SETUP............................................................................................................................2

Setting up Helix Broadcaster .........................................................................................................2

Functional Connectors..............................................................................................................2

Power Switch............................................................................................................................2

Setting the WAN Address ..............................................................................................................3

Network Setup Screen...............................................................................................................3

DHCP Lookup..........................................................................................................................3

Static IP Address.......................................................................................................................4

Helix Broadcaster Interfaces ..........................................................................................................5

Touch Screen Interface..............................................................................................................5

Browser Interface......................................................................................................................7

CHAPTER 2: INPUTS........................................................................................................................................9

Capture Input...............................................................................................................................9

Capture Input Setup .................................................................................................................9

Startup Mode.........................................................................................................................10

Video Mode ...........................................................................................................................10

Audio Configuration...............................................................................................................11

Audio Channels......................................................................................................................11

Input Buffer Size.....................................................................................................................11

Network Input............................................................................................................................11

Network Input Setup ..............................................................................................................11

Startup Mode.........................................................................................................................12

Input Protocol........................................................................................................................12

UDP and RTP Input ................................................................................................................13

HTTP, RTSP, and RTMP Input ................................................................................................14

CHAPTER 3: OUTPUTS ..................................................................................................................................16

Output Selection ........................................................................................................................16

UDP and RTP Outputs................................................................................................................17

IP Address..............................................................................................................................18

Output Port ...........................................................................................................................18

Interface ................................................................................................................................18

Low-Latency Encoding Values .................................................................................................18

HTTP Output .............................................................................................................................18

HTTP Path .............................................................................................................................19

Bind Port ...............................................................................................................................19

Interface ................................................................................................................................19

Request URL ..........................................................................................................................19

HLS Output ...............................................................................................................................19

Stream Name .........................................................................................................................20

Master Name (Multi-rate Streams) ..........................................................................................20

iii

Request URLs ........................................................................................................................ 20

RTMP Output............................................................................................................................ 21

Target URI............................................................................................................................. 21

RTMP Name.......................................................................................................................... 21

Helix Media Server ..................................................................................................................... 21

Helix Stream Name ................................................................................................................ 22

Helix Server Service................................................................................................................. 22

Helix Media Server Playback Links........................................................................................... 23

CHAPTER 4: VIDEO AND AUDIO OPTIONS.................................................................................................. 24

Video Options ........................................................................................................................... 24

Video Codec.......................................................................................................................... 24

Video Bit Rate ....................................................................................................................... 25

Video Format ........................................................................................................................ 25

Video Method ....................................................................................................................... 26

Video GOP Size...................................................................................................................... 26

Filter Options ............................................................................................................................ 26

Scaling Mode ........................................................................................................................ 27

Framerate.............................................................................................................................. 27

Deinterlacing......................................................................................................................... 28

Buffer Size ............................................................................................................................. 29

Audio Options........................................................................................................................... 29

Audio Codec ......................................................................................................................... 29

Audio Bitrate......................................................................................................................... 30

Audio Rate ............................................................................................................................ 30

Audio Channels ..................................................................................................................... 30

Audio Profile ......................................................................................................................... 30

Stream Control.......................................................................................................................... 31

Contents

APPENDIX A: CONSOLE SETUP .................................................................................................................... 32

Using Secure Shell...................................................................................................................... 32

Windows PuTTY Client........................................................................................................... 32

Linux SSH.............................................................................................................................. 32

Console Menu ........................................................................................................................... 33

Network Settings ....................................................................................................................... 33

Showing IP Addresses ............................................................................................................34

Changing IP Addresses ...........................................................................................................34

Editing Network Settings ........................................................................................................34

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Helix Broadcaster 100. This guide explains how to install and run Helix Broadcaster with the embedded Helix Server. It shows you how to configure inputs from the capture card or a network source and create encoded output streams using the Helix Broadcaster 100 touch screen interface.

How this Guide Is Organized

Chapter 1: System Setup

You set up Helix Broadcaster by assigning it an IP address as described in this chapter, which also explains how to access the browser interface.

Chapter 2: Inputs

This chapter walks you through the process of receiving input from a device such as a camera or another server.

Chapter 3: Outputs

Using any input, you can create up to three outputs that you pass to Helix Server for client streaming or forward to another server or encoder.

Chapter 4: Video and Audio Options

This chapter describes the audio and video encoding options that you define for any output.

Appendix A: Console Setup

This appendix explains how to use the console menu to set up the Helix Broadcaster IP addresses along with other network settings.

Chapter 1: SYSTEM SETUP

This chapter describes the basic setup procedure for Helix Broadcaster. It describes how to configure IP addresses or DHCP lookup. It also explains how to access the browser-based interface, which you can use in addition to or instead of the Helix Broadcaster 100 touch screen interface.

Setting up Helix Broadcaster

The back of the Helix Broadcaster machine provides the power input and a primary Ethernet port (WAN port), which is labeled with a default IPv4 address. Plug the power cable into the power input and connect the WAN port to your network using an Ethernet cable (not provided).

Ethernet Ports on an Intel Board

CHAPTER

Tip: The WAN port will be labeled with a default IP address. With an Intel board, the

port is on the right. On a Supermicro board, it is on the left.

Functional Connectors

Hardware connectors other than the Ethernet ports and the capture card inputs on the Helix Broadcaster 100 front and back plates are not functional. This includes USB ports, microphone and speaker jacks, and digital output ports such as HDMI.

Power Switch

Once the power and network cable are connected, press the power switch on the front of the unit to start the machine.

Power Switch

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 1: System Setup

Tip: Depress the power switch approximately five seconds to turn the unit off.

Press the power switch briefly or tap the screen if the screen times out.

Setting the WAN Address

The back of the Helix Broadcaster 100 lists the default IP address for the WAN port. If you must change the WAN IP address or enable DHCP before placing the Helix Broadcaster machine on your network, follow the procedures below.

Tip: If you can place the machine on your network without changing the

default IP address at first, you can use the machine immediately and log in to the browser or SSH interface as described on page 5. You can then modify network settings, such as setting the address for both the primary and secondary Ethernet ports.

Network Setup Screen

Do the following to display the Network Setup screen where you can enable DHCP or set the static IP address.

➤ To display the network setup screen:

1. Tap System on the Appliance Manager menu.

System Category on Appliance Manager Screen

2. Tap Network on the System Setup menu that appears.

Network Category on System Setup Screen

3. The Network Setup screen appears. You can then configure DHCP or set a static address as described next.

DHCP Lookup

If your network uses DHCP to assign IP addresses, set Helix Broadcaster to query the network and receive an IP address.

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 1: System Setup

➤ To enable DHCP:

1. On the Network Setup screen, tap the DHCP radio button.

DCHP Setup

2. Tap OK.

3. Reboot the machine:

a. Close the

b. Tap

c. Tap

4. Navigate back to the

5. The

Static IP field will list the IP address assigned to the Helix Broadcaster machine.

Tip: To highlight the network settings, you can tap the Static radio button. Be

sure to tap

System Setup screen.

Services on the Appliance Manager menu.

Reboot Now.

Network Setup page.

DHCP again or cancel the changes to continue using DHCP.

Static IP Address

Follow this procedure to set a specific IP address for the Helix Broadcaster WAN port.

1. On the

Static IP Setup

Network Setup screen (see page 3), tap the Static radio button.

2. In the Static IP field, press and hold the “-” and “+” buttons to set each decimal value for the IPv4 address you want to assign to Helix Broadcaster.

3. Set the values for

4. Tap

OK.

Mask, Gateway, and DNS as specified by your network administrator.

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 1: System Setup

5. Reboot the machine:

a. Close the

b. Tap

c. Tap

Services on the Appliance Manager menu.

Reboot Now.

6. Navigate back to the correct value.

Helix Broadcaster Interfaces

Helix Broadcaster 100 provides three interfaces that allow you to perform various functions:

• touch screen interface

This document describes the Helix Broadcaster 100 touch screen interface, which allows you to perform basic encoding tasks. Using this interface, you can receive two network inputs and two capture card inputs. For each input, you can encode up to three outputs.

• browser interface

The browser interface (see page 7) gives you full access to Helix Broadcaster 100, providing more encoding options than the touch screen. It allows you to configure the embedded Helix Server as well as perform file-to-file encoding.

Note: Once Helix Broadcaster is available on your network, you can use the

browser interface rather than the touch screen to carry out all system functions.

System Setup screen.

Network Setup page and verify that the IP address has been set to the

• console menu

The console menu gives you access to Helix Broadcaster 100 configuration and network functions. Once Helix Broadcaster is available on your network, you can use the console menu through SSH as explained in Appendix A beginning on page 32.

Touch Screen Interface

When Helix Broadcaster starts up, it displays the Appliance Manager menu on its touch screen.

Appliance Manager Menu

System Functions and Services

The Appliance Manager icons give you access to the system functions.

System

Services

Stream Setup

Set basic system features such as the WAN IP address.

Access system services such as rebooting the machine.

Receive inputs as described in Chapter 2 and encode outputs as described in Chapter 3.

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 1: System Setup

Virtual Keyboard

When you tap a text field on the touch screen, a virtual keyboard appears.

Virtual Keyboard

Shell Menu

The Shell Menu options give you access to operations not related to stream encoding.

1. Tap the

System Category on Appliance Manager Screen

System icon on the Appliance Manager menu.

2. On the System Setup menu that appears, tap the Shell Menu icon.

Shell Menu Access on the System Setup Screen

Note: The Reset Network feature is not currently functional.

3. The

Shell Setup menu appears.

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 1: System Setup

Shell Menu Options

4. Choose from these options:

• Restore Defaults — Resets Helix Broadcaster to its factory defaults, erasing stream

confirmation information and returning the unit to its default IP address.

Tip: You can save the configuration to file and later restore it. Using the

browser interface, navigate to

• Clear Firewall — Suspends the firewall settings that have been set up using the browser

interface’s

• Reset Password — Returns the log-in password to the default value of admin.

• Calibrate Touchscreen — Displays an interactive series of prompts that allow you to

Network Setup category under the System Setup tab.

System Setup > Firmware Setup > Config Backup.

recalibrate the touch screen interface.

Browser Interface

Once Helix Broadcaster is connected to your network, you display the browser interface from any machine on your network. Use the secure HTTP protocol (HTTPS) to access the Helix Broadcaster IP address. For example:

https://98.111.12.114

You will be prompted to enter the administrator name and password. The defaults are:

user name admin

password admin

Once you log in, you can access Helix Broadcaster functions that are organized in tabs that appear at the top of the page.

Tabbed Functional Areas

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 1: System Setup

Click the appropriate tab to manage the various parts of Helix Broadcaster:

System Status

Encoder Setup

Delivery Setup

Apps Setup

System Setup

Tip: Change the administration password by clicking the System Setup tab,

clicking the and confirm the new password in this page.

For More Information: For more information about using the browser-based

interface, refer to Helix Broadcaster Quick Start Guide.

Display information about CPU usage, network bandwidth, and stream encoding.

Configure inputs and outputs.

Deliver content to media players using Helix Server.

Configure services such as HTTP, FTP, and SNMP.

Set up network addresses, turn services on and off, and update firmware.

Web Server Setup category, and choosing Config Web Server. Enter

Chapter 2: INPUTS

Capture Input

CHAPTER

This chapter describes how to acquire input from a camera or microphone connected to the Helix Broadcaster hardware. You can also receive input from a satellite link or another server over your network.

The back of the Helix Broadcaster machine contains an audio/video capture card that has one or more SDI or HDMI inputs. Depending on the capture card, Helix Broadcaster is capable of accepting output from most cameras in NTSC, PAL, or HD format. It can also accept input that uses any of the following types of compression.

video MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264

audio MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-3, AC3, MPEG-4A (H.264 audio), Ogg-Vorbis

Sample Capture Card Inputs

Capture Input Setup

To set up an input from the capture card, tap Stream Setup on the Appliance Manager screen and choose one of the

Capture Card Input Choices

SDI or HDMI entries.

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 2: Inputs

On the Stream Setup screen that appears, tap Input Setup to define the input characteristics.

Input Setup Selection

The Input Setup screen defines the characteristics of the input stream.

Capture Input Setup Screen

Startup Mode

Video Mode

For Startup Mode, the default is Manual, which means that you start the encoding process as described in the section “Stream Control” on page 31. The functional, although you can set

Always On in the browser interface (see page 7). In this case, the

Automatic value is currently not

encoding process begins when you define the output and start the stream manually. After that, it restarts automatically if Helix Broadcaster is rebooted.

Under Video Mode, select the specifications of the incoming video, including the frame size (such as

1920x1080) and the frame rate (such as 59.94). The drop-down lists the common

output formats for NTSC, PAL, and HD video. Drag the slider to view all of the options. Tap an input format description to highlight the radio button for that input format.

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 2: Inputs

Video Mode

Warning! No video will be encoded if the input setting does not match the video

device’s output format exactly.

Audio Configuration

Audio Channels

Input Buffer Size

Network Input

For Audio Config, select one of the following:

• Embedded — digital audio embedded in a video track by a camera

• AES/EBU — digital audio output from a microphone

• Analog — analog audio format from a microphone

For Audio Channels, select the number of audio channels that the input device records. The typical value is

2, indicating stereo sound, although inputs may support multiple channels.

The input buffer size sets the number of milliseconds of input data that is buffered before it is encoded. The default value is

17), set a value of

200 or 100.

300 milliseconds. For low-latency encoding and delivery (see page

The following sections explain how to receive input over your local network or from the Internet. Typical sources are streaming servers, an MPEG-TS encoder, or a satellite link.

Network Input Setup

On the Appliance Manager screen, tap Stream Setup and choose one of the Net entries.

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 2: Inputs

Network Input Choices

On the Stream Setup screen that appears, tap Input Setup to define the input characteristics.

Input Setup Selection

The following is a sample setup screen that appears. The options on the screen vary depending on the

Network Input Setup Screen

Startup Mode

For Startup Mode, the default is Manual, which means that you start the encoding process as described in the section “Stream Control” on page 31. The functional, although you can set encoding process begins when you define the output and start the stream manually. After that, it restarts automatically if Helix Broadcaster is rebooted.

Input Protocol

The Input Protocol drop-down defines the type of input stream or file that is acquired. The UDP and RTP methods are push methods in which the remote server delivers the stream to the designated Helix Broadcaster IP address and port. The HTTP, RTSP, and RTMP methods are

Input Protocol choice.

Automatic value is currently not

Always On in the browser interface (see page 7). In this case, the

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 2: Inputs

pull methods in which Helix Broadcaster requests the stream from the remote server using the designated URI.

Input Protocols

Protocol Purpose

udp User Datagram Protocol. This option is for a UDP stream that does not use a control

protocol such as RTSP. Use it for input from an MPEG-2 TS encoder or a satellite link.

rtp Similar to the UDP method. Use this instead if data is delivered using the Real-Time

Transport Protocol packet format.

http HyperText Transport Protocol. This option is for receiving media from a web server or any

other server that does not support RTSP or RTMP. You can use this option to load an SDP file used to acquire a stream, for example.

rtsp/udp Real-Time Streaming Protocol with User Datagram Protocol. This option is

recommended for receiving live input from an RTSP-capable server such as Helix Server. It can also be used for RTSP cameras. By using UDP, the source can deliver media packets more efficiently than with TCP. However, lost packets are not resent and may cause lapses in the media stream.

rtsp/tcp Real-Time Streaming Protocol with Transmission Control Protocol. Using the TCP

transport with RTSP results in greater network overhead, but lost packets can often be redelivered by the network layer. This option provides better error resilience for RTSP sources transmitting over the Internet. It is not recommended for use with live streams delivered by a Helix Server, however.

rtsp/http Real-Time Streaming Protocol over HTTP. This is used primarily to work around firewalls

that restrict RTSP communications as long as the RTSP source supports HTTP. Because RTSP/HTTP is less efficient for transporting media than RTSP/UDP or RTSP/TCP, it is not recommended if either of those options is available.

rtmp Variations of the Real-Time Messaging Protocol used by Flash Media Servers:

rtmp – standard protocol (recommended) rtmpt – RTMP cloaked as HTTP to work around firewalls rtmpe – encrypted RTMP rtmps – secure RTMP rtmpte – encrypted and cloaked RTMP rtmpts – secure and cloaked RTMP

UDP and RTP Input

If you choose udp or rtp for Input Protocol, you specify the unicast or multicast address and port where Helix Broadcaster receives the stream.

RTP or UDP Stream Setup

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 2: Inputs

Input Interface

In the Input Interface drop-down, choose which Helix Broadcaster Ethernet connection receives the stream. Typically this is the

WAN port, which is the main IP address. If you have configured

the secondary Ethernet port using the browser interface (see page 7), you can choose the address or

All to monitor both the WAN address and the LAN address.

Note: Typically you do not use the Local Adapter setting for network input. This

is the loopback address (

127.0.0.1), which can be used only for a stream that

originates on the Helix Broadcaster machine.

Input Type (Unicast or Multicast)

For a UDP or RTP input, select Unicast or Multicast as the Input Type depending on the IP address where the stream is directed. If you choose

Multicast, the Multicast IP field appears. Tap

this field and use the virtual keyboard (see page 6) to enter the multicast address in the range from

224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255.

Note: Receiving a multicast stream requires that Helix Broadcaster resides on a

multicast-enabled network.

Buffer Size

LAN

The input buffer size sets the number of milliseconds of input data that is buffered before it is encoded. The default value is value of

200 or 100.

For More Information: For details about low-latency encoding, refer to “Low-

Latency Encoding Values” on page 18.

Input Port

For a UDP or RTP stream, tap the Input Port field and use the virtual keyboard to set the Helix Broadcaster port that receives the remote server stream. If the stream is multicasted, select the port on the multicast address where the stream is sent. The remote server that initiates the stream must be configured to send the stream to this port.

HTTP, RTSP, and RTMP Input

If you choose http, rtsp, or rtmp for Input Protocol, you specify the network address where Helix Broadcaster acquires the stream.

HTTP Input Setup Screen

300 milliseconds. For low-latency encoding and delivery, set a

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 2: Inputs

Remote URL

Tap t he Remote URL field and use the virtual keyboard (see page 6) to set the URL where Helix Broadcaster acquires the steam. The URI format is the following, in which a user name and password can be included in the URL if required by the remote server:

protocol://username:password@address/path/s tream_or_f ile_name

Examples:

http://192.168.123.1:80/stream.sdp

rtsp://helixbcd:TR9ls3UIP@192.168.123.1:554/test.sdp

rtmp://192.168.123.1:1935/live/myvideo

Input Buffer Size

The input buffer size sets the number of milliseconds of input data that is buffered before it is encoded. The default value is Helix Server, set a buffering value of

300 milliseconds. For receiving an RTSP stream from another

600 ms.

Chapter 3: OUTPUTS

Output Selection

CHAPTER

For each input you define, you can create up to three outputs using the touch screen. You might create different outputs to generate streams with different streaming bandwidths or output ratios, for example.

To define an output, tap Stream Setup on the Appliance Manager screen. On the Stream Setup menu, choose the stream input, such as want to define (

Output Stream Selection

#1, #2, or #3).

Net#1 or SDI#1. Then tap the icon for the output you

The following table lists the types of outputs that can you create.

Output Protocols

Protocol Purpose

UDP with TS envelope

RTP with TS envelope

HTTP with TS envelope

HLS - HTTP Live Streaming

Smooth Streaming push

RTMP push with FLV envelope

Data delivered with user datagram protocol and a transport stream wrapper. This can be used to send the stream to a satellite link or to other encoders or servers. See page 17.

Similar to the UDP method, this output type delivers data using a standards-based RTP packet format. See page 17.

This is a pull method that allows a client such as a server to request the stream using an HTTP URL. This method can be used to work around restrictive firewalls. See page 18.

HLS output delivers transport stream files over HTTP. It is used with iOS devices such as the iPad as well as compatible devices. See page 19.

Not currently supported.

This method uses Flash packaging along with the RTMP protocol. You can use this method to deliver the stream to a Flash Media Server. See page 21.

(Table Page 1 of 2)

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 3: Outputs

Output Protocols (continued)

Protocol Purpose

UDP with Low Latency TS

Helix Media Server

Note: For any output type, set Enabled to Yes in the top field to enable Helix

Similar to the other UDP method, this output type is designed to minimize the latency between the time the live stream is encoded and when it is pushed to the network. See page 17 for instructions. You will also need to set buffering values as described on page 18.

This method passes the stream to the embedded Helix Server for delivery to media clients. You can also use this method if you want Helix Server to forward the stream to other types of servers or content distribution networks. See page 21.

(Table Page 2 of 2)

Broadcaster to encode the output.

UDP and RTP Outputs

The following push output types use a transport stream wrapper similar to the output from an MPEG-2 encoder used in television production. These options can be used to deliver the encoded output to a satellite uplink, for example.

• UDP with TS envelope

This output delivers the encoded output using a transport stream and User Datagram Protocol as the network transport layer protocol.

UDP Output Screen

• UDP with Low Latency TS

This output format is similar to the preceding except that it enables the encoder to buffer less of the transport stream before delivering the output. This results in lower end-to-end latency, enabling the target to receive the event stream faster than with standard latency.

Note: Low-latency encoding is designed for use with capture input rather than

network input.

• RTP with TS envelope

This output delivers the encoded output as a transport stream using Real-Time Transport Protocol for data packaging. Choose this only if you know that the target supports the standards-based RTP packet format.

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 3: Outputs

IP Address

In the IP Address field, use the virtual keyboard (see page 6) to enter the IP address where Helix Broadcaster sends the stream. On a multicast-enabled network, you can use a multicast address in the range from

224.0.0.0 and 239.255.255.255.

Output Port

Tap t he Output Port field and use the virtual keyboard to set the port on the destination IP address where the output stream is delivered. For multicasting, use an available port on the multicast address as defined by the network administrator.

Note: If you are creating multiple outputs, the different streams must use a

different port on the destination IP address. For example, one output stream may use port 9000 while another stream may use port 9010.

Interface

In the Interface drop-down, select which IP address Helix Broadcaster uses to send the data to the target. Typically this is the the secondary Ethernet port using the browser interface (see page 7), you can choose the address or

All.

WAN port, which is the main IP address. If you have configured

LAN

Low-Latency Encoding Values

If you are using the UDP with Low Latency TS output, use the following buffering values to achieve lower latency in data throughput:

• For the input, set Buffer Size to 200 (see page 11).

• On the Filters tab, set the output Buffer Size to 200 (see page 29). You can lower this value to

100 if necessary to achieve more latency reduction.

• On the Video tab, set Video Method to Constant Bitrate (see page 26).

HTTP Output

The HTTP with TS envelope output type allows a transport stream wrapper to be pulled from Helix Broadcaster using an HTTP URL. You can use this method to work around restrictive firewalls if necessary or if a pull-stream is required.

Note: Typically you do not use the Local Adapter setting, which is the loopback

address (

127.0.0.1), for output.

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 3: Outputs

HTTP Output Screen

HTTP Path

For HTTP Path field, use the virtual keyboard (see page 6) to set a virtual path that uniquely identifies this stream. The path designation appears in the URL following the address and port. Helix Broadcaster adds an

.sdp file extension to the path name automatically.

Bind Port

In the Bind Port field, Helix Broadcaster automatically selects a port where the HTTP stream will be available. You can use the virtual keyboard (see page 6) to set a different port value. In general, you can use any open port, and ports in the range

not use any of the following reserved ports:

80, 81, 88, 443, 444, 554, 1935, 4443, 25599

2000 to 64000 are recommended. Do

Interface

Request URL

HLS Output

Note: If you are creating multiple outputs, each output stream must use a

different port unless you set a unique HTTP path for each stream.

In the Interface drop-down, select the IP address where Helix Broadcaster makes the HTTP stream available. Typically this is the

WAN port, which is the main IP address. If you have

configured the secondary Ethernet port using the browser interface (see page 7), you can choose the

LAN address or select All.

Note: Typically you do not use the Local Adapter setting, which is the loopback

address (

127.0.0.1).

The HTTP request URL combines the IP address of the interface, the bind port, and the HTTP path along with the

http://10.124.4.113:7880/streampath.sdp

.sdp file name. For example:

With the HLS - HTTP Live Streaming output method, Helix Broadcaster encodes a series of transport segments (file extension

.ts) that are indexed by a playlist (file extension .m3u8). After

the HLS client requests and receives a generated playlist, it requests the individual transport segments. All file delivery takes place using HTTP.

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 3: Outputs

HLS Output Screen

Using the touch screen, you can generate a single-rate HLS stream or a multi-rate stream with up to three streaming rates. In a multi-rate stream, a master playlist links the client to separate playlists for the single-rate streams. The client can then request the

.ts content from the

different single-rate playlists as needed.

Note: For media delivery to iOS devices such as the iPhone and iPad, HLS

output must be encoded with H.264/AAC codecs.

Stream Name

For Stream Name, set a name for the output stream. Helix Broadcaster generates the single-rate playlist using this stream name. In a multi-rate stream, each stream name typically includes a designation for the streaming rate. For example, the stream name

500K.m3u8.

500K results in the playlist

Master Name (Multi-rate Streams)

To generate a multi-rate stream, create up to three outputs with similar H.264/AAC encoding profiles. Each output should use a different video streaming rate, such as 500 Kbps, 750 Kbps, and 1000 Kbps. The streams can use the same or different audio rates. In the for each output, set the same name, such as master playlist, as in

master.m3u8.

Request URLs

The setup screen lists the request URLs, which are based on the stream names.

Single-rate Stream

If you are encoding a single-rate stream, link the HLS client to the single-rate playlist URL listed on the screen. For example:

http://10.124.4.113:80/hls/m3u8/500k.m3u8

Multi-rate Streams

For a multi-rate stream, the client can request the master playlist. The HLS client then requests individual streams based on information contained in the master playlist. For example:

http://10.124.4.113:80/hls/master.m3u8

Master Name field

master. This name automatically becomes the

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 3: Outputs

RTMP Output

The output type RTMP push with FLV envelope uses the RTMP protocol to transmit the output as a Flash stream. You can use this output type to deliver the output to a Flash Media Server.

RTMP Output Screen

Tip: Using the browser interface (see page 7), you can deliver the RTMP stream

to the Akamai content distribution network.

Target URI

In the Target URI field, use the virtual keyboard (see page 6) to specify the address of the target server. The URI specifies the RTMP protocol and the server’s IP address. Typically it also includes the

rtmp://183.43.12.21:1935/live

live application name. For example:

RTMP Name

For RTMP Name, set the name of the stream delivered to the server. This name is appended to target URI value. For example:

flashlive

Helix Media Server

The Helix Media Server output type delivers the encoded stream to the embedded Helix Server. You can use this method to make the stream available to popular media clients. You may also want to use it to forward the stream to content distribution networks or to implement features such as live stream archiving.

Tip: The port value is not required as long as the destination server uses the

default RTMP port of

Note: Flash stream variables (such as %b to indicate the stream bit rate) are not

1935 to receive the Flash stream.

supported in the stream name.

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 3: Outputs

Helix Media Server Output

Note: The stream must be encoded as H.264/AAC. Helix Server rejects any

stream encoded with different codecs.

Helix Stream Name

For Stream Name, use the virtual keyboard (see page 6) to enter a stream name without spaces. You can create a name using letters, numbers, or any of the following special characters:

- \ / ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ \ - + = | } { ; : < > , . ? ~

Helix Server Service

You must start the Helix Server process using the browser interface described on page 7. Under the

Delivery Setup tab, the Service Control page allows you to stop and restart the Helix Server

process independently of any encoding jobs being performed by Helix Broadcaster.

Helix Server Service Control

1. Ensure that the Enable Helix Server box is checked to enable all Helix Server functions.

2. On your first set-up, the Helix Server end-user license agreement (EULA) appears. Click to accept the agreement. Once you have done so, the EULA no longer appears onscreen.

3. Click

4. On the

Update.

Service Control palette on the right side of the Service Control page, click the Start

button to turn the Helix Server service on.

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 3: Outputs

Service Control Palette

Helix Media Server Playback Links

The following are sample client playback links for the Helix Media Server output method. These links assume a Helix Broadcaster IP address of Substitute values appropriate for your stream setup. Helix Server is available on both the WAN address and the LAN address (if configured).

HLS Client Link http://98.111.12.114:88/Segments/HLS_TS/mptslive/camera.m3u8

DASH Client Link http://98.111.12.114:88/Segments/DASH_MP4/mptslive/camera.mp4.mpd

Flash Client Link rtmp://98.111.12.114/rtmplive/mptslive/camera

RTSP Client Link rtsp://98.111.12.114/rtsplive/mptslive/camera

Note: Helix Server use port 88 for HTTP and port 444 for HTTPS. These are not

the standard ports used for HTTP protocols. The port values in request URLs.

98.111.12.114 and a stream name of camera.

must be included

For More Information: Refer to the online help available on the Helix Server setup

pages under the

Delivery Setup tab.

Chapter 4: VIDEO AND AUDIO OPTIONS

When you create an output as described in Chapter 3, you can define video and audio encoding options. The section “Stream Control” on page 31 explains how to encode a stream once you have defined the input and set up all of the outputs.

Video Options

The Video tab for an output sets the video format and streaming rate for the stream.

Video Encoding Settings

CHAPTER

Video Codec

The Video Codec drop-down selects the video format created by the Helix Broadcaster encoder:

• No Video Transcoding

If you select this option, Helix Broadcaster will not re-encode the stream, which saves processing power. The stream is passed through as-is, however, and you cannot change characteristics such as streaming speed or aspect ratio.

• MPEG2 Video

MPEG-2 video is common to television production. It should be used only at output rates of 1 Megabit per second or higher. This format is typically not renderable by Internet media clients.

• Remove Video

If this option is selected, Helix Broadcaster does not encode or pass through any video. This results in an audio-only stream. When you choose this option, other video settings are ignored.

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 4: Video and Audio Options

• H264 Video

Use this to encode the video with the H.264 codec. If the input video stream is already encoded as H.264, choose this option if you need to change the stream characteristics, such as setting a different streaming speed.

Tip: Choose H.264 video to deliver video to Helix Server and to make it available

the widest range of clients. HLS clients, for example, require H.264.

Video Bit Rate

For Video Bit Rate, select a streaming bit rate for the video. The encoded stream’s total rate is the sum of the video bit rate and the audio bit rate (see page 30). The bit rate you select should be influenced by the streaming network, the client device, and video frame size, video frame rate, and the desired media quality.

Video Bit Rate

Video Format

The Video Format drop-down sets the frame size of the encoded video. If the frame size is in the same aspect ratio (such as 4:3 or 16:9) as the input video, the video is scaled smaller or larger as necessary to meet the target size. If the aspect ratio is different, the scaling mode (see page 27) determines how the video is resized.

Video Format

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 4: Video and Audio Options

Video Method

For Video Method, select one of the following:

• Average Bit Rate

Average bit rate encoding keeps the video streaming rate at the selected bit rate as an overall average. The actual streaming rate may be above or below the selected bit rate at any given time, however. This f luctuation helps to improve quality over constant bit rate encoding. Average bit rate encoding can be used with high-speed networks such as corporate LANs, cable modems, and mobile LTE.

• Variable Bit Rate

Variable bit rate encoding gives more bandwidth to scenes that are hard to compress, making the most visible difference in videos that have fast-moving, high-action scenes. To accommodate variable bit rates, the client network must be able to handle large bandwidth spikes. This is typically acceptable on corporate networks and for cable modem use. It is not advisable for DSL or mobile broadband connections.

• Constant Bit Rate

Use constant bit rate for low-latency encoding. It keeps the video data more tightly set to the bandwidth target than does average bit rate encoding. The quality may be lower than with average bit rate encoding, but the streaming rate is stable. You may also want to choose this encoding method when streaming over networks that have tightly constrained bandwidths, such as 3G mobile networks.

Video GOP Size

Filter Options

The Video GOP Size field sets the “group of pictures” size in the video output. Larger values result in higher compress. Lower values result in better visual quality. Unless you have a specific need to change this value, leave it set to the default.

On the Filters tab you can set options that affect how Helix Broadcaster modifies video output.

Filters Tab

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 4: Video and Audio Options

Scaling Mode

The Scaling Mode settings are currently not functional. If the input and output aspect ratios differ, Helix Broadcaster increases or decreases the video size as necessary to fit the output settings. This can cause visible distortion. The following figure illustrates a 16:9 video changed to a 4:3 aspect ratio, which compresses the video image in its horizontal dimension.

Framerate

The video frame rate determines how many visual frames are encoded for display each second. The

Framerate drop-down provides several choices for altering the frame rate in the output.

Video streamed over the Internet is typically encoded at a frame rate of 15 to 30 frames per second, although lower-bandwidth videos may be encoded at slower frame rates. The default value, which preserves the input frame rate, is

Keep Source Framerate.

Framerate

Downsampling or Upsampling

The downsampling and upsampling values allow you to change the input and output frame rates among those used in film and video production:

feature film 24 frames per second

PAL video

NTSC video 30 frames per second

25 frames per second

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 4: Video and Audio Options

Dropping Frames

Helix Broadcaster provides several options to drop frames and achieve a lower frame rate. Dropping frames may make the video appear jerky, however.

Deinterlacing

Deinterlacing removes jaggedness from certain video sources. Typically you can leave this field set to its default value of input stream as needed. If you have specific requirements, you can use the drop-down to turn off deinterlacing or choose a specific method of deinterlacing.

Deinterlacing

Auto. In this case Helix Broadcaster automatically deinterlaces the

Tip: Deinterlacing doubles the video frame rate. For example, it turns 30

frames-per-second NTSC video into a 60 fps output. To drop added frames, select

Drop 1 out of every 2 frames in the Framerate drop-down (see page 27).

What is Deinterlacing?

An NTSC video camera running at 30 frames per second captures the odd-numbered lines of a field in 1/60th of a second and the even-numbered lines in the next 1/60th of a second. It then interlaces the two to create the frame. Because half of the field's lines are captured a fraction of a second later than the other half, fast-moving objects may appear jagged. This is the result of the object advancing slightly within 1/60th of a second. Deinterlacing removes this jaggedness.

Detail of Interlaced Video (left) and Deinterlaced Video (right)

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 4: Video and Audio Options

Buffer Size

The output buffer size sets the number of milliseconds of output data that is buffered before it is delivered to the output destination. The default value is encoding and delivery, set a value of

For More Information: For details about low-latency encoding, refer to “Low-

200 or 100.

300 milliseconds. For low-latency

Latency Encoding Values” on page 18.

Audio Options

The Audio tab for an output sets the audio format and streaming rate.

Audio Settings

Audio Codec

The Audio Codec drop-down determines how the input audio is encoded in the output:

• No Audio Transcoding

If you select this option, Helix Broadcaster will not re-encode the stream, which saves processing power. The audio is passed through as-is, however, and you cannot change characteristics such as streaming speed or sampling rate.

• MPEG2 Audio

MPEG-2 audio is common to television production. It should be used only at output rates (video plus audio) of 1 Megabit per second or higher. This format is typically not renderable by Internet media clients.

• Remove Audio

If this option is selected, Helix Broadcaster does not encode or pass through any audio. This results in a video-only stream. When you choose this option, other audio settings are ignored.

Note: Do not select this option when encoding from an SDI or HDMI input.

• AAC Audio

Encode the audio with an AAC codec. If the input stream is already encoded as AAC, choose this option if you need to change stream characteristics, such as setting a different streaming speed or AAC profile.

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 4: Video and Audio Options

Audio Bitrate

For Audio Bitrate, set the audio’s streaming bit rate in Kilobits per second (Kbps):

• 64

• 128

• 256

• 384

Note: The encoded stream’s total streaming speed is the sum of the audio bit

rate and the video bit rate (see page 25).

Audio Rate

In the output’s Audio Rate drop-down, select the sampling rate for the encoded audio in Hz:

• 32,000

• 44,100

• 48,000

Tip: If you are streaming to Flash Player, choose 44,100 Hz, which is that

player’s preferred sampling rate. Other rates may introduce audio distortion. Most other media players will play a 44.1 kHz stream without complications.

Audio Channels

The Audio Channels drop-down selects the number of audio channels that are recorded. Use the default value of input and the output settings. Select to stereo. Select

Audio Profile

For AAC audio, choose from the following:

Note: If the input audio's sampling rate does not match the sampling rate you

choose here, Helix Broadcaster resamples the input when it creates the output.

Auto to have Helix Broadcaster select which channels to record based on the

2 if you have multi-channel input that you want to turn

1 to encode mono audio.

Note: Helix Broadcaster cannot increase the number of channels present in the

input. For example, selecting

5 does not increase the number of discrete

channels if the input is stereo.

• Auto

Helix Broadcaster chooses the audio profile based on the other input and output settings.

• LC

Advanced Audio Coding Low Complexity (AAC-LC) creates audio content at bit rates starting at 8 Kbps. Most media devices support AAC-LC audio, making it the safest choice for reaching the widest audience.

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide CHAPTER 4: Video and Audio Options

• HE-AAC

High-efficiency AAC, which is also known as AAC Plus (AAC+), provides Spectral Band Replication (SBR) and more efficient encoding than AAC-LC. It requires more processing power for the media player to decode, however, and may not be supported by all client devices. Choose this option only if you know that your target audience supports AAC Plus.

• HE-AAC v2

Version 2 of High Efficiency AAC, which is also known as Enhanced AAC Plus (EACC+), adds Parametric Stereo for better sound quality. It requires more processing power for the media player to decode, however. Choose it only if you know that your target media players support it.

Stream Control

On a Stream Setup page, tap the Start, Stop, and Restart icons to control the encoding process for the stream. When you start the stream, all defined outputs for the input will be encoded.

Stream Control

Note: The actions you select affect the stream category (such as Net #1) you

have selected in the menu. Be sure to select the correct stream category before starting and stopping a process.

Tip: You can restart all running streams at once by tapping Services on the

Appliance Manager main screen and then tapping Restart All Streams.

Appendix A: CONSOLE SETUP

You can display the Helix Broadcaster 100 console menu using secure shell (SSH). With the console, you can perform network setup functions such as setting the addresses for the WAN and LAN port.

Using Secure Shell

If Helix Broadcaster is accessible on your network, you can use secure shell (SSH) to log in to the console. The following sections explain methods of using SSH from Windows or Linux.

Windows PuTTY Client

On Windows, you can use the PuTTY client, which you can download from your preferred shareware site or directly from configure access using SSH on port 22. Unless the IP address has been changed already, log in with the default IP address listed on the back of the Helix Broadcaster hardware.

APPENDIX

http://www.putty.org/. After you install and launch the client,

Linux SSH

PuTTY Windows Client Setup

admin@HelixBroadcasterAddress

For example:

admin@10.125.15.200

Once you reach the machine with SSH, Helix Broadcaster prompts for the password. Unless it has been changed already, the default password is:

admin

On Linux, you can use SSH from any command-line shell:

1. Open a command shell.

2. Unless the IP address has been changed, log in with the default IP address listed on the back of the Helix Broadcaster hardware:

ssh admin@HelixBroadcasterAddress

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide APPENDIX A: Console Setup

For example:

ssh admin@10.125.15.200

3. Helix Broadcaster prompts for the password. Unless it has been changed already, the default password is:

admin

Console Menu

Once you access Helix Broadcaster directly or by SSH, the main console menu appears.

Console Main Menu

Note the following about using the console:

Network Settings

The following entries on the main menu allow you to view and change network settings:

1) Edit Network Settings

4) Show IP Addresses

• Select main menu or submenu options by entering the letter, number, or combination that

represents the option, such as pressing

• Navigate through setup screens using the arrow keys on your keyboard.

• Delete existing information in setup screens using the Backspace key.

• A carat (^) refers to the Ctrl key. For example, ^X means to press Ctrl and the letter x.

• Press ^X to exit a setup screen. If you made changes, the editor prompts you to press Y to

save the changes or

For More Information: The console uses the Nano text editor. For a command

reference, browse to

Note: After you change the network configuration, you may need to enter r at

N to discard them.

http://www.nano-editor.org/dist/v1.2/nano.html.

1 for Edit Network Settings.

the main menu to reboot the machine and put the changes into effect.

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide APPENDIX A: Console Setup

Showing IP Addresses

Enter 4 at the main menu to display the current IP address settings. The WAN address (see page 4) is listed as WAN address is shown below in

... 3: eth0: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc pfifo_fast state UP qlen 1000 link/ether 08:60:6e:44:0c:0a brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff inet 10.125.15.250/24 brd 10.125.15.255 scope global eth0 inet6 fe80::a60:6eff:fe44:c0a/64 scope link valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever ...

eth0. Additional IP addresses are eth1, eth2, and so on. For example, the IPv4

bold:

Changing IP Addresses

Enter 1 at the main menu to change an IP address. To set the WAN address (see page 3), enter

e0 (the second character is a zero) at the submenu:

e0) Edit WAN Settings (ctrl-x to exit) e1) Edit LAN #1 Settings g) Edit Default Gateway and DNS Settings

IP Address Setup Screen

In the setup screen, use the arrow keys to navigate to the end of the IP address. Press Backspace to erase the characters. Enter the new address, press Press

x to return to the main menu.

Editing Network Settings

Enter 1 at the main menu to change network settings such as DHCP (see page 3). Enter g at the submenu:

e0) Edit WAN Settings (ctrl-x to exit) e1) Edit LAN #1 Settings g) Edit Default Gateway and DNS Settings

Ctrl+x to exit, and Y to confirm the changes.

Helix Broadcaster 100 Touch Screen User Guide APPENDIX A: Console Setup

Networking Setup Screen

In the setup screen, use the arrow keys to navigate to the end of a field and press Backspace to erase the existing characters. Press

Ctrl+x to exit. Press x to return to the main menu.

HELIX Broadcaster 100 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual