Mediastar Evolution 779-S-SD, 779-S-HD, 779-D-SD, 779-D-HD Quick Start Manual

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Getting started with the MediaStar 779
Multi Format Input SD-HD Encoder

Models: 779-S-SD, 779-S-HD, 779-D-SD, 779-D-HD

The MediaStar Evolution 779 Encoder is a standalone
MPEG2 or MPEG4-10/H264 video and audio encoder.
It can take the video input from a variety of different
source formats (Composite, S-Video, YPbPr, RGB, VGA
or HDMI) and will scale the images to either SD or
HD resolutions. The video and accompanying audio is
then encoded into MPEG2 or H264 data, and is then
streamed onto a LAN. Separate decoder units or PC
software clients can then display the video and audio
at any network enabled location.

The unit has a front panel mounted LCD and push buttons
to allow easy network setup and source selection,
with an embedded http web page server providing
confi guration web pages for more advanced features.

The 779 unit may be purchased with a single or dual
set of video inputs (779-S-xx and 779-D-xx units), and
also with either an SD output stream resolution, or a
selectable SD/HD output stream resolution (779-x-SD
or 779-x-HD).

What’s in the box

• 779 Encoder unit

• AC mains cable

• 2m CAT-5 patch lead

• 1.5m HDMI cable

• 1.5m YPbPr component video cable

• 2m SVGA cable (15 way HDD plugs)

• 1.2m 3.5mm Jack to 2 x Phono (audio) cable

• IR Blaster assembly (Part 911-4153)

Please note: 779-D-xx units have two sets of video/
audio input cables included.

Quick Start Guide

Important Safety Instructions

1. Read these instructions.

2. Keep these instructions.

3. Heed all warnings.

4. Follow all instructions.

5. Do not use this apparatus near water.

6. Clean only with a dry cloth.

7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in
accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators,
heat registers, stoves or other apparatus (including
amplifi ers) that produce heat.

9. This unit must be installed using a mains (AC
supply) plug and socket that contains a protective
earth (ground) connection. The mains socket must be
located near the equipment, remain operable and be
easily accessible to disconnect the unit in the case of
an emergency.

10. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarised or
grounding-type plug. A polarised plug has two blades
with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug
has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide
blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If

the provided plug does not fi t into your outlet, consult
an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.

11. Protect the power cord from being walked on or
pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles,
and the point where they exit from the apparatus.

12. Only use attachments/accessories specifi ed by the
manufacturer.

13. Use only with the cart, stand tripod, bracket,
or table specifi ed by the manufacturer, or sold
with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use
caution when moving the cart/apparatus
combination to avoid injury from tip-over.

14. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or
when unused for long periods of time.

15. Refer all servicing to qualifi ed service personnel.
Servicing is required when the apparatus has been
damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or
plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects
have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been
exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally,
or has been dropped.

Warning: There are no user serviceable parts within
the Mediastar 779 Encoder unit.

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Installation

When locating the Encoder, ensure that a clearance
distance of 25mm (1”) is maintained around the
ventilation grills to allow free ventilation airflow. Items
that could accidentally block the ventilation grills or
impede the cooling airflow must not be located near
the unit.

The Encoder must not be installed where there is a
possibility of exposure to condensation, dripping or
splashing liquids. Containers filled with fluid should
not be located in the vicinity of this unit.

Connect the Encoder unit to the source device using
the appropriate video and audio interface cables. A
Composite video source should be input into the GREEN
phono connector on the rear of the unit, and S-Video
should be input into the GREEN (Y) and BLUE (C) phono
connectors (with a suitable adapter). If HDMI audio is
not being used, connect the analogue audio source to
the 3.5mm jack socket audio input using the phono
adapter cable supplied.

The Encoder must be installed using a mains (AC supply)
plug and socket that is located near the equipment,
that remains operable and be easily accessible to
disconnect the unit in the case of an emergency.

Insert the IEC end of the mains cable into the socket
on the rear panel of the Encoder and insert the mains
plug into the wall socket. The BLUE power indicator
LED on the front of the Encoder should illuminate. The
LCD panel will show the boot up progress of the unit.
Until the unit is fully booted, only selected setup items
are available to view on the LCD.

Booting Up

During boot-up, the status LED on the front of the
encoder will flash orange. The LCD will show the boot­up progress. When booting is complete the status
indicator LED will change colour to GREEN or flashing
GREEN to indicate whether the selected video input
source signal is present or not. The LCD will then reflect
the operational status of the encoder.

After boot-up, if the status LED changes to a constant
RED colour, an internal error has occurred in the
encoder, and it should be returned to Cabletime or
your reseller for service. If the status LED is flashing
RED, then a software upgrade is in progress, and it is
important that the Encoder remains powered with a
valid network connection until the unit reboots and
resumes normal operation.

Quick Start Guide

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Front Panel Operation

The front panel LCD can be used with the three adjacent
push buttons to view status information and configure
the operation of the unit. The UP and DOWN buttons
scroll up and down menus and change parameter
values. The OK button selects the currently displayed
menu item or confirms a parameter change. Pressing
the UP and DOWN buttons and releasing them together
returns up a menu level, usually aborting a parameter
change.

The upper line of the LCD display shows the setting
name, and the lower line shows the parameter itself
and any instructions on how to change the current
setting.

Pressing the UP, DOWN and OK buttons for 5 seconds
and releasing them together will present a unit RESET
option. Pressing the OK button to confirm will then
reboot the encoder.

The structure of the menus presented on the LCD are
as follows:

Part Number and Status

Stream 1 Information

Stream 2 Information (779-D-xx units only)

Video Input selection

Input set selection (779-D-xx units only)

Composite

S-Video

YPbPr

RGB

VGA

HDMI

Picture Adjustments

Input set selection (779-D-xx units only)

Move Up/Down

Move Left/Right

Scale Vertical

Scale Horizontal

Picture brightness

Picture contrast

IP address settings

DHCP (activate/show allocated address)

Static IP address (activate/show static IP address)

View/Edit IP address

View/Edit Netmask

View/Edit Gateway address

View/Edit DNS address

Network Link

Unit details

MAC address

Serial number

Software version number

Help

Various help topics

Setting the Encoder’s IP address

Each Encoder is pre-configured with its IP address set
to DHCP. When connected to the network the Encoder
will automatically obtain an IP address from the DHCP
server. The IP address being used can be seen on the
front panel LCD, under the IP address settings/DHCP
menu.

If necessary, the MAC address of the unit can be found
under the Unit Details/MAC Address menu, or on the
label on the bottom face of the unit.

If a static IP address needs to be set, use the front
panel LCD and push buttons to set the correct address.
Static IP address selection will need to be activated
first, and then enter the IP address and netmask etc on
the appropriate menus.

Once IP connectivity is established with the unit, use
standard browser software (MS Windows Internet
Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome or Safari for example)
to access the detailed configuration menus. Enter the
IP address of the 779 unit into the URL address bar, to
see the menus.

Contact your network administrator to ensure any
manual IP address settings made are appropriate for
your network.

Quick Start Guide

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Configuration Menus

The Encoder’s web page configuration menus allow the
full range of operational parameters to be set. When
using the web pages, full contextual help is provided
on the right side of the screen. When changes have
been made, press the APPLY button at the bottom of
the page to ensure these take effect.

Configuration menus include:

Status - shows the current status of the Encoder,
including the Part number, Mac Address, IP Address,
Netmask, Gateway, DNS, Software Version, Serial
Number, Temperature, Encoder name, Encoding
standard, video source(s), video/audio stream address,
video/audio stream bandwidth and RS232 status.
Please note, the temperature shows the internal
unit temperature and not the ambient temperature.
Readings up to 70ºC are normal.

Encoding Standard – facilitates the selection of the
video and audio encoding standards, the bit rate control
strategy and the actual video and audio bit rate.

Input - sets the video and audio input being used,
and the stream IP address being transmitted by the
encoder. Also sets the stream TTL and DSCP controls.

IP Configuration - allows specification of the Network
Connection; Static or DHCP addressing, Hostname, IP
Address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway settings.
Confirm these with the network administrator before
configuring.

Picture Adjustment - allows the following parameters
of the input picture to be adjusted: Horizontal position,
vertical position, horizontal scale, vertical scale, picture
brightness and picture contrast. On dual input Encoders
two control sets are presented.

RS232 Port - this is used to configure the RS232 port for
SIPI command mode or as an IP – RS232 bi-directional
pass through adaptor.

Event Log - displays a list of events generated by the
unit.

Email Logs - configuration of who log files are emailed
to and when.

SNMP - allows configuration of SNMP community and
trap targets.

Enablement Code – enter enablement codes here
to reconfigure or expand the capabilities of your
unit. Details can be obtained from your reseller or
Cabletime.

Set Endpoint Password - A password may be set to
prevent the unauthorised modification of the Encoder
configuration. A password must consist of exactly six
digits from 0-9. If the password gets lost, contact
Cabletime for assistance.

Software Upgrade – specify the http server that the
Encoder will look at for software updates.

Locator LED - allows the status LED to be flashed
ORANGE/GREEN to identify the physical encoder unit.

IR Blaster 1/2 - this allows you to select the IR remote
control to emulate, and press IR buttons on it.

Quick Start Guide

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Quick Start Guide

Product Specification

Feature 779-x-yy support

Physical 779-S-xx H44 x W191 x D220mm, 1.4 Kg
779-D-xx H83 x W191 x D220mm, 1.6 Kg

Ambient operating temperature range 0º - 40º Centigrade

Power Supply Input: 100-240VAC, 47-63Hz, 0.3 – 0.15A, 20W

LAN 10/100/1000 Base-T, Auto MDIX

Video input sets 779-S-xx 1 set
779-D-xx 2 sets

Video Inputs supported (on each input set) Composite, S-Video - NTSC, PAL

YPbPr, RGB (SOG) - 480i, 576i, 480p, 576p, 720p50, 720p60,
1080i50, 1080i60, 1080p50, 1080p60

VGA – 640x480@60, 800x600@60, 1024x768@60, 1280x720@60,
1280x800@60, 1280x1024@60, 1366x768@60, 1440x900@60,
1600x1200@60, 1680x1050@60, 1920x1080@60,
1920x1200@60(RB)

HDMI 1.3 – VGA resolutions listed plus YPbPr, RGB (SOG) resolutions listed

HDMI Stereo Single channel stereo digital audio

Analogue Audio Stereo (2.2V pk-pk into a 10K Ohm load)

Video Encoding MPEG2 MP@HL CBR/VBR encoding (1.5 – 15 Mbps)
MPEG4-10/H264 MP@L4 CBR/VBR encoding (1.5 – 12 Mbps)

Audio Encoding MPEG1-Layer 2 - 32, 44.1, 48 KHz sampling, 64 - 384 Kbps Stereo
AAC/LC encoding – 16, 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96 KHz sampling,
40 – 576 Kbps Stereo

Encoded Stream Formats Multicast/Unicast UDP MPEG2-TS
Multicast/RTP video and audio streams (for use with Quicktime
via on-board RTSP server)
Video resolutions: 480i, 576i, 720p50, 720p60, 1080i50, 1080i60,
1080p25, 1080p30

USB Host 1 x USB 2.0 High Speed Host (Used for software upgrades with a
USB memory stick)

USB Comms USB Serial Comms device for external configuration/control

Infra-Red Blasters 2 off outputs supporting Sky, Sky+, SkyHD IR formats with web
page or IP command remote activation

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Quick Start Guide

Product Specification

Feature 779-x-yy support

RS232 Port(s) Rx, Tx CTS, RTS up to 115200 Baud

Configured for SIPI external configuration/control or IP to RS232 bi­ directional pass through for external device control
(2 x RS232 ports on 779-D-xx units)

Temperature Monitoring Operating temperature available remotely via web interface or
on-screen menu

External IP control interface ASCII command/configuration via IP interface, USB comms and
RS232 comms interfaces

SNMP traps Defined ‘Events’ sent to third party SNMP manager
(MIB available on request)

Field Software Upgrade From remote HTTP server or from USB memory stick inserted in front
panel USB host connector

Automatic email of Event logs Via external SMTP server

Mediastar Evolution

Correct Disposal of this product

This marking shown on the product or its
literature, indicates that it should not be
disposed with other household wastes
at the end of its working life. To prevent
possible harm to the environment or
human health from uncontrolled waste
disposal, please separate this from
other types of wastes and recycle it
responsibly to promote the sustainable
reuse of material resources.

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Regulatory Requirement Notices

EUROPE

Cabletime Limited declare that the products described in this manual conform to the
requirements of the following Directives:

 •2004/108/ECEMCDirective
 •2006/95/ECLowVoltageDirective

THE STANDARDS APPLIED ARE:

EN55022:2006 Information technology equipment. Radio disturbance characteristics
EN61000-3-2:2006 Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Limits for harmonic current emissions
EN61000-3-3:2008 Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Limits. Limitations of voltage changes, voltage

fluctuations and flicker
EN61000-6-1:2001 Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) Part 6-1 Immunity
EN60950-1:2006 + A11:2009 Information technology equipment. Safety General requirements
IEC60950-1:2005 Specification for safety of information technology equipment, including electrical

business equipment, with CB variations for US, Canada, Japan, and Australia

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Cabletime Limited declare this equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules Subpart B (15.107, 15.109). These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment.
This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance
with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment
in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the
interference at his own expense.

•Thisdevicecomplieswithpart15oftheFCCRules.

Operation is subject to the following conditions:

•Thisdevicemaynotcauseharmfulinterference,and

•Thisdevicemustacceptanyinterferencereceived,includinginterferencethatmaycauseundesiredoperation.

Whilst all reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of this publication, the publishers and authors cannot accept responsibility for
any errors and omissions. Cabletime Limited reserves the right to revise this publication and to make changes in the content from time to time
without notice.
Copyright © Cabletime 2010. All rights reserved. No part of this guide may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form
or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without prior written permission of Cabletime Ltd.

Quick Start Guide

Head Office

Cabletime Ltd, 64 Greenham Road, Newbury, Berkshire, United Kingdom RG14 7HX

T: [phone] E: [e-mail] www.cabletime.com

USA Office

Cabletime USA T: 973 770 8071 E: [e-mail]

Asia Office

Cabletime ASIA T: [phone] E: [e-mail]

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