VBrick Systems VB4000, VB6000, VB5000 User Manual
VB4000-5000-6000 Series
Network Video Appliances
VBrick v4.1 MPEG-2 Appliance
Admin Guide
August 21, 2007
4410-0216-0000
Copyright
© 2007 VBrick Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
12 Beaumont Road
Wallingford, Connecticut 06492, USA
www.VBrick.com
This publication contains confidential, proprietary, and trade secret information. No part of this document may be
copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any machine-readable or electronic format without
prior written permission from VBrick. Information in this document is subject to change without notice and
VBrick Systems assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies. VBrick, VBrick Systems, the
VBrick logo, StreamPlayer, and StreamPlayer Plus are trademarks or registered trademarks in the United States and
other countries. Windows Media is a trademarked name of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other
countries. All other products or services mentioned in this document are identified by the trademarks, service
marks, or product names as designated by the companies who market those products. Inquiries should be made
directly to those companies. This document may also have links to third-party web pages that are beyond the
control of VBrick. Use these links at your own risk. The use of such links does not imply that VBrick endorses or
recommends the content of any third-party web pages. VBrick acknowledges the use of third-party open source
software and licenses
www.vbrick.com/opensource.
in some VBrick products. This freely available source code is posted at http://
FCC Notice
This equipment carries the CE mark and is UL listed in the U.S. and Canada. This equipment has been tested and
found to comply with the limits for Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules, Class A for the
SDI Interface. 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 their own expense. This Class A
digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations. Cet
appareil numerique de la Classe A respecte toutes les exigences do reglement dur le materiel brouilleur du Canada.
About VBrick Systems
Founded in 1997, VBrick Systems, an ISO 9001 certified vendor, is a privately held company that has enjoyed rapid
growth by helping our customers successfully introduce mission critical video applications across their enterprise
networks. Since our founding, VBrick has been setting the standard for quality, performance and innovation in the
delivery of live and stored video over IP networks—LANs, WANs and the Internet. With thousands of video
appliances installed world-wide, VBrick is the recognized leader in reliable, high-performance, easy-to-use
networked video solutions.
VBrick is an active participant in the development of industry standards and continues to play an influential role in
the Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA), the MPEG Industry Forum, and Internet2. In 1998 VBrick
invented and shipped the world's first MPEG Video Network Appliance designed to provide affordable DVDquality video across the network. Since then, VBrick's video solutions have grown to include Video on Demand,
Management, Security and Access Control, Scheduling, and Rich Media Integration. VBrick solutions are
successfully supporting a broad variety of applications including distance learning and training, conferencing and
remote office communications, security, process monitoring, traffic monitoring, business and news feeds to the
desktop, webcasting, corporate communications, collaboration, command and control, and telemedicine. VBrick
serves customers in education, government, healthcare, and financial services markets among others.
MPEG-2 Admin Guide
Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Font Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x
Printer-Friendly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x
1. Introduction
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
VBSSM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Mixed Model Appliances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Archiver and Recorder Functionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. MPEG-2 Configuration
MPEG-2 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Optimizing MPEG-2 Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
MPEG-2 Configuration Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Configuration: Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Configuration: Network > Ethernet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Configuration: Network > Routing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Configuration: Network > Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Configuration: Network > IPv6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Configuration: Billboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Using the Billboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Billboard FTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Billboard URLs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Billboard File Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Creating a Billboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Configuration: Decoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Configuration: Decoder > Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Configuration: Decoder > Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Configuration: Decoder > Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Configuration: Decoder > Picture-In-Picture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Configuration: Encoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Configuration: Encoder > Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Configuration: Encoder > Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Configuration: Encoder > Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Configuration: Encoder > Destination 1/Destination2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Configuration: Encoder > Announce (SAP). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Configuration: Encoder > Text Insertion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Configuration: Pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Configuration: Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Configuration: FTP File Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Contents
VBrick MPEG-2 Appliance Admin Guide iii
Configuration: Conferencing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Configuration: Passthrough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Configuration: Passthrough > COM1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Configuration: Passthrough > COM2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Configuration: System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Configuration: System > General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Configuration: System > SNMP Traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Configuration: System > Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Configuration: System > Logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Configuration: Video On Demand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Configuration: Script Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Configuration: Script Management > Event Triggering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Configuration: Script Management > Auto Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
3. SDI Configuration
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Configuration: Encoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Configuration: Encoder > Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Configuration: Encoder > Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Configuration: Decoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
4. Status
Status: System Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Status: Network Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Status: Decoder Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Status: Encoder Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Status: Hard Drive Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Status: FTP Server Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Status: System Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Status: User Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Status: Network Status > Codec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Status: Network Status > Routing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Status: Network Status > Network Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Status: Network Status > IPv6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
MPEG-2 Decoder Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
MPEG-2 Encoder Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Status: Hard Drive Status > General. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Status: Hard Drive Status > Pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Status: Hard Drive Status > Recorder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Status: System Log > Config. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Status: System Log > System Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Status: System Log > Traps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Status: System Log > System Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Status: User Information > Main Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Status: User Information > Slot1/Slot2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
iv Contents
5. Diagnostics
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
User Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Diagnostics: Network Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Diagnostics: Network Tests > Ping Test. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Diagnostics: Network Tests > Trace Route Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Diagnostics: Network Tests > Data Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Diagnostics: Device Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Diagnostics: Decoder Color Bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Diagnostics: Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
6. Maintenance
Maintenance: Device Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Maintenance: Default All Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Maintenance: Read/Write Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Maintenance: Read/Write > Read From Device. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Maintenance: Read/Write > Write To Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Maintenance: Change Usernames & Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Maintenance: Usernames & Passwords > Change Usernames & Passwords . . . . . . . . . 91
Maintenance: Usernames & Passwords > Change SNMPv3 Passwords . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
7. Maintenance Mode
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Maintenance Mode Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Maintenance Mode Indicators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Maintenance Mode CLI Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
8. VBStar
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Recording vs. Archiving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
VBStar Pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Configuration: Pump > General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Configuration: Pump > Destination 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Configuration: Pump > Announce (SAP). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Configuration: Pump > Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
VBStar Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Using Mixed Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Filename Syntax Rules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Recording Batch Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Batch Wrap Point and Record Duration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Configuration: Recorder > General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Configuration: Recorder > Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Configuration: Recorder > Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
VBStar FTP File Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Configuration: FTP File Transfer > Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
VBrick MPEG-2 Appliance Admin Guide v
Configuration: FTP File Transfer > Transfers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
VBStar Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Index
vi Contents
MPEG-2 Admin Guide
This VBrick MPEG-2 Admin Guide is written for anyone who will be using or configuring a
VB6000 Series MPEG-2 VBrick appliance. This includes system administrators, network
technicians, and anyone who will be using or configuring a VBrick network video appliance.
VBrick encoder and decoder appliances are available in industry standard MPEG-2, MPEG4, and other formats. MPEG-2 appliances are used for delivering low delay, DVD quality
video over high bandwidth networks. MPEG-4 appliances are used for delivering low delay
television quality video over low and medium bandwidth networks. These products are
available in one and two channel configurations, as well as a combination encoder/decoder
that delivers two-way interactive video (MPEG-2 and MPEG-4). An optional hard drive
allows the video to be recorded at the source.
Organization
Introduction
MPEG-2 Configuration
SDI Configuration
Status
Diagnostics
Maintenance
Maintenance Mode
VBStar
Explains the basics. Provides general configuration
recommendations as well as how to cable the appliance and
connect it to the network.
Explains how to configure MPEG-2 video appliances using the
IWS web interface.
Explains how to configure Serial Digital Interface video
appliances using the IWS web interface.
Explains all of the detailed status information available about
the network, the encoder, the decoder, the hard drive, etc.
Explains how to run a variety of onboard diagnostics including
ping, traceroute, and decoder color bars.
Explains how to use various maintenance functions. These
reading and saving all configuration parameters and changing
user names and passwords.
Explains maintenance mode and how it is used to recover if
errors occur during of after a firmware download.
Explains how to use this MPEG-2 appliance with a hard drive
to record and pump high-quality video throughout your
network.
Getting Help
If you need help, or more information about any topic, use the online help system. The
online help is cross-referenced and searchable and can usually find the information in a few
seconds. Use the tree controls in the left pane to open documents and the up and down
arrows to page through them. Use the Search box to find specific information. Simply enter
one or more words in the box and press Enter. The search results will return pages that have
all of the words you entered—highlighted in yellow (Internet Explorer only). The
is not case-sensitive and does not recognize articles (a, an, the), operators (+ and – ), or
quotation marks. You can narrow the search by adding words.
VBrick MPEG-2 Appliance Admin Guide ix
Search box
If you can't find the information you need from the online help, or from your certified
VBrick reseller, you can contact VBrick Support Services on the web. Support Services can
usually answer your technical questions in 24 business hours or less. Also note that our
publications team is committed to accurate and reliable documentation and we appreciate
your feedback. If you find errors or omissions in any of our documents, please send e-mail to
documentation@vbrick.com
and let us know. For more information about any VBrick
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VBrick MPEG-2 Appliance Admin Guide
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x Preface
Introduction
Topics in this chapter
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
VBSSM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Mixed Model Appliances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Overview
Congratulations on your purchase of VBrick System's MPEG-2 video networking product.
VBrick Systems provides high-quality video and audio encoders and decoders. VBrick also
provides software decoding on any PC through StreamPlayer or StreamPlayer Plus software.
The result is video that can be obtained from any source—whether a live camera feed, DVD
or VCR—and sent over a network (or LAN). This video can then be decoded by a hardware
appliance or Set Top Box and displayed on a television monitor, or it can be decoded through
StreamPlayer Plus software and displayed on any PC connected to the same network. The
VBrick appliance is based on a modular platform that allows a variety of models consisting of
MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 compression algorithms along with optional network interfaces (such
as SDI and hard drive for storage). This user guide is intended to cover all models and
provide instructions on initial setup and advanced parameter configuration.
Chapter 1
Note The VBrick appliance consists of different hardware versions, distinguished by the
VBSSM
VBrick Security and Surveillance Monitoring devices are video only—no audio. The VBSSMMP2 (MPEG-2) and VBSSM-MP4 (MPEG-4) encoders are ideal for security and surveillance
applications where full motion, high-quality video is required in a cost effective product. The
VBSSM is a compact, rugged and reliable video network appliance that supports temperature
ranges from -20 to 70°C. The VBSSM encoder accepts NTSC/PAL video, compresses it in
realtime and transmits the video digitally over an IP network. The video is then displayed on
TV monitors using numerous MPEG decoders, Set Top Boxes or on PCs through desktop
decoder software such as VBrick's StreamPlayer. VBSSM devices provide the following
features:
• Full motion, high resolution DVD quality video.
• IP Unicast or Multicast for streaming applications.
• Integral web server for configuration and management.
• Low delay encoding for end-to-end camera control - pan, tilt and zoom.
• Utilizes Layer III QoS – Diff Serv for prioritizing video over IP networks.
last digit of the part number -xxx0 or -xxx1/-xxx2 (see Status: User Information >
Main Board). When the part number is –xxx1/-xxx2 there can also be differences
based on the PLX EEProm revision 1 or 2-and-higher (see Status: Encoder Status or
Status: Decoder Status). Where differences occur, they are noted in the text.
VBrick MPEG-2 Appliance Admin Guide 1
• Video encoding rates configurable from 8 Kbps to 15 Mbps.
• Transport and Elementary stream support.
• Provides closed captioning with text insertion.
• Optional – video camera with pan, tilt and zoom.
• Optional – 19 in. rack mount adapter (holds two across).
Tab le 1 . VBSSM Models †
Model Configuration Description
9170-4200-000x VBSSM-MP2 Ruggedized single channel MPEG-2 encoder.
9171-4200-000x VBSSM-MP4 Ruggedized single channel MPEG-4 encoder with
audio. Same enclosure as VBSSM-MP2.
9172-4400-000x VBSSM-MP2/4 MPEG-2 or MPEG-4. This device has a different
enclosure with a single video input that supports
two channels. It also supports RS-422 passthrough.
VBSSM-MP2 does not.
9174-4200-000x VBSSM-MP4 No audio.
9175-4200-000x VBSSM-MP4 With audio.
†See the VBrick Appliance Getting Started Guide for VBSSM rear panel drawings.
Mixed Model Appliances
In addition to dual devices (for example two encoders, or an MPEG-2 encoder and MPEG-2
decoder), VBrick supports mixed model appliances (for example a WM encoder and an
MPEG-4 encoder). VBrick appliance v4.1 software supports almost any combination of
VBrick devices in Slots 1 and 2 so you can mix and match as necessary. For example, you can
have a WM encoder in Slot1 and an MPEG-4 encoder in Slot2, or you can have an MPEG-2
encoder in Slot1 and MPEG-4 decoder in Slot2. The only exception is that you cannot have a
WM encoder and an MPEG-4 decoder in the same appliance. In general, encoders are installed in
Slot1; decoders are installed in Slot2. WM encoders, if present, are always installed in Slot1.
Note VBrick WM, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4 appliances all run the same codebase. The
configurable options and user interface vary according to the type of appliance (e.g.
MPEG-2, MPEG-4, etc.) on which the code is installed.
Archiver and Recorder Functionality
Archiver/Recorder functionality may be different in mixed model appliances depending on
how the slots are populated. In other words, the behavior of the device in a given slot may
change depending on what combination of appliances are installed. See Figure 1 below and
note the following distinctions:
•An archiver only records from an associated encoder. For example, a WM Archiver is
associated with a specific WM encoder.
•A recorder is not associated with any encoder. It independently records one stream at a
time from an encoder, a decoder, or from the network.
• On MPEG-4 appliances, there is no archiving or recording.
2 © 2007 VBrick Systems, Inc.
Introduction
Figure 1. Archiver/Recorder Functionality
VBrick MPEG-2 Appliance Admin Guide 3
4 © 2007 VBrick Systems, Inc.
MPEG-2 Configuration
Topics in this chapter
MPEG-2 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Configuration: Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Configuration: Billboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Configuration: Decoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Configuration: Encoder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Configuration: Pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Configuration: Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Configuration: FTP File Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Configuration: Conferencing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Configuration: Passthrough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Configuration: System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Configuration: Video On Demand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Configuration: Script Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Chapter 2
MPEG-2 Overview
The basic VBrick MPEG-2 appliance consists of one or more of the following components.
Note that the screens you see in IWS will vary depending on the model and how the
appliance is configured.
1. A main controller card with the following:
• 10/100Base-T Ethernet network interface.
• Two slots for encoder and/or decoder boards.
2. Optional Interfaces:
•MPEG-2 encoder.
• SDI Serial Digital interface for encoders and decoders.
• Text insertion module.
•MPEG-4 encoder.
• MPEG-4 decoder.
•WM Encoder.
• VBStar which includes a hard drive and FTP.
Note VBrick appliances have a number of optional hardware accessories, including the
AudioMate microphone, Remote Control devices, and cameras. These work directly
with VBrick appliances or through the use of ActiveX control software, also available
from VBrick.
VBrick MPEG-2 Appliance Admin Guide 5
Table 2. IWS Configurable Options
Option Applicable Model
Network All VBrick models.
• Ethernet.
Billboard Only on models which have decoders.
Decoder Single or dual:
• Ethernet MPEG-2.
• Ethernet MPEG-4.
• SDI MPEG-2 (see SDI Configuration
Encoder Single or dual:
• Ethernet MPEG-2.
• SDI MPEG-2 (see SDI Configuration
• Text insertion.
).
).
Pump VBStar models only (see VBStar
Recorder VBStar models only (see VBStar
FTP File Transfer VBStar models only (see VBStar
Conferencing Encoder and decoder combination models only.
Passthrough All VBrick models.
System All VBrick models.
Video on Demand Decoder models only.
Script Management All VBrick models.
).
).
).
Optimizing MPEG-2 Performance
VBrick appliances are designed to accommodate a variety of configurations. Options such as
Hard Disk record and playback, and FTP file serving capability are fully meshed together,
supporting a diverse set of applications. VBrick unit's configuration choices enable the widest
range of features and capabilities and are designed to provide the user with a high degree of
flexibility. In some extreme cases, users can create configurations that exceed the normal
processing capacity of the unit causing it to not perform optimally. VBrick units provide
statistical counters and status variables indicating current device utilization and can even be
configured to report SNMP trap alarm conditions when these situations occur. Corrective
action usually involves the reduction of a video rate or disabling a channel, easily performed
via the IWS or CLI user interface. Under abnormal operating conditions, VBrick units
provide total system protection against any integral damage and guarantee management
connectivity via IWS or CLI.
In general, MPEG-2 video quality improves when video rate is increased. Significant video
quality improvements are noticeable when moving between 1.2 and 5 megabits per second
video rates. The video quality improvement becomes less noticeable when moving from
medium rates to higher video rates (from 5–9 Mbps.) with most of the improvement
occurring only during high motion video scenes. In essence, video quality is very subjective
and relates to other components such as the response of the human eye, the quality and
6 © 2007 VBrick Systems, Inc.
MPEG-2 Configuration
original content and signal, and the quality of the decoder and monitor. As a general rule, use
the lowest video rate that best suits the application.
The following information represents guidelines for product configuration limitations, with
regard to specific unit types. When configuring VBrick units, close attention must be paid to
the total transport rate of all sources both entering and exiting the unit. In most cases the
sum of all entering and exiting MPEG-2 data traffic should be closely monitored and kept to
a minimum whenever possible. Once a configuration is decided upon and applied to the unit,
the user can check the status of processor and device load via the IWS or CLI. The CPU
utilization and overloaded status variables are an excellent indication on the overall unit's
health. If the CPU utilization is high or the overloaded condition is occurring, the user may
simply reduce video transport rates and re-run the test. As a part of regular maintenance,
users should periodically check the CPU utilization, overloaded and buffer full count status
variables to ensure the unit remains within its operating limits.
MPEG-2 Configuration Recommendations
• Maintain video rates at optimum levels. High rates do improve quality. VBrick
recommends rates that use the lowest possible rate which gives acceptable quality. For
MPEG-2, rates between 5 and 7 MBPS exhibit excellent video quality.
• Avoid setting the transport rate manually. Use the automatic transport rate calculation
mode (default operation).
• The maximum MPEG-2 transport rate of 17 megabits per second should be used
judiciously.
• When using the hard drive, especially for recording, keep other device functions to a
minimum to avoid discontinuities in the recorded content.
• Recording high video rate streams consumes hard drive space and limits the recording
duration significantly. Additionally, high video rate streams require faster hard drive
access times and are more prone to video dropouts.
• Periodic re-formatting of the hard drive will improve overall disk performance by
reducing disk fragmentation, much like a computer behaves.
• Hard drive pump and record functions are designed to be mutually exclusive. When
operating at medium to low rates it may be possible for the hard drive to pump and
record simultaneously but it is not recommended.
• Encoding from and sending to multiple destinations consumes additional system
resources. Furthermore, a 4300 VBrick unit with dual encoders is capable of sending 4
streams but will not be able to sustain operation at the highest transport rates.
• Increasing the IP video packet size improves overall performance both in Ethernet
Mode. Please check with your network administrator first before deciding on what size is
best for your network.
Absolute Maximum Transport Rates
This table provides the absolute maximum transport rates for given configurations.
Table 3. Maximum Transport Rate by Configuration
Model Dest1, Dest2
Slot #1
6200 17,0 17 0 No 0
VBrick MPEG-2 Appliance Admin Guide 7
Decoder
Slot#2
Recorder FTP Active Player /
Pump
Model Dest1, Dest2
Slot #1
Decoder
Slot#2
Recorder FTP Active Player /
Pump
6200 15,15 15 0 No 0
6200 13,0 13 13 No 0
6200 12,0 12 12 Yes 0
6200 11,0 11 0 No 11
6200 9,0 9 0 Yes 9
6200 11,11 11 11 No 0
6200 10,10 10 0 No 10
4300 17,0 17,0 0 No 0
4300 11,11 11,11 0 No 0
4300 13,0 13,0 13 No 0
4300 11,0 11,0 0 No 11
4300 9,9 9,9 9 No 0
4300 8,8 8,8 0 No 8
5300 17 17 0 No 0
5300 13 13 13 No 0
5300 14 14 0 No 14
Note All values are shown in Mbps. A rate of 0 indicates "off" condition. Configurations
other than the above may operate at higher rates than indicated. IWS operation may
become sluggish due to its lower system priority.
8 © 2007 VBrick Systems, Inc.
Configuration: Network
Configuration: Network > Ethernet
MPEG-2 Configuration
Network DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol – (Enable, Disable). On
Ethernet models, if DHCP is enabled, the VBrick gets its IP
Address or Network Timer Server and Subnet Mask from the
DHCP server. If the DHCP server supplies the Gateway Address
or DNS server address, these parameters will replace the user
entered Gateway and DNS Time Server settings. If DHCP is
enabled and the VBrick cannot obtain an IP address from the
server, the VBrick will start in limited run mode after two
minutes, using its default IP Address of 172.17.5.5. After 15
minutes, it will automatically reset and again attempt to acquire
an address. The LCD screen on the front of the VBrick will
indicate a DHCP failed message. Note: The VBrick appliance
requires a minimum DHCP lease length of 8 minutes to work,
however it is recommended to extend the lease time to what is
maximally available via the network to avoid disruptions.
IP Address IP Address of the VBrick.
Subnet Mask Subnet mask for the VBrick address.
VBrick MPEG-2 Appliance Admin Guide 9
Gateway IP Address Valid gateway IP Address for communicating across distinct
network segments. A valid gateway IP address is essential even
though the VBrick will operate without one in some cases. When
no gateway is configured, the VBrick may be unable to
communicate with off-net IP hosts, for example, a foreign host
which is used for configuration management via IWS.
VBrick Host Name The Host Name defaults to the Media Access Control (MAC)
address, a hardware address that uniquely identifies each node of
a network. The VBrick's Host Name acts to identify the VBrick
to various network applications including DHCP, SNMP and
VBrick application tools. Note: The Host Name syntax can be a
maximum of 18 characters, the first character must be a letter and the rest
can be letters, numbers or hyphens.
Network Interface
Speed
Note: The settings for
interdependent. They must both be set to Automatic or they
Interface Speed and Interface Type are
must both be set manually. Manual settings should be used only
in the rare case when the VBrick is attached to network
equipment that does not support auto negotiation. The VBrick's
capabilities may be limited when its Ethernet link is at 10 Mbps
and/or Half Duplex. If auto negotiation fails, the VBrick
defaults to 10Mbit, half duplex and attempts "parallel detection,"
an alternative way to sense speed. Status parameters are available
on the network status screen to indicate the state of the link and
the current configuration of the Ethernet hardware. In auto
mode, they reflect the results of the negotiation and in manual
mode they follow the configuration options.
(10Mb, 100Mb, Automatic). This allows the Ethernet interface of
the VBrick to be manually forced to 100 Mbps or 10 Mbps. The
default setting is
Automatic which enables auto negotiation in
the VBrick so it will automatically match its speed setting to the
speed of the switch or hub to which it is attached.
Automatic is
the default and recommended setting.
Network Interface Type Half-Duplex/Full-Duplex/Automatic. This allows the Ethernet
interface of the VBrick to be manually forced to Full Duplex or
Half Duplex. The default setting is "Automatic" which enables
auto negotiation in the VBrick so it will automatically match its
duplex setting to that of the switch or hub that it is attached to.
Automatic is the default and recommended setting. In order for
the Network Auto Negotiate feature to work effectively, the
Ethernet switch must also support auto negotiation. A manually
configured switch will only allow the VBrick to discover the
connection speed—not the mode (full or half duplex).
10 © 2007 VBrick Systems, Inc.
MPEG-2 Configuration
Maximum Transmission
Unit Size
Range 1024–1500 (default = 1500). The MTU is used for all
network traffic from the VBrick and defines the largest network
packet size that will be transmitted. A higher MTU brings higher
bandwidth efficiency and VBrick recommends using the default.
However you may wish to reduce MTU size to meet the
requirements of some networks with VPN or other security
tunnels that cannot tolerate 1500-byte packets.
Domain Name Server
Primary Server IP
Address
Secondary Server
IP Address
Default Domain
Extension
This is the primary server used for DNS.
This is the secondary server used for DNS.
This is the domain name used for DNS. Note that you can use the
default (blank) values for these items.
Network Time Synchronization
These fields are used to synchronize network time using the host name or IP address of a
known server to provide a synchronized time for all appliances in the network. To enable
Network Time Synchronization after these parameters are set, go to Configuration: System >
General on page 44 and check the box.
Note To Network Administrators. DHCP Option 4 is used by the DHCP server to return
SNTP server addresses. This option must be enabled in the DHCP server for these
addresses to be returned to the VBrick. If the DHCP server configuration is
unknown, it is recommended that the address(es) be manually entered since the
DHCP server-supplied address will always override a manually-entered address.
Primary Server IP Address
or Host Name
Primary host name (VBrick Host Name or DNS Host Name)
or IP address of valid SNTP server providing time
synchronization. A blank field indicates the server address
Network
Secondary Server IP
Address or Host Name
will be acquired via the DHCP server only if the
field above is checked.
DHCP
Secondary host name (VBrick Host Name or DNS Host
Name) or IP address of valid SNTP server providing time
synchronization. A blank field indicates the server address
will be acquired via the DHCP server only if the
field above is checked.
DHCP
Network
Configuration: Network > Routing
The MPEG-2 Appliance requires no routing configuration for the vast majority of network
uses. Use these settings only in those rare cases when your network requires advanced routing
features in the appliance.
VBrick MPEG-2 Appliance Admin Guide 11
Routing Method This selects which routing method will be used: Changes made to the
Routing Method will require a reset of the box.
• Static – Allows routes entered in the static routing table to be
automatically applied to the internal routing tables, after a powerup.
• RIP Version 1 – Configures the VBrick to listen to RIP
announcements. Routes are dynamically added per RIP
specification.
• RIP Version 2 Broadcast – Configures the VBrick to listen to RIP
version 2 announcements. In this mode, RIP will perform classless
routing based upon subnet mask.
• RIP Version 2 Multicast – Configures the VBrick to listen to RIP
version 2 announcements that are sent in multicast mode. Both
broadcast and multicast announcements are processed.
Static Routing
Table
This table provides for user defined routing entries.
• Destination Network – Enter the destination address to be
manually routed.
• Local Gateway IP – Enter the Gateway to be used, when the
forwarding destination address is as specified.
• Network Mask – Sets the network mask to be associated with the
destination address.
• Error – This read-only field is used to report field entry error
related to the route.
12 © 2007 VBrick Systems, Inc.
MPEG-2 Configuration
Configuration: Network > Management
These parameters define information used in the SAPs emitted by the VBrick, which are
received by the VBDirectory management tool (see the VBDirectory User Guide) and other
VBrick applications such as the ETV Portal Server.
Group Name Optional. This parameter defines the Group Name. It is included in
the Management SAPs used by VBDirectory. It is used for organizing
VBricks into groups to simplify use of VBDirectory.
Unit Number Optional. The appliance unit number (range 0–2147483647) is used to
identify each VBrick in a group.
Management SAP Used by VBDirectory or MCS to detect the unit for the purpose of
remote management. The following parameters apply.
Transmit Enable This parameter controls the transmission of the Management SAPs
(Enable or Disable).
Retransmit Time This parameter defines the Management SAP Retransmit Time.
Time to Live The number of hops (between routers) for which a Management SAP
is valid on the network.
Type of Service The TOS (Type of Service) can be configured in the IP header to
establish packet priority in the network.
IP Address This parameter defines the Destination IP Address for Management
SAPs.
Port This parameter defines the Destination Port for Management SAPs.
VBrick MPEG-2 Appliance Admin Guide 13
Configuration: Network > IPv6
In the current implementation of IPv6, MPEG-2 encoded streams can be unicast over IPv6
to an IPv6-enabled version of VBrick StreamPlayer. In this version, you continue to manage
and configure the appliance over IPv4.
IPv6 Auto Config Enable Enable IPv6. When enabled, the IPv6 parameters for IP
Address and Gateway IP Address are automatically set. This is
the recommended method.
IP Address IPv6 IP address of the VBrick.
Gateway IP Address
Valid gateway IPv6 IP address for communicating across
distinct network segments. A valid gateway IP address is
essential even though the VBrick will operate without one in
some cases. When no gateway is configured, the VBrick may be
unable to communicate with off-net IP hosts, for example, a
foreign host which is used for configuration management via
IWS.
Configuration: Billboard
The Billboard feature allows you to display text and/or graphics on a TV monitor. The
displayed billboard can span multiple pages with each page displayed for a specified period of
time. Some uses of the billboard feature are to announce a daily calendar of events, directions
to a particular conference room or even a slide presentation in conjunction with displayed
video. VBrick models 62xx, 52xx and 53xx have a built in mini-browsers that support viewing
limited HTML pages. The pages can either be kept inside the VBrick as part of the file
system, or can be located on a remote HTTP server. Each page of the billboard is built using
an HTML page with text and graphics created using the HTML tags supported. If billboard is
to be supported on a remote server, the appliance requires read access to the HTTP server
and may need to be configured. The following URL example shows the default page preconfigured by VBrick.
14 © 2007 VBrick Systems, Inc.
MPEG-2 Configuration
On/Off Turn Billboard on or off.
IR Enable the IR remote control. If enabled you can turn the Billboard
on or off using the remote.
URL The local or external URL of the Billboard page.
Using the Billboard
Billboard may be invoked in several ways. Either use the PC browser to communicate with
the VBrick Integrated Web Server (see separate section) to apply the billboard and turn it on
and off, or press the Billboard key on the optional remote control to toggle it on and off. Use
of the remote can be enabled or disabled through the configuration. Using IWS (or the
VBrick SDK) an administrator can turn on a particular billboard remotely, and prevent
anyone else from using a remote to toggle it on/off. If you have a dual decoder system, the
remote has keys to select between two decoders.
By turning the billboard on/off, the saved URL is invoked and the browser will attempt to
display the resulting page. The URL can be configured to be a local file with the prefix ‘file:/
/' or point to remote server with the prefix http://. The default billboard is assumed to be a
file located within the VBrick file system, file://./BB01/VB_1.HTM. If the billboard URL
points to a file within the VBrick, the filename has to follow the DOS 8.3 filename
convention (i.e. limited file name length). The valid extensions supported by the billboard are
.HTM, .JPG, .GIF, and .BMP. It is common for the billboard pages to have an .HTM
extension. Remote URLs are restricted to 255 characters.
Billboard FTP
It is possible to use FTP (File Transfer Protocol) to modify the contents of one of the preconfigured Bulletin Board files resident on the VBrick. Use the browser to FTP files, or any
of the many FTP applications. Enter in the browser window:
FTP://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (where x is the IP address of the VBrick appliance).
VBrick MPEG-2 Appliance Admin Guide 15
Use the Username and Password (default is case sensitive admin, admin) to login to the
VBrick. BB01 through BB16 are directories established to receive Billboard content. It is
possible to cut and paste new contents to a Billboard location from a file located anyplace on
the network or on the computer. To view the contents on the VBrick, change the URL in the
Billboard Section of the Integrated Web Server. In this example, the URL for the new file in
IWS Configuration: Billboard would read:
file://./BB03/atm.gif.
Billboard URLs
A URL for the billboard is much like a URL on the Internet. URLs can be local or remote,
and typically point to the source of the billboard to be displayed.
Local URL
A local URL points to a file within the VBrick, which can be downloaded to the VBrick using
a FTP utility program. All local URLs begin with: file://. There are sixteen pre-configured
directories to place custom billboards inside the VBrick. The billboard directories are named
BB01 to BB16.
Example 1
A single page billboard is placed in BB01. It requires one image file. The billboard page is
named VB_1.HTM. The URL, which is not case sensitive, to enter in the Billboard URL box
file://./BB01/VB_1.HTM
is:
Example 2
A multi-page billboard is placed in BB01. It requires four image files, one for each page. The
billboard pages are named VB_1.HTM, VB_2.HTM, VB_3.HTM, and VB_4.HTM. Each file
is connected to the next page within the html file using the legal syntax. The URL to enter in
the Billboard URL box is:
file://./BB01/VB_1.HTM
Remote URL
Example 1
A single page billboard on a remote server with IP Address 172.16.2.79. The name of the
billboard file is VB_1.HTM. The resulting URL is therefore:
http://172.16.2.79/VB_1.HTM
Example 2
A single page on a remote server called www.VBrick.com. The folder name is "billboards".
The name of the billboard file is VB_1.HTM. The resulting URL is therefore:
http://www.VBrick.com/billboards/VB_1.HTM
Billboard File Types
The file types supported are html (.htm), JPEG (.jpg), GIF (.gif) and windows bitmap (.bmp).
Progressive GIF and JPEG are not supported. For the mini-browser to display the images,
the images have to be BMP, GIF, or JPG. Dynamically generated web pages are supported as
long as the output is pure HTML and uses HTML tags that are part of the set as described
below. The server side engine must generate the page. JavaScript and VBScript are not yet
supported. Functions that require these features, like "mouseover", or "onclick" are not
supported.
16 © 2007 VBrick Systems, Inc.
MPEG-2 Configuration
Creating a Billboard
A billboard that fits on one screen (640 x 480 resolution) can be created using the following
HTML tags:
A
AREA
B
BASE
BIG
BLOCKQUOTE
BODY
BR
CAPTION
CENTER
DD
DIR
DL
DT
EM
FONT
FORM
FRAME
FRAMESET
HEAD
H1
H2
H3
H4
H5
H6
HR
HTML
TH
TITLE
TR
U
I
IMG
INPUT
LI
MAP
MENU
META
NOBR
NOFRAMES
OL
OPTION
P
PRE
SCRIPT
SELECT
SMALL
STRONG
STYLE
TABLE
TD
TEXTAREA
UL
The billboard text generated by the browser is Times Roman. The Font sizes supported are
<Font Size = 1> to <Font size = 7>. Background color and images are also supported. The
standard HTML 16 color palette can be referred to by name, and other colors will be
matched to the nearest color of a standard 232-color template. When creating billboards,
please test your billboard for effect on all types of monitors on which it is going to be
presented. S-Video output and Composite output from the V-Brick are supported.
Video Input
S-Video output from the VBrick to S-Video Input on the television yields the best picture to
the TV monitor. If you do have S-Video input into your television set, it is recommended you
use the S-Video output from the VBrick to the television. Most televisions also support
composite input. The overlay image as used in the billboard can sometimes have the effect of
"flicker" if the font is too small and used on a regular television. This is a product of the
output video signal and the television. On higher-grade monitors, the effect is significantly
reduced.
Font Sizes
It is recommended that font size 5 be used on the billboard. The VBrick has two types of
video output signals. If S-Video out is used, the picture is significantly better than the
Composite out. Text and graphics tend to appear sharper and do not flicker in S-Video as
much as they do in the composite out. If a flickering effect makes your font unreadable,
make
it larger. Making the font bold or <STRONG> will reduce the effect of the flicker.
• The drawing area for Billboard is about 600X400 pixels.
• With a font size of 7, 8 lines of text fit on the screen.
• With a font size of 6, 13 lines of text lines fit on the screen.
• With a font size of 5, 18 lines of text fit on the screen.
Transparent Background
A web page can be created with a transparent background. The video will show through and
any text or images will appear on top of the video. A custom META tag is used to support
this feature. In the <HEAD> portion of the HTML page, enter the following. The chosen
background color will then be overwritten by the transparent color.
<META HTTP-EQUIV="TRANSPARENT" CONTENT="YES">
VBrick MPEG-2 Appliance Admin Guide 17
Configuration: Decoder
Configuration: Decoder > Video
The VBrick decoder is used to uncompress MPEG streams and display them on a TV or
monitor.
Decoder Video
Format
Logo Display Lets you display the VBrick logo on the decoder output (monitor).
No Data Mode This allows setting the screen for a decoder with no video input to
Closed Caption This setting enables or disables closed captioning. Closed Captioning
PID MPEG-2 transmits its data in packets of 188 bytes each. At the start
The format can be configured to be NTSC (30fps), PAL (25fps) or
PAL-M (30fps). PAL-M is a video format standard used in Brazil. The
main difference between PAL and PAL M is a lower resolution (525
lines instead of 625) and a higher frame count (30 frames per second
at 60Hz versus 25 frames per second at 50Hz). Note: Changing and
applying this parameter will cause the VBrick to reset.
VBrick provides a Logo Customization Utility (available on the
website) if you want to create an individualized logo.
having either the last screen appear either frozen or blank.
does not operate when the Picture in Picture feature is selected. It is
necessary to disable PIP. In SIF mode only CC1 and CC2 are valid.
CC3 and CC4 fields are not supported.
of each packet is a packet package identifier (or PID) that identifies
the data stream associated with that packet. Because the MPEG-2 data
stream might contain multiple video programs, the decoder has to
choose a particular video channel to play. The PID selection provides
that feature. If the user selects the automatic option, the first video
PID identified will be used to select the video channel.
18 © 2007 VBrick Systems, Inc.
MPEG-2 Configuration
Actual PID Actual PID being played. This read-only parameter is of interest when
the user selects automatic. A value of 8191 indicates the PID has not
yet been established.
Configuration: Decoder > Audio
The audio selection provides for the control and configuration of the decoded audio stream.
Output Mode The audio output mode can be one of five possible setting as shown
below. Stereo directs the incoming left audio channel to the left
output, and the incoming right audio channel to the right output. Mix
combines the left and right audio channels and directs the combined
output to both the left and right audio channels. Left selects the input
left audio channel and sends it to both the left and right output
channels. Right selects the input right audio channel and sends it to
both the left and right output channels. Mute suppresses audio
output. The
that was encoded in
Dual to options are only operational on an input stream
Dual audio mode; otherwise, the Output Mode is
determined by the corresponding audio encoder setting.
•Dual to Stereo
•Dual to Mix
•Dual to Left
•Dual to Right
•Mute
Output Level Hardware-dependent; not shown on all models. Changes the range of
values for Left and Right Gain.
Normal – 14 dB to -48 dB (+14 to -48 on some decoder models).
Alternate – 8 dB to -54 dB (+14 to -48 on some decoder models).
Left Gain Used to adjust volume. Default = 0.
VBrick MPEG-2 Appliance Admin Guide 19
Right Gain Used to adjust volume. Default = 0.
Configure PID MPEG-2 transmits its data in packets of 188 bytes each. At the start
of each packet is a packet identifier (or PID) identifies the data stream
associated with that packet. Because the MPEG-2 data stream might
contain multiple audio programs, the decoder has to choose a
particular audio channel to play. The PID selection provides that
feature. If the user chooses the automatic PID option, the first audio
PID detected will be used to select the audio channel.
Actual PID Actual PID being played. This read-only parameter is of interest when
the user selects automatic. A value of 8191 indicates the PID has not
yet been established.
Configuration: Decoder > Network
These parameters are decoder level IP parameters that instruct the decoder which IP stream
to decode on TV monitors.
Receive Enable Controls whether the decoder receives the video from the network.
20 © 2007 VBrick Systems, Inc.
MPEG-2 Configuration
Receive Address
Mode
Allows the user to specify how the receive address will be
configured: IP address, Host Name, or Program Name. If Program
Name, select from the dropdown list of Available Programs.
Available Programs Select from dropdown list of available programs. This automatically
populates Receive IP Address and Source IP Address.
Receive Host Name Sets the source for video by using the Host Name. This parameter
can be used only for a unicast source.
Receive IP Address In multicast mode, this parameter defines the IP address of the
stream to be decoded and displayed. In unicast mode, this
parameter is optional. If left blank, the decoder will accept all data
received on the receive IP port. If set, decoder will communicate
with any VBrick that has the encoder "unicast poll" option set, and
instruct it not to transmit it's stream unless this VBrick has this
receive IP Address.
Receive Port The receive port designates what local IP/UDP port is assigned to
listen for incoming video.
Receive Mode This read-only parameter informs the operator whether the selected
receive IP Address is Unicast or Multicast.
Packet Ordering The identification number in the IP header determines IP packet
ordering. The packet ordering feature lets the VBrick re-order
packet fragments as they arrive. If you disable packet ordering, the
out-of-order packets are simply discarded. Packet ordering may
increase latency and can add up to 100 ms of additional delay.
Jitter Queue Delay jitter is defined as the variation of the delays with which
packets traveling on a network connection reach their destination.
During exceptionally long periods of delay, a large quantity of video
packets will be buffered in the network. When the situation that
caused the delay is resolved, the buffered frames will be burst, as a
group, to the decoder. The handling of delay jitter is then a problem
of having enough buffering in the decoder to handle a long delay,
allowing the video to seem uninterrupted, and enough capacity in
the buffer to handle the subsequent burst that follows once the
delay has terminated. Typically, long delays in the network are
associated with packet loss. No amount of buffer at the VBrick will
correct packet loss. When first enabled, the jitter Q buffers 85ms of
the video stream. Once the jitter Q has been filled, the jitter queue
meters out the buffered video to the decoder at a rate equal to the
rate of the video stream. The jitter queue is drawn down during
times of packet drought, allowing the video to seem uninterrupted,
but is large enough to handle the subsequent 85ms burst of packets
that result once the drought is over. The impact of enabling the
jitter queue is that a 85ms delay is imposed on the video stream.
SAP IR Program
Guide
Enables or disables the ability of the operator to select the program
guide feature from his IR remote control.
VBrick MPEG-2 Appliance Admin Guide 21
SAP Timeout If SAP Timing method is fixed, this provides a configurable timeout
for program guide selections, in seconds. If no SAP is received
within the timeout period, the entry is removed from the table of
available programs. If SAP Timeout is variable, the entries are
removed from the program table as per RFC 2974 (Refer to
Configuration: System > General).
SAP Category This string can contain one or more category keywords that will
limit the video streams displayed by the Program and Conference
Guides. Keywords should be separated by spaces. Note that
characters are ASCII and can only be lowercase. The total of all
keywords in the string is 36 characters including spaces. If the
Decoder's category string contains both the keywords "Math" and
"Science," only video streams whose encoders have one or more of
these keywords assigned, or those that contain no keyword, will be
available to this Decoder. The Encoder's Category is established on
the Configuration: Encoder > SAP menu screen of IWS.
Note also the wildcard character * is supported at the very end of
keywords only. It is only valid if one or more additional characters
of any type follow the last non-wildcard character. Note that * with
spaces on both sides will display all streams. Having no category
defined (default) displays all streams.
SAP IP Address The receive IP address used to populate the Program Guide. This is
typically set to the Announce Program Guide SAP of the encoder.
SAP Port The receive IP port used to populate the Program Guide. This is
typically the port number of the encoder.
Configuration: Decoder > Picture-In-Picture
This menu allows the user to configure the Picture-In-Picture parameters on the decoder
output. The Picture in Picture feature is only available for encoder/decoder VBrick
appliances.
22 © 2007 VBrick Systems, Inc.
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