ViewCast Niagara 4100 User Manual

© 2012 ViewCast Corporation. All rights reserved.
ViewCast, GoStream, VMp, ViewCast logo, SimulStream, Niagara, SchedulStream, Niagara logo,

Osprey, and Niagara SCX are trademarks or registered trademarks of ViewCast Corporation or its
subsidiaries.

Microsoft, Windows XP, Windows, and Windows Media are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation.

QuickTime, iPhone, and iPod, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Apple Inc.
Adobe and Flash are trademarks or registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Inc.

Disclaimer

The information in this publication remains the property of ViewCast Corporation. Users may not use, reproduce, or disclose this information
without the implied consent and written approval of the company.

ViewCast Corporation makes no representations or warranties with respect to the contents or use of this manual and specifically disclaims any
express or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further, ViewCast Corporation reserves the right to
revise this publication to make enhancements in the products described in this manual, at any time, without obligation to notify any person or
entity of such revisions or changes. In no event will ViewCast Corporation be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential
damages arising out of the use or inability to use the product or documentation, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

ViewCast Corporation is not responsible for any third-party license fees that may occur with the use of our products by an end user including
but not limited to creating or distributing content. The user is responsible for any fees the Multimedia Patent Trust may apply for creating and
distributing MPEG content.

Warranties

For complete warranty details, refer to the specific warranty included with each product. General warranty information includes the following:
Limited Warranty: ViewCast warrants its hardware products against defects in material and workmanship under normal use for the period of

one year (12 months) from date of sale. Where specific warranties exist that provide more substantial coverage, notwithstanding the warranty
provisions herein, such product warranties control and preempt or supersede the warranty provisions herein.

Reseller Pass Through of Standard Limited Warranties: Resellers pass the ViewCast standard limited warranties for the products through to
the customer without modification. Any modification of a product voids the ViewCast warranties or any other existing or available warranty.

Corporate Contact Information

ViewCast collaborates and partners with various clients to integrate products into their individual environments.
Niagara Technical Support: Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone] or submit the technical support online request from the ViewCast

website.
ViewCast USA Support: Monday through Friday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Central Time. Typical response time is within one business day for customers

without a Priority Support Agreement.

ViewCast Corporation 3701 West Plano Parkway, Suite 300, Plano, TX 75075-7840 USA

Toll Free (U.S. only): 800.250.6622 website: www.viewcast.com

Contents

Before You Begin ......................................................................................................... 1

Product description............................................................................................................. 1

Audience ............................................................................................................................. 1

Conventions for this guide .................................................................................................. 2

Rack mount safety instructions .......................................................................................... 3

FCC notice ........................................................................................................................... 4

Environmental notices ........................................................................................................ 5

Installing additional software ............................................................................................. 6

Connecting to the Internet ................................................................................................. 6

Warnings ............................................................................................................................. 7

Niagara 4100 User Guide

Overview ....................................................................................................................... 9

Media system functions ...................................................................................................... 9

Install overview ................................................................................................................. 10

Prerequisites ..................................................................................................................... 10

Package contents .............................................................................................................. 10

System requirements ........................................................................................................ 11

Specifications .............................................................................................................. 11

Niagara 4100 front panel diagram .................................................................................... 12

Niagara 4100 back panel diagram .................................................................................... 13

Connecting the Niagara 4100 ........................................................................................... 14

Niagara 4100 system menu .............................................................................................. 15

Niagara 4100 home page .................................................................................................. 16

Menu bar commands ................................................................................................. 16

Niagara 4100 browser windows flow ............................................................................... 18

Easy Setup ...................................................................................................................19

Web interface ................................................................................................................... 20

Easy first time set up ......................................................................................................... 21

Connecting to an electrical power source .................................................................. 21

Performing the initial startup ..................................................................................... 22

Connecting to an IP network ...................................................................................... 23

Changing the network settings................................................................................... 23

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Basic Operations .........................................................................................................27

Starting up ......................................................................................................................... 27

Shutting down ................................................................................................................... 28

Starting an encoder........................................................................................................... 29

Checking CPU usage .......................................................................................................... 31

Stopping an encoder ......................................................................................................... 32

Connecting an external storage device ............................................................................ 33

Exporting captured video files .......................................................................................... 33

Web Interface ...............................................................................................................35

Logging in .......................................................................................................................... 35

Registering your product .................................................................................................. 37

Viewing all encoders ......................................................................................................... 40

Creating an encoder .......................................................................................................... 41

Starting an encoder........................................................................................................... 42

Stopping an encoder ......................................................................................................... 44

Advanced Operations .................................................................................................47

Editing an Adaptive Apple HTTP encoder ......................................................................... 47

Video tab .................................................................................................................... 49

Adaptive encoder video stream table ........................................................................ 51

Audio tab .................................................................................................................... 53

Output tab .................................................................................................................. 54

Editing an Adaptive Adobe Flash encoder ........................................................................ 56

Video tab .................................................................................................................... 57

Adaptive encoder video stream table ........................................................................ 60

Audio tab .................................................................................................................... 62

Output tab .................................................................................................................. 63

Editing an Adaptive Smooth Streaming encoder .............................................................. 65

Video tab .................................................................................................................... 66

Adaptive encoder video stream table ........................................................................ 68

Audio tab .................................................................................................................... 70

Output tab .................................................................................................................. 71

Editing an Adobe Flash H.264 encoder ............................................................................. 73

Video tab .................................................................................................................... 74

Audio tab .................................................................................................................... 76

Output tab .................................................................................................................. 77

H.264 Presets tab ....................................................................................................... 79

Editing an MPEG-4 encoder .............................................................................................. 80

Video tab .................................................................................................................... 81

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Niagara 4100 User Guide

Audio tab .................................................................................................................... 85

Output tab .................................................................................................................. 86

H.264 Presets tab ....................................................................................................... 88

MPEG4 Presets tab ..................................................................................................... 89

MPEG2 Presets tab ..................................................................................................... 90

Editing a Windows Media encoder ................................................................................... 91

Video tab .................................................................................................................... 92

Audio tab .................................................................................................................... 94

Output tab .................................................................................................................. 95

DRM tab ...................................................................................................................... 98

TS Container ................................................................................................................99

Streaming to a TS container .............................................................................................. 99

Streaming ........................................................................................................................ 102

Output tab ................................................................................................................ 102

Encoder Groups ........................................................................................................ 105

Viewing encoder groups ................................................................................................. 105

Creating encoder groups ................................................................................................ 106

Starting an encoder group .............................................................................................. 107

Stopping an encoder group ............................................................................................ 107

Editing encoder groups ................................................................................................... 108

Additional Settings and Features ............................................................................. 109

Configuring the Preset ABC buttons ............................................................................... 109

Using Preset ABC buttons to start an encoder group ..................................................... 111

Viewing all encoders ....................................................................................................... 112

Editing preset encoders .................................................................................................. 112

Configuring machine properties ..................................................................................... 113

Changing the computer name .................................................................................. 114

Changing the login password from the factory default ........................................... 115

Restoring the login password to the factory default ............................................... 115

Configuring alerts ............................................................................................................ 116

Configuring network properties ..................................................................................... 117

Configuring network cards ....................................................................................... 117

Configuring the IP address ....................................................................................... 118

Configuring advanced network settings ................................................................... 118

IP Route table .................................................................................................................. 120

System configuration settings ........................................................................................ 121

Setting current system configuration ....................................................................... 122

Configuring email/SMTP settings ............................................................................. 123

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Contents

Configuring idle screen information ......................................................................... 124

Configuring default directory setting ....................................................................... 125

Setting CPU thresholds ............................................................................................. 126

Restoring Niagara 4100 factory defaults .................................................................. 126

Viewing the activity log ................................................................................................... 128

Viewing alerts ................................................................................................................. 129

Connecting an external storage device .......................................................................... 130

Using the Niagara SCX web interface ............................................................................. 130

SNMP .......................................................................................................................... 131

External SNMP Manager .......................................................................................... 131

SNMP UDP Ports Used by SNMP Manager and SNMP Agents ....................................... 132

UDP Port for SNMP Requests ................................................................................... 132

UDP Port for SNMP Traps ......................................................................................... 132

Install ViewCast SNMP Agent Service ............................................................................. 133

Installing for the first time ........................................................................................ 133

Installing new version of ViewCast SNMP Agent Service ......................................... 136

Install and Configure Supero Doctor III Agent Service .................................................... 138

Configure Supero Doctor III SNMP Agent Service........................................................... 139

Disable health monitoring for devices not in use .................................................... 139

Enabling health monitoring for devices not in use .................................................. 140

Configure ViewCast SNMP Agent Service ....................................................................... 141

Configuring community names ................................................................................ 141

Configuring permitted SNMP managers .................................................................. 142

Configuring trap destinations ................................................................................... 144

Configuring SNMP Agent contact and location (optional) ....................................... 146

Use UDP Port Other Than 161 for SNMP Requests ........................................................ 147

ViewCast SNMP Agent Logging ....................................................................................... 148

Disable IIS Logging for ViewCast Encoders Web Service ................................................ 148

ViewCast SNMP Agent MIB Files ..................................................................................... 150

Retrieving IP and MAC Addresses of the Encoder System ............................................. 150

SNMP Examples .............................................................................................................. 150

Query of system information (SNMP GET Example) ................................................ 150

Start/stop an encoder through SNMP ...................................................................... 151

Start/stop all encoders per group through SNMP ................................................... 151

Start/stop all encoders in the system through SNMP .............................................. 151

Start SNMP trap listener ........................................................................................... 152

Appendix A: DRM for Windows Media ..................................................................... 153

Importing a DRM profile ................................................................................................. 154

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Niagara 4100 User Guide

Appendix B: H.264 Advanced Settings .................................................................... 159

H.264 Presets .................................................................................................................. 159

Settings ........................................................................................................................... 160

MPEG-4 Presets .............................................................................................................. 162

Settings ........................................................................................................................... 163

MPEG-2 Presets .............................................................................................................. 165

Settings ........................................................................................................................... 166

Appendix C: Mapped Network Drive Setup ............................................................. 169

Appendix D: System menu ....................................................................................... 179

Encoder menu ................................................................................................................. 180

Encoder start ............................................................................................................ 180

Encoder stop............................................................................................................. 180

Encoder status .......................................................................................................... 180

Access Health menu ........................................................................................................ 181

CPU status ................................................................................................................ 181

Memory available ..................................................................................................... 181

Setup system menu ........................................................................................................ 182

Network link status .................................................................................................. 182

Network MAC address .............................................................................................. 182

View network settings .............................................................................................. 183

Enable DHCP ............................................................................................................. 183

Set static IP addresses .............................................................................................. 184

Set gateway address ................................................................................................. 185

Set date and time ..................................................................................................... 186

Set video standard .................................................................................................... 186

Factory restore ......................................................................................................... 187

Export files menu ............................................................................................................ 188

Export to USB drive .................................................................................................. 188

Shutdown Niagara 4100 ........................................................................................... 188

Index ................................ ........................................................................................... 189

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Niagara 4100 User Guide

Before You Begin

Thank you for purchasing the ViewCast Niagara 4100 streaming media system. This user guide provides
step-by-step instructions for installing and using your new streaming media system. For the latest
ViewCast product information and news, visit our website at www.viewcast.com.

Product description

The Niagara 4100 is designed with a combination of simplicity, portability and power to quickly and
easily stream your high-definition (HD) content to broadband and mobile networks including Microsoft®
Live IIS Smooth Streaming, live Adaptive streaming to Adobe® Flash Media Server and Apple® (iPhones®
and iPads®), Adobe Flash® H.264, MPEG-4, H.263, H.264, and Microsoft Windows Media® (Silverlight®
compatible) SD and HD, as well as container support for 3GPP and 3GPP2. With the ability to ingest HD
video, the Niagara 4100 is ideal for live sports, live newsgathering, webcasting or any streaming
application where you need rock-solid HD performance on the go.

This rugged, portable streaming system can ingest standard- or high-definition video sources through its
SDI input, and accommodates a variety of audio input formats, including embedded SDI, AES/EBU, and
balanced or unbalanced stereo.

Figure 1. ViewCast Niagara 4100

Audience

The audience for this publication includes anyone who uses or administers the Niagara 4100. They
should have a basic technical understanding of streaming media. This user guide provides information
on the Niagara 4100 only.

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Before You Begin

Convention

Description

Example

Bold text

Characters to enter when

referenced in a procedure. The
name of fields or keys to press.

Enter DTMF as the group type.
Press Enter to save all your
changes.

Note:

Provides supplemental

information.

Note: The prompt may not

display if …

IMPORTANT!

Provides important data that

affects how the system or
software responds.

IMPORTANT! You must install

Niagara SCX prior to
configuring SCX options…

WARNING!

Provides information to ensure
you avoid potential injury,
death, or permanent system
damage.

WARNING! Do not touch

exposed wires.

CAUTION!

Provides information to help
avoid possible damage to
hardware or a system crash
(without data loss).

CAUTION! Use case sensitive

commands to keep from
destroying…

Conventions for this guide

This guide uses the document conventions specified below to help you identify different types of
information.

2 ViewCast

Rack mount safety instructions

Operating Temperature

The operating ambient temperature of a rack environment may
be greater than room ambient if installed in a closed or multi-unit
rack assembly. Therefore, you should install the equipment in an
environment compatible with the maximum ambient
temperature of 40° C.

Reduced Air Flow

You must not compromise the airflow required for safe
equipment operation when you install the equipment in a rack.

Mechanical Loading

Mounting of the equipment in the rack should be such that you
do not cause a hazard due to uneven mechanical loading.

Circuit Overloading

Consider the connection of the equipment to the supply circuit
and the effect that the overloading of the circuits might have on
current protection and supply wiring. You must also consider and
use the equipment nameplate ratings when you address this
concern.

Reliable Grounding

You must maintain reliable earth grounding of rack-mounted
equipment. Pay particular attention to supply connections other
than direct connections to the branch circuit (such as using power
strips).

Niagara 4100 User Guide

ViewCast 3

Before You Begin

FCC notice

WARNING! You must connect this device and peripherals using shielded cables to comply with FCC

radio emission limits.

WARNING! Modifications to this device not approved by ViewCast Corporation could void the FCC-

granted authority for you to operate the device.

WARNING! The Niagara 4100 complies with the limits for a Class A digital device pursuant to Part 15

of the FCC Rules. These limits provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when you
operate the equipment in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and may
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction
manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a
residential area will likely cause harmful interference. In this case you must correct the interference
at your own expense.

To CATV Installer: Pay special attention to Section 820-40 of the NEC that provides guidelines for
proper grounding. It particularly specifies that you must connect the cable ground to the grounding
system of the building as close to the point of cable entry as practical.

WARNING! Equipment installation must comply with local and national electrical codes.

4 ViewCast

Environmental notices

Product Disposal
Information:

Dispose of this product in accordance with local and
national disposal regulations (if any) including those
regulations governing the recovery and recycling of Waste
Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).

RoHS Compliant:

ViewCast Corporation commits to compliance with the
European directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain
Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic
Equipment, Directive 2002/95/EC, the RoHS directive.
This product supplied to the European Union does comply
with the RoHS directive. ViewCast certifies that this
equipment shipped to the European Union conforms to the
2002/95/EC directive.

For current RoHS statement, see www.viewcast.com.

Underwriters Laboratories
Inc. Statement

Underwriters Laboratories Inc. has not tested the
performance or reliability of the security or signaling
aspects of this product. UL only tested for fire, shock, and

casualty hazards as outlined in UL’s Standard for Safety UL

60950-1. UL Certification does not cover the performance
or reliability of the security or signaling aspects of this
product.
UL does not represent, warranty, or certify the
performance of reliability of any security or signaling
related functions of this product.

Niagara 4100 User Guide

ViewCast 5

Before You Begin

Installing additional software

The Niagara systems run an embedded version of the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system (OS),
which is a sub-set of the normal retail version. The Microsoft License agreement limits the use of the
system to what the machine is designed to do.

The Microsoft Update process is turned off by default to prevent interruptions during live streaming
events. It is also not advised to use a Windows 7 installation CD to add features to the system or the
appliance may fail.

You may load additional software on the appliance; however, ViewCast does not support this additional
software. You also need to ensure the primary drive is not full or the appliance will fail. In the event of a
problem, you may need to perform a Factory Restore, which returns the appliance to the original
software load. You may save the current encoder profiles and reload them when the Factory Restore is
complete.

You can perform a Factory Restore at any time. This process returns the appliance to the software load
that came with the appliance. Perform a Factory Restore if the appliance becomes unstable due to
installed applications, viruses, etc. Please refer to the user guide for instructions.

ViewCast Support can provide assistance should the system fail to start. In most cases, you can restore a
system to operation without returning it to ViewCast. There is a fee in the event a user returns a system
due to applications the user installed or if the appliance failed because the primary partition (drive C) is
full.

Connecting to the Internet

Never connect a Niagara system directly to the Internet. ViewCast recommends taking precautions
against unwanted access such as installing Niagara systems behind a router or firewall. The speed of the
router or switch should match or exceed the speed of the system’s network card. See your network
administrator for recommendations.

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Niagara 4100 User Guide

Warnings

Only trained and qualified personnel should install, replace, or service this equipment.

Do not attempt to open the case of the system. If you do, you incur a high risk of electrical shock that
may cause damage to the system or personal physical injury or death to you and/or others. No user­serviceable parts exist inside the system. If you open the system case or make unauthorized changes to
the case, you void the warranty.

Install the system away from any heat sources. This remains vital to the safety of the product users. Do
not install the system near any heat sources such as:

 Radiators
 Heat registers
 Stoves
 Other heat-producing equipment

WARNING! Installing the system near heat sources could result in personal injury or death.

Never insert objects of any kind into the system through any system openings, as the objects may
touch dangerous voltage points, short out parts, and result in a risk of fire or electrical shock.

Do not stack the system atop or below other electronic devices as this can cause heat build-up and
vibration of the system. These conditions can damage the system thereby voiding the limited warranty.

You may stack multiple Niagara 4100 units as these systems accommodate stacking.

Do not install the system in any area where the temperature is less than 5°C or more than 40°C. Transfer
from temperature extremes may cause condensation. Let the system remain unplugged at room
temperature for at least 45 minutes before connecting it.

Use an outlet with surge suppression or ground fault protection when using the system. Unplug the
power cord from the wall outlet, disconnect the network connection, and disconnect the lines between
the system and the video source for added protection:

 During a lightning storm
 During dangerous weather conditions
 When the encoder remains unattended or unused for long periods

Reduce the risk of fire or electric shock. Do not expose the system to any rain or moisture. Exposing the
system to rain or other types of moisture could result in system damages. Do not place any liquids on or
near the system. If you place liquids in any form on or near the system, do so at your own risk, for you
incur a high risk of electrical shock that could occur and cause damage to the system.

WARNING! Exposing the system to rain or other types of moisture could result in physical injury or

death. Any liquids on or near the system may result in electrical shock and personal injury or death.

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Before You Begin

Refer all servicing to authorized service personnel. You must have authorized personnel only service any
damaged system. Relevant damage may occur with but is not limited to the following:

 An unplugged or damaged power supply cord
 Spilled liquid on the system
 Fallen objects in or on the system
 Appliance exposure to rain or other moisture or liquid
 Failure to perform as described in the User Guide
 A dropped system

ViewCast assumes no liability or responsibility for any damaged system that clients continue using.

Use only attachments, accessories, or equipment specified by the manufacturer with the system. Using
accessories or attachments not recommended by the encoder manufacturer voids the Limited
Warranty.

WARNING! When using 4-pin XLR to cigarette car plug cables, do not disconnect the car battery

adaptor or turn off the car engine before you turn off the player. Doing so may damage the player.

Do not attempt to service the system yourself. If you open or remove covers, you may be exposed to
dangerous voltage. Such action voids the Limited Warranty. Refer all servicing issues to authorized
service personnel only.

The plug-socket combination that serves as the main disconnecting device must be accessible at all
times.

Protect the power cord from anyone walking on it and being strained or pinched particularly at plugs,
electrical receptacles, and the point where the power cord exits the system.

Do not use adapter plugs or remove the grounding prong from the power cable.

Use only the type of power source indicated on the marking label on the back panel of the unit to
operate the system. Unplug the system power cord by gripping the plug and removing it from the power
source. Do not pull the cord to remove the power source from the system.

Do not plug the system into a wall outlet that contains an overload of electrical cords or power
strips/extension cords. This type of overload may result in fire or electrical shock risks.

Always handle the system carefully. Always avoid excessive shock and vibration to the system. Excessive
shock or vibration can damage the system.

WARNING! Excessive shock or vibration to the system may result in electrical shock and personal injury

or death.

8 ViewCast

Niagara 4100 User Guide

Overview

Before you can use your Niagara 4100 streaming media system, you first need to set up and configure it.
This chapter is dedicated to providing you with the details and step-by-step instructions you need to
make your installation as quick and easy as possible.

All you need to get started are the four following requirements:

 AC power source (100 - 240 V)
 Your audio and video source (such as a camera, video player, or other A/V output device)
 A streaming media server or hosting provider
 IP connection and/or Internet connection

The Niagara 4100, an easy-to-use streaming device, allows you to:

 Connect to a compatible browser on a dynamic host configuration protocol/domain name server

(DHCP/DNS) network.

 Configure and connect your audio and video source to the Niagara 4100.
 Select your output formats and streaming settings.
 Enter your streaming server information.
 Start streaming your media.

You can configure and use the Niagara 4100 straight from the box for any streaming activities. Use the
web interface for setting options and controlling your Niagara 4100 from another networked computer,
as well as more advanced options.

WARNING! Read the installation instructions before connecting the system to the power source.

Media system functions

Although it has many features and capabilities, the Niagara 4100 streaming media system performs, in
its most basic functions, as follows:

 Takes analog audio and SDI video inputs
 Captures the signals
 Encodes the signals into digital IP video formats
 Delivers the IP audio and video content to a storage device or streams it over an IP network

ViewCast 9

Overview

Appliance

 Niagara 4100

Power Cables

 One of the following:

o North America power cable (110 vac)
o International power cable (220 vac)
o UK power cable (220 vac)

 AC to DC converter

Guides

 Package insert (end-user license agreement, welcome letter,

package content list)

 User guide (on CD in PDF format)
 Quick Start Guide

Software

 1 Niagara 4100 CD

Hardware

 Rugged carrying case

Install overview

This section addresses the high-level actions you must perform to physically connect and set up your
Niagara 4100 system.

You must complete the following primary tasks to install the Niagara 4100:

 Address and comply with all prerequisites.
 Connect the Niagara 4100 streaming media system using its power source.
 Connect the video source (camera or video recorder) to the system.
 Connect the Niagara 4100 to an IP network.
 Configure the Niagara 4100 system.

Prerequisites

Before installing and connecting the Niagara 4100, ensure you comply with the following prerequisites:

 All packaged items are undamaged and in working order.
 Your environment meets all system requirements.
 Safety instructions, notices, and warnings detailed in Before You Begin including:

o Rack Mount Safety Instructions
o FCC Notice
o Environmental Notices
o Warnings

Package contents

Completely unpack all contents from the box and inspect each item for damage. Ensure that you have all
the components listed below:

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Niagara 4100 User Guide

Browser Interface

Any Internet Explorer (IE)-based computer, workstation, or laptop that
interfaces to a dynamic host configuration protocol/domain name
server (DHCP/DNS)-compatible network

User Interface

High-speed Internet, dial-up, and mobile device users

If any components are missing or damaged, do not continue with the installation. Contact the ViewCast
reseller from which you purchased your Niagara 4100 streaming media system for assistance in
obtaining any missing parts or for parts replacement.

System requirements

Ensure your computer meets the following system requirements.

Specifications

 Intel i7 processor
 4 GB RAM or larger
 HDD (160 GB or larger)
 Osprey 710e HD technology
 4.5” H x 8” W x 12” D)
 8 lbs (3.6 kg)
 90 W power supply

ViewCast 11

Overview

A

Press this button once to power up the system. When the system is powered up, press
this button once will power it down.

B

Allows exporting files to USB devices and installing updates or firmware.

C

Indicates audio input presence.

D

Allows headphones to be connected to the system for audio monitoring.

E

Controls the audio level on the headphones.

F

Press this button to stop an encoder when it is highlighted on the LCD display.

G

Press this button to start the encoder highlighted on the LCD display.

H

These buttons are used for system menu navigation on the LCD display.

I

Press this button to enter or accept the menu choice highlighted on the LCD display.
This button is used for system menu operations.

J

Press this button to activate the system menu on the LCD display.

K

When the Alarm Light indicator is lit, press this button to view a log of the most recent
alarms recorded.

Press Enter to clear these alarms from the log.

L

Displays menus and system messages.

M

This light indicates when the system detects that a video source is connected to one of its
video inputs.

Note: This light only illuminates when you start an encoder.

N

Indicates that another user is accessing the system across the network from a computer.

O

Indicates that an application alert has occurred.

P

When an encoder profile is assigned to one of these buttons, press the assigned button
and then Stream to start the encoder.
Press the assigned button and then Stop to stop the encoder.

Niagara 4100 front panel diagram

You should familiarize yourself with the front panel controls for the Niagara 4100 (Figure 2). Besides the
basic buttons for power, start/stop, up/down and menu access, there are indicator lights that are
hidden until illuminated.

Figure 2. Niagara 4100 front panel

12 ViewCast

Niagara 4100 User Guide

A

Left/right XLR connector for balanced audio sources. Professional audio engineers use XLR
connectors. The connectors are on high-end audio and video playback equipment.

Note: A microphone preamplifier or mixer with XLR preamp functions is required to

connect an XLR microphone to the balanced audio input.

B

Receives high-definition SDI video to the unit. This SDI input allows professional-grade video
connections.

C

Transmits high-definition SDI video from the unit.

D

Digital AES audio 1.

E

Digital AES audio 2.

F

Left/right RCA connectors for unbalanced audio sources.

G

Provides system power.

H

Connects USB control devices, such as a memory card (USB memory device, keyboard, and
mouse).

I

Use this auxiliary VGA output port to connect an external VGA monitor so you can view the
operating system interface.

J

Dual Ethernet ports provide redundant connections to your network.

Niagara 4100 back panel diagram

Refer to Figure 3 for all the connectors and other components of the Niagara 4100 back panel.

Figure 3. Niagara 4100 back panel

ViewCast 13

Overview

1.

Connect to the SDI digital input for video and audio (item B on Figure 3). Ensure you have a
tight connection.

2.

Connect the power adaptor (item G on Figure 3).

3.

Attach the Niagara 4100 to the network input (item J on Figure 3).

4.

Press Power (item A on Figure 2).

Connecting the Niagara 4100

Follow the steps below to configure all Niagara 4100 connections. The example uses SDI video and
audio. The following steps refer to a direct connection to the Niagara 4100 only.

To connect the Niagara 4100:

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Niagara 4100 User Guide

Encode

 Start an encoding session.
 Stop an encoding session.
 View the status of an encoding session.

Access Health

 Check the CPU status.
 View available memory.
 Check the temperature of the unit.
 Check the versions.

Setup System

 Set the Preset A,B,C buttons.
 View network settings.
 Configure primary or secondary settings.
 View link status.
 Set the network MAC address.
 Set time and date.
 Set the video standard.

Export Files

 Export files to a USB memory device.

Shutdown System

 Restart system.
 Power off system.

Niagara 4100 system menu

The Niagara 4100 system menu (Figure 4) is located on the LCD panel on the front of the unit. The menu
allows you to quickly and easily configure the Niagara 4100. You use the Up and Down arrow buttons to
navigate through the different functions on the system menu.

Figure 4. System menu

ViewCast 15

Overview

Menu

Command

Function

Home

 View general administrative information about

the ViewCast Niagara 4100.

 Use the menu bar commands.

Encoders

 All Encoders – View the encoder profiles

available to start on the encoder box.

 Preset A – Assign an encoder group to the A

button on the front panel of the system.

 Preset B – Assign an encoder group to the B

button on the front panel of the system.

 Preset C – Assign an encoder group to the C

button on the front panel of the system.

 Groups - Manage specific encoder groups that

have one or more encoders assigned.

Niagara 4100 home page

The home page (Figure 5) is the first page that appears after you log into the Niagara SCX Remote
Management Software. From this page, you can access the different windows for configuring,
controlling, and monitoring the activities and alerts from the Niagara 4100.

Figure 5. Niagara 4100 home page

Menu bar commands

The home page menu bar allows you to use the menu bar commands.

16 ViewCast

Niagara 4100 User Guide

Configuration

 Machine Properties – View details on the

Machine Properties of the Niagara 4100
including the Network Name, Serial Number, and
all software versions installed.

 Alerts – Modify the settings for each application

alert Niagara 4100 can generate during normal
operations.

 Network Properties – View information on

Niagara 4100 network properties and addresses
for both NIC ports and modify these properties.

 IP Route Table – Add or delete IP destinations.
 System Configuration – Modify the system

configuration including setup for email alerts
from Niagara 4100 whenever it encounters an
operation error.

Status

 View Activity Log – View all Niagara 4100

activities including the time and date for each
event.

 View Alerts – View all alerts including the time

and date for each alert.

Maintenance

 Product Registration – Register your Niagara

system to protect your investment.

Log Out

 Log out of the Niagara 4100 and return to the

website login screen.

ViewCast 17

Overview

Niagara 4100 browser windows flow

Figure 6 shows the interrelationship and flow of the available windows you may use to configure the
Niagara 4100.

Figure 6. Niagara 4100 browser window

18 ViewCast

Niagara 4100 User Guide

Easy Setup

You use two interfaces to operate your Niagara 4100 streaming media system.

 Niagara 4100 front panel LCD display and buttons
 Web interface through Niagara SCX remote management software

Most of the basic operations can be performed from the front panel of the Niagara 4100 streaming
media system.

You should perform most setup and operations by accessing the Niagara SCX web interface from a
computer that resides on the same network as your Niagara 4100 system.

With the web interface, you can customize your encoding settings and assign specific encoding profiles
to the Preset ABC buttons on the front panel. The web interface provides the ability to control your
Niagara 4100 remotely from a computer that can be rooms or continents away from the system
provided that both your Niagara 4100 and the computer have Internet access to communicate with each
other.

The easy setup option explores the optimal configurations for the novice user to easily and quickly set
up the Niagara 4100. Easy setup includes actions you can perform on your Niagara 4100 streaming
media system using the web interface to include configuring the following:

 Encoder settings
 Groups
 Network properties
 Machine properties
 System configuration
 System alerts

ViewCast 19

Easy Setup

Web interface

The web interface presents a logical flow of configuration information for the encoding system. Refer to
Figure 6 for a diagram and menu bar commands which include:

 Home
 Encoders

o All Encoders including encoder properties
o Presets A, B, and C
o Groups

 Configuration

o Niagara Properties
o Alerts
o Network Properties
o IP Route Table
o System Configuration

 Status

o Activity Log
o Alerts

 Maintenance

o Product Registration

 Log Out

20 ViewCast

Niagara 4100 User Guide

1.

Attach the block end to the power input located on the Niagara 4100 AC/DC adapter.

2.

Plug the other end of the cable into a wall outlet or surge protection enabled power strip
connected to a wall outlet or other common power source.

Easy first time set up

You should read all instructions, notices, and warnings in the Before You Begin section prior to getting
started with your new Niagara 4100 hardware for the first time. Also, ensure you have all required parts
and meet all system requirements before installing this product.

Do not continue with the installation if you find any components missing or damaged. Contact the
ViewCast reseller where you purchased your Niagara 4100 system for assistance in obtaining any
missing or replacement parts.

Connecting to an electrical power source

Niagara 4100 ships with one of the following power cables:

 North America power cable
 International power cable
 UK power cable

To connect the power source:

WARNING! The plug-socket combination must remain accessible at all times as it serves as the main

disconnecting device.

Do not work on the system or connect or disconnect cables during periods of lightning activity.

WARNING! When using 4-pin XLR to cigarette car plug cables, do not disconnect the car battery

adaptor or turn off the car engine before you turn off the system. Doing so may damage the system.

ViewCast 21

Easy Setup

1.

Ensure that you connect all devices (power cords, systems, streaming devices, etc.) to the
Niagara 4100.

2.

Press Power on the front panel to start the Niagara 4100. The LCD readout displays the
welcome screen (Figure 7).

Figure 7. Initializing messages

3.

Press Enter . The system prompts you to set the date (Figure 8).

Figure 8. Date screen

4.

Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to change the numerical value of the month.

5.

Press Stop to move to the field to the left. Press Stream to move to the field to the right.

6.

Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to increment the numerical value of the day and year.

Note: If you want to change a previous setting, continue pressing Stream until the cursor cycles

around to the desired field.

7.

Press Enter to accept the settings and move to the next screen to set the system clock (Figure

9). Niagara 4100 uses a 24-hour clock format for its system clock entries.

Figure 9. Time screen

8.

Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to change the numerical value of the hour.

9.

Press Stream to enter the value and move to the Minute field.

10.

Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to change the numerical value of the minute.

Performing the initial startup

The first time you power up the Niagara 4100, a series of menus appear on the LCD display that will
assist you in setting up the system clock, date, and video input format (NTSC (North America/Japan) or
PAL).

The steps below refer to a direct connection to the Niagara 4100 only.

To perform the initial startup:

22 ViewCast

Niagara 4100 User Guide

11.

Press Enter to set the format. The screen appears (Figure 10) confirming you have successfully
set up your Niagara 4100.

Figure 10. Confirmation screen

12.

Press Enter to exit the setup menu and reboot the system. The following screen appears:

Figure 11. Booting screen

1.

Press Menu. The system menu appears.

2.

Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to select the Setup System option.

3.

Press Enter. The setup menu displays (Figure 12).

Figure 12. Setup menu

4.

Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to select Network.

5.

Press Enter. The network interface screen appears (Figure 13).

Figure 13. Interface screen

6.

Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to select the network interface you wish to modify.

Connecting to an IP network

The Niagara 4100 network settings for its network interfaces default to dynamically obtain an IP address
from a DHCP server on the network. If a DHCP server is not available or is not found on the network,
then Niagara 4100 assigns its own IP address.

If you are not familiar with network protocols, contact your network administrator for assistance.

Changing the network settings

For most network environments, it will not be necessary to modify these default settings. However, if
you wish to assign a static IP address or Gateway address to the system’s Network Interface Cards
(NICs), then you can change the network setting using the system menu.

To change the network settings:

ViewCast 23

Easy Setup

7.

Press Enter. The settings screen appears (Figure 14).

Figure 14. Settings screen

8.

Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to select Change Settings.

9.

Press Enter. A screen appears that displays the various network settings.

10.

Select the network setting you wish to change.

Note: Once you modify the setting, the system saves the changes until you modify the settings

again or until you restore the system back to its original factory settings.

11.

Press Enter. The network settings screen displays (Figure 15).

Figure 15. Network settings screen

12.

Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to select DHCP On/Off.

13.

Press Enter. The enable DHCP screen appears (Figure 16).

Figure 16. Enable DHCP screen

Note: Press Menu to cancel this action and exit.

14.

Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to select Yes.

15.

Press Enter. The screen with the network settings appears.

16.

Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to enter a static address for the IP and/or Gateway
address.

17.

Press Enter. The network setting screen appears.

18.

Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to change the numeric value incrementally and enter
either the static IP or Gateway address.

19.

Press Stream to move to the next field.

20.

Press Enter. The subnet address screen appears (Figure 17).

Figure 17. Subnet address screen

21.

Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to change the numeric value incrementally and enter the

24 ViewCast

Niagara 4100 User Guide

subnet address.

22.

Press Enter.

Note: To remove a static IP and/or Gateway address, follow steps 11 through 15 to enable

DHCP. The system removes any previously entered static address.

ViewCast 25

Niagara 4100 User Guide

1.

Press Power . The LCD readout displays the initializing messages (Figure 18).

Figure 18. Initializing messages

When the system is ready, the LCD display alternates between status readouts similar to the
following:

2.

Load encoders (see Creating an encoder).

Basic Operations

You may customize your encoder settings and assign specific encoder profiles using the front panel.

Starting up

If this is the first time you are using the Niagara 4100, refer to the Performing the initial startup section
before continuing.

To start up:

ViewCast 27

Basic Operations

1.

Press Menu. Tab down to Shutdown System (Figure 19).

Figure 19. System menu

2.

Press Enter. The shutdown screen appears (Figure 20).

Figure 20. Shutdown screen

3.

Tab to Power Off System. Press Enter. The Power Off System? screen appears.

Figure 21. Power off screen

4.

Tab to Yes and press Enter. The shutdown screens appear.

Figure 22. Shutdown screens

The system shuts down.

1.

Briefly press Power. The system stopping messages appear (Figure 23).

Figure 23. System stopping messages

After a few seconds, the system powers off.

Shutting down

Allow the Niagara 4100 to power down normally. If you force the system to shut down improperly, your
data can be corrupted. If so, the next time you start the system it can take several minutes to complete
startup.

To shut down:

You can also shut down the system using the following steps:

28 ViewCast

Niagara 4100 User Guide

1.

Press Stream on the front panel of your Niagara 4100. A list of available encoder profiles you
can use and the current status of each appears (Figure 24).

Figure 24. Encoder screen

Note: The system abbreviates the name of each encoder profile to the first 10 characters. When

creating names for custom profiles, be sure to create unique names that will be
distinguishable by the first 10 characters.

2.

Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to select the encoder profile you want Niagara 4100 to
use for this encoding session.

3.

Press Stream to start the encoder. The starting screen appears (Figure 25).

Figure 25. Starting screen

The encoder screen appears indicating that the encoder you selected has begun streaming
(Figure 26).

Figure 26. Encoder screen

Note: If the encoder you started is assigned to one of the Preset ABC buttons, the corresponding

button illuminates during and after the starting process.

4.

Repeat this method to start streaming multiple encoders at the same time.

WARNING! There is a limit to how many encoders the Niagara 4100 can stream at one time. If

you exceed this limit, the streams will drop frames and the video will appear to stutter
resulting in a poor viewer experience. If you do not reduce the number of streams to lessen
the CPU load, all encoders could self-terminate without warning. Refer to the Checking

Starting an encoder

Niagara 4100 is a single-channel encoder, which means you can only connect and stream one audio and
video source at any given time. However, you can stream the same audio and video at multiple data
rates and multiple formats to provide the best user experience for different viewing audiences.

For example, you can stream Windows Media at full resolution at 1500 kbps and at the same time
stream Adobe Flash at CIF resolution at 500 kbps.

From a network computer connected to the same network, log in to the web interface and create
encoders (see Creating an encoder). The LCD screen on the Niagara 4100 displays the list of available
encoder profiles you created and the status of each.

To start an encoder:

ViewCast 29

Basic Operations

CPU usage section to understand the limitations.

After the encoder session has successfully begun, the LCD display returns to the previous display of
available encoders. The screen will indicate that the encoder profile you selected has begun encoding.

The video detection light illuminates when the system detects that a video source is connected to its
video input.

30 ViewCast

Niagara 4100 User Guide

1.

Press Menu. The system menu appears.

2.

Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to select Access Health.

3.

Press Enter. The access menu appears (Figure 27).

Figure 27. Access menu

4.

Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to select CPU.

5.

Press Enter. A screen appears (Figure 28) with the amount of CPU cycles currently in use.

Figure 28. CPU cycles screen

6.

Press Enter.

Checking CPU usage

When the Niagara 4100 is idle (no encoders are streaming), the CPU percentage is normally 4 % or less.
If one or more encoders are streaming, the percentage is much higher and fluctuates in a range of +/- 10
%. If the system is using less than 80 %, you may start another encoder without adversely affecting
system performance (depending on the complexity of the profile).

To check CPU usage:

ViewCast 31

Basic Operations

1.

Press Menu. The system menu appears.

2.

Press Enter. The encoder screen appears.

3.

Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to highlight the encoder you wish to stop.

4.

Press Stop. The encoder screen appears (Figure 29) showing the status of each encoder.

Figure 29. Encoder screen

5.

Use the Up and Down arrow buttons to select the encoder you want to terminate.

6.

Press Stop. The stopping screen appears (Figure 30).

Figure 30. Stopping screen

7.

Press Menu. The system menu appears.

Stopping an encoder

To stop an encoder:

32 ViewCast

Niagara 4100 User Guide

1.

Insert a USB memory device into a USB port

2.

Press Menu. The system menu appears.

3.

Use the Up and Down arrow buttons and highlight the Export Files option (Figure 31).

Figure 31. System menu

4.

Press Enter. The USB device screen appears (Figure 32).

Figure 32. USB Device screen

5.

Press Enter. The drive destination screens appear (Figure 33).

Figure 33. Drive Destination screens

6.

Use the Up and Down arrows to select the USB drive.

Connecting an external storage device

The Niagara 4100 has one USB port on the front panel and one on the back panel. You can connect
almost any standard USB memory device to one or both of these ports. You can then export any
audiovisual files you may have created on Niagara 4100’s local storage drive. The local storage drive is
drive D when you use the Save to File setting from the web interface.

When you insert a USB storage device in one of the USB ports on the Niagara 4100, the system
automatically detects the removable storage device, and assigns a drive letter to the device. This device
can capture files directly using the Niagara 4100 Export Files function on the front panel menu.

Exporting captured video files

You can export your captured video files to an external USB drive. But first you must set a default
location through the web interface. Refer to Configuring default directory setting before completing the
steps below.

To export captured video files:

ViewCast 33

Basic Operations

7.

Press Enter. The searching folder screen appears (Figure 34).

Figure 34. Select Folder screen

The select source screen appears (Figure 35).

Figure 35. Select source screen

8.

Use the Up and Down arrows to select the desired directory.

9.

Press Enter. The filename screen appears (Figure 36).

Figure 36. Filename screen

10.

Use the Up and Down arrows to select the desired file to transfer.

11.

Press Enter. While the Niagara 4100 exports the file, the exporting screens appear (Figure 37).

Figure 37. Exporting screens

34 ViewCast

Niagara 4100 User Guide

1.

You can either locate the serial number:

 On the underside of the system (in the format hsxxxxxx).

Or

 On the LCD display when the system is idle (Figure 38).

Figure 38. System Ready screen

Note: If the system ready screen does not immediately display, use the Up and Down arrow

buttons to toggle through the system information until the system ready screen appears.

2.

Open the web browser on your computer.

3.

You can either:

 Type the Niagara 4100 serial number in the Address bar (Figure 39).

Figure 39. Serial number

Or

 Type the IP address in the Address bar (Figure 40).

Figure 40. IP address

Web Interface

The Niagara 4100 includes a web interface, which allows you to access the advanced system settings.
The web interface also provides detailed settings and control over the encoder profiles installed on
Niagara 4100.

The web interface does not require software and works with any computer that has a current web
browser, including Windows®, Macintosh®, and Linux® machines. For the best user experience,
ViewCast recommends Internet Explorer (you may need to use the compatibility mode). The Niagara
4100 must either reside on a shared IP network with the computer or can be directly connected to a
Windows computer using an Ethernet cable (RJ45).

Logging in

To log in:

ViewCast 35

Web Interface

Note: The IP address appears on the system ready screen when the system is idle.

The Admin Log In window appears (Figure 41).

Figure 41. Admin Log In window

4.

Type the User Name and Password.

IMPORTANT! The setting to log in for the first time, defaults to the user name admin and the

password admin.

Note: System administrators should previously configure all user names and passwords for

those who they allow to log on to the system.

5.

Press Login. The Niagara 4100 Welcome Window and menu bar appear (Figure 42).

Figure 42. Welcome window

36 ViewCast

Niagara 4100 User Guide

1.

Access the Product Registration page:
Click Maintenance  Product Registration. The Product Registration page displays
(Figure 43).

Figure 43. Product Registration

Note: The default is Register the product online.

2.

Enter your name and contact information in the spaces provided.

3.

Click Submit. After a few seconds, a confirmation message displays.

1.

Access the Product Registration page:
Click Maintenance  Product Registration. The Product Registration page displays
(Figure 43).

2.

Click Register the product on another computer or over the phone (Figure 44).

Figure 44. Register the product on another computer or over the phone

Registering your product

You have 30 days to register your product when you first activate the system. A reminder displays at the
bottom of the Home and Encoders pages. You can register your system using three different methods:

 Product Registration page
 ViewCast website
 ViewCast Support help desk (Call 972-488-7157 and provide the serial number and SKU.)

To register online:

To register at viewcast.com:

ViewCast 37

Web Interface

3.

Copy the registration URL.

4.

From another computer, open a browser and paste the URL into the address bar.

5.

Enter your name and contact information in the spaces provided (Figure 45).

Figure 45. Contact Information

6.

Select the type of product. The serial number and SKU are automatically populated
(Figure 46 is for example purposes only).

Figure 46. Product information

38 ViewCast

7.

Click Submit. After a few seconds, a confirmation message displays.

Niagara 4100 User Guide

ViewCast 39

Web Interface

A

Click this link to edit the encoder properties, streaming settings, and advanced
streaming settings.

B

Click this link to delete an encoder from the list.

C

Displays the encoder type (for example the Flash icon ).

D

Displays the name you assigned to the encoder. This name appears on the LCD display
on the front panel.

E

Displays the status of the last action.

F

Displays the result of the last operation.

G

Click this link to create a new encoder.

H

Displays the amount of CPU usage.

I

Displays as either a blue circle icon (started) or red circle icon (stopped) as the options
for streaming for this encoder. You can start or stop an encoder by clicking the icons.

J

Click this link to view and edit encoder groups.

K

Click this link to stop all encoder.

L

Displays the total number of encoders.

Viewing all encoders

The Encoders window (Figure 47) provides a list of all of the encoder profiles that you created on the
Niagara 4100. On the home page click Encoders  All Encoders.

Figure 47. Encoders window

You can also view encoders by clicking on the View All Encoders link at the bottom of the Preset A, B, or
C window.

40 ViewCast

Creating an encoder

1.

Click the Create New Encoder link. The Create New Encoder window displays (Figure 48).

Figure 48. Create New Encoder window

2.

Select the Encoder Type from the drop-down list.

3.

Enter the name of the encoder.

Note: Valid characters are alphanumeric, space, dash, and dot.

4.

To use the same properties from another encoder, enable Clone Properties From.

5.

Select the encoder from the drop-down list.

6.

Click Create New Encoder.

To create an encoder, on the home page click Encoders.

To create an encoder:

Niagara 4100 User Guide

ViewCast 41

Web Interface

1.

Click the red circle Stopped icon (Figure 49) in the Streaming column for the encoder you want
to start streaming.

Figure 49. Stopped icon

Messages appear detailing the encoder start progress (Figure 50).

Figure 50. Starting encoder

Starting an encoder

To start an encoder, on the home page click Encoders  All Encoders.

To start an encoder:

42 ViewCast

The Encoders window appears with the encoder status updated and the streaming indicator
changes to a blue circle Started icon (Figure 51).

Figure 51. Encoders window

Niagara 4100 User Guide

ViewCast 43

Web Interface

1.

Click the blue Started icon of the encoder you wish to stop streaming (Figure 52).

Figure 52. Started icon

Messages appear detailing the encoder stop progress (Figure 53).

Figure 53. Encoder stopped

Stopping an encoder

To stop an encoder, on the home page click Encoders  All Encoders.

To stop an encoder:

44 ViewCast

Niagara 4100 User Guide

The Encoders window appears with the encoder status updated to reflect the Stopped mode
(Figure 54).

Figure 54. Encoders window

ViewCast 45

Niagara 4100 User Guide

Advanced Operations

Advanced operations include but are not limited to the following:

 Editing an Adaptive Apple HTTP encoder
 Editing an Adaptive Adobe Flash encoder
 Editing an Adaptive Microsoft Smooth Streaming encoder
 Editing an Adobe Flash H.264 encoder
 Editing an MPEG4 encoder
 Editing a WME encoder
 Streaming to a TS container

Editing an Adaptive Apple HTTP encoder

To create an encoder, Encoders  All Encoders  Create New Encoder link  Encoder Name field.

When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The Encoder Properties
windows for editing a new encoder or an existing encoder are identical. You must configure the audio
and video settings for each encoder type.

Use the Video, Audio, and Output tabs to edit the settings. Configure the video and audio settings, then
the streaming properties. The streaming properties and advanced streaming settings are different for
each type of encoder.

From the Adaptive Apple Encoder Properties window (Figure 55), you can set the encoder to start
streaming automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start the encoder from this
window by clicking the Start Apple HTTP Live Streaming Encoder link in the top right corner of the
window.

Click Encoders  All Encoders from the home page. Then select the Edit link next to the adaptive
encoder whose properties you wish to modify. The system displays the Encoder Properties window for
the selected encoder.

IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save Settings.

Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.

ViewCast 47

Advanced Operations

Figure 55. Adaptive Apple HTTP Live Encoder Properties

48 ViewCast

Video tab

1.

Select the video input Source from the drop-down list.

2.

The Input field setting is SerialDigital.

IMPORTANT! The video input must match the connectors on the back of the Niagara 4100 and

your video source.

3.

In the Input Size field, select the pre-determined size of the encoded video from the drop­down list.
You can also specify a custom size for your video. This customization is useful when you are
capturing video to be played on a mobile video-device that requires a non-standard size for
compatibility.
When you click Custom, two additional fields appear so you can enter the exact size you want
the resulting video to be (Figure 57).

Note: The size in the Width and Height field must be divisible by 2.

Figure 57. Custom fields

4.

Enter the seconds for the GOP/Segment Length.

5.

In the adaptive encoder video stream table, indicate which stream the player will use first
(see Adaptive encoder video stream table).

Figure 56. Video tab

Niagara 4100 User Guide

To configure video settings:

ViewCast 49

Advanced Operations

6.

Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 58).

Figure 58. Video Filter Settings

Note: Click the Restore button to the right of the filter to reset the settings to the default.

7.

Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply. Options include:

 None

– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.

 Bob0

– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Applies motion adaptive de-interlacing to all video that is not telecine.
– Switches dynamically between the two modes as the content changes.
– Available for NTSC video only.

 Bob1

– Drops the redundant fields and reassembles the video in a 24 fps progressive format.
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Performs no de-interlacing of video that is not telecine.
–Available for NTSC video only.

 Advanced

– Is an algorithm for de-interlacing pure video (non-telecine) content.
– Applies motion adaptive interlacing to all video. It detects which portions of the image

are still and which portions are in motion then applies different processing to each
scenario.

Figure 59. De-Interlace settings

Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only apply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL and

SECAM video. The system disables Bob0 and Bob1 choices when you select either PAL or
SECAM as the video standard.

8.

Select Add Statistics to overlay video statistics within the video stream for diagnostic
purposes.

9.

Click Save Settings.

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Niagara 4100 User Guide

A.

The table displays five streams at a time. Additional streams display on additional pages. Click
the page number to display the streams on that page. You can also click First to go to the first
page or click Last to go to the last page.

B.

Click this link to add a stream.

Note: If you click Custom as the Input Size, the system will automatically adjust the width

and height of subsequent streams according to the custom settings.

C.

The bit rate displays in kilobits per second. This field can only contain whole numbers.

Note: Two streams at the same bit rate cannot run simultaneously.

D.

Displays the frames per second. You can enter up to two decimal places.

E.

Displays the width of the picture frame in the stream.

F.

Displays the height of the picture frame in the stream.

G.

The profile field has two settings:

 Base – This profile is typically for video conferencing and mobile applications and has the

lowest demands on CPU load and memory usage, but lowest resulting quality.

 Main – This profile is targeted at standard-definition TV. This profile is not acceptable for

streaming to iPhone mobile devices.

Adaptive encoder video stream table

The adaptive encoder video stream table (Figure 60) contains five default streams. You can add a new
stream, edit, delete, disable, and set which stream the player will use first. You can sort each column by
clicking on the column heading.

The system validates the stream settings according to the capabilities of your Niagara system.

Figure 60. Adaptive Apple encoder video stream table

When you hover your cursor over a stream setting, additional functions display (Figure 61).

ViewCast 51

Advanced Operations

Edit

Click this link to change the settings for a particular stream. Click Update to accept the
changes.

Note: Click Cancel to stop this action.

Del

Click this link to delete the stream.

Disable

Click this link to disable this stream. The settings are still visible but appear to be
“crossed out.”

Initial

Click this link to have the system use this stream first. The settings for the initial stream
appear in bold.

Figure 61. Additional functions

52 ViewCast

Audio tab

1.

In the Source field, click a device from the drop-down list.

Note: Because the Niagara 4100 is a single-channel encoder, you can only connect and stream

one audio and video source at any given time. However, you can encode the same audio
and video at multiple data rates and multiple formats to provide the best user experience
for different viewing audiences.

2.

Select the Overlay Closed Caption check box to enable overlay closed captions. Field 1 CC1 is
the default.

3.

Drag the sliders to adjust the Left Volume and Right Volume.

4.

(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence the audio.

5.

Click Save Settings.

Figure 62. Audio tab

Niagara 4100 User Guide

To configure audio settings:

ViewCast 53

Advanced Operations

1.

Select Stream to Network Host.

CAUTION!: Simultaneously publishing to server and file system increases CPU usage.

2.

Select the Host Address:

 http://
 ftp://

Note: When you select ftp://, the Passive FTP Mode displays. Select this field to use passive

FTP mode or clear this field to use active FTP mode.

3.

Enter the address in the next field.

4.

Enter the maximum HTTP Cache by dragging the slider for the number of files to maintain.

Note: The Stream Path that displays is a combination of the Host Address, Subfolder, and

Filename.

5.

Select Create unique Subfolder to create a file that the system does not overwrite.

Note: The format is Subfolder_YYMMDD_HHMMSS.

6.

Enter the name of the Subfolder used in the network destination and/or the local file system
full filename.

7.

Enter the name of the variant playlist file in the File Name field.

8.

Enter the Number of Segments Per Folder.

9.

Select Stream to File System to enable archiving content to the file system.

10.

Accept the default location that displays in the Folder field or choose your own location for
the file (Figure 71). To choose your own personal location, select the link (horizontal ellipses
or …) to the right of the Folder field to display the options.

Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D:\AVFiles. See Exporting captured video files

Output tab

Figure 63. Output tab

To configure output settings:

54 ViewCast

Niagara 4100 User Guide

for instructions on saving video files to a USB device.

WARNING! You can only save media files to drive D. Check drive properties for available

free space to determine your storage capacity.

A better practice would be to use a remote file server to save a file or to save it to a remote
drive. If you inadvertently fill all available space, you risk losing your stream during a
streaming event.

Note: The File System that displays is a combination of the Folder, Subfolder, and Filename.

11.

Select Allow client to cache content.

12.

Select Encrypt Media Segment Files to protect the content.

13.

Select the Key File.

Note: http:// is currently the only choice.

14.

Enter the URL where the Key File resides.

15.

Enter the user authentication Type. If the host address is:

 http:// the selections are None and Akamai

Note: If you select Akamai, you must set the time zone according to where the Niagara 4100 is

located. To change the time zone:

1. Right click on the time in the system tray.

2. Click on Adjust Date/Time.

3. In the Date and Time window, click Change time zone.

4. Click on the appropriate time zone from the drop-down list and click OK.

5. Click Change date and time.

6. In the Date and Time Settings window, enter the current time and click OK. The time
must be as exact as possible.

 ftp:// the selections are None or Ftp.

16.

Enter the Username.

17.

Enter the Password.

18.

Click Save Settings.

ViewCast 55

Advanced Operations

Editing an Adaptive Adobe Flash encoder

To create an encoder, Encoders  All Encoders  Create New Encoder link  Encoder Name field.

When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The Encoder Properties
windows for editing a new encoder or an existing encoder are identical. You must configure the audio
and video settings for each encoder type.

Use the Video, Audio, and Output tabs to edit the settings. Begin with configuring the video and audio
settings, then the streaming properties. The streaming properties and advanced streaming settings are
different for each type of encoder.

From the Adaptive Adobe Flash Encoder Properties window (Figure 64), you can set the encoder to start
streaming automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start the encoder from this
window by clicking the Start Adobe Flash Dynamic Streaming Encoder link in the top right corner of the
window.

Click Encoders  All Encoders from the home page. Then select the Edit link next to the Adaptive Adobe
Flash encoder whose properties you wish to modify. The system displays the Encoder Properties window
for the selected encoder.

IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save Settings.

Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.

Figure 64. Adaptive Adobe Flash Encoder Properties

56 ViewCast

Video tab

1.

Select the video input Source from the drop-down list.

2.

In the Input field, the video input is SerialDigital.

3.

In the Input Size field, select the pixel size of the encoded video from the pre-determined
sizes in the drop-down list.
You can also specify a custom size for your video. This customization is useful when you are
capturing video to be played on a mobile video-device that requires a non-standard size for
compatibility.
When you click Custom, two additional fields appear so you can enter the exact size you want
the resulting video to be (Figure 66).

Note: The size in the Width and Height field must be divisible by 2.

Figure 66. Custom fields

4.

Select the Frame Rate from the drop-down list.

5.

Enter the seconds for the GOP/Segment Length.

6.

Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 67).

Figure 67. Video Filter Settings

Figure 65. Video tab

Niagara 4100 User Guide

To configure video settings:

ViewCast 57

Advanced Operations

Note: Click the Restore button to the right of the filter to reset the settings to the default.

7.

Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 68). Options include:

 None

– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.

 Bob0

– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Applies motion adaptive de-interlacing to all video that is not telecine.
– Switches dynamically between the two modes as the content changes.
– Available for NTSC video only.

 Bob1

– Drops the redundant fields and reassembles the video in a 24 fps progressive format.
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Performs no de-interlacing of video that is not telecine.
–Available for NTSC video only.

 Advanced

– Is an algorithm for de-interlacing pure video (non-telecine) content.
– Applies motion adaptive interlacing to all video. It detects which portions of the image

are still and which portions are in motion then applies different processing to each
scenario.

Figure 68. De-Interlace settings

Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only apply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL and

SECAM video. The system disables Auto and Inverse Telecine choices when you select
either PAL or SECAM as the video standard.

8.

Select Add Statistics to overlay video statistics within the video stream for diagnostic
purposes.

9.

Select Embed Timecode to enable embed system time as timecode. This will tag individual
video frames with timecode data. This feature should be used if embedded timecode is
required but your capture device cannot generate it.

10.

Specify the frame interval at which timecode should be embedded into the video stream in

58 ViewCast

the Frame Interval field.
O=disabled
The range is 1 to 30 frames.

11.

Click Save Settings.

Niagara 4100 User Guide

ViewCast 59

Advanced Operations

A.

The table displays five streams at a time. Additional streams display on additional pages. Click
the page number to display the streams on that page. You can also click First to go to the first
page or click Last to go to the last page.

B.

Click this link to add a stream.

Note: If you click Custom as the Input Size, the system will automatically adjust the width

and height of subsequent streams according to the custom settings.

C.

The bit rate displays in kilobits per second. This field can only contain whole numbers.

Note: Two streams at the same bit rate cannot run simultaneously.

D.

Displays the frames per second. You can enter up to two decimal places.

Note: These FPS roles will usually be all the same or divisible by ½, ¼, ⅛ of the highest

number for any of the streams. For example, 25, 12.5, 5, 1. A “valid” but unsupported
entry will be rounded to the nearest supported FPS rate automatically.

E.

Displays the width of the stream of the picture frame within the stream.

F.

Displays the height of the stream of the picture frame within the stream.

G.

The profile field has two settings:

 Base – This profile is typically for video conferencing and mobile applications and has the

lowest demands on CPU load and memory usage, but lowest resulting quality.

 Main – This profile is targeted at standard-definition TV.

Adaptive encoder video stream table

The adaptive encoder video stream table (Figure 69) contains five default streams. You can add a new
stream, edit, delete, and disable. You can sort each column by clicking on the column heading.

The system validates the stream settings according to the capabilities of your Niagara system.

Figure 69. Adaptive Flash encoder video stream table

60 ViewCast

Niagara 4100 User Guide

Edit

Click this link to change the settings for a particular stream. Click Update to accept the
changes.

Note: Click Cancel to stop this action.

Del

Click this link to delete the stream.

Disable

Click this link to disable this stream. The settings are still visible but appear to be
“crossed out.”

When you hover your cursor over a stream setting, additional functions display (Figure 70).

Figure 70. Additional functions

ViewCast 61

Advanced Operations

1.

In the Source field, select an audio source from the drop-down list:

IMPORTANT! The audio input must match the connectors on the back of the Niagara 4100

and your audio source.

2.

Select the Overlay Closed Caption check box to enable overlay closed captions. Field 1 CC1 is
the default setting.

3.

Drag the sliders to adjust the Left Volume and Right Volume.

4.

(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence the audio.

5.

Click Save Settings.

Audio tab

Figure 71. Audio tab

To configure audio settings:

62 ViewCast

Output tab

1.

Select Stream to Flash Media Server.

2.

Enter the destination FMS Address.

Note: The Stream Path that displays is a combination of the FMS address and the stream

name.

3.

Enter the Stream Name.

Note: The system accepts the %v parameter for video bitrate, %i for indexing, and %b for

overall bitrate which is compatible with Adobe Flash media encoder.

4.

Select Stream to File System to enable archiving content to the file system.

5.

Accept the default location that displays in the Folder field or choose your own location for
the file. To choose your own personal location, select the link (horizontal ellipses or … ) to the
right of the Folder field and display the options (Figure 73).

Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D:\AVFiles. See Connecting an external

storage device for instructions on saving video files to a USB storage device.

Figure 73. Select a folder

WARNING! You can only save media files to drive D. Check drive properties for available

Figure 72. Adaptive Flash Output tab

To configure output settings:

Niagara 4100 User Guide

ViewCast 63

Advanced Operations

free space to determine your storage capacity.

A better practice would be to use a Flash Media server to save a file or to save it to a
remote drive. If you fill all available space, you risk losing your stream during a
streaming event.

6.

Select Create a Unique file.

7.

Enter the Filename.

Note: The File System that displays is a combination of the Folder and Filename.

8.

Select the user authentication Type:

 None
 Adobe
 Akamai
 Limelight

9.

Enter the Username.

Note: You can enter a maximum of 80 characters.

10.

Enter the Password.

Note: You can enter a maximum of 20 characters.

11.

Click Save Settings.

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Niagara 4100 User Guide

Editing an Adaptive Smooth Streaming encoder

To create an encoder, Encoders  All Encoders  Create New Encoder link  Encoder Name field.

When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The Encoder Properties
windows for editing a new encoder or an existing encoder are identical. You must configure the audio
and video settings for each encoder type.

Use the Video, Audio, and Output tabs to edit the settings. Begin with configuring the video and audio
settings, then the streaming properties. The streaming properties and advanced streaming settings are
different for each type of encoder.

From the Adaptive Smooth Streaming Properties window (Figure 74), you can set the encoder to start
streaming automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start the encoder from this
window by clicking the Start Microsoft Smooth Streaming Encoder link in the top right corner of the
window.

Click Encoders  All Encoders from the home page. Then select the Edit link next to the Adaptive
Smooth Streaming encoder whose properties you wish to modify. The system displays the Encoder
Properties window for the selected encoder.

IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save Settings.

Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.

Figure 74. Adaptive Smooth Streaming Encoder Properties

ViewCast 65

Advanced Operations

1.

Select the video input Source from the drop-down list.

2.

In the Input field, the video input is SerialDigital.

3.

In the Input Size field, select the pixel size of the encoded video from the pre-determined
sizes.
You can also specify a custom size for your video. This customization is useful when you are
capturing video to be played on a mobile video-device that requires a non-standard size for
compatibility.
When you click Custom, two additional fields appear so you can enter the exact size you want
the resulting video to be (Figure 76).

Note: The size in the Width and Height field must be divisible by 2.

Figure 76. Custom fields

4.

In the GOP/Segment Length field, enter the length in seconds for the Group of Pictures
structure.

 A shorter time will produce more frequent I-frames, a better picture quality, and a more

editable stream.

 A longer time will have better compression, a less editable stream and the quality may

suffer.

5.

Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 77).

Figure 77. Video Filter Settings

Video tab

Figure 75. Adaptive Smooth Streaming Video tab

To configure video settings:

66 ViewCast

Niagara 4100 User Guide

Note: Click the Restore button to the right of the filter to reset the settings to the default.

6.

Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply. Options include:

 None

– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.

 Bob0

– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Applies motion adaptive de-interlacing to all video that is not telecine.
– Switches dynamically between the two modes as the content changes.
– Available for NTSC video only.

 Bob1

– Drops the redundant fields and reassembles the video in a 24 fps progressive format.
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Performs no de-interlacing of video that is not telecine.
–Available for NTSC video only.

 Advanced

– Is an algorithm for de-interlacing pure video (non-telecine) content.
– Applies motion adaptive interlacing to all video. It detects which portions of the image

are still and which portions are in motion. It then applies different processing to each
scenario.

Figure 78. De-Interlace settings

Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only apply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL and

SECAM video. The system disables Bob0 and Bob1 choices when you select either PAL or
SECAM as the video standard.

7.

Select Add Statistics to overlay video statistics within the video stream for diagnostics
purposes.

8.

Click Save Settings.

ViewCast 67

Advanced Operations

A.

The table displays five streams at a time. Additional streams display on additional pages. Click
the page number to display the streams on that page. You can also click First to go to the first
page or click Last to go to the last page.

B.

Click this link to add a stream.

Note: If you click Custom as the Input Size, the system will automatically adjust the width

and height of subsequent streams according to the custom settings.

C.

The bit rate displays in kilobits per second. This field can only contain whole numbers.

Note: Two streams at the same bit rate cannot run simultaneously.

D.

Displays the frames per second. You can enter up to two decimal places.

Note: These FPS roles will usually be all the same or divisible by ½, ¼, ⅛ of the highest

number for any of the streams. For example, 25, 12.5, 5, 1. A “valid” but unsupported
entry will be rounded to the nearest supported FPS rate automatically.

E.

Displays the width of the picture frame in the stream.

F.

Displays the height of the picture frame in the stream.

G.

The profile field has two settings:

 Base – This profile is typically for video conferencing and mobile applications and has the

lowest demands on CPU load and memory usage, but lowest resulting quality.

 Main – This profile is targeted at standard-definition TV.

Adaptive encoder video stream table

The adaptive encoder video stream table (Figure 79) contains five default streams. You can add a new
stream, edit, delete, and disable. You can sort each column by clicking on the column heading.

The system validates the stream settings according to the capabilities of your Niagara system.

Figure 79. Adaptive encoder video stream table

68 ViewCast

Niagara 4100 User Guide

Edit

Click this link to change the settings for a particular stream. Click Update to accept the
changes.

Note: Click Cancel to stop this action.

Del

Click this link to delete the stream.

Disable

Click this link to disable this stream. The settings are still visible but appear to be
“crossed out.”

When you hover your cursor over a stream setting, additional functions display (Figure 80).

Figure 80. Additional functions

ViewCast 69

Advanced Operations

1.

In the Source field, select an audio source from the drop-down list.

IMPORTANT! The audio input must match the connectors on the back of the system and your

audio source.

2.

Select the Overlay Closed Caption check box to enable overlay closed captions. Field 1 CC 1 is
the default setting.

3.

Drag the sliders to adjust the Left Volume and Right Volume.

4.

(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence the audio.

5.

Click Save Settings.

Audio tab

Figure 81. Adaptive Smooth Streaming Audio tab

To configure audio settings:

70 ViewCast

Output tab

1.

Select Publish to IIS Host.

2.

Enter the destination Host Address.

Note: The Stream Path that displays is a combination of the host address and the publish

point.

3.

Enter the Publish Point.

4.

Select PlayReady DRM to enable Digital Rights Management support. PlayReady requires
external License Server provider support. The URL and the seed must be acquired from the
license hosting provider.

5.

Select the Key URL:

 http://
 https://

6.

Enter the PlayReady key URL.

7.

Enter the Key ID.

8.

Click Create to generate a unique key ID.

9.

Enter the Key Seed.

10.

Click Stream to File System.

11.

Accept the default location that displays in the Folder field or choose your own location for

the file. To choose your own personal location select the link (horizontal ellipses or … ) to the

right of the Folder field and display the options (Figure 83).

Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D:\AVFiles. See Exporting captured video files

for instructions on saving video files to a USB storage device.

Figure 82. Adaptive Smooth Streaming Output tab

To configure output settings:

Niagara 4100 User Guide

ViewCast 71

Advanced Operations

Figure 83. Select a folder

WARNING! You can only save media files to drive D. Check drive properties for available

free space to determine your storage capacity.

A better practice would be to use a remote file server to save a file or to save it to a
remote drive. If you fill all available space, you risk losing your stream during a
streaming event.

Smooth Streaming files created when you enable Output to File are not designed to be
played locally by a media player but should be hosted on an IIS server for Video On
Demand services.

12.

Enter the Username.

Note: You can enter a maximum of 80 characters.

IIS authentication types supported are Basic and Digest.

13.

Enter the Password.

Note: You can enter a maximum of 20 characters.

14.

Click Save Settings.

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Niagara 4100 User Guide

Editing an Adobe Flash H.264 encoder

To create an encoder, Encoders  All Encoders  Create New Encoder link  Encoder Name field.

When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The Encoder Properties
windows for editing a new encoder or an existing encoder are identical. You must configure the audio
and video settings for each encoder type.

Use the Video, Audio, Output, and H.264 Presets tabs to edit the settings. Configure the video and audio
settings, then the streaming properties. The streaming properties and advanced streaming settings are
different for each type of encoder.

From the Flash Encoder Properties window (Figure 84), you can set the encoder to start streaming
automatically by clicking the Auto Start checkbox. You can also start the encoder from this window by
clicking the Start Flash Encoder link in the top right corner of the window.

Click Encoders  All Encoders from the home page. Then select the Edit link next to the encoder whose
properties you wish to modify. The system displays the Encoder Properties window for the selected
encoder.

IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save

Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.

Figure 84. Flash Encoder Properties

ViewCast 73

Advanced Operations

1.

In the Source field, click a device from the drop-down list.

2.

In the Size field, click the pixel size of the encoded video from the drop-down list.
You can also specify a custom size for your video. This customization is useful when you are
capturing video to be played on a mobile video-device that requires a non-standard size for
compatibility.
When you click Custom, two additional fields appear so you can enter the exact size you want
the resulting video to be (Figure 86).

Note: The size in the Width and Height field must be divisible by 2.

Figure 86. Custom fields

3.

Select the Video Encoder from the drop-down list.

4.

Select the Frame Rate from the drop-down list.

5.

Enter the Bitrate.

6.

Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 87).

Figure 87. Video Filter Settings

Video tab

Figure 85. Video tab

To configure video input settings:

74 ViewCast

Niagara 4100 User Guide

Note: Click Restore to the right of the filter to reset the settings to the default.

7.

Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 88). Options include:

 None

– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.

 Bob0

– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Applies motion adaptive de-interlacing to all video that is not telecine.
– Switches dynamically between the two modes as the content changes.
– Available for NTSC video only.

 Bob1

– Drops the redundant fields and reassembles the video in a 24 fps progressive format.
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Performs no de-interlacing of video that is not telecine.
–Available for NTSC video only.

 Advanced

– Is an algorithm for de-interlacing pure video (non-telecine) content.
– Applies motion adaptive interlacing to all video. It detects which portions of the image

are still and which portions are in motion then applies different processing to each
scenario.

Figure 88. De-Interlace Settings

Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only apply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL and

SECAM video. The system disables Bob0 and Bob1 choices when you select either PAL or
SECAM as the video standard.

8.

Click Save Settings.

ViewCast 75

Advanced Operations

1.

In the Source field, select an audio source from the drop-down list.

IMPORTANT! The audio input must match the source connected on the back of the Niagara

4100 and your audio source.

2.

Select the Overlay Closed Caption check box to enable overlay closed captions. Field 1 CC1 is
the default setting.

3.

Click the audio Format from the drop-down list.

4.

Select the Audio Type from the drop-down list:

 Main – The same as Low Complexity, but adds backward prediction.
 Low Complexity – The simplest and most widely used AAC audio format type.
 HE-AAC V1 – Uses spectral band replications (SBR) to enhance the compression efficiency

in the frequency domain.

 HE-AAC V2 – Enhances the compression efficiency of stereo signals.

Note: Depending on the player on which the resulting stream will be rendered, either choice

will use a specific set of tools to encode the audio stream. Make your choice based on the
requirement of the playback software or device. The most widely supported format is the
Low Complexity profile.

5.

Click the Bitrate from the drop-down list.

6.

Click the Audio Encoder from the drop-down list.

7.

Drag the sliders to adjust the Left Volume and Right Volume.

8.

(Optional) Select Mute Audio silence the audio.

9.

Click Save Settings.

Audio tab

Figure 89. Audio tab

To configure audio settings:

76 ViewCast

Output tab

1.

Select Enable Streaming to enable live Flash streaming.

2.

Enter the proper IP address or domain name in the Server Address field.

3.

Enter the Stream Name.

4.

Select the Authentication Type from the drop-down list.

5.

Enter the User Name and Password.

6.

Select Embed System Time as Timecode.

7.

Click the Frame Interval from the drop-down list.

8.

Select Save to File to save the encoded content to a file. Each time you start this encoder, the
system overwrites the previous file.

Note: You must enable either Enable Streaming or Save to File. If both Enable Streaming and

Save to File are disabled, the encoder will not start and an error is generated.

9.

Select Create unique file to create a file that the system does not overwrite.

10.

Accept the default location that displays in the File Name field or choose your own location
for the file. To choose your own personal location select the link (horizontal ellipses or … ) to
the right of the File Name field and display the options (Figure 91).

Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D:\AVFiles\ with a default filename of

capture.f4v.

You need Adobe Flash Media Server 3.5 or greater to stream Flash H.264.

Figure 90. Output tab

Niagara 4100 User Guide

To configure output settings:

ViewCast 77

Advanced Operations

Figure 91. Save to File Location

WARNING! You can only save media files to drive D. Check drive properties for available

free space to determine your storage capacity.

A better practice would be to use the Flash Media server to save a file or to save it to a
remote drive. If you inadvertently fill all available space, you risk losing your stream
during a streaming event.

11.

Click Save Settings.

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Niagara 4100 User Guide

1.

Click Edit next to the setting you want to modify.

IMPORTANT! These advanced settings affect the way the Encoder performs and if set

incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder operations. Refer to Appendix B: H.264
Advanced Settings for suggested values for the type of video you are streaming.

2.

Change the value.

3.

Click Update.

4.

Click the Restore Defaults link at the bottom of the window to return the settings to the
defaults.

Note: The database has seven profiles. Clicking Restore Defaults for one profile will change

all profiles back to the default settings.

5.

Click Save Settings.

H.264 Presets tab

You can edit specific H.264 encoder settings or you can select a custom preset to use typical settings for
your profile. These advanced settings affect the way the Encoder performs and if set incorrectly may
lead to abnormal encoder operations (Figure 92). Refer to Appendix B for suggested values for the type
of video you are streaming and a complete list of typical settings.

Figure 92. H.264 Presets tab

To configure H.264 settings:

ViewCast 79

Advanced Operations

Editing an MPEG-4 encoder

To create an encoder, Encoders  All Encoders  Create New Encoder link  Encoder Name field.

When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The Encoder Properties
windows for editing a new encoder or an existing encoder are identical. You must configure the audio
and video settings for each encoder type.

Use the Video, Audio, Output, and H.264 Presets tabs to edit the settings. Begin with configuring the
video and audio settings, then the streaming properties. The streaming properties and advanced
streaming settings are different for each type of encoder.

From the MPEG Encoder Properties window (Figure 93), you can set the encoder to start streaming
automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start the encoder from this window by
clicking the Start MPEG4 Encoder Driver link in the top right corner of the window.

Click Encoders  All Encoders from the home page. Then select the Edit link next to the MPEG encoder
whose properties you wish to modify. The system displays the Encoder Properties window for the
selected encoder.

IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save Settings.

Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.

Figure 93. MPEG4 Encoder Properties

80 ViewCast

Video tab

1.

In the Source field, click a device from the drop-down list:

 Osprey-700 HD Video Device 1
 Disabled

Note: Because the Niagara 4100 is a single-channel encoder, you can only connect and stream

one audio and video source at any given time. However, you can stream the same audio
and video at multiple data rates and multiple formats to provide the best user experience
for different viewing audiences.

2.

In the Input field, the video input is SerialDigital.

3.

In the Size field, select the pixel size of the encoded video from the pre-determined sizes in
the drop-down list.
You can also specify a custom size for your video. This customization is useful when you are
capturing video to be played on a mobile video-device that requires a non-standard size for
compatibility.
When you click Custom, two additional fields appear so you can enter the exact size you want
the resulting video to be (Figure 95).

Note: The size in the Width and Height field must be divisible by 2.

Figure 95. Custom fields

Note: CIF and QCIF are proportional to the HD video resolution input.

4.

Click the type of Video Encoder for Internet video, mobile phones set top boxes, and create

Figure 94. Video tab

Niagara 4100 User Guide

To configure video settings:

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Advanced Operations

media files for other MPEG-4 compatible devices such as iPods according to the following
Motion Picture Expert Group (MPEG) types (refer to Table 1 and Table 2).

IMPORTANT! Choose the container type (MP4, 3G2, and 3GP) on the Output tab.

5.

Enter the frames per second in the Frame Rate field.

6.

Enter the kilobits per second in the Bitrate field.

7.

In the Format field, indicate the color space format.

8.

Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 96).

Figure 96. Video Filter Settings

Note: Click Restore to the right of the filter to reset the settings to the default.

9.

Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 97). Options include:

 None

– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.

 Bob0

– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Applies motion adaptive de-interlacing to all video that is not telecine.
– Switches dynamically between the two modes as the content changes.
– Available for NTSC video only.

 Bob1

– Drops the redundant fields and reassembles the video in a 24 fps progressive format.
– Applies inverse telecine de-interlacing to all telecine video.
– Performs no de-interlacing of video that is not telecine.
–Available for NTSC video only.

 Advanced

– Is an algorithm for de-interlacing pure video (non-telecine) content.
– Applies motion adaptive interlacing to all video. It detects which portions of the image

are still and which portions are in motion then applies different processing to each
scenario.

Figure 97. De-Interlace settings

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Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only apply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL and

SECAM video. The system disables Bob0 and Bob1 choices when you select either PAL or
SECAM as the video standard.

10.

Click Save Settings.

MPEG4 – MP4

MPEG-4 Part 2 is for situations where low bit rate and low resolution are
mandated by other conditions of the applications, such as network
bandwidth or device size. Examples of video applications for MPEG-4 are
cell phones, some low-end video conferencing systems, and surveillance
systems. MPEG-4 is important for legacy handheld devices that do not
support H.264.

H264 – MP4

H.264, MPEG-4 Part 10, or AVC (Advanced Video Coding) was designed for
high data compression while maintaining better quality than its
predecessor, H.263. It also addresses a broad range of applications from
low bit rate to high bit rate and from low resolution such as cell phones to
high resolution such as broadcast.

Niagara SCX’s H.264 presets are Baseline, Main and High Profiles.

MPEG-TS

MPEG transport stream is a standard format for transmission and storage
of audio, video, and Program and System Information Protocol (PSIP)
data. It is used in broadcast systems such as DVB, ATSC and IPTV.

H.264-TS

H.264 encoding provided a MPEG-2 transport stream (TS) container.

The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) defined 3GP as a multimedia container
format for use on 3G mobile phones. It stores video streams such as MPEG-4 or H.264 and
audio streams such as AAC.

This format has two defined standards:

 3GPP for GSM-based mobile phones
 3GPP2 for CDMA-based mobile phones

This setting creates an H.263 stream stored in a 3GPP container.

H264 – 3GP

This setting creates an H.264 stream stored in a 3GP container.

H264 – 3G2

This setting creates an H.264 stream stored in a 3G2 container.

MPEG4 – 3GP

This setting creates an MPEG-4 stream stored in a 3GP container.

MPEG4 – 3G2

This setting creates an MPEG-4 stream stored in a 3G2 container.

H263 – 3GP

This setting creates an H.263 stream stored in a 3GP container.

H263 – 3G2

This setting creates an H.263 stream stored in a 3G2 container.

Table 1. MPEG encoder and container descriptions

Niagara 4100 User Guide

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Advanced Operations

Container

H.263 Video

MPEG-4 Video

H.264 Video

MPEG-2

MP4

N/A





3GP

  

3G2

  

TS





Table 2. Valid output container selections for video encoder types

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Audio tab

1.

In the Source field, select an audio source from the drop-down list.

IMPORTANT! The audio input must match the connectors on the back of the Niagara 4100

and your audio source.

2.

Click the Audio Type from the drop-down list:

 Main – The same as Low Complexity, but adds backward prediction.
 Low Complexity – The simplest and most widely used AAC audio format type.
 HE-AAC V1 – Uses spectral band replication (SBR) to enhance the compression efficiency

in the frequency domain.

 HE-AAC V2 – Enhances the compression efficiency of stereo signals.

Note: Depending on the player on which the resulting stream will be rendered, either choice

will use a specific set of tools to encode the audio stream. Make your choice based on the
requirement of the playback software or device. The most widely supported format is the
Low Complexity profile.

3.

The default Audio Encoder is AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) a standardized, lossy
compression and encoding scheme for digital audio. AAC achieves better audio quality than
MP3. AAC and MP3 are MPEG standards.

4.

Click the Bitrate from the drop-down menu.

5.

Drag the sliders to adjust the Left Volume and Right Volume.

6.

Select Mute Audio to silence audio.

7.

Click Save Settings.

Figure 98. Audio tab

Niagara 4100 User Guide

To configure audio settings:

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Advanced Operations

1.

Click the Enable Streaming check box to stream your audiovisual content via RTSP.

2.

Set the appropriate streaming properties.

Note: The default settings will enable multicast streaming. If you do not want this, change the

IP address for Group to the IP address of the server to which you want to stream from the
encoder.

3.

In the SDP File field, enter a name and a destination path for the resulting SDP file created
when you start the stream. If you are streaming to Helix, a QuickTime, or a Darwin server,
refer to its respective documentation or online message boards for setup details specific for
the individual streaming server.

Note: You can stream point-to-point by selecting a share destination directory for the saved

SDP file. Remember to disable multicasting by entering in the IP address of the PC to
which you want to stream.

For example, if you want another PC to view the stream, save the SDP file to a share
folder on the local drive. The other PC can open the SDP file and the stream can be played
in a QuickTime or other MPEG-4 compatible streaming player. Since MPEG-4 encoding
can be CPU intensive, it is not recommended that you view the stream on the Niagara
encoder. Doing so may overtax the host CPU, which will cause video quality degradation
and encode session failure.

4.

Select Save to File to save the encoded content to a file. Each time you start this encoder, the
system overwrites the previous file.

5.

Select Create unique file to create a file that the system does not overwrite.

6.

Accept the default location that displays in the File Name field or choose your own location

for the file. To choose your own personal location select the link (horizontal ellipses or … ) to

Output tab

Figure 99. Output tab

To configure output settings:

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Niagara 4100 User Guide

the right of the File Name field and display the options (Figure 100).

Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D:\AVFiles\ with a default file name of

capture.mp4. See Exporting captured video files for instructions on saving video files to a
USB device.

Figure 100. Select a folder

WARNING! You can only save media files to drive D. Check drive properties for available

free space to determine your storage capacity.

A better practice would be to use a streaming server to save a file or to save it to a remote
drive. If you inadvertently fill all available space, you risk losing your stream during a
streaming event.

7.

Select the Container Type (see Table 2).

8.

Click the Enable Injection checkbox to inject an SDP file onto your server.

9.

Set the appropriate setting for the server.

10.

Enter the username and password.

11.

Enter the Server SDP File Name.

12.

Enter the Server Port Number.

13.

Click Save Settings.

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Advanced Operations

1.

Click Edit next to the setting you want to modify.

IMPORTANT! These advanced settings affect the way the encoder performs and if set

incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder operations. Refer to the H.264 Advanced
Settings section in Appendix B for suggested values for the type of video you are streaming.

2.

Change the Value.

3.

Click Update.

4.

Click the Restore Defaults link at the bottom of the window to return the settings to the
defaults.

Note: The database has seven custom presets. Clicking Restore Defaults for one profile will

change all profiles back to the default settings.

H.264 Presets tab

Figure 101. H.264 Settings tab

To configure H.264 settings:

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MPEG4 Presets tab

1.

Click Edit next to the setting you want to modify.

IMPORTANT! These advanced settings affect the way the encoder performs and if set

incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder operations. Refer to the H.264 Advanced
Settings section in Appendix B for suggested values for the type of video you are streaming.

2.

Change the Value.

3.

Click Update.

4.

Click the Restore Defaults link at the bottom of the window to return the settings to the
defaults.

Note: The database has seven custom presets. Clicking Restore Defaults for one profile will

change all profiles back to the default settings.

Figure 102. MPEG4 Settings tab

Niagara 4100 User Guide

To configure MPEG4 settings:

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Advanced Operations

1.

Click Edit next to the setting you want to modify.

IMPORTANT! These advanced settings affect the way the encoder performs and if set

incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder operations. Refer to the H.264 Advanced
Settings section in Appendix B for suggested values for the type of video you are streaming.

2.

Change the Value.

3.

Click Update.

4.

Click the Restore Defaults link at the bottom of the window to return the settings to the
defaults.

Note: The database has seven custom presets. Clicking Restore Defaults for one profile will

change all profiles back to the default settings.

MPEG2 Presets tab

Figure 103. MPEG2 Settings tab

To configure MPEG2 settings:

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Niagara 4100 User Guide

Editing a Windows Media encoder

To create an encoder, Encoders  All Encoders  Create New Encoder link  Encoder Name field.

When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The Encoder Properties
windows for editing a new encoder or an existing encoder are identical. You must configure the video
and audio settings for each encoder type.

Use the Video, Audio, Output, and DRM tabs to edit the settings. Begin with configuring the video and
audio settings then the server settings. The server settings are different for each type of encoder.

From the Windows Media Encoder Properties window (Figure 104), you can set the encoder to start
streaming automatically by selecting Auto Start. You can also start this encoder from this window by
clicking the Start Windows Media Encoder link at the top right corner of the window.

Click Encoders  All Encoders from the home page. Then select the Edit link next to the Windows Media
encoder whose properties you wish to modify. The system displays the Encoder Properties window for
the selected encoder.

IMPORTANT! If you make any changes to the Encoder Properties window, you must click Save Settings.

Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.

Figure 104. Windows Media encoder properties

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Advanced Operations

1.

Select the video input Source from the drop-down list.

2.

In the Size field, click the pre-determined size of the encoded video from the drop-down list:
You can also specify a custom size for your video. The customization is useful when you are
capturing video to be played on a mobile video-device that requires a non-standard size for
compatibility.
When you click Custom, two additional fields appear so you can enter the exact size you want
the resulting video to be (Figure 106).

Note: The size in the Width and Height fields must be divisible by 2.

Figure 106. Custom fields

WARNING! Ensure all of the encoders using the same video Proportion and Size settings also

use the save Video and Audio Source settings.

3.

Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 107).

Figure 107. Video filter settings

Video tab

Figure 105. Video tab

To configure video settings:

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