ViewCast Niagara 9100 Series User Manual

Niagara® 9100 Series User Guide

are trademarks or registered trademarks of ViewCast Corporation or its subsidiaries. Microsoft, Windows XP, Windows, Windows Media, and Silverlight are trademarks or registered

trademarks of Microsoft Corporation QuickTime, iPhone, iPad, 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 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 coverage that is more substantial, 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: 972.488.7157, Fax: 972.488.7111 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

Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

Contents

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

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

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

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

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

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

Installing additional software .......................................................................................................... 5

Connecting to the Internet .............................................................................................................. 5

Environmental notices ..................................................................................................................... 6

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Niagara 9100 series front panel ..................................................................................................... 12

Niagara 9100 series back panel ..................................................................................................... 14

Connecting the system .................................................................................................................. 15

Niagara 9100 series directional buttons ........................................................................................ 16

Niagara 9100 series home page ..................................................................................................... 17

Menu bar commands .............................................................................................................. 17

Niagara 9100 series browser windows flow .................................................................................. 19

Easy Setup ......................................................................................................................... 21

Web interface ................................................................................................................................ 22

Easy first time set up ...................................................................................................................... 23

Connecting to an electrical power source ............................................................................... 23

Performing the initial startup .................................................................................................. 24

Registering your product ......................................................................................................... 26

Connecting to an IP network ................................................................................................... 29

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Basic Operations ............................................................................................................... 30

Logging in ....................................................................................................................................... 30

Creating an encoder ....................................................................................................................... 32

Viewing all encoders ...................................................................................................................... 33

Starting an encoder ........................................................................................................................ 34

Stopping an encoder ...................................................................................................................... 35

Connecting an external storage device.......................................................................................... 36

Analog Inputs .................................................................................................................... 37

Adaptive Apple HTTP Live streaming encoder with analog inputs ................................................ 38

Video tab ................................................................................................................................. 39

Audio tab ................................................................................................................................. 43

Output tab ............................................................................................................................... 44

Adaptive Adobe Flash Dynamic streaming encoder with analog inputs ....................................... 46

Video tab ................................................................................................................................. 47

Audio tab ................................................................................................................................. 51

Output tab ............................................................................................................................... 52

Adaptive Microsoft Smooth Streaming encoder with analog inputs ............................................ 54

Video tab ................................................................................................................................. 55

Audio tab ................................................................................................................................. 59

Output tab ............................................................................................................................... 60

Adobe Flash H.264 encoder with analog inputs ............................................................................ 62

Video tab ................................................................................................................................. 63

Audio tab ................................................................................................................................. 65

Output tab ............................................................................................................................... 66

H.264 Presets ........................................................................................................................... 68

AVI encoder with analog inputs ..................................................................................................... 69

Video tab ................................................................................................................................. 70

Audio tab ................................................................................................................................. 72

Output tab ............................................................................................................................... 73

MPEG4 encoder with analog inputs .............................................................................................. 75

Video tab ................................................................................................................................. 76

Audio tab ................................................................................................................................. 80

Output tab ............................................................................................................................... 81

H.264 Presets tab .................................................................................................................... 83

MPEG-4 Presets tab ................................................................................................................. 84

MPEG-2 Presets tab ................................................................................................................. 85

Microsoft Windows Media encoder with analog inputs ............................................................... 86

Video tab ................................................................................................................................. 87

Audio tab ................................................................................................................................. 89

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Output tab ............................................................................................................................... 90

DRM tab ................................................................................................................................... 93

Digital Inputs ..................................................................................................................... 95

Adaptive Apple HTTP encoder with digital inputs ......................................................................... 96

Video tab ................................................................................................................................. 97

Audio tab ............................................................................................................................... 101

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

Adaptive Adobe Flash encoder with digital inputs ...................................................................... 104

Video tab ............................................................................................................................... 105

Adaptive encoder video stream table ................................................................................... 107

Audio tab ............................................................................................................................... 109

Output tab ............................................................................................................................. 110

Adaptive Microsoft Smooth Streaming encoder with digital inputs ........................................... 112

Video tab ............................................................................................................................... 113

Audio tab ............................................................................................................................... 117

Output tab ............................................................................................................................. 118

Adobe Flash H.264 encoder with digital inputs ........................................................................... 120

Video tab ............................................................................................................................... 121

Audio tab ............................................................................................................................... 123

Output tab ............................................................................................................................. 124

H.264 Presets tab .................................................................................................................. 126

AVI encoder with digital inputs .................................................................................................... 127

Video tab ............................................................................................................................... 128

Audio tab ............................................................................................................................... 130

Output tab ............................................................................................................................. 131

MPEG4 encoder with digital inputs ............................................................................................. 133

Video tab ............................................................................................................................... 134

Audio tab ............................................................................................................................... 138

Output tab ............................................................................................................................. 140

H.264 Presets tab .................................................................................................................. 142

MPEG4 Presets tab ................................................................................................................ 143

MPEG2 Presets tab ................................................................................................................ 144

Windows Media encoder with digital inputs ............................................................................... 145

Video tab ............................................................................................................................... 146

Audio tab ............................................................................................................................... 148

Output tab ............................................................................................................................. 149

DRM tab ................................................................................................................................. 152

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Contents

IP Inputs ........................................................................................................................... 153

IP ingest ........................................................................................................................................ 153

Video tab ............................................................................................................................... 154

Audio tab ............................................................................................................................... 157

TS Container .................................................................................................................... 159

Streaming to a TS container ......................................................................................................... 159

Streaming ..................................................................................................................................... 162

Output tab ............................................................................................................................. 162

Encoder Groups .............................................................................................................. 165

Viewing encoder groups .............................................................................................................. 165

Creating encoder groups.............................................................................................................. 166

Starting an encoder group ........................................................................................................... 167

Stopping an encoder group ......................................................................................................... 167

Editing encoder groups ................................................................................................................ 168

Additional Settings and Features ................................................................................... 169

Configuring machine properties .................................................................................................. 169

Changing the computer name ............................................................................................... 170

Changing the login password from the factory default ........................................................ 171

Configuring alerts ......................................................................................................................... 172

Configuring network properties .................................................................................................. 173

Configuring network cards .................................................................................................... 173

Configuring IP address ........................................................................................................... 174

Configuring advanced network settings ................................................................................ 174

IP Route table ............................................................................................................................... 175

System configuration settings...................................................................................................... 176

Setting current system configuration .................................................................................... 177

Configuring email/SMTP settings .......................................................................................... 178

Configuring default directory setting .................................................................................... 179

Setting CPU thresholds .......................................................................................................... 180

Restore Niagara factory defaults ........................................................................................... 181

Viewing the activity log ................................................................................................................ 182

Viewing alerts............................................................................................................................... 183

Connecting an external storage device........................................................................................ 184

Using the Niagara SCX web interface........................................................................................... 184

SNMP ............................................................................................................................... 185

External SNMP Manager ....................................................................................................... 186

SNMP UDP Ports Used by SNMP Manager and SNMP Agents .................................................... 186

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

UDP Port for SNMP Requests ................................................................................................ 186

UDP Port for SNMP Traps ...................................................................................................... 186

Install ViewCast SNMP Agent Service .......................................................................................... 187

Installing for the first time ..................................................................................................... 187

Installing new version of ViewCast SNMP Agent Service ...................................................... 190

Install and Configure Supero Doctor III Agent Service ................................................................. 192

Configure Supero Doctor III SNMP Agent Service ........................................................................ 193

Disable health monitoring for devices not in use ................................................................. 193

Enabling health monitoring for devices not in use ............................................................... 194

Configure ViewCast SNMP Agent Service .................................................................................... 195

Configuring community names ............................................................................................. 195

Configuring permitted SNMP managers ............................................................................... 196

Configuring trap destinations ................................................................................................ 198

Configuring SNMP Agent contact and location (optional) .................................................... 200

Use UDP Port Other Than 161 for SNMP Requests ..................................................................... 201

ViewCast SNMP Agent Logging .................................................................................................... 201

Disable IIS Logging for ViewCast Encoders Web Service ............................................................. 202

ViewCast SNMP Agent MIB Files .................................................................................................. 204

Retrieving IP and MAC Addresses of the Encoder System .......................................................... 204

SNMP Examples ........................................................................................................................... 204

Query of system information (SNMP GET Example) ............................................................. 204

Start/stop an encoder through SNMP ................................................................................... 205

Start/stop all encoders per group through SNMP................................................................. 205

Start/stop all encoders in the system through SNMP ........................................................... 205

Start SNMP trap listener ........................................................................................................ 206

Appendix A: DRM for Windows Media ........................................................................... 207

Importing a DRM profile .............................................................................................................. 207

Appendix B: H.264 Advanced Settings .......................................................................... 213

H.264 Presets ............................................................................................................................... 213

Settings ........................................................................................................................................ 214

MPEG-4 Presets ........................................................................................................................... 216

Settings ........................................................................................................................................ 217

MPEG-2 Presets ........................................................................................................................... 220

Settings ........................................................................................................................................ 221

Appendix C: Mapped Network Drive Setup ................................................................... 225

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Contents

Appendix D: System Menu (LCD Display) ..................................................................... 233

System status menu ..................................................................................................................... 233

CPU ........................................................................................................................................ 233

Memory ................................................................................................................................. 233

HDD ....................................................................................................................................... 233

Operating System .................................................................................................................. 233

Network I/F ............................................................................................................................ 233

Monitor status menu ................................................................................................................... 234

CPU&Mem Used .................................................................................................................... 234

Up Time ................................................................................................................................. 234

Index ................................................................................................................................ 235

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

Before You Begin

Thank you for purchasing the ViewCast Niagara 9100 series streaming media system. The Niagara 9100 is a high-density/high-performing multiple encoder platform for service providers, broadcasters, and enterprises. The Niagara 9100 can be configured for a variety of video and audio inputs including HD SDI, component, Y/C, composite video with balanced, unbalanced, embedded, and AES/EBU audio. The Niagara 9100 models include:

 Niagara 9100-8A – Eight analog inputs

 Niagara 9100-2D – Two digital inputs

 Niagara 9100-2IP – Two IP inputs

 Niagara 9100-8AR – Eight analog inputs, redundant power (available soon)

 Niagara 9100-2DR – Two digital inputs, redundant power (available soon)

 Niagara 9100-4IPR – IP inputs, redundant power and redundant IP (available soon)

For the latest ViewCast product information and news, visit www.viewcast.com.

Product description

You can configure the Niagara 9100 with up to eight independent channels. The Niagara 9100 series systems support live Adaptive streaming to Adobe® Flash Media Server and Apple® (iPhone® and iPad® mobile digital devices), Adobe Flash® H.264, MPEG-4, H.263, H.264, and Microsoft® Windows Media (Silverlight®) standard and high definition, Microsoft Live IIS Smooth Streaming, as well as container support for 3GPP and 3GPP2.

You can configure your system by attaching a monitor, keyboard, and mouse to the system (see Easy Setup).To control your system from another networked computer, use the client interface for remote management software. The web interface allows you to set many other system parameters for your Niagara system.

Figure 1. ViewCast Niagara 9100 series

Audience

The audience for this publication includes anyone who uses or administers the Niagara 9100. They should have a basic technical understanding of streaming media. This user guide provides information on the Niagara 9100 series 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.

In the example, enter DTMF as the group type. Press Enter to save 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…

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…

WARNING!

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

WARNING! Do not touch

exposed wires.

Conventions for this guide

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

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

Operating Temperature

The operating ambient temperature of a rack environment may be greater than room ambient if installed in a closed or multiunit 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).

Rack mount safety instructions

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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 9100 series 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.

Note 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.

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

Installing additional software

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 system may fail.

You may load additional software on the system; however, ViewCast does not support this additional software. You also need to ensure the primary drive is not full or the system will fail. In the event of a problem, you may need to perform a Factory Restore, which returns the system 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 system to the software load that came with the system. Perform a Factory Restore if the system 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 system 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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Before You Begin

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.

Environmental notices

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

Warnings

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

Do not attempt to open the case of the system. If you do so, 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, ViewCast voids your 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. WARNING! 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.

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

 System 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.

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.

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

Overview

Before you can use your Niagara 9100 series 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 audiovisual output device)  A streaming media server or hosting provider  IP connection and/or Internet connection

The Niagara 9100 series are easy-to-use streaming systems that allow 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 system.  Select your output formats and streaming settings.  Enter your streaming server information.  Start streaming your media.

Use the web interface for setting options and controlling your Niagara system from another networked computer, as well as options that are more advanced.

Note: Read the information in this section before connecting the system to the power source.

Media system functions

Although it has many features and capabilities, the Niagara series streaming media systems perform the following functions:

 Supports both Multi-Program Transport Stream (MPTS) and Single Program Transport Stream (SPTS).  Accepts digital standard definition (SD) or high definition (HD) SDI video and a variety of digital and analog audio

inputs depending on the configuration of your system

 Encodes the signals into digital IP video formats  Delivers the IP audio and video content over an IP network and can save an archival copy

ViewCast 9

Overview

System

 Niagara streaming media system

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)

Hardware

 1 pair rack slide rails

Guides

 Package insert (end-user license agreement)  User guide (on CD in PDF format)

Software

 Niagara product CD

Install overview

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

1. Address and comply with all prerequisites.

2. Connect the Niagara system using its power source.

3. Connect the video source (camera or video recorder) to the system.

4. Connect the system to an IP network.

5. Configure the Niagara system.

Prerequisites

Before installing and connecting the Niagara system, 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:

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

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

System requirements

Ensure your computer meets the following system requirements.

 Browser interface  Any Firefox or 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 and dial-up users

Specifications

 Multi-core processors

 500 GB SATA HDD

 1U rack mount system (1RU x 17” W x 25.6” D)

 41 lbs (18.6 Kgs)

 560 W power supply

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Overview

The LCD display shows the system menu and allows you to perform basic functions.

Press this button to Cancel a system menu action.

Press this button to Enter or accept a system menu action.

Directional buttons enable you to maneuver through the system menu (see Niagara 9100 series ).

LED light illuminates when you press the UID (unit identifier) button on the rear of the chassis. This function is for easy system location in large stack configurations.

Indicator light flashes when there is network activity on LAN1 or LAN2.

Indicator light flashes when there is SATA and/or USB port activity.

Light indicates power is being supplied to the system’s power supply units. This LED should

normally be illuminated when the system is operating.

Locks the cover on the Niagara 9100. (Key is included.)

Press this button to release the front cover from the Niagara 9100.

Note: If you remove the front cover and then place it back, the LCD display will no longer

show the system menu. To restart the LCD display, you can reboot the system or using a monitor connected to the system:

1. Click the Windows start icon.

2. Click All Programs  Startup  LCDMainUI.bat. The system menu displays.

Hard-drive bays. Pull the lever to release the bay.

WARNING! The hard drives are not hot swappable. Trying to hot swap can damage the

system.

Dual USB ports allow the export of files to USB storage devices, installing updates or firmware, or connecting USB devices.

Press this unit identifier (UID) button to illuminate the LED on both the front and rear of the machine. The LED remains lit until you push the button a second time.

Universal information LED light:

Niagara 9100 series front panel

You should familiarize yourself with the front panel controls for the Niagara 9100 series. Remove the front panel to access additional functionality such as USB ports and the power button. Figure 2 and the table below illustrate the buttons and lights that constitute the front panel functions.

Figure 2. Niagara 9100 series front panel

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

 Fast blinking red – fan failure  Slow blinking red – power failure  Solid red – CPU overheat  Solid blue – Local UID button depressed  Blinking blue – IPMI-activated UID

Press the reset button to reboot the system.

The main power button is used to turn off the power supply to the server system. Turning off system power removes the main power but keeps standby power supplied to the system.

ViewCast 13

Overview

Provides system power.

Use this port to connect a PS/2 mouse.

Use this port to connect a PS/2 keyboard.

Use these ports to connect USB control devices, such as a USB memory device, keyboard, and mouse.

Use this port for an IPMI LAN connection.

A COM1 RS232

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

Dual Ethernet ports provide redundant connections to your network.

Press this unit identifier (UID) button to illuminate the LED on both the front and rear of the machine. The LED remains lit until you push the button a second time.

Connect the video and audio.

Niagara 9100 series back panel

Figure 3 illustrates all connectors and other components of the Niagara 9100 series back panel. The connectors vary depending on the Osprey capture card installed. Figure 3 depicts the Niagara 9100-2D model.

Figure 3. Niagara 9100 series back panel

Depending on the Niagara 9100 series model, the back may have additional components. For example, Figure 4 depicts the Niagara 9100-4IPR with redundant power supply and IP connectors.

Figure 4. Niagara 9100-4IPR

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

Connect the appropriate video and audio connectors (item J on Figure 3).

Connect the power AC adaptor (item A on Figure 3). For redundant models, two AC power connectors are available (Figure 4).

Attach the system to the network input (item H on Figure 3).

Press Power (item P on Figure 2).

Connecting the system

The following steps refer to a direct connection to the Niagara 9100 series systems only.

Note: The redundant models include hot swappable power supply modules.

To connect the system:

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Overview

Press any of the four-directional buttons until the desired status menu displays.

Press Enter. The status displays.

Note: Press Cancel to return to the main menu.

Niagara 9100 series directional buttons

The Niagara 9100 series directional buttons (Figure 5) are located on front panel. The buttons direct the system menu that is also on the front panel. The menu allows you to view the status of the system and monitor. The system menu displays automatically when the Niagara 9100 is booted up. See Appendix D: System Menu (LCD Display) for a complete reference guide to the functions available through the system menu.

Figure 5. Directional buttons

To use the directional buttons:

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

Command

Function

Home

 View general administrative information about

the Niagara system.

 Use the menu bar commands.

Encoders

 All Encoders – View the encoder profiles.  Groups – Manage specific encoder groups that

have one or more encoders assigned.

Configuration

 Machine Properties – View details on the

machine properties including the network name, serial number, and all software versions installed.

 Alerts – Modify the settings to control how the

system manages application alerts that occur during normal operations or streaming.

 Network Properties – View information on the

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 the Niagara system whenever it

Niagara 9100 series home page

The home page (Figure 6) is the first page presented 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 of the Niagara system.

Figure 6. Series home page

Menu bar commands

The home page menu bar allows you to use the commands described in the table below.

ViewCast 17

Overview

Command

Function

encounters an operation error.

Status

 View Activity Log – View all system activities

including the time and date of each event.

 View Alerts – View all alerts including the time

and date of each alert.

Maintenance

 Product Registration – Register your Niagara

system to protect your investment.

Log Out

 Log out of the system and return to the login

screen.

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

Niagara 9100 series browser windows flow

Figure 7 shows the interrelationship and flow of the available configuration windows you may use to configure the Niagara 9100 system.

Figure 7. Niagara 9100 series browser windows

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Overview

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

Easy Setup

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

The web interface provides the ability to control your Niagara system remotely from a computer that can be rooms or continents away from the system if both your Niagara system and the computer have Internet access to communicate with each other.

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

 Encoder settings

 Groups

 Network properties

 Machine properties

 System properties

 System alerts

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Easy Setup

Web interface

The web interface presents a logical flow of configuration information for the encoding system. Refer to Figure 7 for a diagram and menu bar commands, which include:

 Home

 Encoders

o All Encoders including Encoder Properties o Groups

 Configuration

o Niagara Properties o Alerts including Settings o Network Properties o IP Route o System Configuration

 Status

o Activity Log o Alerts

 Maintenance

o Product Registration

 Log Out

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

Attach the block end to the power input located next to the fan on the rear panel of the system.

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 before getting started with your new Niagara system 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 system for assistance in obtaining any missing or replacement parts.

Connecting to an electrical power source

Niagara system 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.

WARNING! Do not work on the system, connect, or disconnect cables during periods of lightning

activity.

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Easy Setup

Ensure that you connect all devices (power cords, cables, audio/video sources, etc.) to the system.

Remove the front panel by pressing the release button and gently pulling the cover toward you.

Press Power on the front panel to start the system. Allow the system to boot.

From another computer on the same DHCP/DNS network as the Niagara 9100, launch Internet Explorer and enter http:// and the serial number of your system.

Note: The serial is on the top of the system in the format fexxxxxxx. Note: If you do not have a DHCP network or you cannot connect to the Niagara 9100

through its DNS name, connect a monitor, mouse, and keyboard directly to the Niagara 9100 to obtain or change the IP address. Connect a standard VGA monitor to the service connector and the mouse/keyboard to USB ports. The Niagara 9100 will have a Microsoft 7 desktop. From the desktop, launch Internet Explorer or Firefox.

Enter admin as the user name and admin as the password and click Log In when the Admin Log In window displays (Figure 8).

Figure 8. Log In window

Performing the initial startup

The steps in the following table refer to a direct connection to the Niagara 9100 series systems only.

To perform the initial startup:

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

The first time you start the Niagara 9100 and log in, the system prompts you for the date, time, and video standard. You may accept the default date, time, and video standard or enter your desired date, time, and video standard (Figure 9).

Note: The Video Standard options in the drop-down list will vary depending on the

configuration of your system.

Figure 9. Date and time settings

Click Submit.

The Admin Log In window may reappear once you submit the date, time, and video standard fields. You must enter admin as the user name and admin as the password again. This time when you enter your valid user name and password, the system displays the Welcome window and Niagara 9100 main menu (Figure 10).

Figure 10. Welcome window

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Easy Setup

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

11).

Figure 11. Product Registration

Note: The default is Register the product online.

Enter your name and contact information in the spaces provided.

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

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:

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

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

11).

Note: The default is Register the product online.

Click Register the product on another computer or over the phone.

Figure 12. Product registration

Copy the registration URL.

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

To register at viewcast.com:

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Easy Setup

Enter your name and contact information in the spaces provided.

Figure 13. Contact information

Select the type of product. The serial number and SKU are automatically populated.

Figure 14. Product information

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

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

Connecting to an IP network

Some Niagara 9100 series systems have two 1 Gbit network interface ports and some have redundant IP connections. The network settings for these ports 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, the system assigns its own IP address.

Note: If you are not familiar with network protocols, contact your network administrator for

assistance. If you are not able to browse to the unit with a DHCP network, you may connect a monitor, keyboard, and mouse to the system to determine and set the network connections.

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

Locate the serial number on the side or bottom of the system (in the format fe11430001).

Open the web browser on your computer.

You can either:

 Type the Niagara 9100 serial number in the address bar (Figure 15).

Figure 15. Serial number

 Type the IP address in the address bar (Figure 16).

Figure 16. IP address

Press Enter. The Admin Log In window displays (Figure 17).

Figure 17. Admin Log In window

Type the User Name and Password.

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

password admin.

Basic Operations

Basic operations include but are not limited to the following:

 Creating an encoder

 Viewing all encoder

 Starting an encoder

 Editing an encoder

 Stopping an encoder

Logging in

To log in:

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

Press Log In. The Niagara 9100 Welcome window and menu bar appear (Figure 18).

Figure 18. Welcome window

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Basic Operations

Click the Create New Encoder link. The Create New Encoder window displays (Figure 20).

Figure 20. Create New Encoder window

Select the Encoder Type from the drop-down list.

Enter the name of the encoder.

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

If you create an Adaptive Live Streaming encoder, you need to select a Publisher from the drop-down list.

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

Select the Encoder Name from the drop-down list.

Click Create New Encoder.

The steps for configuring the encoder vary according to the inputs. Follow the steps for the desired inputs referring to the information for that encoder.

Creating an encoder

The Niagara 9100 does not have any default encoders. You must create an encoder before you start streaming. To create an encoder, click Encoders  All Encoders. The Encoders window displays (Figure

19).

Figure 19. Encoders window

To create an encoder:

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

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

Click this link to delete an encoder from the list.

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

Displays the name you assigned to the encoder.

Displays the status of the last action.

Displays the result of the last operation.

Click this link to create a new encoder.

Displays the amount of CPU usage.

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

Click this link to view and edit encoder groups.

Click this link to stop all encoders

Displays the total number of encoders.

Viewing all encoders

The Encoders window provides a list of the encoders loaded on the Niagara 9100 series system. On the home page, click Encoders  All Encoders.

Figure 21. Encoders window

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Basic Operations

Click the red circle (stopped) icon (Figure 22) in the Streaming column for the encoder you want to start streaming.

Figure 22. Stopped icon

Messages appear detailing the encoder start progress (Figure 23).

Figure 23. Encoder status

The Encoders window appears with the encoder status updated and the streaming indicator changes to a blue circle Started icon (Figure 24).

Figure 24. Encoders window

Starting an encoder

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

To start an encoder:

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

Click the blue circle (started) icon of the encoder you wish to stop streaming (Figure 25).

Figure 25. Started icon

Messages appear detailing the encoder stop progress (Figure 26).

Figure 26. Encoder status

The Encoders window appears with the encoder status updated to reflect the Stopped mode and the streaming indicator changes to a red circle Stopped icon (Figure 27).

Figure 27. Encoders window

Stopping an encoder

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

To stop an encoder:

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Basic Operations

Connecting an external storage device

The Niagara 9100 series systems have two USB ports on the front panel and two on the back panel. You can connect almost any standard USB device to one or both of these ports. You can then export any

audiovisual files you may have created on the system’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, the system automatically detects the removable storage device, and assigns a drive letter to the device.

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

Analog Inputs

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

The web interface works with any computer that has a current web browser (Internet Explorer and Firefox), including Windows®, Macintosh®, and Linux® machines. For the best user experience, ViewCast recommends Internet Explorer. The system must reside either on a shared IP network with the computer or directly connected to a Microsoft® Windows computer using an Ethernet cable (RJ45).

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Digital Inputs

Adaptive Apple HTTP Live streaming encoder with analog inputs

To create an adaptive encoder, Encoders  All Encoders  Create New Encoder link  Encoder Name field  Publisher drop-down list.

When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Properties window appears. The steps 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, and Output tabs to edit the settings. Begin with configuring the video and audio settings, then the server and destination settings. The server and destination settings are different for each type of encoder.

From the Encoder Properties window (Figure 28), you can set the encoder to start streaming automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start an encoder from this window by clicking the Start Apple HTTP Live Streaming Encoder link in the top right corner of the window.

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

Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.

Figure 28. Adaptive Apple HTTP Live streaming encoder

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

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

Note: When SimulStream is enabled, you may use the same input source in another encoding

profile. This lets you encode the same audio and video at multiple data rates and multiple formats to provide the best user experience for different viewing audiences.

In the Input field, select the video input.

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

video source.

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 30).

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

Figure 30. Custom fields

Enter the seconds for the GOP/Segment Length.

Video tab

Use the following table to configure the video analog input settings for an Adaptive Apple HTTP live streaming encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down lists may vary.

Figure 29. Video tab

To configure video settings:

ViewCast 39

Digital Inputs

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

Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 31).

Figure 31. Video Filter Settings

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

Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 32). Options include:

 None

– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.

 Auto

– 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.

 InverseTelecine

– 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.

 MotionAdaptive

– 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 32. 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.

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

Click Save Settings.

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

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.

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.

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.

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

Displays the width of the picture frame in the stream.

Displays the height of the picture frame in the stream.

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 33) 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 33. Adaptive encoder video stream table

When you hover your cursor over a stream setting, additional functions display (Figure 34).

ViewCast 41

Digital Inputs

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 player use this stream first. The settings for the initial stream appear in bold.

Figure 34. Additional functions

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

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.

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

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

(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence the audio.

Click Save Settings.

Audio tab

Use the following table to configure the audio analog input settings for an Adaptive Apple encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down lists may vary.

Figure 35. Audio tab

To configure audio settings:

ViewCast 43

Digital Inputs

Select Stream to Network Host.

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

Select the Host Address.

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.

Enter the address in the next field.

Indicate 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.

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

Note: The format is Subfolder_YYMMDD_HHMMSS.

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

Enter the name of the variant playlist file in the Filename field.

Enter the Number of Segments Per Folder.

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

the right of the Folder field to display the options.

Output tab

Use the following table to configure the output analog input settings for an Adaptive Apple encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down lists may vary.

Figure 36. Output tab

To configure output settings:

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D:\AVFiles.

Figure 37. 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 the streaming 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.

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.

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 9100

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.

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Digital Inputs

Adaptive Adobe Flash Dynamic streaming encoder with analog inputs

To create an adaptive encoder, Encoders  All Encoders  Create New Encoder link  Encoder Name field  Publisher drop-down list.

From the Encoder Properties window (Figure 38), you can set the encoder to start streaming automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start an encoder from this window by clicking the Start Adobe Flash Dynamic Streaming Encoder link in the top right corner of the window.

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

Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.

Figure 38. Adaptive Flash Dynamic streaming encoder

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

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

Note: When SimulStream is enabled, you may use the same input source in another encoding

profile. This lets you encode the same audio and video at multiple data rates and multiple formats to provide the best user experience for different viewing audiences.

In the Input field, select the video input.

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

your video source.

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 40).

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

Figure 40. Custom fields

Enter the seconds for the GOP/Segment Length.

Video tab

Use the following table to configure the video analog input settings for an Adaptive Adobe Flash dynamic streaming encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down lists may vary.

Figure 39. Video tab

To configure video settings:

ViewCast 47

Digital Inputs

Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 41).

Figure 41. Video Filter Settings

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

Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 42). Options include:

 None

– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.

 Auto

 InverseTelecine

 MotionAdaptive

– 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 42. 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.

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

Select Embed Timecode to enable embed system time as timecode. This action tags 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

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Niagara 9100 Series User Guide

the Frame Interval field. 0=disabled The range is 1 to 30 frames.

11.

Click Save Settings.

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.

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.

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

Displays the width of the picture frame in the stream.

Displays the height of the picture frame in the stream.

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.

Encoder video stream table

The adaptive encoder video stream table (Figure 43) 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 43. Encoder video stream table

When you hover your cursor over a stream setting, additional functions display (Figure 44).

ViewCast 49

Digital Inputs

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.”

Figure 44. Additional functions

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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.

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

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

(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence the audio.

Click Save Settings.

Audio tab

Use the following table to configure the audio analog input settings for an Adaptive Adobe Flash dynamic streaming encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down lists may vary.

Figure 45. Audio tab

To configure audio settings:

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Digital Inputs

Select Stream to Flash Media Server.

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

Enter the destination FMS Address.

Note: The Stream Path that displays is a combination of the FMS (Flash media Server)

address and the stream name.

Enter the Stream Name.

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

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 47).

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 47. Select a folder

Output tab

Use the following table to configure the output analog input settings for an Adaptive Adobe Flash dynamic streaming encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down lists may vary.

Figure 46. Output tab

To configure output settings:

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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 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.

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

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

 None  Adobe  Akamai  Limelight

Enter the Username.

Enter the Password.

10.

Click Save Settings.

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Digital Inputs

Adaptive Microsoft Smooth Streaming encoder with analog inputs

To create an adaptive encoder, Encoders  All Encoders  Create New Encoder link  Encoder Name field  Publisher drop-down list.

From the Encoder Properties window (Figure 48), you can set the encoder to start streaming automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start an encoder from this window by clicking the Start Microsoft Smooth Streaming Encoder link in the top right corner of the window.

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

Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.

Figure 48. Microsoft Smooth Streaming encoder

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

Note: When SimulStream is enabled, you may use the same input source in another encoding

profile. This lets you encode the same audio and video at multiple data rates and multiple formats to provide the best user experience for different viewing audiences.

In the Input field, select the video input.

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

your video source.

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 50).

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

Figure 50. Custom fields

Enter the seconds for the GOP/Segment Length.

Video tab

Use the following table to configure the video analog input settings for an Adaptive Microsoft Smooth Streaming encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down lists may vary.

Figure 49. Video tab

To configure video settings:

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Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 51).

Figure 51. Video Filter Settings

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

Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 52). Options include:

 None

– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.

 Auto

 InverseTelecine

 MotionAdaptive

– 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 52. 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.

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

Click Save Settings.

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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.

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.

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

Displays the width of the picture frame in the stream.

Displays the height of the picture frame in the stream.

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 53) 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 53. Adaptive encoder video stream table

When you hover your cursor over a stream setting, additional functions display (Figure 54).

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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.”

Figure 54. Additional functions

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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.

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

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

(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence the audio.

Click Save Settings.

Audio tab

Use the following table to configure the audio analog input settings for an Adaptive Microsoft Smooth Streaming encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down lists may vary.

Figure 55. Audio tab

To configure audio settings:

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Select Publish to IIS Host.

Enter the destination Host Address.

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

point.

Enter the Publish Point.

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.

Select the Key URL:

 http://  https://

Enter the PlayReady key URL.

Click Create to generate a unique Key ID.

Enter the Key Seed.

Click Stream to File System.

10.

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

Output tab

Use the following table to configure the output analog input settings for an Adaptive Microsoft Smooth Streaming encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.

Figure 56. Output tab

To configure output settings:

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right of the Folder field and display the options (Figure 57).

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 57. 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.

11.

Enter the Username.

Note: You can enter a maximum of 80 characters.

IIS authentication types supported are Basic and Digest.

12.

Enter the Password.

Note: You can enter a maximum of 20 characters.

13.

Click Save Settings.

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Adobe Flash H.264 encoder with analog inputs

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

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

From the Encoder Properties window (Figure 58), you can set the encoder to start streaming automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start an encoder from this window by clicking the Start Flash Encoder link in the top right corner of the window.

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

Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.

Figure 58. Flash encoder

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

Note: When SimulStream is enabled, you may use the same input source in another encoding

profile. This lets you encode the same audio and video at multiple data rates and multiple formats to provide the best user experience for different viewing audiences.

In the Input field, select the video input.

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

video source.

In the Size field, select the pre-determined 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 60).

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

Figure 60. Custom fields

Select the Video Encoder from the drop-down list.

Enter the frames per second in the Frame Rate field.

Video tab

Use the following table to configure the video analog input settings for a Flash encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.

Figure 59. Video tab

To configure video settings:

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Enter the Bitrate.

Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 61).

Figure 61. Video Filter Settings

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

Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 62). Options include:

 None

– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.

 Auto

 InverseTelecine

 Motion Adaptive

– 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 62. 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.

Click Save Settings.

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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 system and

your audio source.

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

Click the audio Format from the drop-down list.

Click the Audio Type from the drop-down list.

Click the Bitrate from the drop-down list.

The Audio Encoder setting is AAC.

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

(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence audio.

Click Save Settings.

Audio tab

Use the following table to configure the audio analog input settings for a Flash encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.

Figure 63. Audio tab

To configure audio settings:

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Select Enable Streaming to enable live Flash streaming.

Enter the proper IP address in the Server Address field.

Enter the Stream Name.

Select the Authentication Type from the drop-down list. Options are available for streaming directly to Adobe, Akamai, and Limelight CDNs.

Enter the User Name and Password.

Select the Embed System Time as Timecode.

Click the Frame Interval from the drop-down list.

Enable 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.

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 65).

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

Output tab

Use the following table to configure the output analog input settings for a Flash encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.

Figure 64. Output tab

To configure output settings:

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capture.f4v.

Figure 65. 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 the streaming 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.

11.

Click Save Settings.

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Click Edit next to the property you want to modify.

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

incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder operations. Refer to the H.264 Presets section for suggested values for the type of video you are streaming.

Change the value.

Click Update.

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

Note: The database has multiple properties for each preset. Clicking Restore Defaults for one

property will change all properties to the default settings.

Click Save Settings.

H.264 Presets

These advanced presets affect the way the encoder performs and if set incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder operations (Figure 66). Each preset contains properties that you can modify. Refer to Appendix B for suggested values for the type of video you are streaming.

Use the following table to configure the H.264 analog presets for a Flash encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.

Figure 66. H.264 Presets tab

To configure H.264 presets:

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AVI encoder with analog inputs

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

From the Encoder Properties window (Figure 67), you can set the encoder to start streaming automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start an encoder from this window by clicking the Start AVI Encoder link in the top right corner of the window.

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

Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.

Figure 67. AVI encoder

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

Note: When SimulStream is enabled, you may use the same input source in another encoding

profile. This lets you encode the same audio and video at multiple data rates and multiple formats to provide the best user experience for different viewing audiences.

In the Input field, select the video input.

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

video source.

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 69).

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

Figure 69. Custom fields

Select the Format from the drop-down list.

Enter the Frame Rate.

Video tab

Use the following table to configure the video analog input settings for an AVI encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.

Figure 68. Video tab

To configure video settings:

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Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 70).

Figure 70. Video Filter Settings

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

Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 71). Options include:

 None

– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.

 Auto

 InverseTelecine

 MotionAdaptive

– 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 71. 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.

Click Save Settings.

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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

video source.

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

Click the Audio Format from the drop-down list.

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

(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence audio.

Click Save Settings.

Audio tab

Use the following table to configure the audio analog input settings for an AVI encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.

Figure 72. Audio tab

To configure audio settings:

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You can:

 Use the default setting, Save to File, to save the encoded content to a file. Each time

you start this encoder, the system overwrites the previous file.

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

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 74).

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

capture.avi.

See Connecting an external storage device section for instructions on saving video files to a USB device.

Output tab

Use the following table to configure the output analog input settings for an AVI encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.

Figure 73. Output tab

To configure output settings:

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Figure 74. 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 the streaming 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.

Click Save Settings.

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MPEG4 encoder with analog inputs

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

From the Encoder Properties window (Figure 75), you can set the encoder to start streaming automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start an encoder from this window by clicking the Start MPEG4 Encoder link in the top right corner of the window.

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

Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.

Figure 75. MPEG4 encoder

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

Note: When SimulStream is enabled, you may use the same input source in another encoding

profile. This lets you encode the same audio and video at multiple data rates and multiple formats to provide the best user experience for different viewing audiences.

In the Input field, select the video input.

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

video source.

In the Size field, select the pre-determined 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 (Figure 77) appear so you can enter the exact size you want the resulting video to be.

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

Figure 77. Custom fields

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

also use the same Video and Audio Source settings. For example, all encoders capturing at

Video tab

Use the following table to configure the video analog input settings for an MPEG4 encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.

Figure 76. Video tab

To configure video settings:

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Standard proportion and CIF size are set to Video Device 1.1 while encoders capturing at Standard proportion but QCIF resolution are set to Video Device 1.2.

Click the type of Video Encoder for Internet video, mobile phones, set top boxes, and create media files for other MPEG-4 compatible devices such as iPods according to the Motion Picture Expert Group (MPEG) types (refer to Table 1 and Table 2).

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

If you select MPEG4 from the drop-down list, the MPEG-4 Presets tab displays (see MPEG-4 Presets tab). The fields on the Video, Audio, and Output tabs will change depending on the

type of video encoder you select.

See TS Container for steps on streaming to a TS container.

Enter the frames per second in the Frame Rate field.

Enter the kilobits per second in the Bitrate field.

In the Format field, indicate the color space format.

IMPORTANT! If you specify a video size incompatible with the color space of your source

video, the system will automatically correct the size to the closest compatible setting when you click Save Settings.

Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation (Figure 78).

Figure 78. Video filter settings

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

Click the De-Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 79). Options include:

 None

– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.

 Auto

 Inverse Telecine

 Motion Adaptive

– 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

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

Figure 79. 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.

11.

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.

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.

Table 1. MPEG encoder and container descriptions

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H263 – 3G2

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

Container

H.263 Video

MPEG-4 Video

H.264 Video

MPEG-2

MP4

N/A



3GP

  

3G2

  



Table 2. Valid output container selections for video encoder types

IMPORTANT! You must select container type 3GP or 3G2 on the Output tab before video encoder

H263 will appear on the Video tab.

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

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

Click the Audio Format.

Click the Audio Type. The drop-down list box provides two choices:

 Main – The same as Low Complexity, but adds backward prediction.  Low Complexity – The simplest and most widely used and supports AAC audio format.  HE-AAC VI – 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 heard, 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.

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.

Click the Bitrate.

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

(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence audio.

Click Save Settings.

Audio tab

Use the following table to configure the audio analog input settings for an MPEG4 encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.

Figure 80. Audio tab

To configure audio settings:

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Select Enable Streaming to stream your audiovisual content via RTSP.

Set the appropriate streaming properties.

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

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

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 a 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 same system as the Niagara SCX encoder unless you have a powerful system (dual-core processors or better). Doing so may overtax the host CPU, which will cause video

Output tab

Use the following table to configure the output analog input settings for an MPEG4 encoder.

Note: This tab is dynamic depending upon which encoder you select on the Video tab. The choices in

the drop-down list may vary.

Figure 81. Output tab

To configure output settings:

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quality degradation and encode session failure.

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

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

Accept the default location that displays in the File Name field or choose your own location for the file (Figure 82). To choose your own personal location select the link (horizontal ellipses or … ) to the right of the File Name field and display the options.

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

capture.mp4.

Figure 82. Select a folder

WARNING! You can only 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 streaming 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.

Click the Container Type.

Select Enable Injection to inject and SDP file onto your server.

Enter the username and password.

10.

Enter the Server SDP File Name.

11.

Enter the Server Port Number.

12.

Click Save Settings.

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Click Edit next to the property you want to modify.

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

incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder operations. Refer to the H.264 Presets section for suggested values for the type of video you are streaming.

Change the Value.

Click Update.

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

Note: The database has multiple properties for each preset. Clicking Restore Defaults for one

property will change all properties to the default settings.

H.264 Presets tab

Each preset contains properties that you can modify. Use the following table to configure the H.264 presets analog input settings for an MPEG4 encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.

Figure 83. H.264 Presets tab

To configure H.264 presets:

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Click Edit next to the property you want to modify.

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

incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder operations. Refer to the H.264 Presets section for suggested values for the type of video you are streaming.

Change the Value.

Click Update.

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

Note: The database has multiple properties for each preset. Clicking Restore Defaults for one

property will change all properties to the default settings.

MPEG-4 Presets tab

Each preset contains properties that you can modify. Use the following table to configure the MPEG-4 presets analog input settings for an MPEG4 encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.

Figure 84. MPEG-4 Presets tab

To configure MPEG-4 presets:

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Click Edit next to the property you want to modify.

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

incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder operations. Refer to the H.264 Presets section for suggested values for the type of video you are streaming.

Change the Value.

Click Update.

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

Note: The database has multiple properties for each preset. Clicking Restore Defaults for one

property will change all properties to the default settings.

MPEG-2 Presets tab

Each preset contains properties that you can modify. Use the following table to configure the MPEG-2 presets analog input settings for an MPEG2 encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.

Figure 85. MPEG-2 Presets tab

To configure MPEG-2 presets:

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Microsoft Windows Media encoder with analog inputs

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

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

From the Encoder Properties window (Figure 86), you can set the encoder to start streaming automatically by selecting the Auto Start check box. You can also start an encoder from this window by clicking the Start Windows Media Encoder link in the top right corner of the window.

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

Settings. Otherwise, all your changes will be lost.

Figure 86. Windows Media encoder

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

Note: When SimulStream is enabled, you may use the same input source in another encoding

profile. This lets you encode the same audio and video at multiple data rates and multiple formats to provide the best user experience for different viewing audiences.

In the Input field, select the video input.

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

your video source.

In the Size field, select the pre-determined 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 88).

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

Figure 88. Custom fields

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

Video tab

Use the following table to configure the video analog input settings for a Windows Media encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.

Figure 87. Video tab

To configure video settings:

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Digital Inputs

also use the same Video and Audio Source settings.

Drag the sliders to adjust the Brightness, Contrast, Hue, and Saturation.

Figure 89. Video Filter Settings

Note: Click Restore to the right of each filter to return the setting to the default.

Click the De-Interlace settings you want to apply (Figure 90). Options include:

 None

– Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.

 Auto

 InverseTelecine

 Motion Adaptive

– 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 90. 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.

Click Save Settings.

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

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

Select the Embedded Closed Caption to embed the closed captions.

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

(Optional) Select Mute Audio to silence audio.

Click Save Settings.

Audio tab

Use the following table to configure the audio analog input settings for a Windows Media encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.

Figure 91. Audio tab

To configure audio settings:

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Digital Inputs

Output tab

Windows Media is both a storage format and a streaming format. In addition to the ability to output to a file, the Windows Media encoder can stream to a Windows Media Server. The settings for Windows Media encoder include the ability to set parameters for connecting and streaming to the server.

Some Windows Media Capture Profiles have pre-defined video resolutions and input selections. When you select a Windows Media Capture Profile, verify your current video and audio settings have not been modified. If they have been modified, simply change these settings back to their previous settings and click Save Settings.

When streaming audio and video, the two methods are pull and push.

Pull method

In the pull method, the system begins to generate broadcast packets as soon as you start as soon as you start the encoding. However, it does not deliver the broadcast stream until Windows Media Server requests the stream. This method does not provide a secure connection to the server and should only be used if the encoder and server reside within the same network firewall.

To enable clients to pull the stream from the Niagara system, set up a session and begin broadcasting directly from the system. Clients (Windows Media servers or players) can connect to the stream at any time. You can use mms or http scheme with either the IP address of DNS host name. For example:

http://encoding_computer_name:port

Push method

With the push method, the system maintains a secure connection to Windows Media Server. This connection allows it to pass a user name and password to authenticate access to the server.

http://IP_address:port/publishing point

By default, the system supports up to 50 direct connections during a broadcast, but if you’re sending to a lot of clients push to Windows Media Server. Use the pull method for testing. Use the push method for a wide distribution.

Note: The more direct connections to the system, the more system resources are required. ViewCast

does not recommend directly connecting players to the system. Streaming servers should connect to the system and, in turn, players should connect to the servers.

Use the following table to configure the output analog input settings for a Windows Media encoder.

Note: The choices in the drop-down list may vary.

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Click on a Windows Media Capture Profile from the drop-down list.

Select Enable Pull.

Enter a port number that the server will use to pull the stream from the Niagara system.

Select Enable Push.

IMPORTANT! Be sure to enter a port number not already assigned to another encoder. If two

encoders attempt to use the same port number, one or both encoders will fail to start.

Enter a port number that the server will use to push the stream from the Niagara system.

Enter the Server name or IP address.

Enter the Alias.

Note: This field is optional.

Enter the User Name.

Enter the Password.

10.

Select Enable Scripting to embed closed captions.

Note: If closed captions is enabled through the Osprey driver, you cannot enable scripting.

11.

You can either:

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

the system overwrites the previous file.

 Select Index the file to drag the slider to any point in your video capture.  Select Create unique file to create a file that the system does not overwrite.

Figure 92. Output tab

To configure output settings:

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Digital Inputs

12.

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 93).

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

capture.wmv.

Figure 93. 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 the streaming 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.

13.

Click Save Settings.

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Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual