ViewCast 4100 manual

Document Number: 40-032 88 -01 -A Date: December 2010[...]

© 2010 ViewCast Corporation. All rights reserved. ViewCast, GoStream , ViewCast log o, SimulStream , Niagara, SchedulStream , Ni agara logo, Osprey , and Niagara SCX are trademarks or registered trade marks of ViewCast Corporation or its subsidiaries. Microsoft , Windows XP, Wi ndows , and Windows Media are trademarks or registered trademarks of M[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast iii Contents About This Guide ............................................................................................................ 1 Product description ............................................................................................................. 1 Audience ...................................[...]

Contents iv ViewCast Basic Operations ........................................................................................................... 29 Starting up ......................................................................................................................... 29 Shutting down ..................................................[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast v Viewing encoder groups ................................................................................................... 84 Creating encoder groups .................................................................................................. 85 Starting an encoder group .....................................[...]

Contents vi ViewCast VBR – Action .................................................................................................................... 123 Settings ........................................................................................................................... 124 Other settings .........................................[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 1 About This Guide Thank you for purchasing the ViewCast Niagara 4100 streaming media applia nce. This user guide provides step- by -step instructions for installing and using your new streaming media appliance. For t he latest ViewCast product information and news, visit our website at www.viewcast.com . Product de[...]

About This Guide 2 ViewCast Conventions for this guide This guide uses the document conven tions specified below to help you identify different ty pes of information. Convention Description Example Bold text Characters to enter when referenced in a procedure. The name of fields or keys to press. Enter DTMF as the group type. Press Enter to save all[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 3 Rack mount safety instructions Operating Temperature The operating ambient temperature of a rack enviro nment may be greater than room ambient if installed in a closed or multi-unit rack assembly. Therefore, you sho uld install the equipment in an environment compatible with the maximum ambien t temperature of 40?[...]

About This Guide 4 ViewCast 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 app roved by ViewCast Corporation could void the FCC - granted authority for you to operate the device. WARNING! The Niagara 4100 complies with the lim[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 5 Environmental notices Product Disposal Information: Dispose of this product in a ccordance with local and national disposal regulations (if any) in clud ing those regulations governing the recovery and recycling of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). RoHS Compliant: ViewCast Corporation commits to co[...]

About This Guide 6 ViewCast Warnings Only trained and qualified personnel should install, replace, or service this equipment. Do not attempt to open the case of the appliance . If you do, you incur a high risk of ele ctrical shock that may cause damage to the appliance or perso nal physical injury or death to you and/or other s. No user- serviceabl[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 7 Refer all servicing to authorized service personnel. You mus t have authorized personnel only service any damaged appliance. Relevant damage may occur with but is not limited to the following:  An unplugged or damaged power supply cord  Spilled liquid on the appliance  Fallen objects in or on the applianc[...]

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Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 9 Overview Before you can use your Niagara 4100 streaming media appliance, you first need to se t up and configure it. This chapter is dedicated to providing you wi th the details and step - by -step instructions y ou need to make your installation as quick and easy as possible. All you need to get started are the f[...]

Overview 10 ViewCast Install overview This section addresses the high-leve l actions you must perform to physically connect an d set up your Niagara 4100 system. You must complete the following primary tasks to i nstall the Niaga ra 4100 :  Address and comply with all prerequisites.  Connect the Niagara 4100 streaming media appliance using it[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 11 If any components are missing or dama ged, do not continue with the installation. Conta ct the ViewCast reseller from which you purchased your Niagara 4100 streaming media applia nce for assistance in obtaining any missing parts or for parts r eplacement. Syst em requirements Ensure your computer meets the follow[...]

Overview 12 ViewCast Connecting to the Internet The Internet is a dangerous place. Never connect a N iagara appliance directly to the Internet. Always use a router. A basic router is sufficient to protect the appliance and you can co nfigure the router as needed to forward specific ports to the appliance. The router’s bandwidth should match o r e[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 13 Niagara 4100 front panel diagram You should familiarize yourself with the front panel co ntrols for the Niagara 4100 (Figure 2). Besides the basic buttons for power, start/stop, up/ down and menu access, there are indicator lights that are hidden until illuminated. Figure 2 . Niagara 4100 front panel A Press this[...]

Overview 14 ViewCast Niagara 4100 back pan el diagram Refer to Figure 3 for all the connectors a nd other components of the Niagara 4100 back panel. Figure 3 . Niagara 4100 back panel A Left/right XLR connector for balanced audio so urces. XLR connectors are used by professional audio engineers and are f ound on high -end audio and video playback e[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 15 Connecting the Niagara 4100 Follow the steps in below to config ure all Niagara 4100 connections . The example uses SDI video and audio. The following steps refer to a direct connection to the Niag ara 4100 only. To connect the Niagara 4100: 1. Connect to the SDI digital input for video and audio (item B on Fig u[...]

Overview 16 ViewCast Niagara 4100 EASE menu The Niagara 4100 EASE menu (Figure 4) is lo cated on the LCD panel on the front of the unit . The menu allows you to quickly and easily configure the Niagara 4100 . You use the Up and Down arrow buttons to navigate through the different functions on the EASE menu. Figure 4 . EASE m enu Encode  Start an[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 17 Niagara 4100 home page The home page (Figure 5) is the first page that appears after you log in to the Niagara SCX Remote Management Software. Fr om this page, you can access the differe nt windows for configurin g, controlling, and monitoring the activities and alerts from the Niagara 4100 . Figure 5. Niagara 41[...]

Overview 18 ViewCast modify these properties.  System Configuration – Modify the system configura tion including setup for email alerts from Niagara 4100 whenever it encounters an operation error.  View Activity Log – View all Niagara 4100 activities in cluding the time and date for each event.  View Alerts – View all alerts includin[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 19 Niagara 4100 browser windows flow Figure 6 shows the interrelationship a nd flow of the available windows you may use to con figure the Niagara 4100 . Figure 6 . Niagara 4100 bro w ser window[...]

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Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 21 Easy Setup You use two interfaces to operate your Niagara 4100 streaming media appliance.  Niagara 4100 front panel LCD display and buttons  Web interface through Niagara SCX remote management software Most of the basic operations can be performed from the front pan el of the Niagara 4100 streaming media ap[...]

Easy Setup 22 ViewCast Web interface The web interface presents a logical flow of config uration information for the encoding appliance. Refer to Figure 6 for a diagram and menu bar commands which includ e:  Home  En coders o All Encoders including encoder properties o Presets A, B, and C o Groups  Configuration o Niagara 4100 Properties o[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 23 Easy first time set up You should read all instructions , notices, and warnings in the Abou t This Guide section prior to getting started with your new Nia gara 4100 hardware for the first time. Also, ensure y ou have all required parts and meet all system requirements befor e installing this product. Do not cont[...]

Easy Setup 24 ViewCast Performing the initial start up The first time you power up the Niagara 4100 , a series of menus appear on the LCD display that will assist you in setting up the system clock, date, a nd video input format (NTSC (North America /Japan) or PAL). The steps below refer to a direct connection to the Niagara 4100 only. To perform t[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 25 11. Press Enter to set the format. The scre en appears (Figure 10 ) confirming you have successfully set up your Niagara 4100. Figure 10 . Confirmation screen 12. Press Enter to exit the setup menu and reboot the appliance . The following screen ap pears: Figure 11 . Booting screen Connecting to an IP network The[...]

Easy Setup 26 ViewCast 7. Press Enter . The settings screen appears (Figure 14 ). Figure 14 . Setting s screen 8. Use the Up and Down arro w buttons to select Change Settings . 9. Press Enter . A screen appears that displays the vario us network settings. 10. Select the network setting you wish to change. Note: Once you modify the setting, the syst[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 27 Figure 18 . Subnet address screen 22. Use the Up and Down arro w buttons to change the numeric value incrementally and ent er the subnet address. 23. Press Enter . Note: To remove a static IP and/or Ga teway address, follow steps 12 through 15 to enable DHCP. The system removes any previously en tered static addr[...]

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Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 29 Basic Operations You may customize your encoder settin gs and assign specific en coder profiles using the front panel. Starting up If this is the first time you are using the Niagara 4100 , refer to the Perform ing the initial s tart up section before continuing. To start up : 1. Press Power . The LCD readout dis[...]

Basic Operations 30 ViewCast Shutting down Allow the Niagara 4100 to power down normally. If you force the system to shut down impro perly, your data can be corrupted. If so, the next time you start the system it can take several minutes to complete startup. To shut down: 1. Press Menu . Tab down to Shutdown System (Figure 20 ). Figure 20 . EASE me[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 31 Starting an encod er Niagara 4100 is a single-channel encoder, which means yo u can only connect and stream one audio an d video source at any given time. However, yo u can stream the same audio and video at multi ple data rates and multiple formats to provide the best user experience for dif ferent viewing audie[...]

Basic Operations 32 ViewCast CPU usage section to understand the limitations. After the encoder session has successfully beg un, the LCD display returns to the previous display of available encoders. The screen will indicate that the encoder profile you select ed has begun encoding. The video detection light illuminates if horizontal video sync is [...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 33 Checking CPU usage When the Niagara 4100 is idle (no encoders are stre aming), the CPU percentage is normally 4 % or less. If one or more encoders are streaming, th e percentage is much higher and flu ctuates in a range of +/ - 10 %. If the system is using less than 7 0 %, you may start another enc oder without a[...]

Basic Operations 34 ViewCast Stopping an encoder To stop an encoder: 1. Press Menu . The EASE menu appears . 2. Press Enter . The encoder screen appear s. 3. Use the Up and Down arro w buttons to highlight the encoder you wish to sto p. 4. Press Stop . The encoder screen appears (Fig ure 30 ) showing the status of each encoder. Figure 30 . Encoder [...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 35 Connecting an external storage device The Niagara 4100 has one USB port on the fron t panel and one on the back panel. You can connect almost any standard USB memory d evice to one or both of these ports. You ca n then export any audiovisual files you may have created on Niagara 4100 ’s local storage drive. The[...]

Basic Operations 36 ViewCast 7. Press Enter . The select folder screen app ears (Figure 35 ). Figure 35 . Select Folder scree n The select source screen appears (Figur e 36 ). Figure 36 . Select source scree n 8. Use the Up and Down arro ws to select the desired directory. 9. Press Enter . The filename screen appear s (Figure 37 ). Figure 37 . File[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 37 Advanced Operations The Niagara 4100 includes a web interface, whi ch allows you to access the advanced system settings . The web interface also provides detailed settings an d control over the encoder profiles installed on Niagara 4100 . Advanced operations include but are not limited to the following:  Creat[...]

Advanced Operations 38 ViewCast Figure 40 . Serial number Or  Type the IP address in the Address bar ( Figure 41 ). Figure 41 . IP address Note: The IP address appears on th e system ready screen when the syste m is idle. The Admin Log In window appears (Figure 42 ). Figure 42 . Admin Log I n window 4. Type the User Name and Password . IMPORTANT[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 39 Viewing all encoders The Encoders window (Figure 44 ) provides a list of all of the encoder profiles lo aded on the Niagara 4100 . On the home page click Encoders  All Encoders. Figure 44 . Encoders w indo w A Displays the amount of CPU usage. B Click this link to create a new encoder. C Displays the total num[...]

Advanced Operations 40 ViewCast Creating an encoder To create an encoder, on the home pag e click Encoders. To create an encoder: 1. Click the Create New Encoder link. The C reate New Encoder window displays ( Figure 45 ). Figure 45 . Create Ne w Encoder w indow 2. Select the Encoder Type from the drop- down list. 3. Enter the name of the encoder. [...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 41 Starting an encod er To start an encoder, on the home page click Encoders  All Encoders . To start an encoder: 1. Click the red circle Stopped icon (Figure 46 ) in the Streaming column for the encoder you want to start streaming. Figure 46 . Stopped icon Messages appear detailing the encoder start pro gress (F[...]

Advanced Operations 42 ViewCast Stopping an encod er To stop an encoder, on the home page click Encoders  All Encoders. To stop an encoder: 1. Click the blue Started icon of the en coder you wish to stop streaming ( Figure 49 ). Figure 49 . Started icon Messages appear detailing the encoder stop progre ss (Figure 50 ). Figure 50 . Encoder stoppe[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 43 Editing an Adaptive Apple HTTP encoder When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Pro perties window appears. The Encoder Pro perties windows for editing a new encoder or a n existing encoder are identical. You must config ure the audio and video settings for each encoder typ e. Use the Video, Audio, Output, and [...]

Advanced Operations 44 ViewCast Video tab Figure 53 . Video tab To configure video settings: 1. In the Source field, the default is Ospre y-700 HD Video Device 1 . Note: Because the Niagara 4100 is a single-channel encoder, you can only connect and stream one audio and video source at any given time. However, you can encode the same audio and video[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 45 5. Select the Frame Rate from the drop-d own list. 6. Drag the sliders to adjust the G amma , Brightness , Contrast , Hue , and Saturation (Figure 55 ). Figure 55 . Video Filter Settings Note: Click the Restore button to the right of the filter to reset the settings to the default. 7. Click the De -Interlace sett[...]

Advanced Operations 46 ViewCast Audio tab Figure 57 . Audio tab To configure audio settin gs: 1. In the Source field, click a device from the drop- down list.  AES Input 1 (Osprey-700 HD 1)  AES Input 2 (Osprey-700 HD 1)  Bal Input (Osprey-700 HD 1)  Digital Audio (S/PDIF) (High De  SDI Input 1 (Osprey-700 HD 1)  SDI Input 2 (Ospr[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 47 Apple HTTP Live Streaming Output tab Figure 58 . Apple HTTP Liv e Streaming Output tab To configure output setti ngs: 1. In the Publisher field, click Apple HTTP Live S treaming . Note: Because the Niagara 4100 is a single -channel encoder, you can only connect and stream one audio and video source at any given t[...]

Advanced Operations 48 ViewCast Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D: AVFiles. See Exportin g captured video files for instructions on saving video files to a USB device. WARNING! ViewCast strongly recommends you d o not alter the default directory setting unless you fully understand the risk of saving you r files to a directory not [...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 49 Apple HTTP Live Streaming Security tab via FTP Figure 60 . Apple HTTP Liv e Streaming Security tab via FTP To configure security settings: 1. Select the Authentication Type . Note: If http: is selected as the Host Address on the O utput tab, the option is Akamai Token Authentication. 2. Enter the Query String . N[...]

Advanced Operations 50 ViewCast Editing a n Adaptive Adobe Flash encoder When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Pro perties window appears. The Encoder Pro perties windows for editing a new encoder or a n existing encoder are identical. You must configure t he audio and video settings for each encoder typ e. Use the Video, Audio, Output, and Se[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 51 Video t ab Flash adds some additional frame and bit rate controls. The frame rate changes the fra mes per second that the video will be encoded. You can use the audio format setting to modify the audio frequency and change stereo to mono. The bit rate settings pertain to the amount of data per second the a udio a[...]

Advanced Operations 52 ViewCast Figure 63 . Custom fields Note: Choosing a size larger than 1 280 x 420 is not recommended due to th e high data rates CPU usage required. 5. Select t he Frame Rate from the dro-dow n list. 6. Drag the sliders to adjust the G amma , Brightness , Contrast , Hue , and Saturation (Figure 64 ). Figure 64 . Video Filter S[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 53 Figure 65 . 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 Au to and Inverse Telecine choices when you select either PAL or SECAM as the video sta ndard. 8. Click Submit .[...]

Advanced Operations 54 ViewCast Audio t ab Figure 66 . Audio t ab To configure audio settin gs: 1. In the Source field, select an audio sour ce from the drop -down list:  AES Input 1 (Osprey-700 HD 1)  AES Input 2 (Osprey-700 HD 1)  AES Input 3 (Osprey-700 HD 1)  AES Input 4 (Osprey-700 HD 1)  Digital Audio (S/PDIF (High De  SDI I[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 55 Adobe Flash Dynamic Streaming Output tab Figure 67 . Adobe Flash Dy namic Streaming Output tab To configure output setti ngs: 1. In the Publisher field, select Adobe Flash Dynamic S treaming . Note: Because the Niagara 4100 is a single-channel encoder, you can only connect and stream one audio and video source at[...]

Advanced Operations 56 ViewCast Only drive D on the Niagara 4100 has availa ble storage to save your files. Check drive properties for available free space to determine your s torage capacity . Use drives C, E, and F strictly for Niagara 41 00 operational programs. Any modifications to these drives can permanently dama ge your system an d void your[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 57 Adobe Flash Dynamic Streaming Security tab Figure 69 . Adobe Flash Dy namic Streaming Security tab To configure security settings: 1. Select the Authentication Type for transpo rt type:  Akamai Entry Point  LimeLight Server 2. Enter the Username . Note: You can enter a maximum of 80 characters. 3. Enter the[...]

Advanced Operations 58 ViewCast Editing an Adobe Flash H.264 enc oder When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Pro perties window appears. The Encoder Pro perties windows for editing a new encoder or a n existing encoder are identical. You must config ure the audio and video settings for each encod er type. Use the Video, Audio, Output, and H.264[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 59 Video tab Flash adds some additional frame and bit rate controls. The frame rate changes the fra mes per second that the video will be encoded. The bit rate settings pertain to the amount of data per seco nd the audio and video are captured. Figure 71 . Video tab To configure video input settings: 1. In the Sourc[...]

Advanced Operations 60 ViewCast Figure 72 . Custom fields Note: Choosing a size larger than 1 280 x 720 is not recommended due to th e high data rate and CPU usage required. 5. Enter the frames per second in the F rame Rate field. 6. Enter the Bitrate . 7. Drag the sliders to adjust the G amma , Brightness , Contrast , Hue , and Saturation (Figure [...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 61 Figure 74 . De -Interlace Settings Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only apply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL and SECAM video. The system disables Bob0 and Bob1 choices when yo u select either PAL or SECAM as the video standard. 9. Click Submit .[...]

Advanced Operations 62 ViewCast Audio t ab Figure 75 . Audio tab To configure audio settin gs: 1. In the Source field, select an audio sour ce from the drop -down list.  Disabled  AES Input 1 (Osprey-700 HD 1)  AES Input 2 (Osprey-700 HD 1)  Bal Input 1 (Osprey-700 HD 1)  SDI Input 1 (Osprey-700 HD 1)  SDI Input 2 (Osprey-700 HD 1[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 63 Output tab You need Adobe Flash Media Server 3 .5 or greater to stream Flash H.264. Figure 76 . Output tab To configure output setti ngs: 1. Click the Enable Streaming checkbox to enable live Flash streaming. 2. Enter the proper IP address in the Serv er Address field. 3. Enter the Stream Name . 4. Click the Serv[...]

Advanced Operations 64 ViewCast Figure 77 . Save to File Location WARNING! ViewCast strongly recommends you do no t alter the default directory setting unless you fully understand the risk of saving you r files to a directory not located on drive D. If you save your files to another drive on th e Niagara 4100, t he system could delete the files whe[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 65 H.264 Presets tab You can edit specific H.264 encoder settings or you ca n select a custom preset to use typical settings for your profile. These advanced settings affect the way the Encoder performs and if set incor rectly may lead to abnormal encoder operations (Figure 76 ). Refer to Appendix B for sugge sted v[...]

Advanced Operations 66 ViewCast Editing an MPEG-4 encoder When you create a new encoder, the E ncoder Properties window appears. The Encod er Properties windows for editing a new encoder or a n existing encoder are identical. You must config ure the audio and video settings for each encoder typ e. Use the Video, Audio, Output, and H .264 Presets ta[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 67 Video tab Figure 80 . Video tab To configure video settings: 1. In the Source field, click a device from the drop- down list:  Osprey-700 HD Video Device 1  Disabled Note: Because the Niagara 4100 is a single -channel encoder, you can only connect and stream one audio and video source at any given time. How[...]

Advanced Operations 68 ViewCast media files for other MPEG-4 compatible devi ces such as iPods according to the following Motion Picture Expert Group (MPEG) types (refer to Table 1 and T able 2). IMPORTANT! Choose the container type (MP4, 3G2, and 3GP) on the Ou tput tab. 4. Enter the frames per second in the F rame Rate field. 5. Enter the kilobit[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 69 Figure 83 . De -Interlace settings Note: Telecine and inverse telecine only ap ply to NTSC video. They are not used for PAL and SECAM video. The system disables Bob0 and Bob1 choices when you select either PAL or SECAM as the video standard. 9. Click Submit . Table 1. MPEG encoder and con tainer descriptions MPEG[...]

Advanced Operations 70 ViewCast Table 2. Valid output con tainer selections for v ideo encoder types Container H.263 Video MPEG-4 Video H.264 Video MP4 N/A   3GP    3G2   [...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 71 Audio tab Figure 84 . Audio tab To configure audio settin gs: 1. In the Source field, select an audio sour ce from the drop -down list. The audio source is multiple inputs denoted by the f ollowing incrementing dec imal values:  Disabled  AES Input 1 (Osprey-700 HD 1)  AES Input 2 (Osprey-700 HD 1)  B[...]

Advanced Operations 72 ViewCast compression and encoding scheme for d igital audio. AAC achieves better audio quality than MP3. AAC and MP3 are MPEG sta ndards. 5. Click the Bitrate from the drop-dow n menu. 6. Drag the slider to adjust the Volume . 7. (Optional) Click the Mute Audio checkbox to disable audio. 8. Click Submit .[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 73 Output tab Figure 85 . Output tab To configure output setti ngs: 1. Click the Enable Streaming checkbox to stream your audiovisual content via RTSP. 2. Set the appropriate streaming properties . Note: The default settings will enable multicast streaming. If you do not want this, change the IP address for Group to[...]

Advanced Operations 74 ViewCast Note: By default, the system sets this folder to D: AVFiles with a default file name of capture.xxx. See Exporting captured video files for instructions on saving video files to a USB device. Figure 86 . Select a folder WARNING! ViewCast strongly recommends you do not alter the default directory setting unless you [...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 75 H.264 Presets tab Figure 87 . H.264 Settings Tab To configure H.264 settin gs: 1. Click Edit next to the setting you want to modify. IMPORTANT! These advanced settings af fect the way the encoder performs and if set incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder op erations. Refer to the H.264 Advanced Settings section[...]

Advanced Operations 76 ViewCast Editing a Windows Media encoder When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Pro perties window appears. The Encoder Pro perties windows for editing a new encoder or a n existing encoder are identical. You must configure the video and audio settings for each encoder typ e. Use the Video, Audio, Output, an d DRM tabs to[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 77 Video tab Figure 89 . Video tab To configure video settin gs: 1. In the Source field, select Disabled or Osprey-700 HD Video Devic e 1 . Note: Because the Niagara 4100 is a single -channel encoder, you can only connect and stream one audio and video source at any given time. However, you can encode the same aud i[...]

Advanced Operations 78 ViewCast 5. Drag the sliders to adjust the G amma , Brightness , Contrast , Hue , and Saturation (Figure 91 ). Figure 91 . Video filter settings Note: Click Restore to the right of each filter to return the setting to the defaul t. 6. Click the De -Interlace settings you wan t to apply (Figure 92 ). Options inclu de:  None[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 79 Audio t ab Figure 93 . Audio tab To configure audio settin gs: 1. In the Source field, select an audio sour ce from the drop -down list:  Disabled  AES Input 1 (Osprey-700 HD 1)  AES Input 2 (Osprey-700 HD 1)  Bal Input 1 (Osprey- 700 HD 1)  Digital Audio (S/PDIF (High De  SDI Input 1 (Osprey-70[...]

Advanced Operations 80 ViewCast Output tab Windows Media is both a storage forma t and a streaming format. In addition to the ability to output to a file, the Windows Media encoder can st ream to a Windows Media Server. The settings fo r Windows Media encoder include the ability to set parameters for connecting and streaming to the server (Figure 9[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 81 To configure output setti ngs: 1. Click on a Windows Media Capture Profile . 2. Click the Enable Pull checkbox. 3. Enter a port number that the server will use to pull t he stream from Niagara 41 00. 4. Click the Enable Push checkbox. IMPORTANT! Be sure to enter a port number not already assigned to another encod[...]

Advanced Operations 82 ViewCast Only drive D on the Niagara 4100 has available storage to save your files. Check drive properties for available free space to determine your s torage capacity . Use drives C, E, and F strictly for Nia gara 4100 operational prog rams. Any modifications to these drives can permanently dama ge your system and void your [...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 83 DRM t ab You can protect your content using a technology called Digital Rights Management (DRM). Niagara SCX allows you to encrypt your content with DRM techno logy while you are encoding. You can ap ply DRM while encoding to a file and when broa dcasting a stream. Users ar e required to obtain a license to play [...]

Advanced Operations 84 ViewCast Viewing encoder groups Encoder groups represent the cornerstone for stream ing on the Niagara 4100 . The Niagara 4100 comes with several default encoders and profiles . You must have at least one group ass igned on the Niagara 4100 and one encoder profile assigned to that group. The Preset A BC buttons on the applian[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 85 Creating encoder groups If two encoders try to use the same port number at th e same time, an error will occur. Select the Create New Group lin k on the Encoder Groups window . The encoder groups fields display (Figure 98 ). Figure 98 . Encoder Groups w indow To create encoder group s: 1. Enter the name of the gr[...]

Advanced Operations 86 ViewCast Starting an encoder group To start an encoder group, click the Start link to the right in the Start column of the group you want to start. The encoder group will start in a few seconds . The system displays any errors on the Starting window while the group starts. Note: With each encoder started, more s ystem resourc[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 87 Editing encoder groups Select the Edit link on the Encoder Groups window. The encoder groups field displays (Figure 99 ). Figure 99 . Encoder Groups Window To edit encoder groups: 1. Enter the name of the group. 2. Click on the preset button you want to ass ign to this encoder group. 3. Click on the encoders you [...]

Advanced Operations 88 ViewCast Configuring the Preset ABC buttons The Niagara 4100 streaming media appliance provides one-butto n streaming via the Preset ABC buttons located on the front panel o f the system. By default, these buttons are not assig ned. Use the web interface to configure or preset each bu tton to a specific grou p of encoders. (A[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 89 To assign Preset A button: 1. Click the drop-down list in the Select a Group field. A complete list of all groups av ailable on the Niagara 4100 appears. 2. Select a group. 3. Click Submit . The Encoder Preset A window upda tes with the encoder information (Figure 101). Figure 101 . Select Encoder Note: The A but[...]

Advanced Operations 90 ViewCast Us ing Preset ABC buttons to start an en coder group Use the Preset ABC butto ns on the front panel to start the assign ed encoder group. To use preset buttons to start encoding: 1. Press the A , B , or C button on the front panel. 2. Press Stream to start encoding. The in dicator light next to the preset button dis [...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 91 7. Use the Up and Down arro ws to select the appropriate group. 8. Press Enter . A confirmation screen appears (Figure 106). Figure 106 . Confirmation screen 9. Press Enter . A group is now assigned to the Preset b utton. Viewing all encoders After assigning encoders to the A , B , and C b uttons, the system upda[...]

Advanced Operations 92 ViewCast Configuring machine properties The Niagara 4100 Machine Properties window (Figure 109 ) provides details on software ve rsions, network name, serial number, and hard drive configurations. Click Configuration  Surf Properties from the menu bar on the home page. Figure 109 . Machine Pro perties windo w Most of the d[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 93 Changing the computer name The Computer Name field contains the current network name for the Niagara 4100 . This name is the same name you typed into the web browser to access the Niagara SCX web interface. To change computer na me: 1. Click the Edit link next to the Computer Name field (Figure 110 ). Figure 110 [...]

Advanced Operations 94 ViewCast Changing the login password from the factory default The Niagara 4100 Properties section has two fields: User Name and Seri al Number . Only the User Nam e field can be changed, which changes the User Password from the factory defau lt (Figur e 112 ). Figur e 112 . Properties section To change login pass word 1. Clic[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 95 Configuring Alerts Click Configuration  Alerts from the menu bar on th e home page. The Alerts Window (Figure 114 ) allows you to configure alerts for differe nt situations that may occur during str eaming or other operations. Figure 114 . Alerts w indow A Click the Email address link to configure email settin[...]

Advanced Operations 96 ViewCast Configur ing network properties The Network Properties window ( Figure 115 ) provides detailed information o n the current network settings for the Niagara 4100 Network Cards . Click Configuration  Network Properties from the menu bar on the home page. Figure 115 . Net work Properties windo w Configuring network c[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 97 Configuring the IP address Depending on your system configuration, you may need to configure the IP Address (Figure 117 ). Figure 117 . IP Address To configure IP address: 1. Click the Use the following IP information checkbox. 2. Enter the appropriate information in the IP Address , Subnet Mask , Default Gateway[...]

Advanced Operations 98 ViewCast The Active Network Link f ield uses one of two icons to indicate wh ether the network interface card selected has a network connected. The system detects the network link. The system does not detect the network link .[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 99 System configuration settings The System Configuration Settings win dow (Figure 119) allows you to modify yo ur Niagara 4100 default system settings. You can configure email settings to enable Niagara 4100 to send an email to predefined email addresses any time the Niagara 41 00 appliance encounters an alert cond[...]

Advanced Operations 100 ViewCast Setting current system configuration You can set the current time, date , and the video standard for all encoders (Figure 120 ). Figure 120 . Current System Configuration To set current system configura tion: 1. Click the Hour in the drop-down list. 2. Click the Minutes in the drop-down list. 3. Click AM or PM in th[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 101 Configuring email/SMTP settings Figure 121 . Email/S MTP Settings fields To configure email settin gs: 1. Enter the email address you want the system to send the email. Separate multiple email addresses with a comma. 2. Enter a valid originating email address. 3. Enter a subject line for your email alert. To con[...]

Advanced Operations 102 ViewCast Configuring idle screen information You can modify the information displayed in the Niagara 4100 LCD display on t he touch panel. The information you select cycles through the LCD display screen and alternates between status and encoder information (Figur e 122 ). Figure 122 . Idle Screen Information To configure id[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 103 Configuring default directory setting The Niagara 4100 stores AV files when you select th e Save to File option in the Output tab of the encoder profile in the Default AV F older field (Figure 123 ). Refer to the Save to Fi le option under the Flash Encoder Properties sections for in formation on setting an enco[...]

Advanced Operations 104 ViewCast Setting CPU thresholds You may set the CPU Threshold field (Figure 124 ) to accommodate optimal encoding capabilities. You al so may set the time between repetitive intervals for checking the CPU thres hold. Figure 124 . Encoder Sta rtup Settings Note: ViewCast recommends a CPU thresho ld setting of 70 % or lower. R[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 105 Figure 125 . Restore Factory Defaults windo w The window provides you details regarding the process you are about to execute a nd allows you the opportunity to once again cancel the pro cess by clicking Back to Home Page . Note: Restore to Factory Defau lts rebuilds the Niagara 4100 primary disk drive C with the[...]

Advanced Operations 106 ViewCast Viewing the activity log The Activity Log records the encoder Start and Stop events (Figur e 126 ). The system updates the log for every event including the date and time. To view th e activity log, on the home page click Status  View Activity Log. Figure 126 . Activity Log w indo w A Select the types of activity[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 107 Viewing alerts Click Status  View Alerts from the home pa ge. The Alerts Window (Figure 127 ) u pdates with every alert event on the Niagara 4100 . The alerts include a ny specific alert events for the encoder. Figure 127 . Alerts w indow A Click this icon to clear all alerts. B Indicates the number of alerts[...]

Advanced Operations 108 ViewCast Connect ing an external storage device The Niagara 4100 provides two USB ports, o ne on the front panel and one on the rear panel. You can connect almost any standard USB memory device to one or both of these ports. This allows y ou to export any AV files you created on the local sto rage drive of the Niagara 4100 .[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 109 Appendix A : DRM for Windows Media You can protect your content using a technology called Digital Rights Management (DRM). Niagara SCX allows you to encrypt your content with DRM technology while you are encodin g. You can apply DRM while encoding to a file and when broa dcasting a stream. Users will be required[...]

Appendix A: DRM for Windo ws Media 110 ViewCast Importing a DRM profile If you have not already done so, set up an account with a licensed provider and create a DRM profile. Once you create the DRM profile, y ou must use Windows Media Encod er to import the pro file on the encoding system. Windows Media Encoder is included in Niagara streaming medi[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 111 4. Under Remote computer sound , click Le ave at remote computer o ption from the drop- down list (Figure 129 ). Figure 129 . Local Resources t ab 5. Click the General tab (Figure 130 ). Figure 130 . General tab 6. In the User Name field, type niagara . 7. In the Password field, type password to connect the Niag[...]

Appendix A: DRM for Windo ws Media 112 ViewCast 8. Copy the DRM profiles to a protected lo cation on the encoding sy stem to ensure they are not accidentally removed or erased (Figu re 131 ). Note: ViewCast recommends you create a new directory on drive D on the Niagara 4100 and use this directory to store your DRM profiles. Figure 131 . DRM Profil[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 113 11. Click Properties under the top menu bar ( Figure 134 ). Figure 134 . Properties tab 12. Click the Security tab . 13. Click Import and browse to the location of the D RM profiles on the system’s hard drive. 14. Select the DRM profile you wish to import and click Open (Figure 135 ) . Figure 135 . DRM Profile[...]

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Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 115 Appendix B: H.264 Advanced Settings In general, the default values for the H.264 encod er will meet your streaming requirements. For devices with restricted bandwidths and under ce rtain conditions such as low bit rates, motion specific , or constant bit rate applications, you may need to adjus t the advanced se[...]

Appendix B: H.264 Advanced Settin gs 116 ViewCast You can change the default settings acco rding to the type of video you are streaming in co nstant bit rate (CBR), mobile, or variable bit rate (VBR):  CBR - Newscast  CBR - Sports  CBR - Action  Mobile  VBR – Newscast  VBR – Sports  VBR - Action[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 117 CBR – Newscast Newscast type content has low motion a nd some scene changes. Setting Value BFramesBias 0 BFramesMax 0 BFramesStrategy 0 BitRateTolerance 1 BlurComplexity 20 ChromaOffset 0 CodecFlags 41496352 CodecFlags2 131328 CoderType 0 DirectMVPrediction 1 GOPSize 300 GOPSizeMin 30 IFrameQuantFactor 0.71 In[...]

Appendix B: H.264 Advanced Settin gs 118 ViewCast CBR – Sports A sports event sequence is a typical representation of a spo rts game. Setting Value BFramesBias 0 BFramesMax 0 BFramesStrategy 0 BitRateTolerance 1 BlurComplexity 20 ChromaOffset 0 CodecFlags 4196352 CodecFlags2 131328 CoderType 0 DirectMVPrediction 1 GOPSize 400 GOPSizeMin 40 InLoop[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 119 CBR – Action An action movie sequence has a lot of la sers, explosions, bright lights flickering, dust, and scene changes. Setting Value BFramesBias 0 BFramesMax 0 BFramesStrategy 0 BitRateTolerance 1 BlurComplexity 20 ChromaOffset 0 CodecFlags 4196352 CodecFlags2 131328 CoderType 0 DirectMVPrediction 1 GOPSiz[...]

Appendix B: H.264 Advanced Settin gs 120 ViewCast Mobile Setting Value BFramesBias 0 BFramesMax 0 BFramesStrategy 0 BitRateTolerance 1 BlurComplexity 20 ChromaOffset 0 CodecFlags 4196352 CodecFlags2 131328 CoderType 0 DirectMVPrediction 1 GOPSize 300 GOPSizeMin 30 IFrameQuantFactor -0.71 InLoopDeblockingFilterAlpha 2 InLoopDeblockingFilterBeta 1 Le[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 121 VBR – Newscast Setting Value BFramesBias 0 BFramesMax 0 BFramesStrategy 0 BitRateTolerance 1 BlurComplexity 20 ChromaOffset 0 CodecFlags 4196352 CodecFlags2 131328 CoderType 0 ConstantRateFactor 22 DirectMVPrediction 1 GOPSize 300 GOPSizeMin 25 IFrameQuantFactor 0.71 InLoopDeblockingFilterAlpha -1 InLoopDebloc[...]

Appendix B: H.264 Advanced Settin gs 122 ViewCast VBR – Sports Setting Value BFramesBias 0 BFramesMax 0 BFramesStrategy 0 BitRateTolerance 1 BlurComplexity 20 ChromaOffset 0 CodecFlags 4196352 CodecFlags2 131328 CoderType 0 ConstantRateFactor 22 DirectMVPrediction 1 GOPSize 250 GOPSizeMin 25 IFrameQuantFactor -0.8 InLoopDeblockingFilterAlpha 1 In[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 123 VBR – Action Setting Value BFramesBias 0 BFramesMax 0 BFramesStrategy 0 BitRateTolerance 1 BlurComplexity 20 ChromaOffset 0 CodecFlags 4196352 CodecFlags2 131328 CoderType 0 ConstantRateFactor 22 DirectMVPrediction 1 GOPSize 300 GOPSizeMin 30 IFrameQuantFactor -0.71 InLoopDeblockingFilterAlpha 1 InLoopDeblocki[...]

Appendix B: H.264 Advanced Settin gs 124 ViewCast Settings Setting Explanation BitRateTolerance Setting the bit rate tolerance tells the encoder it mus t hit the target bit rate almost exactly. However, this value can have an adverse effect on quality because you are forcing the encoder to stay at a target bit rate. More heavy f rames may not get e[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 125 Setting Explanation setting is the fastest. hex – (hexagon) is the default setting. It uses a si milar strategy to dia, except it uses a range-2 search o f 6 surrounding points. It is considerably more efficient than dia and har dly any slower. This setting is a good choice for general use. umh – (uneven mul[...]

Appendix B: H.264 Advanced Settin gs 126 ViewCast Setting Explanation recommended that you use the default setting of 51 and not 31. QuantizerMaxDiffBetweenFrames This value determines the maximum change quantiz er between two frames. The purpose is to reduce the poss ibility of any large quality jumps in the output video. It is better to slow this[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 127 Other settings Setting Explanation BlurComplexity Apply a Gaussian blur with the given radius to the quantizer curve. This value means the quantizer a ssigned to each frame is blurred temporally with its neighbors to limit quantizer fluctuations. BQuantFactor This value sets the targets average reduction in bit [...]

Appendix B: H.264 Advanced Settin gs 128 ViewCast Setting Explanation quantization. (100 to 1000 for de-noisin g) TrellisRDQuantization This value performs Trellis quantization to increase efficiency. 0 = No quantization 1 = Quantization on final macroblock 2 = Always quantize This value requires CABAC.[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 129 Appendix C: Mapped Network Drive Setup Setting up the network drive for the Niagara 4100 to export files, requires setting up two a dministrator accounts on a remote PC where the shared fo lder will be located:  One account for the username N4100  One account for the username SCXUser The shared folder is c[...]

Appendix C: Mapped Network Dri ve Setup 130 ViewCast 9. Enter viewcast for the Confirm pass word. 10. Disable User must change password at next log on . 11. Enable User cannot change password . 12. Enable Password never expires . Figure 138 . Ne w User window 13. Click Create . 14. Repeat steps 5 through 13 to create the user SCXUser using the pas [...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 131 17. In Computer Management, click Groups . Figure 140 . Groups 18. Double-click on Administrators . 19. Click Add . Figure 141 . Administrators Proper ties window 20. Click Add . The Select Users window displays. 21. Click Locations . 22. Select the PC, then click OK .[...]

Appendix C: Mapped Network Dri ve Setup 132 ViewCast Figure 142 . Locations w indow 23. Enter niagara4100 for the object name, then click OK . Figure 143 . Select Users window[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 133 24. The user niagara4100 appears in the lis t of Administrators. Figure 144 . Administrator Properties 25. Repeast steps 19 through 22 to add SC XUser as an administrator.[...]

Appendix C: Mapped Network Dri ve Setup 134 ViewCast To create the shared folder: Note: The shared folder(s) must be created on the remote PC. 1. Open My Computer . 2. Open the drive where the shared folder will be crea ted. 3. Right click, select New , then Folder . Figure 145 . Create ne w folder 4. Enter a name for the folder (for example, N4Sha[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 135 5. Right click on the folder, then select Pr operties . Figure 147 . Folder Prop erties window 6. Click on the Sharing tab. 7. Click Share . The File Sharing window dis plays. 8. Type a name and then click Add , or click t he arrow to select someone from the drop -down list.[...]

Appendix C: Mapped Network Dri ve Setup 136 ViewCast 9. Use the drop-down list under permission level for this user and select Read/Write. Figure 148 . Read/Write perm issions 10. Click Share . 11. Repeat steps 2 through 9 to add SCXUser to the Share Permissions. 12. Click Done . Figure 149 . File Sharing window 13. Click Close to close the share p[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 137 To map the net work drive: Note: Create a mapped network drive to the remote sh ared folder that will reconnect at logon. Once the mapped drive is created and the Niagara 4100 is rebooted, th e user will be able to export to the network drive. 1. On the Niagara 4100, o pen My Compu ter . 2. Under Tools , select [...]

Appendix C: Mapped Network Dri ve Setup 138 ViewCast 7. Click Finish . Figure 151 . Map Net w ork Drive w indo w 8. Enter SCXUser as the User name and viewcast as the Password . 9. Click OK . 10. Click Finish . After a few moments, the network share will open. 11. Close the window. The mapped drive will now ap pear inMy Computer under Network Drive[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 139 Appendix D: EASE Menu This section provides the detail of the LCD menu tree . It is intended to be a complete reference to all levels and functions accessible using the Niagara 4100 front pane l LCD display. It is designed to be a visual reference of the LCD scre en including the front panel button action to mov[...]

Appendix D: EASE Menu 140 ViewCast Encoder menu Encoder start Encoder stop Encoder status[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 141 Access Health menu CPU status Memory available[...]

Appendix D: EASE Menu 142 ViewCast Setup system menu Network link status Network MAC address[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 143 View network settings Enable DHCP[...]

Appendix D: EASE Menu 144 ViewCast Set static IP addresses x 3 x 4 x6 x 5 x 3 x 4[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 145 Set gateway address x 2 x 5 x 5 x 2 x 5 x 5 x 2 x 5 x 5[...]

Appendix D: EASE Menu 146 ViewCast Set date and time x 5 x 15 x 2 x 16 x 25 Set video standard x3[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 147 Factory restore x 3 x 4 Note: This process actually takes ~10 minutes, b e patient. x 16[...]

Appendix D: EASE Menu 148 ViewCast Export files menu Export to USB drive Shutdown Niagara 4100 x 4 Or[...]

Niagara 4100 User Guide ViewCast 149 Index Access menu, 33 Active Network Link field, 98 Activity Log window, 106 Adaptive Adobe Flash Encoder Properties , 50 Adaptive Encoder Properties, 43 Added Users, 130 Admin Log In window, 37 Administrator Properties, 133 Administrators Properties window, 1 31 Adobe Flash Dynamic Streaming Securit y tab, 57 A[...]

Appendix D: EASE Menu 150 ViewCast Email/SMTP Settings fields, 101 Enable DHCP screen, 26 Encoder Groups window, 85 Encoder Groups window, 84 Encoder Groups Window, 87 Encoder Preset A window, 88 Encoder screen, 31, 34 Encoder Startup Settings, 1 04 Encoder Stopped, 42 Encoders window, 39, 41, 42 Encoding screen, 31 Environmental Notices, 5 Export [...]

Power off screen, 30 Prerequisites, 10 product description, 1 Properties Section, 94 Properties tab, 113 Rack Mount Safety Instructions , 3 Read/Write permissions, 136 Reboot message, 93 Remote Desktop Connection, 110 Restore Factory Defaults window, 105 Restore Niagara 4100 Factory defaults, 104 Restore the Login Password to the Facto ry Default, [...]

Appendix D: EASE Menu 152 ViewCast To open a remote desktop connection, 110 To perform first start up, 29 To perform the initial start up, 24 To set current system configuration, 100 To set up user accounts on a remote PC, 129 To shut down, 30 To start an encoder, 31, 41 To stop an encoder, 34, 42 To use preset buttons to start encoding, 90 Transpo[...]

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