Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product 2120 ViewCast
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Niagara 2120 User Guide Document Number: 40 -03258- 01A Date: 2.10.2009 Niagara 2100 Release: 1.0 Document Number: 40 -03258- 01A Date: 2.10.2009 Niagara 2100 Release: 1.
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Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast iii Preface Copyrights Copyright© 2010 ViewCast Corpo ration. All rights reserved. Trademarks or registered trade marks of ViewCast Corporation or its subsidiaries in.
Preface iv ViewCast Corporate Contact Information ViewCast collaborates and partners wi th various clients to integrate products in to their individual environments. For additional informatio n, contact info@viewcast.com . To purchase products, contact sal es@viewcast.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast v for the period of one year (12 months) fro m date of sale. Where specific warranties exist th at provide more substantial coverage, notwithstanding the warranty provisions herein, such product warranties control a nd preempt or supersede the warranty pro visions herein.
Preface vi ViewCast.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast vii Contents Preface .......................................................................................................... iii Copyrights ...........................................................................
Contents viii ViewCast Performing the Initial Start Up ................................................................................... 21 Connecting to an IP Network .................................................................................
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast ix Setting CPU Thresholds .............................................................................................. 59 Setting SimulStream Filters ..................................................................
Contents x ViewCast.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 1 About This Guide Thank you for purchasing the ViewCast Niagar a 2120 streaming media appliance. This user guide provides step- by -step instructions for installing and using your new streaming media ap pliance. For the latest ViewCast product information and news , visit our We b site at www.
About This Guide 2 ViewCast Audience The audience for this publication includ es anyone who uses or administers the Niagara 2120. They should have a basic technical understanding of streaming media. This user guide pro vides information on the Niagara 2120 only.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 3 Rack Mount Safety Instructions Operating Temperature The operating ambient temperature of a rack environment may be greater than room ambient if installed in a closed or multi-unit rack assembly.
About This Guide 4 ViewCast FCC Notice WARNING! You must connect this device and periph erals using shielded cables that comply with FCC radio emissio n limits. WARNING! Modifications to this device not approved by ViewCast Corporation could void the FCC-granted autho rity for the user to operate the device.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 5 Environmental Notices Product Disposal Information: Dispose of this product in accordance with local and national disposal regulations (if any). Include those regulations governing the recovery and recycling of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).
About This Guide 6 ViewCast Warnings Only trained and qualified personnel should install, replace, or ser vice this equipment. Do not attempt to open the case of the appliance . If you do so, you incur a high risk of electrical shock that may cause damage to the appliance or personal physical injury or deat h to you and/or others.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 7 WARNING! Exposing the a ppliance to rain or other types of moisture could res ult in physical injury or death. Any liquids on o r near the appliance may result in electrical shock and personal injury or death. Refer all servicing to authorized service perso nnel.
About This Guide 8 ViewCast.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 9 Chapter 1: Overview Before you can use your Niagara 2120 streaming media applian ce, you will first need to set up and configure it. This chapter is dedicated to providing y ou with the details and step - by -step instructions you need to make your installation as quick -and-easy as possible.
Chapter 1: Overview 10 ViewCast Install Overview This section addresses the high-leve l actions you must perform to physically connect an d setup your Niagara 2120 system. You must complete the following primary tasks to i nstall the Niagara 2120: 1. Address and comply with all prereq uisites.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 11 Quick Start Guide Software Niagara 2120 CD If any components are missing or dama ged, do not continue with the installa tion. Contact the ViewCast reseller from which you purchased your Nia gara 2120 streaming media applian ce for assistance in obtaining any missing parts or for parts replacement.
Chapter 1: Overview 12 ViewCast Niagara 2120 Front Panel You should familiarize yourself with the front panel controls for the Niagara 2120. Bes ides the basic buttons for power, start/stop, and audio vo lume control, several indicator lights also exist.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 13 Item Control Button Name Description NOTE: The lights on the volume indicator will i lluminate in one-second intervals. Press and release after the second set of 10 LEDs start to light (approximately 4 to 6 seconds) to keep all se t profiles and restore the Niagara 2120.
Chapter 1: Overview 14 ViewCast Item Control Button Name Description G Headphone Jack Allows you to connect headphones to the Niagara 2 120 for audio monitoring. H Volume Button (Up/Down) Audio level headphone control. This control changes the volume on the headset output only.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 15 Review the Niagara 2120 Rear Panel Figure 3 and Table 3 below descri be all connectors and other components of the Niagara 2120 re ar panel.
Chapter 1: Overview 16 ViewCast Port Description H Balanced Left and Right Audio Inputs Left/Right XLR connector for line level balanced audi o sources. Professional audio engineers use these inputs on hig h-end audio and video playback equipment.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 17 Niagara 2120 Menu Bar Commands The home page menu bar (Figure 4) allows you to use the com mands described in Table 5. Figure 4. Menu Bar Table 5. Menu Bar Commands Menu Command Function Home View general administrative information about the ViewCast Niagara 2120.
Chapter 1: Overview 18 ViewCast Niagara 2120 Browser Windows Flow Figure 5 shows the interrelationship a nd flow of the available configuration windows you may use to configure the Niagara 2120.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 19 Chapter 2: Easy Setup The easy setup option explores the op timal configurations for the novice user to set up the Niagara 2120 quickly and easily.
Chapter 2: Easy Setup 20 ViewCast Easy First Time Setup You should read all instructions , notices, and warnings before gettin g started with your new Niagara 2120 hardware for the first time. Also, ensure you have all required parts and meet all system requirements before installing this prod uct.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 21 Performing the Initial Start Up Complete all steps in Tables 4 and 6 fo r connecting your Niagara 2120. Finally, yo u must follow a series of menus that let you set up the initialized system ( Table 7 ). The steps in Table 7 refer to a direct connection to the Niagara 2120 only.
Chapter 2: Easy Setup 22 ViewCast Step Action 8. The Admin Log In window may reappea r once you submit the date, time, and video standard fields. You must enter User Name and Password again. This time when you enter your valid us er name and password, the system displays the Welcome window (Figure 8 ) and Niagara 2120 Main Menu .
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 23 Connecting to an IP Network The Niagara 2120 network settings for its network in terface defaults to obtain an IP address from a DHCP server on the network. If a DHCP server is not available or is not on the network, Niagara 2120 assigns its own IP address.
Chapter 2: Easy Setup 24 ViewCast Defining the Network Properties Table 9 provides Network Properties and the actions you can choose fo r each. To view this window, click Configuration Network Properties , then click Use the following IP information .
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 25 Field Action Primary WINS Server Input or accept the primary windows server iden tifier. Press Enter to accept your selection. Secondary WINS Server Input or accept the secondary windows serv er identifier. Press Enter to accept your selection.
Chapter 2: Easy Setup 26 ViewCast.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 27 Chapter 3: Perform Basic Operations Basic operations include but are not limited to the following: Viewing all encoders Viewing encoder groups Starting .
Chapter 3: Perform Basic Operations 28 ViewCast Step Action 4. Type the User name and Password . IMPORTANT ! The setting to log in for the first time, defaults to the user name admin and the password admin . NOTE: System administrators should previously configure all user na mes and passwords for those who they allow to lo g on to the system.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 29 Viewing All Encoders The Encoders window provides a list of all of the e ncoder profiles loaded on the Niagara 212 0. On the home page, click Encoders All Enc oders. Figure 14 . Encoders Window Table 11 . Encoder Options Encoder Option Description Create New Encoder Allows you to create a new encoder.
Chapter 3: Perform Basic Operations 30 ViewCast Starting an Encoder To start an encoder, on the home page click Encoders All Encoders . Table 12 . Starting an Encoder Step Action 1. Click the red circle Stopped icon (Figure 15 ) in the Str eaming column for the encoder you want to start streaming.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 31 Step Action Stopping an Encoder To stop an encoder, on the home page click Encoders All Encoders. Table 13 . Stopping an Encoder Step Action 1. Click the blue Started icon of the en coder you wish to stop strea ming (Figure 18 ).
Chapter 3: Perform Basic Operations 32 ViewCast Step Action Figure 20 . Encoders Window.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 33 Editing an Adobe Flash H.264 Encod er When you create a new encoder, the Encoder Pro perties window appears. The Encoder Properties windows for editing a new encoder or a n existing encoder are identical. You must config ure the video and audio settings for each enco der type.
Chapter 3: Perform Basic Operations 34 ViewCast Video Tab Flash adds some additional f rame and bit rate controls. The frame rate changes the frames per second that the video will encode. You can use the audio format setting to modify the audio frequency and change stereo to mono.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 35 Step Action Standard – Square pixels for a VGA monitor CCIR - 601 – Elongated pixels for a TV monitor Click the setting that reflects the type of display on which your vie wers will view your content.
Chapter 3: Perform Basic Operations 36 ViewCast Step Action NOTE: Click Restore to the rig ht of the filter to reset the settings to the default. 8. Click the De -Interlace setting you want to apply (Figure 25 ). Options inclu de: None – Performs no de-interlacing of any kind.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 37 Audio Tab Figure 26 . Audio Tab Table 15 . Configuring Audio Settings Step Action 1. In the Source field, select an audio sour ce from the drop -down list. The audio source is multiple inputs denoted by the following incrementing decimal values: Disabled Audio Device 1 Bluetooth Hands-free Audio 2.
Chapter 3: Perform Basic Operations 38 ViewCast Output Tab These advanced settings affect the way t he Encoder performs and if set incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder operations (Figure 27 ). Refer to Appendix B for suggested values for the t ype of video you are streaming.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 39 Step Action 9. Accept the default location that displays in the File Name field or choose your own location for the file. To choose your own person al location click the link (horizontal ellip ses or … ) to the right of the File Name field and display the options ( Figure 28 ).
Chapter 3: Perform Basic Operations 40 ViewCast H.264 Settings Tab Figure 29 . H.264 Settings Tab Table 17 . Configuring H.264 Settings Step Action 1. Click Edit next to the setting you want to modify. IMPORTANT ! These advanced settings affect the w ay the Encoder performs and if set incorrectly may lead to abnormal encoder operat ions.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 41 Viewing Encoder Groups Encoder groups represent the cornerstone for stream ing on the Niagara 2120 . The Niagara 2120 comes with one default encoder (Flash) and one profile for that encoder type. You must have at least one group assigned on the Niagara 2120 and one encoder pro file assigned to that group.
Chapter 3: Perform Basic Operations 42 ViewCast Starting an Encoder Group To start an encoder group, click the Start link to the right in the Start colu mn of the group you want to start. The encoder group will start in a few secon ds. The system displays any erro rs on the Starting window while the group starts.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 43 Creating Encoder Groups Encoders assigned to a group should not use the same video input devi ce. If two encoders try to use the same port number at the same time, an error will o ccur. Click the Create New Group link on the Encoder Groups window (Figure 31 ).
Chapter 3: Perform Basic Operations 44 ViewCast Editing Encoder Groups Click the Edit link on the Encoder Groups window (Figure 32 ). Figure 32 . Encoder Groups Window Table 20 . Creating Encoder Groups Step Description 1. Enter the name of the group.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 45 Starting an Encoder Group Wit h the Stream Button Use the Stream button on the front panel to start the assigned encoder group. Follow the steps in Table 21 to start encoding. Table 21 . Start Encoding Step Action 1.
Chapter 3: Perform Basic Operations 46 ViewCast Shutdown To shut down the Niagara 2120 perform the steps in Table 22 . Table 22 . Power Off the Niagara 2120 Step Action 1. Briefly press Power on the front panel. 2. The Niagara 2120 front panel status light starts blinking and turns off once it is ready to stop streaming.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 47 Chapter 4: Perform Advanced Operations Advanced operations include but are not limited to the following: Changing the computer name Setting CPU thresholds .
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 48 ViewCast Changing Computer Name The Computer Name field contains the current network name for the Niagara 2120 . This name is the same name you typed into the Web browser to access the Ni agara SCX Web interface.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 49 Changing the Login Password From the Factor y Default The Niagara 2120 Properties section has two fields: User Name a nd Serial Number . You can only change the User Name field, which cha nges the User Password fro m the factory default (Figure 36 ).
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 50 ViewCast Step Action interface password is case sensitive. 3. Click the Change Password button. The system displays a confirmation page.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 51 Configuring Alerts Click Configuration Alerts from the menu bar on th e home page. The Alerts window (Figure 38 ) allows you to configure alerts for different situations that may occur during streaming or oth er operations.
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 52 ViewCast Configur ing Network Properties T he Network Properties window ( Figure 39 ) provides detailed information on the current n etwork settings for the Niagara 2120 Network Cards . Click Configuration Network Properties from the menu bar on the home pa ge.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 53 Configuring IP Address Depending on your system configura tion, you may need to configure the IP Address (Figure 41 ). Figure 41 . IP Address Table 26 . Configuring IP Address Step Action 1. Click the Use the following IP information checkbo x.
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 54 ViewCast The Niagara 2120 network name ( GW09060012 ) is a link. If you cli ck this link, the system transfers you to the Machine Properties window. From this window, you can change the name of the Niagara 2120.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 55 System Configuration Settings The System Configuration Settings win dow (Figure 43 ) allows you to modify your Niagara 2120 default system settings.
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 56 ViewCast Setting Current System Configuration You can set the current time, date, and the vid eo standard for all encoders ( Figure 44 ). Figure 44 . Current System Configuration Table 28 . Setting Current System Configuration Step Action 1.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 57 Configuring Email Settings Figure 45 . Email/SMTP Setting Fields Table 29 . Setting Current System Configuration Step Action 1. Enter the email address you want the system to send the email. Separate multiple email addresses with a comma.
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 58 ViewCast Configur ing Default Directory Setting The Niagara 2120 stores AV files when you click the Save to File option in the e ncoder profile in the Default AV folder.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 59 Figure 48 . Drop-Down Temperature S etting Options Setting CPU Thresholds You may set the CPU Threshold field (Figure 49 ) to accommodate optimal encoding capabilitie s. You also may set the time between repetitive intervals for checking the CP U threshold.
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 60 ViewCast Restoring Niagara 2120 Factory Defaults Restore to Factory Defaults allows you to restore drive C to i ts original factory system defaults. This action removes all data (including stored files) on the primary drive and reinstalls the original factory image.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 61 NOTE: Restore to Factory Def aults rebuilds the Niagara 212 0 primary disk drive C with the original system image. You lose all custom set tings and any files saved to drive C.
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 62 ViewCast Viewing the Activity Log The Activity Log records the encoder Start and Stop events. The system updates the log for every event including the date and time. To vie w the activity log, on the home page click S tatus View Activity Log .
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 63 Fields Description Description Displays a description of the activity..
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 64 ViewCast Viewing Alerts Click Status View Alerts from the home page. The Alerts Window updates with every alert event on the Niagara 2120. The alerts includ e any specific alert events for the encoder . Figure 54 .
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 65 Connect ing an External Storage Devi ce The Niagara 2120 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.
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 66 ViewCast.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 67 Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 In general, the default values (Table 32 ) for the H.264 encoder will meet your str eaming requirements.
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 68 ViewCast Setting Value QuantizerMax 51 QuantizerMaxDiffBetweenFrames 4 QuantizerMin 10 QuantizerScaleBlurOverTime 0.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 69 CBR – Newscast Newscast type content has low motion a nd some scene changes. Table 33 . CBR – Newscast Settings Setting Value BFramesBias 0 BFramesMax 0 BFrames.
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 70 ViewCast Setting Value TrellisRDQuantization 0.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 71 CBR – Sports A sports event sequence is a typical repr esentation of a sports game. Table 34 . CBR – Sports Settings Setting Value BFramesBias 0 BFramesMax 0 bF.
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 72 ViewCast Setting Value TrellisRDQuantization 0.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 73 CBR – Action An action movie sequence has a lot of lasers , explosions, bright lights flickering, dust, and scene changes.
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 74 ViewCast Setting Value SceneChangeDetectThreshold 45 TrellisRDQuantization 0.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 75 Mobile Table 36 . Mobile Settings 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.
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 76 ViewCast Setting Value TrellisRDQuantization 0.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 77 VBR – Newscast Table 37 . VBR – Newscast Settings 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.
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 78 ViewCast Setting Value TrellisRDQuantization 0.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 79 VBR – Sports Table 38 . VBR – Sports Settings 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.
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 80 ViewCast Setting Value TrellisRDQuantization 0.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 81 VBR – Action Table 39 . VBR – Action Settings 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.
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 82 ViewCast Setting Value TrellisRDQuantization 0.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 83 Settings Table 40 provides an explanation of each setting and its function. Table 40 . Explanation of Settings Setting Explanation BitRateTolerance Setting the bit rate tolerance tells the encoder it mus t hit the target bit rate almost exactly.
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 84 ViewCast Setting Explanation Because teas (10) is not achievable in real time enco ding there is no reason to use it.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 85 Setting Explanation 6 — RD on I/P frames 7 — RD on all frames 8 — RD refinement on I/P frames 9 — RD refinement on all frames 10 — QP -RD (requires trellis=2, aq-mode >0) QuantizerMax The default setting is 31 .
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 86 ViewCast Setting Explanation ReferenceFrames This value is the number of previous fra mes each P-frame can use as a reference. Recommended value is around 4 to 8 . Each increase has reduced benefit and constant spee d loss with higher CPU usage.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 87 Other Settings Table 41 . 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 blurs temporally with its neighbors to limit quan tizer fluctuations.
Appendix: Advanced Settings for H.264 88 ViewCast Setting Explanation use motion prediction from future frames as well. This value can lead to significantly better efficiency in terms of compression ratio.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 89 Index Active Network Link field, 54 Activity Log Fields, 62 Activity Log Window, 62 Address Bar, 27 Admin Log In Window, 21, 27 Advanced Network Settings, 53 Advanc.
Index 90 ViewCast Encoder Startup Settings Windows, 59 Encoder Stop Status, 31 Encoders Window, 29, 30, 31 Environmental Notices, 5 Explanation of Settings, 83 FCC Notice, 4 First Start Up Session, 21 Flash Encoder Properties, 33 Front Panel Lights and Button Descriptio ns, 12 H.
Niagara 2120 User Guide ViewCast 91 System Configuration window, 55 System Requirements, 11 USB flash device, 65 Use the Niagara SCX Interface, 65 VBR – Action Settings, 81 VBR – Newscast Settings.
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An important point after buying a device ViewCast 2120 (or even before the purchase) is to read its user manual. We should do this for several simple reasons:
If you have not bought ViewCast 2120 yet, this is a good time to familiarize yourself with the basic data on the product. First of all view first pages of the manual, you can find above. You should find there the most important technical data ViewCast 2120 - thus you can check whether the hardware meets your expectations. When delving into next pages of the user manual, ViewCast 2120 you will learn all the available features of the product, as well as information on its operation. The information that you get ViewCast 2120 will certainly help you make a decision on the purchase.
If you already are a holder of ViewCast 2120, but have not read the manual yet, you should do it for the reasons described above. You will learn then if you properly used the available features, and whether you have not made any mistakes, which can shorten the lifetime ViewCast 2120.
However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with ViewCast 2120. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device ViewCast 2120 along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem, the manual will show you a further procedure – contact to the customer service center or the nearest service center
