Overview :
Ektacom Streamcoder are network video streaming servers.
They are able to
- Encode video streams in either MPEG1, MPEG2 or WindowsMedia9
format
- Stream the encoded videos over the network in HTTP Unicast
or RTP/UDP Multicast.
- Record the video on files.
Ektacom
Streamcoders can be fully administred from a standard WEB
client like Internet Explorer.
Ektacom Streamcoders provide a set of "profiles".
Each "Profile" specifies a great number of capture
and encoding parameters which can be simply recalled from
either this MxM or the Ektacom WEB administration tool.
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Installation (MXM) :
This MxM doesn't require any installation.
However you may insure the proper operation of the Streamcoder
by starting a standard WEB client (like Internet Explorer)
and typing the following url : "http://<streamcoder
address>". For example if the Streamcoder IP Address
is "192.168.144.98", typing "http://192.168.144.98"
in the address bar of Internet Explorer will display a WEB
page which allows to control and configure the Streamcoder.
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Creation (Device) :

Device Creation Window :
Server Address:
Defines network address of the server. This parameter must
match the listening IP Address of the Ektacom Streamcoder
server.
Server Port:
Defines server port used to listen for commands. This parameter
must match the listening port setting of the Ektacom Streamcoder
server (Ektacom default value is 18083).
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Commands (List Of) :
Get
Profiles:
Description
: Gets the list of the encoding profiles defined in
the server.
Parameters :
Profiles: [Type : String] : return value which holds the
list of the profiles.
Start Streaming:
Description : Starts the streaming on specified
port.
Parameters :
Profile : [Type : String] : the name of the encoder
profile to use.
Streaming Port : [Type : Integer] : the streaming
port.
Usage : If the video stream format is MPEG2, this
command starts the streaming server with the parameters
defined by "Set Multicast Parameters". Note
that a wizard is provided in order to select one of the
profiles defined in the server.
Stop Streaming:
Description : Stops the encoder.
Parameters : no parameter.
Start Recording:
Description : Starts recording a file.
Parameters :
Mode : [Type : Enum] : file recording mode.
Available Values :
"File" : the file is created on the local storage
of server.
"FTP" : the recorded file is transfered on the FTP
server specified in the FTP Parameters.
Directory : [Type : String] : directory where
the file will be written.
Filename : [Type : String] : name of the file.
FTP Server : [Type : String] : FTP server address
for FTP mode.
FTP User Name : [Type : String] : FTP User Name
for FTP mode.
FTP Password : [Type : String] : FTP Password
for FTP mode
Duration : [Type : Time] : Duration of the recording
(00:00:00/00 for no recording limit, in which case the
recording must be stopped by a "Stop Recording"
command.
Usage : The filename must contain the file extension.
In File mode, the directory can be either absolute or
relative to the default media directory of the Streamcoder.
In FTP mode, the directory is relative to the root of
the FTP serveur. If the directory doesn't exist on the
server, it is NOT automatically created and the server
goes into the "Error" status
The recording starts approximately 1 second after the
command is sent to the Streamcoder because of buffering
consideration. Note also that the recording starts and
ends only on "Key Frames". Key frame spacing
for WM9 files can be set by editing the WM9 profile
and specifying the "Max Key Frame spacing (ms)"
via the Streamcoder WEB configuration interface. The
minimum value is 1 second.
Start Recording Multifile:
Description : Starts recording a a multifile session.
Parameters :
Mode : [Type : Enum] : file recording mode.
Available Values :
"File" : the file is created on the server.
"FTP" : the recorded file is transfered on the FTP
server specified in FTP Parameters.
Directory : [Type : String] : directory where the
files will be written.
Filename Root : [Type : String] : Root of the filename.
See below.
Filename Format : [Type : String] : name template
of the file. See below .
FTP Server : [Type : String] : FTP server address
for FTP mode.
FTP User Name : [Type : String] : FTP User Name
for FTP mode.
FTP Password : [Type : String] : FTP Password for
FTP mode..
Total Duration : [Type : Time] : total duration
of the files (00:00:00 for no limit).
File Duration : [Type : Time] : the duration of
a file
Time
Standard : [Type : Enum] : time standard.
Available
Values :
"Normal
Day" : the day starts at 00:00.
"Shifted Day" : the day starts at 03:00.
Usage : The purpose of this command is to record
multiple files in the same recording session. Each file
will have a length equal to File Duration and the
total recording length will be Total Duration.
File names are constructed from the Filename Root
and Filename Format parameters.
Filename Format may contain the following special
tags :
- %DD : the current day
- %MM : the current month
- %YY : the current year (2 digits)
- %YYYY : the current year (4 digits)
- %HH1 : starting recording hour
- %MM1 : starting recording minutes
- %SS1 : starting recording seconds
- %FF1 : starting recording frames
- %HH2 : ending recording hour
- %MM2 : ending recording minutes
- %SS2 : ending recording seconds
- %FF2 : ending recording frames
Example : with a Filename Root set to "Rec"
and a Filename Format set to "%DD%MM%YY_%HH1:%MM1:%SS1_%HH2:%MM2:%SS2.wmv",
the resulting complete filename would be : "040824_10:00:00_10:01:00.wmv")
In File mode, the directory can be either absolute or
relative to the default media directory of the Streamcoder.
In FTP mode, the directory is relative to the root of
the FTP serveur. If the directory doesn't exist on the
server, it is NOT automatically created and the server
goes into the "Error" status
Stop Recording:
Description : Stops recording the file in either
Mono or Multifile Mode.
Parameters : no parameter.
Set
Multicast Parameters:
Description
: Sets the multicast streaming parameters for MPEG1/MPEG2
streaming (not used for Windows Media streaming).
Parameters :
Multicast Address : [Type : String] : the multicast
address.
Multicast Board : [Type : Integer] : index of the
network adpater used to multicast. 0 is the index of the
first adapter.
Multicast Transport Type : [Type : Enum] :
Available Values :
"UDP" : UDP Packets.
"RTP" : RTP Packets.
Multicast
Regulation Type : [Type : Enum] :
Available Values :
"PC Clock" : Internal PC Clock.
"Incomming Data" : Incomming Data.
"No regulation" : No regulation.
"Streaming Object" : Regulation via a streaming object.
Multicast
Buffer Count : [Type : Integer] : count of buffers
to gather before multicasting. This parameter is used
only in the "No regulation" Regulation Mode.
Multicast Buffer Size : [Type : Integer] : size
of a buffer to fill (in milliseconds) before sending data.
Multicast Overhead : [Type : Integer] : overhead
allowed in "Stream Object" regulation mode (in
milliseconds).
Multicast Packet Size : [Type : Integer] : maximum
size of a packet.
Usage : The multicast parameters are used to fine
tune multicast streaming for MPEG1/MPEG2 streams and don't
apply to Windows Media streaming. They are taken in account
by the "Start Streaming" command. If this command
is not called, the default multicast parameters of the
encoder are used instead. You can also specify to use
the default values by setting the value to "-1"
for the Multicast Buffer Count, Multicast Buffer
Size, Multicast Overhead and Multicast Packet
Size parameters.
Reset
:
Description
: Stops encoding and resets the error state.
Parameters : No Parameter
Reboot
:
Change
Server Address :
Description
: Changes the Server Address.
Parameters :
Server Address : [Type : String] : the server Address.
Server Port : [Type : Integer] : the server port.
Usage : This command may be used to dynamically change
the Server Address and Server Port settings of the device.
If this command is not used, the default Address and Port
as defined in the setup dialog are used. Note that this
command doesn't change the defaut Address and Port.
Shutdown
:
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Variables (List Of) :
Streaming Status :
Type : Enum.
Description : Current streaming status of the device.
Available Values :
"Not Online" : the server is not online.
"Opened" : the server is ready.
"Initialising" : the server is initialising.
"Initalised" : the server is ready to start.
"Starting" : the server is starting.
"Started" : the server is started.
"Stopping" : the server is stopping.
"Stopped" : the server is stopped.
"Error" : the server is in error. The only
way to get out of the error state is to send a "Reset"
command.
Recording Status:
Type : Enum.
Description : Current writing status of the device.
Available Values :
"Stopped" : the server is not recording
"Starting" : the server has received a start
record command.
"Started" : the server is writing a file.
"Stopping" : the server has received a stop
record command.
"Start Queued" : the server has queued a start
record command while it was stopping recording.
"Error" : an error has occured
Last
Error:
Directory:
Type : String.
Description : The directory of the file which is
currently written.
Filename:
Type
: String.
Description : The name of the file which is currently
written.
Current Profile:
Type : String.
Description : The name of the encoding profile
currently used for streaming.
Server
Address :
Type
: String.
Description : The current Server Address.
Server
Port :
Type
: Integer.
Description : The current server port.
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Support
(Difference with previous versions) :
V 1.0.1:
- Added: Support for Showmaster.
V 1.0.2:
V 1.0.3:
- Added: Support for Showmaster Pro.
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