FAQ

Visionary AV over IP Network Recommendations:

• Enable IGMP Snooping on all switches.
• Enable IGMP Querier on at least one switch. Typically, best if the core switch is the querier.
• Enable Jumbo frames on all switches.
• Create separate VLANs for AV over IP, Network Audio (AES67/Dante^®) and Control

Visionary AV over IP Typical Bandwidth:

• 1080P60 Content 200-300 Mbps.
• 2160P30 Content 250-750 Mbps.
• Depends on scene complexity.
• For uplink calculations, allow 4 1080P60 or 1 2160P30 stream per 1Gbps of uplink bandwidth.

Visionary strongly recommends using a managed switch for AV over IP:

• The encoders and decoders will work with most switches that support the following:
• Non-blocking fabric at 1Gbps or faster.
• Jumbo frames of at least 8000 bytes.
• IGMP snooping for all switches.
• IGMP querier for the core switch.

Encoders and Decoders ship with DHCP defaulted to enabled:

• Units should acquire IP Address information from a DHCP server.
• If no address is served, units will fail-over to Auto IP (169.254.x.x).
• For larger systems, Visionary recommends DHCP with MAX address reservations.
• Small deployments may use static IP addresses.

Visionary AV over IP endpoints can operate in multicast or unicast:

• When used as a matrix, multicast is required.
• Unicast may be used for point to point extension.
• The vast majority of systems use multicast, which allows any encoder stream to be sent to any decoder.

Using PCs as video sources has a few potential issues:

• • They must produce a broadcast standard resolution and frequency.

480i@59.94Hz (720hX480v)

720p@50, 59.94 or 60Hz (1280hX720v)

1080i@50, 59.94 or 60Hz (1920hX1080v)

1080p@24, 50, 59.94 or 60Hz (1920hX1080v)

• To do embedded audio they must have audio clocks that meet jitter specifications. The audio clock must be synchronous to the video clock otherwise see item 3 below.
• If there are embedded audio issues (bad or garbled audio or encoding of video freezing after some time (from minutes to hours depending on specifics), try using analog audio input from the computer via separate cable to the RCA inputs or weidmueller in the case of AVN422.

The AVN encoder output streams (either H.264 or MPEG-2) are fully standards compliant, with no proprietary algorithms or encoding used. Any standards compliant decoder will decode the streams.

Software decoders, used for viewing streams on PCs, such as Videolan’s VLC Media Player (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/), have various codecs that are capable of decoding H.264 and MPEG-2 streams.

Hardware decoders are used for viewing streams on a TV or monitor. Any H.264 or MPEG-2 standards compliant hardware decoder will also decode AVN Encoder streams. We recommend and resell Amino’s Set Top Box decoders. See (Amino A125, Amino A130, Amino A130H and Amino A130M).

Yes. Please refer to this FAQ “How do I record a stream to file using VLC?” for information on recording an AVN stream with VLC Media Player. There are also numerous NVRs (Network Video Recorder) hardware and software solutions available from other vendors. Any viewer capable of decoding the encoded format (H.264 or MPEG-2) will be able to play back the recorded file.

Encoder:
Make sure that encoder is configured, with a proper DNS, through the networks settings.
Set “Stream Destination” to the public IP address at the receiving location. Use a port number that has been verified as not being used on the receive location’s router.

Decoder:
Configure with a Static IP address and a valid DNS.
Set up decoder channel for receiving a unicast stream, being sent to its own IP address, and a unique port #.

Receive Location Router:
Configure port forwarding, to forward incoming stream traffic to the static IP address of the decoder and to the port number configured for the decoder channel.

Example:
Encoder’s “Stream Destination” = 201.120.101.5:1234
Receive Location’s Public IP/Router address = 201.120.101.5 (port 1234 assigned for receiving stream)
Decoder’s Static IP address = 192.168.1.111
Decoder’s Channel Configuration = udp://192.168.1.111:2222
Receive Location’s Router: Port forwarding is set so that any traffic coming to 201.120.101.5:1234 is forwarded to 192.168.1.111:2222

Encoder:
Make sure that encoder is configured, with a proper DNS, through the networks settings.
Set “Stream Destination” to the public IP address at the receiving location. Use a port number that has been verified as not being used on the receive location’s router.

Decoder:
Configure with a Static IP address and a valid DNS.
Set up decoder channel for receiving a unicast stream, being sent to its own IP address, and a unique port #.

Receive Location Router:
Configure port forwarding, to forward incoming stream traffic to the static IP address of the decoder and to the port number configured for the decoder channel.

Example:
Encoder’s “Stream Destination” = 201.120.101.5:1234
Receive Location’s Public IP/Router address = 201.120.101.5 (port 1234 assigned for receiving stream)
Decoder’s Static IP address = 192.168.1.111
Decoder’s Channel Configuration = udp://192.168.1.111:2222
Receive Location’s Router: Port forwarding is set so that any traffic coming to 201.120.101.5:1234 is forwarded to 192.168.1.111:2222

For information on this topic please visit the Wowza Media Product Forum. A useful link to a post titled “Visionary Solutions (VSI) H.264 Encoder with Wowza Pro (MPEG-TS)” can be found at the following link:

http://www.wowzamedia.com/forums/content.php?98

Searching under “Visionary Solutions”, yields many other useful posts.

Another helpful document:>
Download (AVN420_and_Wowza_Media_Server.pdf)

That depends upon the AVN encoder. See the complete AVN Comparison Chart here.

The AVN420 and VSiCaster™ have total bandwidth between 100 kbps and 4 Mbps, which makes them well suited for stream transmissions over the public Internet or any LAN.

AVN4XXHD encoder blades (AVN422, AVN441, AVN443) have a configurable total bandwidth between 5 and 20 Mbps.

The AVN2XX encoders (AVN200, AVN210 and AVN220) have different bitrate/bandwidths dependent upon type. See the link at the top for a complete AVN comparison chart.

Once a specific bitrate is set, a sustained bandwidth of the same value is required to pass clean video (i.e. Bitrate = 3.8Mbps requires at least a sustained 3.8Mb pipeline).

Download (AVN_comparison_chart.pdf)

Note version 1.0.3 of the VLC Media Player were used to create these steps. Other versions may differ to varying degrees.

(Recording)
Select Media–>Convert/Save…
Choose the Network Tab to reach the Open Media page. Enter your AVN Stream Destination, including stream type, destination IP and destination port (e.g.: UDP , 225.168.3.29 , 1234) then press Convert/Save.
In the Convert page, enter your Destination file xxx.ts, where xxx is the file name to save, check the “Dump raw input” check box,
Finally, click the Start button when you are ready to save/capture the stream.

Note that in some versions of VLC the “Dump raw input” check box functionality wasn’t working correctly (data wasn’t being saved in its original format). The work around for this, if it occurs, is:
In the Convert page, click the “Edit selected profile” button. It is in the Settings section, to the right of the profile drop down list and looks like a tools button.
Under Video Codec Tab, click on “Keep Original Video Track” box.
Under Audio Codec Tab, click on “Keep Original Audio Track” box.
Next Save the Profile Settings (you should only have to do that once).
Finally, click the Start button when you are ready to save/capture the stream.

STAGE 2: (Re-Streaming)
Select Media–>Streaming…
From the File Tab add the newly captured file (xxx.ts), then click the Stream Button.
In the Destinations section, select UDP and press the Add Button, then choose the destination address and port.
Disable the box that says “Activate Transcoding” and then press the Stream Button.
at this point you should be able to receive the Stream on an Amino at the given Stream Destination.

To download the most recent version of VLC Media Player, go to www.videolan.org. There should be a download link on the home page. After downloading and installing the VLC Media Player, you can use it to decode/view most AVN encoder streams, including both unicast and multicast streams. The only stream VLC does not currently support is the AVN420’s stream when the Video Mode is set to “Field”.

Note: decoding HD streams to a satisfactory level requires a very “powerful” PC at this point. All VLC Media Players support video acceleration for MPEG-2 streams and the latest VLC Media Players have begun to include DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA) 2.0 support for h.264 streams, but this is still relatively new and may or may not work depending upon the VLC Media Player version used.

Before decoding a stream you will need to know some basic information about it in order to configure the decoder properly. Please note the following information prior to configuring the decoder:

Yes, but it depends on the AVN encoder. The AVN420 H.264 SD encoder can be set as low as 156kbps so is well suited for Internet streaming. Our H.264 HD (AVN422, AVN441, and AVN443) encoders are not well suited for Internet streaming due to their higher bitrate requirements. MPEG-2 encoders (AVN200, AVN210 and AVN220) are limited to connections which support 1.5Mb (T1) or greater.

The VSiCaster™ is a specially preconfigured AVN420 and MPP200 bundle which can easily upload its stream to a CDN (Content Delivery Network) for audio/video re-distribution to just about any viewing device, including smart phones. VSI has partnered with NetroMedia ( www.netromedia.com), a leading CDN, providing a proven end-to-end streaming solution, allowing users to plug and stream in minutes. For more information on VSiCaster™ and NetroMedia click here. Note: the VSiCaster™ is also compatible with many streaming servers, including Darwin and Wowza allowing users to stream the content themselves if the desire.

General Info: Unicast (point to point) streams can be sent over connections with enough sustained bandwidth (H.264 SD >= 156kbps and MPEG-2 >= 1.5Mb). Multicast (one point to many points) streams require special services to be sent over the internet. Most internet service providers (ISPs) will charge a large fee to be on their multicast backbone. Multicasting video over the internet is limited to those who subscribe to their ISP’s multicast service. However, with CDNs and streaming servers available, which allow a single stream to be rebroadcast to many viewers it is almost like multicasting a stream.

There are three basic modes of communication and control: web, serial/console and API.

The web/browser interface is the main method of controlling an AVN encoder.

The serial/console interface, accessed via RS-232 using TeraTerm or other terminal emulation software or through the Ethernet connection using Telnet, is primarily used for initial configuration (IP address, Netmask, Gateway, DNS) and to view errors that may get thrown during operation. Please refer to this FAQ for information on connecting to the AVN’s console interface.

The API interface can be used in custom applications. The AVN4XX API is available to pre-qualified customers only.

There are a couple of possible reasons, the most likely being a bad or improper cable.

AVN200s, and AVN210s connect using a NULL modem cable (D-Sub 9-Pin for RS-232C). A proper cable is shipped with each of these encoders.

All AVN blades (AVN220, AVN420, AVN422, AVN441 and AVN443) use an RJ-45 (8-Pin) to D-SUB 9-Pin for RS-232C, which are the same as CISCO console cables. Each MPP chassis (MPP200 or MPP1700) ships with one of these cables.

Failure to use the proper cable will prevent the serial / console interface from working properly.

Another possible cause is the use of a USB to Serial adapter. While many of these adapters seem to work fine others do not. If you are experiencing strange behavior try a different adapter or use an older PC which has a true serial / COM port.

Yes. All AVN Encoders have a feature called “Boot Streaming”, which automatically starts the units stream after power-up or reboots.

The factory default has the “Boot Steaming” disabled. Boot Streaming can be enabled in the AVN unit’s Web Management page’s. To reach the AVN’s web interface simply type the units IP address into any web browser (e.g. http://192.168.1.55).

In AVN4XX (HD and SD) encoders this feature can be found on the Channel->Stream page, while in the AVN2XX series encoders it is found in System Options page, which can be navigated to by selecting “Options” from the System Settings section of the main page. Enable and save.

With the proper codec / plug-in and, with HD streams, enough processing power, YES.

SD streams, whether H.264 or MPEG-2 don’t require a lot of processing power to decode but HD streams do. Hardware acceleration, where the video decoding is offloaded to a video card or other hardware chip, greatly improves performance of HD rendering. DXVA (DirectX Video Acceleration), either 1.0 or 2.0, is Microsoft’s version of this, with 2.0 being more powerful but only available on Window 7 and Vista.

All AVN streams are fully standards compliant so any standards compliant codec/plug-in should work.

Elecard is a software company, and VSI partner, which makes high quality software players and codecs/plug-ins proven to work well with AVN encoders. For a full list of Elecard products please click here.

Yes and No. The AVN2XX encoders (AVN200, AVN210, and AVN220) support CC EIA-608 only (more info below). The AVN420 and AVN422 do not support CC. The AVN441 supports EIA-608 on the SD Composite input only (Component Y/G / luminance input), The AVN443 supports EIA-608 & EIA-708 on the SDI input only. For a complete comparison of AVN series encoders click here.
More information on CC in the AVN2XX encoders:

VSI supports both EIA-608 only in the AVN2XX Encoder line. The incoming analog signal may contain encoded CC(closed captioning) data on line 21 NTSC EIA-608 (during the VBI) which the AVN2XX will pull out and stuff into the encoded MPEG data stream for transmission according to ATSC EIA-708. A CC compliant decoder such as an Aminet will then extract the EIA-708 and place it back in the VBI line 21(EIA-608),along with the normal video picture for the display device

There appears to be some sort of software conflict which we have been unable to find and fix. We recommend trying the following:

• Note settings that have been changed from factory default, so they can be returned to desired values after reset. The main settings are network IP address, Gateway, and Netmask, along with destination IP address and port .
• Factory default the unit.
• Attempt update again using Config Utility.
• If update fails, please attempt update with another PC to avoid potential software conflicts that can cause update failure. Preferably the second PC would not be a clone of the first.
• If the update still fails, and you don’t wish to try yet another PC, please contact VSI’s technical support team for other options.

When using an AVN420, AVN422, AVN441 or AVN443 blade, if the gateway address under “Device Network Settings”, is not set (example 0.0.0.0), then a unit will not stream. Please make sure the gateway address is set properly.

Another possibility is that the input video is either “bad”, not there, encrypted, or the encoder does not have a valid license for the input video format. For example, the AVN422, AVN441, and AVN443 all require HD (720p, 1080i, 1080p) modules in order to encode HD inputs. See each blade’s spec sheet for more information on the available modules.

The answer depends on the Amino STBs model number. The older Amino 110s use IR frequency (56K), while the newer Amino models (A125, A130 and A130H) use IR frequency (38K). Older IR keyboards (part number 002-455, as displayed on bottom sticker) are locked into a single frequency (56K) and can only communicate with AmiNet110s. Newer IR keyboards (part number 502-455) have a switch in the battery compartment which allows them to be switched between IR frequencies (38K or 56K), allowing them to work with any Amino STB model number.

The latency from encode to decode depends on various settings.

AVN Encoder latency:

• MPEG-2 (AVN200, AVN210, AVN220) ranges from 70 milliseconds up to 280 milliseconds.
• H.264 (AVN420, AVN422, AVN441, AVN443) is approximately 650 milliseconds
• Amino STB (Set Top Box) decoders typically exhibit latency of 100 milliseconds.

For help with latency reduction for video conferencing or remote PTZ camera applications, please contact technical support (1-805-845-8900, Ext.120).

Every AVN series encoder has a console interface which, depending upon the AVN model, has different functionalities. For complete instructions on connecting to and using an AVN’s console interface, refer to device specific user’s manual, available at AVN Encoders and Related Productsby product. The basic terminal settings are: Bits per second: 38400, Data bits: 8, Parity: None, Stop bits: 1, Flow Control: None. If connecting to the device via Telnet, the default username/password is admin/admin.

A truly multicast aware system will only allow video data to be transmitted to the ports requesting the data (by use of a hardware or software decoder attached to the network) and will not flood the network. A multicast transmission requires a multicast aware network environment to avoid flooding all ports with the video data being sent. All network hardware (switches, routers, etc.) should be able to detect a multicast destination IP address and forward it appropriately based on IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) snooping. IGMP allows a device (PC or hardware decoder) to receive messages and streams addressed to a multicast group, by informing a local router of its membership.

For more info on IGMP please refer to this FAQ “What is IGMP Querying and IGMP Snooping and why would I need it on my network”.

It depends upon the AVN model number.

AVN200s, and AVN210s connect using a NULL modem cable (D-Sub 9-Pin for RS-232C). A proper cable is shipped with each of these encoders.

All AVN blades (AVN220, AVN420, AVN422, AVN441 and AVN443) use an RJ-45 (8-Pin) to D-SUB 9-Pin for RS-232C, which are the same as CISCO console cables. Each MPP chassis (MPP200 or MPP1700) ships with one of these cables.

Yes.

A Unicast transmission/stream sends IP packets to a single recipient on a network. A Multicast transmission sends IP packets to a group of hosts on a network. If the streaming video is to be distributed to a single destination, then you would start a Unicast stream by setting the destination IP address and port on the AVN equal to the destination’s values. If you want to view the stream at multiple concurrent locations, then you would set the AVN’s destination IP address to a valid Multicast IP address (224.0.0.0 – 239.255.255.255).

Note that while the Multicast IP address range is from 224.0.0.0 – 239.255.255.255, the first octet (224.xxx.xxx.xxx) is generally reserved for administration. VSI recommends setting the first octet to 225 and the remaining three octets to the AVN’s IP address. For example, if the AVN’s IP address is 192.168.1.53, then set the destination IP address to 225.168.1.53 for Multicast streaming.

Since Multicasting is a relatively new technology, some legacy devices that are part of your network might not support Multicasting.

Before using the AVN encoder in Multicast streaming mode, check the functional specifications of your network infrastructure to ensure that the Multicast stream will not create major traffic on your network. Verify that your backbone switch supports Internet Group Messaging Protocol (IGMP) snooping, which allows the core of your network to ignore the traffic streams that Multicasting may generate.

For more information on IGMP querying and snooping please refer to an AVN encoder’s user manual, available on our website by product, in the chapter titled “Connecting to the Network”.

IGMP is a network layer (Layer 3) protocol used to establish membership in a Multicast group and can register a router to receive specific Multicast traffic. (Refer to RFC 1112 and RFC 2236 for information on IGMP versions 1 and 2.)

Multicast aware switches are slowly making their way into the network cores for businesses and universities that have heavy traffic to move through their networks. Multicast filtering is achieved by dynamic group control management. By default, all Multicast traffic should be blocked until requested by a Multicast group member. (Default behavior depends on switch manufacturer.) The master of the IGMP filter lists is the router or switch that is configured to act as the IGMP Querier. The responsibility of the Querier is to send out IGMP group membership queries on a timed interval, to retrieve IGMP membership reports from active members, and to allow updating of the group membership tables.

A Layer 2 switch supporting IGMP Snooping can passively snoop on IGMP Query, Report, and Leave (IGMP version 2) packets transferred between IP Multicast routers/switches and IP Multicast hosts to determine the IP Multicast group membership. IGMP snooping checks IGMP packets passing through the network, picks out the group registration, and configures Multicasting accordingly.

Without IGMP Querying/Snooping, Multicast traffic is treated in the same manner as a Broadcast transmission, which forwards packets to all ports on the network. With IGMP Querying/Snooping, Multicast traffic is only forwarded to ports that are members of that Multicast group. IGMP Snooping generates no additional network traffic, which significantly reduces the Multicast traffic passing through your switch.

If your network distribution core does not support IGMP Querying/Snooping, the AVN streams will still function as designed but your network may be subjected to high traffic loads and condensed collision domain due to the broadcasting action used by the older switch or hub. If this is the case, you may wish to isolate the streaming nodes within the network so that the streams may be viewed without crossing the normal network traffic along its path.

Otherwise, for a general performance improvement, you may consider upgrading your network core to a switch that is Multicast aware.

A green screen, or green macro-blocking, is caused by having the resolution set to a high value (D1 / 720×480) and the bitrate set to a low value (2.5 MB or lower).

To avoid this issue, either the resolution needs to be lowered or the bitrate increased.

It is recommended for D1 resolution that the bitrate be set to a minimum of 2.5 and even this could be to low depending upon the input video. A video source with lots of action or motion requires a lot more bits to encode accurately than does a talking head, so this needs to be considered as well when configuring the encoder. Another method to get more video bits into a given stream is to disable/mute the audio.

Step I.

• Setup the AVNXXX encoder for SAP streaming using the encoder’s Channel->SAP browser interface page.
• Make sure “SAP Enabled” is set to “Yes”.
• Make sure there is a “Session Name” set. This is the name that will appear in the VLC playlist.
• Set the “Announce Frequency” to 30 (default). This is number of seconds between SAP network announcements.
• If any changes were made to the SAP settings, make sure to click the “Save” button before leaving the page.
• Make sure the AVN is streaming.

Step II.

• Setup the VLC Media Player to listen for SAP announcements on the network. The following instructions are based upon VLC Media Player version 1.1.2, and may be different for other versions.
• Launch VLC Media Player.
• From the top “View” menu, select the “Playlist” option, to bring up the Playlist dialog.
• In the left had “Media Browser” column, expand the “Local Network” option, and select “Network streams (SAP)”.
• The right hand list box should now be titled “Network streams (SAP)”. At first the list will be empty but will be populated over time as the VLC Media Player receives SAP announcements. If the SAP “Announce Frequency” was set to 30, the most you should have to wait to see the AVN “Session Name” listed is 30 seconds.
• Once the “Session Name” of the AVN is listed, simply double click it to begin VLC playback.

No. The AVN encoders ignore WSS included on the incoming video source and do not include it automatically on the encoded output. Currently, only the AVN420 encoder allows you to manually force the output, to include the WSS, so that downstream devices can detect it. When WSS is present in the IP stream, most decoders will pass the WSS downstream on their analog or digital output signal so that the downstream display can receive it.

Wide screen signaling (WSS) is a method that allows the transmission signal to carry information about itself, specifically, what aspect ratio (16:9 or 4:3) to display the content at. The WSS, if present in the transmission, allows displays (monitors/TVs) that support it, to change the aspect ratio dynamically on the fly.

For information on AVN encoders and WSS, please refer to this FAQ “Do the AVN encoders support WSS (Wide Screen Signaling)?”.

No, HDMI does not support Closed Captioning (CC).

H.264/AVC is an industry standard for video compression. The H.264 standard is also known as MPEG-4 Part 10 and is a successor to earlier standards such as MPEG-2 and MPEG-4. It’s an ITU standard for compressing video based on MPEG-4 and is very popular, especially for high-definition video.

AVC stands for Advanced Video Coding. Actually it’s identical to h.264 so you can find it as H.264, H.264/AVC, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC or MPEG-4 Part 10 (it can be twice as efficient as MPEG-4 Part 2 and MPEG-2).

Please refer to the ROHS Compliance Statement PDF.

Please refer to the WEEE Compliance Statement PDF.