Archive notice: This article was originally published on September 9, 2006. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Digital Rapids is presenting two software packages for automating its hardware encoder cards. Stream Broadcast Manager controls encoder cards on any number of computers on the network and sends a report if necessary in the event of an error.
To correct the interruption of a stream, Broadcast Manager has several options. For one thing, it is possible to define a backup stream that is to continue being sent instead of the defective stream while it is being repaired.
There are also several stages for the repair itself:
First, the software restarts only the encoding process of the one stream. If that is not sufficient, the complete channel is restarted. If that also does not lead to a functioning stream, the complete encoding server is restarted.
Restarting the encoding server naturally also affects all other channels. Broadcast Manager can be set to determine how far self-healing is allowed to go.
In addition to self-healing, the administrator can have themselves informed of the error by email or SMS. All actions and errors are written to a log file at the same time.
The software checks the encoding process, on the one hand, checked by means of a handshake procedure, and on the other hand by means of the data rate, in order to detect difficulties in the network. In future versions, a feature such as an interference image that is displayed in the event of difficulties would be conceivable.
The servers on the network can be organised into groups and started or stopped at particular times via a scheduling system – thus serving as broadcast automation for IPTV.
Parallel to Broadcast Manager, there is also Transcode Manager, which does the same with transcoders. Here there is a watch folder into which the material to be transcoded is placed. Transcode Manager manages all Available transcoders and distributes the jobs in order to achieve even utilisation of all systems.
Both software packages are to be available “later this year”; a price could not yet be learned. It will probably be based on the number of encoders/transcoders.
Further Links:
- Digital Rapids
