Matrox maevex series User manual

ENGLISH
User Guide
20176-301-0000
2012.12.20
Matrox
®
Maevex
™
Series
Maevex Encoder • Maevex Decoder
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2 Matrox Maevex Series – User Guide
Contents
About this user guide ..............................................................................................4
Using this guide ........................................................................................................................................4
More information ....................................................................................................................................4
Overview ..................................................................................................................5
Features .....................................................................................................................................................5
Hardware supplied ...................................................................................................................................5
Hardware required (sold separately) .......................................................................................................6
Using Maevex Encoder and Decoder units in extension mode ............................7
Before you begin ......................................................................................................................................8
Connection overview ...............................................................................................................................8
Maevex Encoder – Back ........................................................................................................... 8
Maevex Decoder – Front .......................................................................................................... 9
Maevex Decoder – Back ........................................................................................................... 9
Connector descriptions .......................................................................................................................10
Using a Maevex Decoder unit in player mode .....................................................12
Before you begin ....................................................................................................................................12
Connection overview .............................................................................................................................12
Maevex Decoder – Front ........................................................................................................ 12
Maevex Decoder – Back ......................................................................................................... 13
Connector descriptions .......................................................................................................................13
Seting up your local playlist ...................................................................................................................14
Description of LEDs ..............................................................................................15
Network connector ................................................................................................................................15
Encoder/Decoder ...................................................................................................................................15
Installing Matrox PowerStream ............................................................................16
Before you begin ....................................................................................................................................16
Obtaining Matrox PowerStream ........................................................................................... 16
Selecting the proper software ................................................................................................ 16
Installing your software .........................................................................................................................16
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Matrox PowerStream ........................................................................................... 17
Key features .............................................................................................................................17
Accessing Matrox PowerStream ............................................................................................................18
The main interface .................................................................................................................................18
Overview .................................................................................................................................18
Encoder Settings ..................................................................................................................... 19
Decoder Settings .....................................................................................................................20
Common Encoder and Decoder Settings .............................................................................. 20
Product information .............................................................................................. 22
Specifications .........................................................................................................................................22
Maevex Encoder ...................................................................................................................... 22
Maevex Decoder .....................................................................................................................22
Environmental ........................................................................................................................23
Power consumption and supply voltage ................................................................................23
Audio ...................................................................................................................................... 24
Display mode support ............................................................................................................24
LAN support .......................................................................................................................................... 24
Notes .......................................................................................................................................................25
Digital flat panel and source compatibility ..........................................................................................25
Customer support ................................................................................................ 26
Matrox Web ............................................................................................................................................26
Technical support ..................................................................................................................................26
Information we need ..............................................................................................................26
Firmware package .................................................................................................................................. 26
View your warranty information ..........................................................................................................27
Register your Matrox product ............................................................................................................... 27
Index ..................................................................................................................... 28
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4 Matrox Maevex Series – User Guide
About this user guide
Your Matrox user guide provides information on installing and using your Matrox hardware.
Using this guide
This guide assumes you’re familiar with basic functions like click, right-click and double-click, and
that you’re familiar with the basics of the operating system you’re using. Also, we use the following
conventions:
 Bold for headings and for references to text that appears on-screen.
 Italics for file names, paths, publication titles, and new terms.
 Bold Italics for emphasis.
 Keyboard keys in square brackets, with a plus sign separating keys that you press
simultaneously. For example: press [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[Del] to start Windows Task Manager.
 Arrows (“ Æ ”) to separate ordered directions. For example, “click OK Æ Close Æ OK ” is
the same as “click
OK , then click Close, then click OK ”.
 Green for cross-references. If you’re viewing online, click green text to jump to what’s
being referenced.
More information
Be sure to check for any last-minute release notes included with your product. Also, check the Matrox
Web si t e ( www.matrox.com/graphics) for the latest Matrox software, technical support, and product
information.
Note: THE INFORMATION IN THIS GUIDE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME
AND WITHOUT NOTICE.
Matrox Graphics Inc. reserves the right to make changes in specifications at any time and
without notice. The information provided by this document is believed to be accurate and
reliable at the time it is written. However, no responsibility is assumed by Matrox Graphics
Inc. for its use, for its reproduction and/or distribution, in whole or in part; nor for any
infringements of patents or other rights of third parties resulting from its use.
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Matrox Maevex Series – User Guide 5
Overview
Thank you for purchasing a Matrox Maevex Series product. Matrox Maevex is a video distribution
over IP solution that consists of an encoder unit and one or more decoder units capable of extending
video, audio, and RS232 control signals over a standard TCP/IP network. A Maevex Decoder can also
be used as a standalone video player to view video files stored in its internal memory or on a memory
card.
Features
Your Matrox Maevex products include the following features:
 Start/Stop functionality
 Advanced networking support and network dicovery (UPnP, manual or automatic IP
allocation)
 Output resolution management with fixed resolution lists
 Mute and Volume controls
 Image control
 Ability to play back streaming output on a system running VLC
 Audio input and output selection
 Support to scale output
 Select and control target bitrate
 Video cropping support on decoder
 Continuous mode video playback from SD card
 Image appearance controls (brightness, contrast, hue, and saturation).
Hardware supplied
*
 Maevex Encoder – Encoder unit, 1 power supply, 1 DVI to HDMI adapter, 1 6’ CAT 5E
network cable, 1 analog audio cable.
 Maevex Decoder – Decoder unit, 1 power supply
* The hardware supplied with your Matrox product may vary depending on the SKU or part number of your product. For more
information, contact your Matrox representative.
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Hardware required (sold separately)
 Network cable
 HDMI cable
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Using Maevex Encoder and Decoder
units in extension mode
Matrox Maevex Encoder and Decoder units work in conjunction to provide unicast (one-to-one) or
multicast (one-to-many) streaming over an IP network. This is referred to as
extension mode .
Through Matrox PowerStream, you can manage your entire Maevex network from a single system.
In extension mode, a Matrox Maevex environment is made up of four (4) elements connected to a
network:
 Source – A video source connected to an encoder. A system used as a source is also called
a host system.
 Maevex Encoder – An encoder is needed for each source in your Maevex environment.
An encoder can broadcast to a single decoder or to multiple decoders.
 Maevex Decoder – A decoder is needed for each output in your environment. A decoder
may play video received from an encoder or stored locally on the decoder.
A computer system using VLC as a video player can also be used as a decoder.
 Controller system – A system connected to the network and running Matrox
PowerStream. A controller system can also be a source.
Controller
system
Source
Maevex Encoder
Maevex Decoder
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Before you begin
 Before you power on your units, connect your encoder unit to your source and to the
network, your decoder unit to the network, and your monitors and other devices to your
decoder and encoder units.
Connection overview
This section describes the connectors that may be used on your Maevex Encoder and Decoder unit in
extension mode.
Maevex Encoder – Back
5V DC
power LAN1 VGA (monitor) HDMI Out (monitor) RS-232 (system) HDMI In (system) Line Out
USB Line In
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Maevex Decoder – Front
Maevex Decoder – Back
RS-232
(monitor) USB
5V DC
power
LAN1/LAN2
HDMI Out
(monitor)
Line Out
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Connector descriptions
Connector
Encoder Decoder
Description
Required
encoder
connection
5V DC power 99 Connect the 5V DC power supply included with
your product to this connector. While the 5V DC
power supply is connected to the unit and
electrical socket, the power LED ( ) is active
(green).
HDMI 9Connect a digital monitor to this connector. If
your digital monitor has a DVI connector, you
need an HDMI to DVI adapter to connect your
monitor to this connector.
HDMI In 9Connect your video source to this connector.
If your video source doesn’t support HDMI
output, you need to use an HDMI adapter to
connect it to your encoder unit.
If your source has a DVI connector, use the DVI
to HDMI adapter included with your Maevex
product to connect it to your encoder unit.
Note: To connect to this connector, you need a
shielded HDMI cable.
HDMI Out 9Optional – Connect a digital monitor to this
connector. If your digital monitor has a DVI
connector, you need an HDMI to DVI adapter to
connect your monitor to this connector.
LAN1 99Connect a network cable to this connector.
Note: The second network connector on a
decoder allows you to daisy chain decoder
units.
LAN2 9
Line In 9Optional – Connect the analog audio output of
your video source to this connector. If you’re
using HDMI audio input, this connector is
disabled.
Line Out 99Optional – Connect your analog audio output
device (such as speakers) to this connector.
Line In or
HDMI In
RS-232 99Optional – To control the monitors on your
decoder units with a serial connection from
your source.
Encoder unit – You need to connect an
RS-232 serial cable from your controller
system to this connector.
Decoder unit – You need to connect an
RS-232 serial cable from your decoder to
your monitor.
RS-232
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Your Maevex units are now connected. Install your Matrox software (see “Installing Matrox
PowerStream”, page 16).
USB 99Currently unsupported. USB
VGA 9Optional – Connect an analog monitor to this
connector. For local viewing of uncompressed
video from your video source.
WARNING: To avoid damaging the power connector on your
unit or on your power cable, firmly hold the power connector,
pull back the connector on the cable, then carefully remove the
power cable.
Connector
Encoder Decoder
Description
Required
encoder
connection
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Using a Maevex Decoder unit in player
mode
A Matrox Maevex decoder unit can play back video files stored on a SD card inserted in the slot of the
unit. This is referred to as
player mode . A decoder may work in player mode in a network with
encoders and decoders in extension mode.
Before you begin
 Before you power on your Maevex Decoder unit, make sure your decoder unit is properly
connected to all your audio and video devices and to your network.
Connection overview
This section describes the connectors that may be used on your Maevex Decoder unit in player mode.
Maevex Decoder – Front
SD card
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Maevex Decoder – Back
Connector descriptions
Connector Description
5V DC power input Connect the 5V DC power supply included with your product to this
connector. While the 5V DC power supply is connected to the unit and
electrical socket, the power LED ( ) is active (green).
HDMI Connect a digital monitor to this connector. If your digital monitor has a
DVI connector, you need an HDMI to DVI adapter to connect your
monitor to this connector.
LAN1
LAN2
Connect a network cable to this connector.
Note: The second network connector allows you to daisy chain decoder
units.
Line Out Optional – Connect your audio output device (such as speakers) to this
connector.
RS-232 This connector is unsupported in player mode.
SD card Insert an SD card with your video content in this slot. The card must be
inserted before your unit is powered on. For more information on SD
cards, see “Seting up your local playlist”, page 14.
USB Currently unsupported.
5V DC
power input Line Out
HDMI
(monitor)
LAN1/LAN2
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Seting up your local playlist
In player mode, your decoder can continuously decode and play video and audio files stored on an
SD card. Here are the requirements to use your decoder in player mode using an SD card:
 Your SD card must be formatted on a Windows system with a FAT32 or NTFS file system.
 Your SD card must be inserted before starting the decoder.
 Files are played in alphanumeric order.
 A decoder can play H.264 video (.mp4) and audio (.mp3) files. Support for additional
file formats planned for a future release.
 When playing audio only, the HDMI display is black.
After your playlist is set up, insert your SD card and power on your decoder unit. The decoder unit
starts decoding your media files automatically.
WAR NING: To avoid damaging the power connector on your
unit or on your power cable, firmly hold the power connector,
pull back the connector on the cable, then carefully remove the
power cable.
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Description of LEDs
Network connector
The network connectors on your Matrox Encoder and Decoder unit use
indicator lights (LEDs) to provide information on the network activity
and presence. The following describes the different network connector
LEDs:
Encoder/Decoder
A Maevex Encoder and Decoder unit uses its power indicator light (LED) to provide information on
the status of your unit. The following describes the LED on a Maevex unit.
Flashing Green No LED (black)
Network activity Data transfer in progress. No data transfer in progress
or no network detected.
Orange No LED (black)
Network presence Network communication
established.
No communication
established.
Green Orange No LED (black)
Power and status Unit is operational. Firmware update in
progress. No power.
Network
activity Network
presence
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Installing Matrox PowerStream
This section describes how to install Matrox PowerStream software for Windows® 7 .
Before you begin
You may need administrator rights to install or uninstall certain software. For more information, see
Windows documentation or contact your system administrator.
Obtaining Matrox PowerStream
Matrox makes the latest PowerStream software available on the Matrox Technical Support
Web si t e ( www.matrox.com/graphics/en/support).
Selecting the proper software
Matrox makes available two versions of the software (32- and 64-bit). The program you
install depends on the operating system you’re using in your system.
Installing your software
To install the software for your Maevex product, run the MSI (Microsoft Installer) file for your
software package. Follow the on-screen instructions.
Note: Support for additional operating systems planned for release.
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Matrox PowerStream
Matrox PowerStream software enables you to remotely control, manage, and
update your Maevex units from a controller system in your Maevex
environment.
Key features
Matrox PowerStream currently includes the following features:
 Automatic device identification using Universal Plug-and-Play (UPnP)
 Encoding parameter management
 Switching of encoder-to-decoder combinations
 Output configuration support with EDID and forced resolution support
 Video size control through scaling and cropping of video source.
 Image appearance controls (brightness, contrast, hue, and saturation).
 Audio signal selection between HDMI and analog at input and output.
Note: A DHCP server is required to assign an initial IP address to your units.
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Accessing Matrox PowerStream
To access the main interface of PowerStream, click Start Æ All Programs (or Programs ) Æ Matrox
Graphics
* Æ Matrox PowerStream . (* Depending on your version and configuration of Windows,
this part of the step may not be necessary.)
For more information on Matrox PowerStream software, see the rest of this guide.
The main interface
PowerStream main interface is divided into four (4) panels:
 Events – Supported in a future release.
 Health – Supported in a future release.
 Overview – Displays the decoders and encoders previously and currently detected by
PowerStream. It also displays their current status.
 Settings – Displays PowerStream version.
Overview
The main interface overview provides a list of Maevex encoders and decoders units
previously and currently known by the PowerStream software on your system. The status of
a unit is shown by a color:
 Gray – Unit is present on the network but isn’t initialized.
 Yellow – Unit is initializing.
 Dark Green – Unit is ready to encode or decode.
 Green – Unit is awaiting connection.
 Bright green – Unit is encoding or decoding a stream.
 Dark gray – Unit is no longer detected on the network. You can remove the tile
for such a unit by selecting the tile and pressing [Delete].
To select a unit, click its tile. The selected unit tile border is white.
A unit tile has the serial number in the upper left corner, its status in the center, and its data
transfer rate in the lower right corner.
To view the settings for an encoder or decoder unit, you can right-click or double-click the
unit tile. You can then view and change the settings for your unit.
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Encoder Settings
The settings specific to an encoder are:
Encoder information – The information for the currently selected encoder.
The information provided is the serial number of the unit, its firmware version, its
IP address, and its status. Click
Start encoding when you want the encoder to start
transmitting.
While the encoder is transmitting, the URL for the stream is also listed. To assign a
stream to a decoder, copy this URL and paste it in the
Stream address box of the decoder
window.
Click
Stop encoding when you want the encoder to stop transmitting. You can also click
on the
Reboot button to restart the unit.
While the encoder is transmitting, the average and current bit rate plus the average and
current frame rate are provided for the current stream.
Capture – The capture settings provide the information on the video and audio signal
received by your encoder.
Select the frame rate for video capture. Possible choices are to grab every frame, every
other frame, or down to one frame every 30 frames.
Select the audio source to use for audio capture. Select the bit rate used to transmit audio
and the sampling rate used to receive audio.
Encoding – The encoding settings define how the video and audio signal are compressed and
sent by your encoder.
By enabling
Use a specific video size , you can scale the video before it’s encoded. Specify
the width and height in pixels of the video. If your video source uses a different size, your
encoder scales the video to the specified size and distortion may occur.
The
Bit rate limit is the maximum bandwidth in Mb/s (MegaBits per second) used by
your encoder to transmit the streaming signal. The actual bandwidth used by your
encoder varies according to your source and your encoding method.
To determine how the bandwidth allocated to your encoder is used, select which aspect
you want to favor between speed and quality under
Strategy .
Enter the number of frames making up your Group of pictures (GOP) and the number of
frames at which a P frame is inserted. A smaller group of picture and a higher number
of P frames have a higher image quality but require more bandwidth.
If you enable
Use Rate Control , select the range of QP (Quantisation Parameter) used to
compress the various frames in your GOP. The range of QP is from 0 to 51. We
recommend using increasing values from I to B frames.
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Decoder Settings
The settings specific to a decoder are:
Decoder information – The information for the currently selected decoder.
The information provided are the serial number of the unit, its firmware version, and its
IP address.
Decoder controls allow you to view and change the URL for the streaming signal and to
start/stop the unit from decoding the streaming signal.
The
Stream address box is used to paste the URL of the encoder signal received by your
decoder unit.
Click
Start Decoding to decode the streaming signal and output to your monitor. Once
the decoder starts, it may take a few minutes before the video is visible on your monitor.
While a decoder is in player mode, PowerStream lists the decoder status as
Local
decoding
instead of Decoding .
Click Reboot to restart your decoder unit.
Details – Currently not used.
Decoding – Decoding defines how the streaming signal is processed by your decoder unit.
Under Routing Scheme , select the type of signal received by your decoder. Possible
choices are UDP unicast or UDP multicast.
Under
Latency , select the maximum number of incomplete frames which can be
received by your decoder. If the number of incomplete frame is exceeded, the oldest
incomplete frames are discarded.
Under
Max Lateness , select the maximum number of frames (complete or incomplete)
which can be stored by your decoder. If the number of frames stored on the decoder is
exceeded, the oldest frames are dropped. The
Max Lateness is always higher than the
Latency .
Extra delay is the number of miliseconds (ms) between the moment a frame is ready to
be shown and the moment it’s actually shown on screen.
Enable
Crop video to remove pixels from one or more borders of the video. Enter the
number of pixels removed from the left and top side, and then the width and height in
pixels of the area of the video shown.
Common Encoder and Decoder Settings
The settings common to both an encoder and a decoder are:
Local output –
For an encoder, select the Signal type for your video output. Possible choices are HDMI ,
VGA , or HDMI + VGA .
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