NCast Telepresenter M4 User manual

NCast Telepresenter Reference Manual
NCast Product Specification
Telepresenter M4
Reference Manual
Revision 2.2
March 1st, 2010
M4 Software Release 5.2.0
M3 Series 2 Software Release 5.2.0
Copyright © Cast Corporation, 2010
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 6
1.1. Purpose .................................................................................................................................................. 6
1.2. Document Overview ............................................................................................................................... 6
1.3. Terms and Definitions ............................................................................................................................. 6
1.4. Telepresenter Units ................................................................................................................................ 7
1.5. Telepresenter Modes of Operation ......................................................................................................... 7
1.6. Startup ................................................................................................................................................. 10
2. Theory of Operation ...................................................................................................................... 12
2.1. Telepresenter Component Block Diagram ........................................................................................... 12
2.2. Digitizer Capture Function .................................................................................................................... 13
2.3. Compression ........................................................................................................................................ 13
2.4. Transmission ........................................................................................................................................ 13
2.5. Decompression .................................................................................................................................... 13
2.6. Display Function ................................................................................................................................... 13
2.7. Audio Subsystem ................................................................................................................................. 13
2.8. Archive Disk ......................................................................................................................................... 14
3. Configuration Settings and Parameters Reference ....................................................................... 15
3.1. Unit Options Settings ........................................................................................................................... 15
3.2. Passwords ............................................................................................................................................ 17
3.3. Web Control ......................................................................................................................................... 18
3.4. Display Settings ................................................................................................................................... 19
3.5. Custom Settings ................................................................................................................................... 21
3.6. etwork Settings .................................................................................................................................. 26
3.7. Telnet Settings ...................................................................................................................................... 28
3.8. -Way .................................................................................................................................................. 29
3.9. Scheduler ............................................................................................................................................. 30
3.10. otifications ........................................................................................................................................ 36
3.11. Logs .................................................................................................................................................... 38
3.12. Update Tool ........................................................................................................................................ 40
4. The Channel Table ........................................................................................................................ 42
4.1. Channel Settings .................................................................................................................................. 42
4.2. Channel Settings - General .................................................................................................................. 43
4.3. Channel Settings - Recording .............................................................................................................. 51
4.4. Channel Settings - Layout .................................................................................................................... 54
4.5. Channel Settings – Image Overlays ..................................................................................................... 59
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4.6. Channel Settings – Text Overlays ........................................................................................................ 59
4.7. Channel Settings – Upload ................................................................................................................... 62
4.8. Channel Settings – otifications .......................................................................................................... 64
5. Archive Page ................................................................................................................................. 66
5.1. Archive Settings ................................................................................................................................... 66
6. Sources Page ............................................................................................................................... 70
6.1. Sources Settings .................................................................................................................................. 70
7. Information Pages Reference ....................................................................................................... 75
7.1. Session Page ....................................................................................................................................... 75
7.2. Viewers Page ....................................................................................................................................... 76
7.3. View Page ............................................................................................................................................ 77
7.4. VLC Media Player ................................................................................................................................ 79
7.5. Media Players ...................................................................................................................................... 79
7.6. Closed-Caption Support ....................................................................................................................... 80
8. Custom Layouts ............................................................................................................................ 83
8.1. Frame Layouts and Presets ................................................................................................................. 83
9. Telepresenter Interfaces ................................................................................................................ 88
9.1. Serial Interface ..................................................................................................................................... 88
9.2. Telnet Interface ..................................................................................................................................... 88
9.3. HTTP Interface – Archive Download .................................................................................................... 89
9.4. HTTP Interface – Image and Thumbnail Capture ................................................................................. 95
9.5. HTTP Interface – Graphics Overlay Upload ......................................................................................... 96
10. Techniques for Presentation Capture ....................................................................................... 99
10.1. Webcasting, Podcasting and Archiving .............................................................................................. 99
10.2. Capturing Graphics, Video and Audio ................................................................................................ 99
10.3. Conference Day Problems and Issues ............................................................................................. 101
10.4. Video Post-Production ...................................................................................................................... 102
11. References .................................................................................................................................. 105
11.1. MPEG Compression ......................................................................................................................... 105
11.2. Packet Transmission ........................................................................................................................ 105
11.3. Multicast ........................................................................................................................................... 105
12. Revision History .......................................................................................................................... 106
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Regulatory Compliance Information
Equipment Label
The Telepresenter meets all applicable FCC, CE and ICA radiation and emission standards:
NCast Corporation
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that
may cause undesired operation. This Product Certified to meet the Standards in
the categories listed on the label by:
Pul er Laboratories Inc.
RTL Control umber 5424X
(1) Information Technology Equipment including Electrical
Business Equipment
(2) Low-Voltage Video Product
(3) Professional Audio and Video Equipment
EMI: FCC Part 15 Class B; ICAN ICES-003 Class B; EN55022 Class B
This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003. Cet appareil
numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme MB-003 du Canada.
Cautions
(1) Use a shielded data cable connection between the parallel ports and peripherals of this
equipment.
(2) Other connections between peripherals of this equipment may be made with low voltage
non-shielded computer data cables.
(3) etwork connections may consist of non-shielded CAT 5 cable.
Warnings
(1) A non-shielded power cord may be used to connect AC power to every component and
peripheral of the system.
FCC NOTICE
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any
interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
FCC NOTICE – INFORMATION FOR THE USER
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions,
may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off
and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following
measures:
(1)Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
(2)Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
(3)Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
(4)Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
The user may find the following publication prepared by the Federal Communications Commission
helpful:
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“How to Identify and Resolve Radio-TV Interference Problems”
Stock umber 004-000-00345-4, available exclusively from the Superintendent of Documents,
Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402 (telephone [phone]).
FCC WARNING
Changes or modification not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance to Part
15 of the FCC Rules could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
CE NOTICE – INFORMATION FOR THE USER
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B or Class 2 digital
device, pursuant to E 55022 Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This
equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used
in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful
interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at the expense of
the user.
The user may find the following publication prepared by the Federal Communication Commission
helpful:
“How to Identify and Resolve Radio-TV Interference Problems”
Stock umber 004-000-00345-4, available exclusively from the Superintendent of Documents,
Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402 (telephone [phone]).
WARNING
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance to E
55022 Rules could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
ICAN Class B Digital Equipment
This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing
Equipment Regulations.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigencies due Réglement sur le
matériel brouilleur du Canada.
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1. Introduction
1.1. PURPOSE
The NCast Telepresenter Reference Manual is intended for the Audio/Video or etwork engineer who will be
tasked with the job of installing and setting up a Telepresenter or a system of multiple Telepresenters. The
Quic Start Manual should be consulted for basic setup, power-on of a unit and troubleshooting. This guide
is designed to cover topics in greater depth and to assist in optimizing the performance of a Telepresenter.
1.2. DOCUMENT OVERVIEW
This document is divided into two major sections: the theory of operation and a discussion of parameter
settings.
1.3. TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
A complete discussion of MPEG compression, Internet streaming, webcasting protocols and related topics is
beyond the scope of this document. Other sources cover this material in great detail. The following are brief
definitions of some of the terms used throughout this manual.
AAC – Advanced Audio Coding, a wideband audio encoding and compression algorithm.
Auto-detect – A capability to automatically sense if an input signal (graphics or video) is
present and to lock onto that signal without further manual intervention.
CIF - Describes an image or display surface with a resolution of 352x288 pixels.
DVI – Digital Visual Interface, a digital interface standard which provides for connection to
LCD panels and displays.
H.264 – A compression format that delivers very high quality video at low bit rates. MPEG-4
Part 10 utilizes the H.264 codec for transmission.
IETF – Internet Engineering Task Force, the standards body for Internet protocols.
ISO – International Standards Organization
Latency – The end-to-end time delay between a change in the source image and the
corresponding change in the remotely displayed image.
Line-Level – Sound level signals typically in the range of –10 dBu to +30 dBu.
Lip-sync – The synchronization of independent audio and video streams at a receiving
decoder so that the presentation is in the same time relationship as the source.
Mic-Level – Sound level signals typically in the range of –70 dBu to –30 dBu.
MPEG Compression – MPEG is an acronym for Motion Picture Experts Group, an industry-
wide committee which has defined a series of standards for the compression of audio and
video source material.
MTU – The maximum transmission unit is the maximum number of bytes permitted in a
transmitted packet.
Multicast – A family of computer transmission protocols where multiple receivers access a
single transmitted packet stream.
CCP – Cast Conference Control Protocol provides coordination, control and identification
of participants in a multi-way collaborative conference session.
-Way – An Cast proprietary service for multicast bridging and webcasting.
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PIP – A picture-in-picture function overlays one video or graphics image with a reduced-sized
version of another video image.
RFC – Request for Comments, an Internet protocol standard.
RTSP – Real-Time Streaming Protocol is an IETF approved protocol for control of real-time
streaming on the Internet.
S-Video – A video connector (usually DI style) where luminance and chroma information are
transmitted on separate wires or cable pairs. Provides for a higher fidelity image than a
composite connection.
SDP – Session Description Protocol, for describing streaming media transmissions
SIF - Describes an image or display surface with a resolution of 320x240 pixels.
SVGA – Describes an image or display surface with a resolution of 800x600 pixels.
SXGA – Describes an image or display surface with a resolution of 1280x1024 pixels. The
aspect ratio for SXGA is 5:4. Support for a 4:3 aspect ratio is accomplished by utilizing a
1280×960 subset of the display surface.
Telnet – An IP network based protocol, which was originally used to connect remote consoles
and terminals to mainframes, but is now used as a general, bi-directional, byte oriented
communications facility. See RFC’s 854 and 855.
Unicast – Refers to a point-to-point connection between two Internet host machines.
UXGA – Describes an image or display surface with a resolution of 1600x1200 pixels.
VGA – Describes an image or display surface with a resolution of 640x480 pixels.
WUXGA - Describes an image or display surface with a resolution of 1920x1200 pixels.
WXGA – Describes an image or display surface with a resolution of 1366x768 pixels. Some
projectors use WXGA to refer to 1280x720 as well. This display size implements a 16:9
aspect ratio, as compared to a normal 4:3 monitor.
XGA – Describes an image or display surface with a resolution of 1024x768 pixels.
1.4. TELEPRESENTER UNITS
The Telepresenter is a stand-alone network communications appliance which captures RGB (VGA) or DVI
signals from a desktop or laptop, compresses the image with an industry standard compression algorithm,
packetizes and transmits the imagery as an internet media stream, receives a media stream from the
internet, decompresses the imagery, and presents the received information to a viewing audience through
use of a large-screen computer (VGA) monitor or via a room projector. Telepresenters are able to archive the
media stream in real-time while simultaneously webcasting, allowing for playback by the recipient at a later
date.
The following Telepresenter models are covered by this documentation:
Telepresenter M3 Series 2 – A rack-mounted unit with streaming, archiving, collaboration,
capabilities at WUXGA (1920x1200) and 1080p resolutions. Includes PIP and overlays. The M3
Series 2 must have been upgraded to the Revision 5.0 software level.
Telepresenter M4, M4W – A rack-mounted unit with streaming, archiving, collaboration, capabilities
at WUXGA (1920x1200) and 1080p resolutions. Includes PIP and overlays.
All Telepresenter models share a core operating system and base set of features.
1.5. TELEPRESENTER MODES OF OPERATION
The Telepresenters have three major modes of operation:
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One-to-Many Streaming – In this mode of operation one of the Telepresenters is designated
as the “Sender” and all of the other units are designated as “Receivers”. The media streams
originate from the Sender and are decoded by one or more Receivers. The transmission is
strictly one-way, and no feedback or interactivity is provided for. The one-to-many operation is
enabled via use of multicast connected networks.
Full-Duplex Streaming – Two Telepresenters can be connected via a point-to-point unicast or
multicast link. Each endpoint will be transmitting to the other endpoint and simultaneously
receiving a stream from the remote unit.
Collaboration Mode – Two or more Telepresenters can be engaged in Cast’s proprietary
Collaboration Mode. In this mode, one unit is designated as “Conference Coordinator” and all
other units are designated as “Conference Participants”.
The Coordinator is the master controller for the conference, and is allowed to pass control to
any participant in the conference at any time. When a participant receives control, the
participant’s unit begins transmission and the coordinator’s unit stops transmission. All other
units are then “tuned in” to the media stream being generated by the participant unit which
was granted control. When the participant’s presentation is done, the coordinator takes back
floor control and continues the conference as before.
In this mode the audio from each unit transmits continuously, and at each receiver all audio
streams are combined or mixed to allow real-time interactive discussion amongst all
participants. Use of collaboration mode audio requires external echo-canceling microphones
or amplifiers to avoid problems with echo and feedback. Equipment made by companies such
as ClearOne (was Gentner), PolyCom or others is a must for quality audio-conferencing
results.
Collaboration mode requires units to be situated on a multicast-enabled network, or to use -
Way bridging technology.
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In addition to these three modes of operation there is the following additional functionality:
Webcasting to Desktops – The Telepresenters can generate RTSP media streams which
may be unicast to desktops or laptops that wish to join a conference. Commonly available
client players allow these presentations to be displayed either full-screen or in a window on an
individual’s monitor or LCD display. In addition to the Desktops using RTSP, remote
Telepresenters connected via multicast can receive the media streams. For optimum
performance consideration must be given to the bandwidth requirements for all senders and
receivers.
In this mode of operation questions and comments from students or the audience may be
enabled through use of any number of popular instant messaging applications (e.g. Jabber,
Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, etc.).
Multicast Bridging – Through the use of -Way technology and services, multiple
Telepresenters, which are not situated on a native multicast network, can participate in a
conference through the use of a bridge. The -Way bridge can also serve as a distribution
point for RTSP unicasts to desktops.
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-Way functionality and services are described in the N-Way Reference Manual. Contact
Cast Corporation for more information on -Way Servers and Services.
1.6. STARTUP
1.6.1. Really, Really Quick Start
Here’s a really short description on how to get started:
1. Plug the unit into a network with DHCP, and plug in an LCD Display to the VGA Out, your
laptop into the VGA In, a camera into a video connector (if you have one) and turn on the
power.
2. When you see the bootup screen with the IP network address, log into the unit at
http://ipaddress using “admin” as the user and “ncast” as the password.
3. On the Sources page select your input feeds from the top two rows of buttons and then on
the Channels page click the Channel Start button “1” on the left.
4. Go to the View page, click on “Quicktime RTSP” and you’re done!
1.6.2. Mini Start
This is a short introduction on how to get started with a Telepresenter:
1. Plug the unit into a network and plug in an LCD Display to the VGA Out, your laptop into the
VGA In, a camera into a video connector (if you have one) and turn on the power. If you
aren’t using DHCP and need to enter static IP addresses, edit a “ntwkconf.txt” file onto a USB
stick and plug it into a USB port. See the etwork Settings section for details on this file.
2. When you see the bootup screen with the IP network address, log into the unit at
http://ipaddress using “admin” as the user and “ncast” as the password.
3. Go to the Configuration/Unit Options page and fill in all the information required.
4. Go to the Display page and setup your local loopback display parameters.
5. On the Sources page select your input feeds from the top two rows of buttons. Select your
Audio Input source. Also select the Main and PIP Window settings. Turn the audio meter on.
You should see your captured graphics and video on the local display screen. Check your
audio levels on the meter.
6. On the Channels page modify a Channel for the transmission rates and multicast or unicast
addresses you wish to use. Use the Layout tab to specify the resolution and window
placement desired. Review the Recording options. Update the Channel information. Click the
Channel Start button on the left for the Channel you have modified.
7. You will see a Session Start page come up with details about your ongoing transmission. If
you wish to start recording the Session, press the Record button.
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8. Go to the View page. This page allows you to connect different media desktop players using
either multicast or RTSP (unicast) protocol. If you have Quicktime installed on your PC, click
on “Quicktime Multicast” if you have multicast on your network or “Quicktime RTSP” for
unicast. Your client player should launch and you should see your captured graphics and
video. For other client players, try clicking on the “SDP” link. You’re done!
1.6.3. Long Start
Read this whole manual from cover to cover (RTFM). There are hundreds of different configuration
options for a Telepresenter, allowing the setup and composition of many different formats, resolutions,
PIP options, layouts, bit-rates, frame-rates, start and stop and scheduling options and the like. You
can automatically upload your archives to a video-server. You can tag your archives automatically
with course numbers and notes. You can add your own customized graphic overlays to the captured
graphics and video. Transmission can be automated so that all that is required is to press the power-
on button.
Please feel free to contact Cast Corporation if you have any questions about the use or
configuration of the Telepresenter.
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2. Theory of Operation
2.1. TELEPRESENTER COMPONENT BLOCK DIAGRAM
The Telepresenter consists of these main hardware functions:
Digitizer Capture Hardware – A specially designed, high-performance PCI card is used to grab and
digitize the RGB or video signals created by the presenter or media source. This card accepts VGA, DVI,
PAL/ TSC composite or PAL/ TSC S-Video connections and converts those signals to RGB or YUV digital
format. With the introduction of the Digitizer-3 PCI card, two of these inputs may be active simultaneously for
generation of a picture-in-picture (PIP) display.
Central CPU – A general-purpose, high performance processor is used to compress and decompress
media streams, to encapsulate and decapsulate outgoing and incoming packets streams, to enable the web
interface, serial interface and telnet interface, and to prepare data for display on the attached monitor. A
highly secure open-source operating system underlies and supports all of this functionality.
Display Output Sub-system – Media streams, which are received and decoded, are presented on the
attached display for viewing.
Audio Sub-system – A sound system with stereo input-output capabilities and with support for microphone
and line-level inputs and line-level outputs is used to create the AAC audio streams transmitted in
conjunction with the associated graphics or video imagery.
Ethernet Interface – Industry-standard Gigabit ethernet connectors are used to connect the Telepresenter
with the Internet network used for communications.
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2.2. DIGITIZER CAPTURE FUNCTION
The digitizer capture card selects one of the available four inputs (VGA, DVI, Composite, S-Video) and locks
onto the signal. The signal is converted into the appropriate digital formats, and each pixel in the image is
stored in a local memory buffer on the card. At an appropriate time the pixels in memory are transferred over
the PCI bus to the memory of the main CPU where they are pre-processed and compressed.
If PIP mode is enabled, two signals may be selected (exception: Composite and S-video share one video
decoding chip).
2.3. COMPRESSION
The digitized RGB signals are converted in format from an {R,G,B} representation to {Y,U,V}. Industry-
standard compression algorithms are then used to reduce the source data to a more manageable size, and
to generate sequences of I-P-B frames found in MPEG media streams.
2.4. TRANSMISSION
The MPEG media stream is split into segments, which are then encapsulated into RTP packets according to
the protocol standards set forth in IETF RFC 3016 or RFC 3984 (H.264). These packets are presented to the
Ethernet hardware interface for subsequent transmission on the attached IP network.
2.5. DECOMPRESSION
The received packet stream is decompressed and the resulting image is placed into a video frame buffer. At
that instant it will become visible to the receiving viewers.
2.6. DISPLAY FUNCTION
The display will output imagery from two different sources. If the unit is configured as the sending unit, a
local copy of the captured image (prior to compression, but after capture and conversion to digital format) will
be displayed. If the unit is a receiving unit, the displayed image will be from the remote sender.
2.7. AUDIO SUBSYSTEM
Each Telepresenter supports an audio subsystem consisting of an AC ’97 codec and associated input/output
connectors. The unit has microphone and line-level input signals, and a line-level output signal. Each line-
level connector supports stereo signals.
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2.8. ARCHIVE DISK
A local hard-drive in the Telepresenter is available for recording transmitted sessions. The file format is
standard MPEG-4 (.mp4), which can be played on a variety of desktop client players, or these same files can
be installed on a video-streaming server for on-demand playback over the Internet. An optional license may
be purchased to convert to Windows Media Advanced Streaming Format, ASF, for creation of .wmv files
(M4W Product).
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3. Configuration Settings and Parameters Reference
3.1. UNIT OPTIONS SETTINGS
The Unit Options page gives the Telepresenter its unique ID and provides a place to enter system-wide
settings. The ID and contact information are transmitted over the Internet to identify this Telepresenter as a
member of an ongoing conference session.
3.1.1. Unit ID
The Unit ID uniquely identifies a Telepresenter within a conference. The Unit ID can be descriptive of the
location of the unit, or it can reflect the departmental ownership, or any other characteristic that clearly
differentiates it from its peers.
Examples:
M4 West Campus
M4 Engineering
The Unit ID is written to the XML meta-data file which accompanies each recording, and may be used to
index the recorded file based on information about which unit sourced the recording.
3.1.2. Contact name
The Contact name is typically the name of the owner or administrator of the unit responsible for being the
source of the generated media stream. It could also be the name of the person in charge of the course
material being webcast. This item is transmitted in real-time over the network as an SDES element in the
RTP protocol (see IETF RFC 1889 for a more detailed description of the Real-Time Protocol). Other SDES
items include the Contact e-mail, Contact phone, Contact location, and Contact web page.
3.1.3. Contact e-mail
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The Contact e-mail should be the address of the owner/administrator of the unit or an address where
questions or service requests concerning the unit are sent. The email address should be formatted according
to RFC 822, for example, [email protected].
3.1.4. Contact phone
The Contact phone should be the number of the owner/administrator of the unit or a number of a service
desk, which a user could contact for help with regards to the media stream being generated. The phone
number should be formatted with a + sign replacing the international access code. For example, a phone
number in the United States would appear as “[phone]”.
3.1.5. Contact location
The location of the unit. The degree of precision of the location is at the discretion of the systems
administrator. For example, one might enter “Sunnyvale, CA” or “Room 23B, Building 5, San Jose Campus,
2050 Tasman Drive, San Jose, CA”.
3.1.6. Contact web page
The Contact web page can be the URL of the Contact name’s personal web page, department, service
group, help page or course material outline.
3.1.7. Time zone
The Time zone setting is required so that the timestamp information embedded in the archive filenames
correctly matches the local time-of-day.
3.1.8. etwork Time Protocol
When enabled the unit’s system time is synchronized with public or private TP servers. When disabled the
system time is not synchronized and may drift over longer time periods. This option takes effect immediately.
If the TP client is disabled an additional setting for manual time and date setup shows up. The TP client
requires a proper D S configuration to work correctly.
Selection of this option requires that the network in use allows the Telepresenter to access external, publicly
available time servers. If you are on a private or closed network, local TP servers may be listed in the “ TP
server ” fields.
Disable this selection if access to the network time servers is not available (closed network) or if the unit is
being used in a temporary location with a standalone hub or router (e.g. a tradeshow, conference or demo).
Bootup time will be substantially reduced if the system does not wait for a response from non-existent time
servers.
3.1.9. Serial umber and Revision Information
At the bottom of the Unit Options page internal system information is listed including:
•Serial number of the hardware unit
•System ID – Required for entry of license information
•Options – Software configuration options valid for this unit
•Hardware architecture in use and firmware revision numbers
•Software release revision and date
•System date and time
3.1.10.Configuration/Reset Buttons
On the right side of the web page are seven buttons which may be used to configure, restart or reset the
unit:
•Shutdown – Powers down the unit and is recommended as the proper means to turn off a
Telepresenter if it will be idle for some time or is to be moved or reconfigured. All operating
parameters will be properly saved and restored.
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•Reboot – Shuts down and then restarts the unit. This operation may be needed to clear problems
after a power brownout or other unexpected glitch.
•Factory Defaults – All operating parameters are reset to the Telepresenter’s initial factory
configuration. othing is saved and the reset is irreversible.
•Export Settings/Import Settings – Export or Import ALL configuration settings for this unit
•Install License/Remove License – Install license keys for additional purchased software options
3.2. PASSWORDS
The Passwords page provides for entry of four different password types to control access to the
Telepresenter.
3.2.1. Admin password
The Admin password grants rights to all configuration and setup options for the Telepresenter. This password
should be chosen carefully and with security in mind. Avoid use of common names, dictionary words and the
like. A randomly chosen string greater than 8 characters in length is suggested.
3.2.2. Coordinator password
The Coordinator password allows the Conference Coordinator to control the conference session and to pass
control to the participating units. The Coordinator also has access to Archive files.
3.2.3. Viewer passwords
The View page allows desktop or laptop users to access the live media streams being encoded by the
Telepresenter. This access may or may not be restricted, depending on the content and needs of the
installation and/or organization. If the “Verify viewer password” checkbox is enabled, then access is restricted
and a viewer needs to enter a password to see the media stream.
There is provision for four different viewer names and passwords.
3.2.4. HTTP API password
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The HTTP API password allows access to archived files. This password permits HTTP access to the archive
list, allows downloading of the archive and details file and the removal of one or more archived files. All of
these operations utilize special HTTP URLs described in Section 9.3. Commonly available programs such as
“wget” may be executed from shell scripts to automate this archive download function. There is no login page
for a backup operator using the web interface.
3.3. WEB CONTROL
The Web Control page allows configuration of security settings related to use and access of the web
administrative interface.
3.3.1. HTTP/HTTPS Access
ormal web access, which is unprotected and insecure, is accomplished through use of the HTTP protocol
typically utilizing port 80. Secure access using HTTPS (the SSL protocol) utilizes port 443. Administration of
the Telepresenter in open and insecure networks without the use of HTTPS presents a security risk and
should be avoided.
The Web Control page allows three different options related to Viewer and Administrative access.
•All HTTP – Utilizes HTTP for Viewer and Administrative access.
•Viewer HTTP/Admin HTTPS – Utilizes HTTPS for Administrative access
•All HTTPS – Viewers and Administrators must use HTTPS
The downside of using HTTPS is that SSL Certificates (which usually require an annual fee or license
payment) are required for each Telepresenter unit. on-authoritative certificates may be used, but Viewers
will see ominous warning notices in their browsers about the certificate, asking the user to accept the validity
of the connection. Also, client players such as Quicktime, which need to download .sdp files using HTTPS
protocol, may not function correctly if the certificate is not valid. Consult with your network administrator
about certificate availability for your organization.
Access using HTTPS is straightforward. Simply use the “https” prefix:
https://telepresenter.ncast.com
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This will automatically direct the request to port 443, the standard for HTTPS access.
3.3.2. Certificates and RSA Keys
If an organization has purchased an official SSL Certificate, or has created a non-authoritative one (which
can be done with many different SSL tools) this new certificate may be uploaded and installed on the Web
Control page.
When HTTPS is turned on, the Apache server requires that the certificate be authenticated with a password.
Since this is not possible inside the Telepresenter, a private RSA key may be used instead of a password. If
there is not a valid private RSA key available, then Apache will not start. This is used to disable third parties
launching HTTPS with stolen certificates. More information on this topic is at http://www.apache.org. The
pass-phrase should be removed from the private key before upload.
3.4. DISPLAY SETTINGS
The Display settings control activity relative to the local display attached to the Telepresenter. If activated this
display normally loops back the graphics or video signals selected on the input connectors (after digitization
of the signal). The displayed material shows the final-form composition of what will be compressed and
recorded (except for the audio-meter, if present). However, in the case of full-duplex streaming or
collaboration mode, the display will be showing graphics or video that is being generated at some remote
site. Also, if graphic overlays are being used, these will appear on the local loopback display.
3.4.1. Display Mode
The Telepresenter auto-detects the attached monitor's native resolution and aspect ratio. Auto-detection
works only if the monitor has EDID and the DDC link is available. Otherwise, the unit will fall back to a
default resolution (1280x1024) and a default aspect ratio (4x3). Auto-detection is done only once during
startup - if you switch your monitor later it will be auto-detected on the next startup. Auto-detected resolution
and display aspect ratio are reported in the Display tab on web-page.
If Auto-detection mode is not used, the output resolution size may be set to some fixed value (VGA, SVGA,
XGA, ...). This is sometimes needed when the EDID connection is broken due to use of a matrix switch, VGA
distribution amp, splitter or some other equipment which does not properly transport the required EDID
information to the graphics connector. Also, some older CRT displays may not support EDID at all. In these
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cases the required output resolution size must be set with the pull-down tab. All incoming media streams are
scaled to this fixed resolution. There may be a loss of quality if, for example, an incoming XGA image is
scaled to SVGA size.
There are five different timings standards available:
•DMT - VESA Display Monitor Timing
•GTF - VESA Generalized Timing Formula
•CVT - VESA Coordinated Video Timings
•CVT-RB - VESA Coordinated Video Timings with Reduced Blanking
•861B – CEA/EIA-861B
Consult the technical specifications of your CRT or LCD display to determine which of these settings is
appropriate. Or, plug the display directly into the graphics connector to determine which setting is reported
without the use of any distribution amps, splitters or intervening equipment.
3.4.2. Display Aspect Ratio
The display aspect ratio will normally be auto-detected (as above) through the use of EDID information. If not
correctly detected it may be set through the use of this pull-down menu.
3.4.3. Display Loopback
Turns on and off the loopback of locally generated graphics or video input. If local loopback is not being used
in an installation this setting should be set to “Disabled” as that will free up CPU cycles which are required to
generate the loopbacked image.
3.4.4. Display Loopback Framerate
If local loopback has been selected, the CPU will maintain on the local screen a copy of the material which is
being digitized and sent out as a webcast or recorded as an archive. The process of refreshing this screen
consumes CPU cycles, especially if large resolutions and fast framerates are involved. Excessive CPU
utilization can negatively impact maximum outbound framerates.
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