Z3 Technology Z3-SME-01 User manual

User Instructions
Multi-Channel H.264 HD Multimedia System
Ultra-Compact Media Encoder and Streamer
Model Name: Z3-SME-01
The Power of ZEUS™
DOC-USR-0070-03p
Manual Version 2.08.02
Software Version 2.08.02
May 5, 2015
Before attempting to connect or operate this product, please read these instructions carefully and save the manual for future use.
© Copyright Z3 Technology, LLC. All rights reserved. This document contains proprietary and confidential information of Z3 Technology, LLC
("Z3"). This document may not be used, reproduced, disclosed, or disseminated to anyone without the prior written approval of an authorized
representative of Z3.
Z3 Technology, LLC incorporates HDMI® technology. The terms of HDMI and HDMI High-Definition Multimedia Interface, and
the HDMI Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing LLC in the United States and other countries.

Revision History
Version
Date
Change Note
Author
2.02.00
03/26/15
Original Document
RC
2.08.00
04/13/15
Added Closed Caption section, note on LED change, updated
screenshots.
RC
2.08.02
05/05/15
Modified RTSP URL description in Section 6.6. Added Authentication
information in Sections 7.3, 7.4, 7.5 and 10.5. Updated screenshots.
RC

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 GENERAL DESCRIPTION.................................................................................................7
1.1 Preface ................................................................................................................7
2.0 QUICK START GUIDE ....................................................................................................8
2.1 If You Have Received a System from Z3 with the Software Preloaded .......................................8
2.2 If You Already Have a System from Z3 and Need to Update the Firmware ..................................8
3.0 INCLUDED PARTS LIST ..................................................................................................9
4.0 FEATURES .............................................................................................................. 10
4.1 Supported Input Resolutions - Encoder ......................................................................... 10
4.2 Supported Output Resolutions - Decoder....................................................................... 10
5.0 OPERATING CONTROLS ............................................................................................... 11
6.0 GETTING STARTED AND RUNNING THE Z3-SME-01 ................................................................ 12
6.1 Setting up the HD Source ......................................................................................... 12
6.2 Connecting and Powering Up the Z3-SME-01................................................................... 12
6.3 Finding the Z3-SME-01 on the Network using ZFinder ........................................................ 13
6.4 Configure CH1 and Encode ....................................................................................... 14
6.5 Run VLC to View Stream .......................................................................................... 16
6.6 Streaming RTP...................................................................................................... 17
6.7 Dynamically Changing Bitrate and Frame Rate................................................................ 19
6.8 Adjusting the UDP TS Rate........................................................................................ 21
6.9 Tuning for Latency................................................................................................. 23
6.10 Running DHCP ..................................................................................................... 24
6.11 Encoding from Composite In .................................................................................... 28
6.12 Encoding Closed Caption Data.................................................................................. 31
6.13 Using the “Aux TS File” Option................................................................................. 32
7.0 STREAMING RTMP IN THREE DIFFERENT RESOLUTIONS .......................................................... 33
7.1 Connect the Encoder .............................................................................................. 33
7.2 Configure the Encoder for “Encode 1 to 3” Mode............................................................. 33
7.3 Configure CH1 for RTMP Streaming ............................................................................. 34
7.4 Configure CH2 for RTMP Streaming ............................................................................. 35
7.5 Configure CH3 for RTMP Streaming ............................................................................. 36
7.6 Set up the Wowza Server ......................................................................................... 37
7.7 Start the Encode ................................................................................................... 37
7.8 View the Content on Wowza ..................................................................................... 37
8.0 RUNNING THE DECODER ............................................................................................. 39
8.1 Create a .ts File using the Encoder ............................................................................. 39

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8.2 Connect the Output ............................................................................................... 39
8.3 Set Decoder Mode ................................................................................................. 39
8.4 Configure Decoder................................................................................................. 41
9.0 PERFORMING OTHER OPERATIONS WITH THE Z3-SME-01 ........................................................ 42
9.1 Saving Current Settings ........................................................................................... 42
9.2 Making a Firmware Update....................................................................................... 42
9.3 Using the Password Feature ...................................................................................... 44
10.0 SUMMARY OF OPTIONS .............................................................................................. 46
10.1 The System Setup Tab ........................................................................................... 46
10.2 The User Presets Tab............................................................................................. 47
10.3 The Status Tab .................................................................................................... 48
10.4 The MPTS Tab ..................................................................................................... 49
10.5 The CH1/CH2/CH3 Tab (Encode) ............................................................................... 49
10.6 The CH1/CH2/CH3 Tab (Decode)............................................................................... 55
10.7 Values Appearing at the Bottom of All Tabs .................................................................. 56
APPENDIX A: Configuring the Wowza Server for RTMP ............................................................... 57
APPENDIX B: Troubleshooting ........................................................................................... 59
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 The Z3-SME-01....................................................................................................7
Figure 2 Parts Included with the Z3-SME-01 ............................................................................9
Figure 3 Z3-SME-01 Front View ......................................................................................... 11
Figure 4 Z3-SME-01 Rear View .......................................................................................... 11
Figure 5 Encode Connections for the Z3-SME-01 (Front)............................................................ 12
Figure 6 Encode Connections for the Z3-SME-01 (Back) ............................................................ 12
Figure 7 ZFinder with Z3-SME-01 Listed............................................................................... 13
Figure 8 ZFinder with Z3-SME-01 Selected............................................................................ 13
Figure 9 Z3-SME-01 Web GUI (System Setup Page) .................................................................. 14
Figure 10 Channel 1 Configuration Screen –UDP .................................................................... 15
Figure 11 VLC Open Network Screen for UDP ........................................................................ 16
Figure 12 Example of Z3 Video Streaming to VLC (UDP)............................................................ 16
Figure 13 Channel 1 Configuration Screen –RTP..................................................................... 17
Figure 14 VLC Open Network Stream Screen for RTP ............................................................... 18
Figure 15 Example of Z3 Video Streaming to VLC (RTP) ............................................................ 18
Figure 16 Viewing Bitrate in VLC ....................................................................................... 19

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Figure 17 Changing the Bitrate Dynamically.......................................................................... 19
Figure 18 Drop in Bitrate after Dynamic Bitrate Change ........................................................... 20
Figure 19 Status Page Output Showing Lower Bitrate ............................................................... 20
Figure 20 Changing TS Rate ............................................................................................. 21
Figure 21 TS Rate and Lower Bitrate Reflected in VLC ............................................................. 22
Figure 22 Tuning for Various Use Cases................................................................................ 23
Figure 23 The User Presets Tab ......................................................................................... 24
Figure 24 Entering a User Preset Name ............................................................................... 24
Figure 25 Selecting “z3_config1” within the System Setup Tab ................................................... 25
Figure 26 Setting DHCP within z3_config1 ............................................................................ 25
Figure 27 Saving a User Preset.......................................................................................... 25
Figure 28 Reboot Reminder for Changing IP Settings................................................................ 26
Figure 29 ZFinder with Z3-SME-01 DHCP Address .................................................................... 26
Figure 30 Selecting Z3-SME-01 w/ DHCP Address in ZFinder ....................................................... 27
Figure 31 Web GUI Using DHCP Address ............................................................................... 27
Figure 32 Composite Cable.............................................................................................. 28
Figure 33 Z3-SME-03 Composite Connection.......................................................................... 28
Figure 34 Clicking on / Creating the CH2 Tab ........................................................................ 28
Figure 35 Configuring Composite Input on CH2 ...................................................................... 29
Figure 36 VLC Settings for Viewing the CH2 Stream................................................................. 30
Figure 37 Setting VLC to use the Extracted Closed Caption Data ................................................. 31
Figure 38 Using the Aux TS File Enable Option ....................................................................... 32
Figure 39 Changing to “Encode 1 to 3 Ch” Mode..................................................................... 33
Figure 40 Creating CH2/CH3 ............................................................................................ 33
Figure 41 3-Channel RTMP Encode –Channel 1 Settings ............................................................ 34
Figure 42 3-Channel RTMP Encode –Channel 2 Settings ............................................................ 35
Figure 43 3-Channel RTMP Encode –Channel 3 Settings ............................................................ 36
Figure 44 Getting to the Wowza Test Player.......................................................................... 37
Figure 45 Viewing SME-01 Content on Wowza ........................................................................ 38
Figure 46 Connecting the Z3-SME-01 for Decode .................................................................... 39
Figure 47 Changing to Decoder Mode.................................................................................. 39
Figure 48 System Setup in Decoder Mode............................................................................. 40
Figure 49 Decoder Configuration Settings for Decode Example ................................................... 41
Figure 50 Updating the Device Firmware from the Web Interface ................................................ 42
Figure 51 Updater Screen ............................................................................................... 43
Figure 52 File Selection Screen......................................................................................... 43

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Figure 53 Selecting “Set Password”.................................................................................... 44
Figure 54 Changing the Password ...................................................................................... 44
Figure 55 Password Entry Screen....................................................................................... 45
Figure 56 Wowza Performance Settings ............................................................................... 57
Figure 57 Wowza Security Settings..................................................................................... 58

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1.0 GENERAL DESCRIPTION
1.1 Preface
The Z3-SME-01 is a cost-optimized, compact 98 x 81 x 21 mm (3.88 x 3.19 x 0.81 in) system that allows
encode of HD video (up to 1080p60) through HDMI input, and encode of SD video through a composite
input. It allows users to quickly take video from either of those sources and stream them to the web or
internal clients / PCs via UDP, RTP, or RTMP. It also allows display of HD video up to 1080p60 via an HDMI
output. The compactness, ease-of-use, and performance makes this system ideal for applications such
as low-cost broadcast encoders, live events, corporate meetings and conferences, houses of worship,
and remote location encoding. The Z3-SME-01 provides immediate access to multi-format HD video,
integrated system peripherals and production-qualified codecs.
The Z3-SME-01 features HD performance, compact size, and low latency while still having less power
consumption than a PC-based encoder platform. Figure 1 below shows the Z3-SME-01:
Figure 1 The Z3-SME-01
21 mm
81 mm
98 mm

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2.0 QUICK START GUIDE
2.1 If You Have Received a System from Z3 with the Software Preloaded
To start working with the encoder, you can go to Section 6.0, “ GETTING STARTED AND RUNNING THE
Z3-SME-01,” on page 12. This section describes how to quickly generate a UDP or RTP stream to VLC,
how to change bitrate dynamically, how to adjust the UDP TS rate, how to tune for latency, how to use
DHCP, and how to extract Closed Caption data. Encoding from HDMI is described. For encoding from
composite, CH2 is needed. This is described in detail on page 28.
To use the Z3-SME-01 to stream 1 source in 3 different ways and/or stream using RTMP to Wowza, you
can go to Section 7.0, “ STREAMING RTMP IN THREE DIFFERENT RESOLUTIONS,” on page 33.There are
additional notes on successfully configuring Wowza in “APPENDIX A: Configuring the Wowza Server for
RTMP,” on page 57.
To use the Z3-SME-01 as a decoder, you can go to Section 8.0, “ RUNNING THE DECODER,” on page 39.
2.2 If You Already Have a System from Z3 and Need to Update the Firmware
You can update the firmware via the web GUI interface by following the instructions in Section 9.2, “
Making a Firmware Update”on page 42.

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3.0 INCLUDED PARTS LIST
Z3-SME-01
5V Power Supply
1x Composite Adapter Cable
1x Serial Cable
1x Gender Changer
1x HDMI Cable
*Note: The serial cable and gender changer are included for debugging purposes and are not needed by
the typical Z3-SME-01 user.
Figure 2 Parts Included with the Z3-SME-01

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4.0 FEATURES
HD resolutions up to 1920x1080 including 1080i, 1080p60 and 720p
Standard Definition encoding for ISDB-T, DVB-H, and other standards
Video Inputs: HDMI, Composite
Video Output: HDMI
On-board video scaler provides full screen resizing with all resolutions
Outputs RTP, RTMP or MPEG-2 Transport Stream
Ingests RTP or MPEG-2 Transport Stream
DHCP and DNS support
Limited RTSP support
Closed Caption support
One USB 2.0 interface for local storage
Web-based configuration software for user-friendly configuration and control
RS-232 serial port for technical configuration and control
Operating Temp: 0 to 40 degrees C at 20-80% relative humidity (non-condensing)
Storage Temp: -40 to 70 degrees C at 20-80% relative humidity (non-condensing)
Measurements: 98 x 81 x 21 mm (3.88 x 3.19 x 0.81 in)
Weight: 221 g (0.49 lb)
4.1 Supported Input Resolutions - Encoder
HDMI: 1080p60, 1080p50, 1080i30, 1080i29.97, 1080i25, 720p60, 720p59.94, 720p50,
576p50, 576i25, 480p60, 480i30, and 480i29.97
Composite: 576i25, 480i29.97
4.2 Supported Output Resolutions - Decoder
HDMI: 1080p60, 1080i30, 1080i29.97, 1080i25, 1080p60, 1080p59.94, 1080p50,
720p60, 720p59.94, 720p50, 576p50, 480p60

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5.0 OPERATING CONTROLS
*Note:“Input” and “Run” have been changed to “HDMI” and “CVBS” on the latest versions of the
Z3-SME-01.
Power
Switch
Figure 4 Z3-SME-01 Rear View
Composite
In
Figure 3 Z3-SME-01 Front View
Ethernet
Serial
Port
USB
Status
LEDs
Power
LED
HDMI
Out
HDMI
In
5V
Power

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6.0 GETTING STARTED AND RUNNING THE Z3-SME-01
This section gives step-by-step instructions on using the Z3-SME-01 to stream 1080p or 1080i video to VLC
running on your PC. In addition to the Z3-SME-01, an HD source with HDMI output and a PC are required.
Encoding with a composite source is described later in Section 6.11 on page 28.
6.1 Setting up the HD Source
(1) Select an HD source with HDMI output.
-Power on the HD Source
-Connect HDMI to a monitor
-Set the HD Source to 1080i output
-Select content you would like to stream
If you see playback on the monitor, you’ve confirmed the source works.
6.2 Connecting and Powering Up the Z3-SME-01
(2) Connect the HDMI source to “HDMI In” on the back of the Z3-SME-01:
(3) Connect an Ethernet cable connected through a hub or router to a PC to “Ethernet” on the back of
the Z3-SME-01 (see Figure 5 above).
(4) Connect the 5V power supply and turn on the switch.
(5) Wait 45 seconds.
Figure 5 Encode Connections for the Z3-SME-01 (Front)
(2) Connect to
Ethernet
(3) Connect to
5V Power
(1) Connect to
HDMI Source
Figure 6 Encode Connections for the Z3-SME-01 (Back)
(4) Turn
Switch on

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6.3 Finding the Z3-SME-01 on the Network using ZFinder
ZFinder is a PC Utility that allows you to find any Z3 product on your network. If you have not
downloaded this to your computer, you can find it on the flash drive provided with your system.
(6) Make sure your Windows PC is connected to the same network in which the Z3-SME-01 is connected.
(7) Run the “ZFinder” PC Utility on your Windows PC. The ZFinder window appears and completes a
scan of the network. ZFinder then lists the location of all Z3 systems connected to the network. In
this case, the Z3-SME-01 appears:
Figure 7 ZFinder with Z3-SME-01 Listed
(8) Click on the Z3-SME-01 entry in the window to select it. This will cause the “Edit Device”, “Open
Device” and “Flash LEDs” boxes to activate:
Figure 8 ZFinder with Z3-SME-01 Selected
*Note:Selecting “Flash LEDs” in ZFinder has no effect with the Z3-SME-01.

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(9) Click on “Open Device.” An Internet browser window is opened (default browser used is Firefox)
and the Web GUI appears at the System Setup tab:
6.4 Configure CH1 and Encode
(10) Click on the “CH1” tab.
(11) At the CH1 tab, change Video Resolution to “1920x1080”, set “Output Format” to UDP and “Dest
Address” to the IP address of your PC (in this example, 192.168.0.6). Also make note of the
value of “Dest Port” (should be 5004 by default):
Figure 9 Z3-SME-01 Web GUI (System Setup Page)

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(12) If the encoder hasn’t already autostarted, click on “start”. You should see the status change to
“RUNNING.” If the encoder is already running, click on “stop” and then “start” to confirm the
encoding occurs with the values you specified.
*Note:If you want to encode 1080p60, you must first change “Operating Mode” at the bottom right
from “Encode Interlaced/Progressive” to “Encode Single CH No Scale.” Note that, in “Encode
Single CH No Scale” mode, only CH1 can be used.
Figure 10 Channel 1 Configuration Screen –UDP
(2) Change
to UDP
(3) Change to IP
Address of your PC
(1) Change to
“1920x1080” or
“Follow input”
(4) Note “Dest Port”
value
(6) Click “start”
(5) If necessary, click “stop”

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6.5 Run VLC to View Stream
(1) Run VLC on your PC (version used in testing at Z3: 2.1.5).
(2) Select Media –Open Network Stream. In the box, type “udp://@192.168.0.6:5004”, where
“192.168.0.6” is the IP address of your PC, and 5004 is the value of “Dest Port” noted in step (11).
(3) Press “Enter.”
(4) You should now see video streaming to VLC:
Figure 12 Example of Z3 Video Streaming to VLC (UDP)
Figure 11 VLC Open Network Screen for UDP

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6.6 Streaming RTP
Once you have UDP streaming running, it is relatively simple to change to RTP streaming. You will need
to change one setting. To stream using RTP, complete the following steps:
(1) In the CH1 configuration tab, click on “stop” to stop the current encoding session.
(2) Change “Output Format” from “UDP” to “RTP.”
(3) Click on “start” to start the RTP encoding session. At this point your settings should look like the
following:
Figure 13 Channel 1 Configuration Screen –RTP
Change to “RTP”

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(4) Open VLC. Select “Media – Open Network Stream”.
*Note: To use the RTSP feature, VLC v2.1.5 or later is needed. If it is not possible to use a newer
version of VLC, it may be necessary to use SDP files instead of RTSP to stream RTP.
(5) In the “Open Media” box, type “rtsp://{IP Address}/z3-{ch #}{m}.mp4”, where {IP Address} is the IP
address of the Z3-SME-01, {ch #} is 1 for CH1, 2 for CH2, and 3 for CH3, and {m} is added if a
multicast address is being streamed. For example, if the IP address of the Z3-SME-01 is the
default value of 192.168.81.7, encode is being done from CH1, and unicast streaming is being
done, the user would type in “rtsp://192.168.81.7/z3-1.mp4”:
*Note: Since HDMI encode typically occurs on CH1 and composite encode typically occurs on CH2, the
above example would be “rtsp://192.168.81.7/z3-2.mp4”for composite encode.
(6) You should then see RTP video streaming on VLC:
Figure 14 VLC Open Network Stream Screen for RTP
Figure 15 Example of Z3 Video Streaming to VLC (RTP)

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6.7 Dynamically Changing Bitrate and Frame Rate
The Z3-SME-01 includes an “Update” button which allows you to change the bitrate and frame rate
without stopping and restarting the encoder. To use it, complete the following steps:
(7) In VLC, click on “Tools” and select “Codec Information.” This brings up a window with four tabs.
Select the “Statistics” tab. In this tab, you can see the current video + audio bitrate:
(8) In the CH1 screen, change the bitrate from “8000K” to “2000K” and click “update”:
(1) Change bitrate to 2000K
Figure 17 Changing the Bitrate Dynamically
(2) Click “update”
Video + Audio bitrate
Figure 16 Viewing Bitrate in VLC

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(9) You should see the quality of the picture in VLC change and the video bitrate drop:
If you click on the status page and click “Refresh,” you will also see the updated bitrate
reflected:
The parameter “Frame Rate Divider” can also be updated dynamically using the “update”
button. All other parameters require a stop and then start to change.
Figure 18 Drop in Bitrate after Dynamic Bitrate Change
Lower video + audio bitrate
Figure 19 Status Page Output Showing Lower Bitrate
Lower bitrate