Z3 Technology Z3-MVE-02 User manual

Model Name: Z3-MVE-02
User Instructions
H.264 HD Multiformat Video Encoder
Z3-MVE-02 Digital Media Encoder & Streamer
DOC-USR-0038-05
Manual Version 1.06.09c
Software Version 1.06.09
September 8, 2014
Before attempting to connect or operate this product, please read these instructions carefully and save the
manual for future use.
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.

DOC-USR-0038-05
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Z3 Technology, LLC ♦100 N. 8th St. STE 250 ♦Lincoln, NE 68508-1369 USA ♦+1.402.323.0702
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Revision History
Version
Date
Change Note
Author
1.01.00
01/05/10
Original System
AC
1.01.01
05/06/10
Updated System
AC
1.01.02
05/07/10
Made correction
AC
1.01.03
06/25/10
Added MPEG-2 TS and HTTP Option
AC
1.01.04
11/11/10
Added Web Server Control of System
CH
1.01.05
11/17/10
Updated VLC Instructions
CH
1.01.06
05/17/11
Updated Encoder Configuration Options
CH
1.01.07
05/20/11
Updated Web Server Image, Manual Layout
CH
1.02.02
06/13/11
Updated Features and synchronized document with SW version
CH
1.04.00
01/27/12
Updated Images, Layout, TOC, Section 8, Section 10
CH
1.04.01
02/07/12
Updated Screen Encode and decode Screen Shots, Highlight Notes
SC
1.04.02
02/13/12
Added Troubleshooting Section
CH
1.04.15
06/08/12
Updated SW Version
SC
1.04.16
07/17/12
Address Update
NS
1.06.04
11/05/13
Format, SW update
MC
1.06.07
01/17/14
Updated screenshots to match release 1.06.07, modified Section 5 to
use “ZFinder”, added Section 5.7 on using DHCP, combined encoder
and decoder parameter summary into 1 section.
RC
1.06.07a
02/27/14
Temp & Humidity, HW Warranty, Video Resolution and MAC address
MS
1.06.09
04/04/14
Updated screenshots, made correction in RTP encode section, added
section on latency tuning, added RTMP
RC
1.06.09a
07/23/2014
Formatting Updates, Number Changes
KA
1.06.09b
08/01/2014
Added Zeus Logo, Number Changes
KA
1.06.09c
09/08/14
Changed .sdp file for rtp
TK
“Note: 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:—Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.—Increase the separation between the
equipment and receiver.—Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.—Consult the
dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.”

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Z3 Technology, LLC ♦100 N. 8th St. STE 250 ♦Lincoln, NE 68508-1369 USA ♦+1.402.323.0702
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CONTENTS
1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION.....................................................................................5
1.1 Preface.....................................................................................................5
2.0 INCLUDED PARTS LIST .......................................................................................6
3.0 FEATURES .....................................................................................................7
4.0 OPERATING CONTROLS......................................................................................8
5.0 GETTING STARTED AND RUNNING THE Z3-MVE-02 ......................................................9
5.1 Setting up the Video Source ............................................................................9
5.2 Connecting and powering up the Z3-MVE-02 .........................................................9
5.3 Finding the Z3-MVE-02 on the Network using ZFinder ............................................ 10
5.4 Opening a VLC Client to Receive the Encoded Stream............................................ 14
5.5 Streaming RTP .......................................................................................... 15
5.6 Using DHCP .............................................................................................. 16
5.7 Dynamically changing bit rate / frame rate........................................................ 18
5.8 Tuning for Latency ..................................................................................... 19
5.9 Streaming RTMP ........................................................................................ 19
6.0 RUNNING DECODE ON THE Z3-MVE-02 .................................................................. 23
7.0 PERFORMING OTHER OPERATIONS WITH THE Z3-MVE-02 ............................................ 27
7.1 Saving Current Settings................................................................................ 27
7.2 Making a Firmware Update............................................................................ 27
7.2.1 Updating Firmware from Web GUI................................................................... 28
7.2.2 Updating Firmware from an SD Card ................................................................ 29
8.0 SUMMARY OF GUI OPTIONS ............................................................................... 30
8.1 Encoder Options ........................................................................................ 30
8.2 Decoder Options ........................................................................................ 33
APPENDIX A: CONFIGURING THE WOWZA SERVER FOR RTMP .............................................. 34
APPENDIX B: TROUBLESHOOTING .............................................................................. 36

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Z3 Technology, LLC ♦100 N. 8th St. STE 250 ♦Lincoln, NE 68508-1369 USA ♦+1.402.323.0702
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 Parts Included with the Z3-MVE-02................................................................6
Figure 2 Z3-MVE-02 Front View ...............................................................................8
Figure 3 Z3-MVE-02 Rear View ................................................................................8
Figure 4 Z3-MVE-02 Rear Panel Connections ...............................................................9
Figure 5 Z3-MVE-02 Power Switch and Status Light..................................................... 10
Figure 6 ZFinder with Z3-MVE-02 Listed .................................................................. 10
Figure 7 ZFinder with Z3-MVE-02 Selected ............................................................... 11
Figure 8 The Z3-MVE-02 Web GUI (Top Part) ............................................................. 11
Figure 9 Changes to Encoding Parameters ................................................................ 12
Figure 10 Z3-MVE-02 Web Menu –Start/Stop/Status Section .......................................... 13
Figure 11 VLC Open Network Screen....................................................................... 14
Figure 12 Example of Z3 Video Streaming to VLC (UDP/TS) ........................................... 14
Figure 13 Example of Z3 Video Streaming to VLC (RTP)................................................ 15
Figure 14 Using DHCP ......................................................................................... 16
Figure 15 Saving “Use DHCP”................................................................................ 17
Figure 16 ZFinder and DHCP Address ...................................................................... 17
Figure 17 Web GUI using New IP Address.................................................................. 18
Figure 18 Tuning for Latency ................................................................................ 19
Figure 19 Configuring for RTMP Encode ................................................................... 20
Figure 20 Getting to the Wowza Test Player ............................................................. 21
Figure 21 Viewing MVE-02 Content in Wowza............................................................ 22
Figure 22 Z3-MVE-02 Connections for Decode ........................................................... 23
Figure 23 Z3-MVE-02 Operating Mode Selector .......................................................... 23
Figure 24 Z3-MVE-02 Decoder Configuration Menu ..................................................... 24
Figure 25 Z3-MVE-02 Example Encoder Settings for End-to-End Streaming ........................ 25
Figure 26 Z3-MVE-02 Example Decoder Settings for End-to-End Streaming ........................ 26
Figure 27 The “Save Settings” Button ..................................................................... 27
Figure 28 The “UPDATE” Button............................................................................ 28
Figure 29 The Update Image Screen ....................................................................... 28
Figure 30 Wowza Performance Settings ................................................................... 34
Figure 31 Wowza Security Settings ......................................................................... 35

DOC-USR-0038-05
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Z3 Technology, LLC ♦100 N. 8th St. STE 250 ♦Lincoln, NE 68508-1369 USA ♦+1.402.323.0702
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1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION
1.1 Preface
The Z3-MVE-02 Multi-Format Video Encoder is a cost-optimized, compact 41mm x 114mm x 203mm system
that supports H.264 High Profile encode up to 1080p at 30 frames per second. This solution works in multiple
applications such as low-cost broadcast encoders, low-bandwidth video security, satellite uplink, remote
monitoring and industrial applications. The Z3-MVE-02 provides immediate access to multi-format HD video,
integrated system peripherals and production-qualified codecs.
The Z3-MVE-02 offers multi-format, multi-channel HD video up to 1080p30. The Z3-MVE-02 features HD
performance, compact size, and low latency while still having less power consumption than a PC-based
encoder platform.

DOC-USR-0038-05
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Z3 Technology, LLC ♦100 N. 8th St. STE 250 ♦Lincoln, NE 68508-1369 USA ♦+1.402.323.0702
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2.0 INCLUDED PARTS LIST
Z3-MVE-02
12V Power Supply
BNC to BNC Cable x 3
DB-9 Serial Cable
RCA to RCA Cable
Figure 1 Parts Included with the Z3-MVE-02

DOC-USR-0038-05
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Z3 Technology, LLC ♦100 N. 8th St. STE 250 ♦Lincoln, NE 68508-1369 USA ♦+1.402.323.0702
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3.0 FEATURES
The Z3-MVE-02 is a high definition, low-cost, network-enabled media encoder with the following features:
HD resolutions up to 1920x1080 including 1080i, 1080p30 and 720p
Supported video includes H.264 and MPEG-2
Standard Definition encoding for ISDB-T, DVB-H, and other standards
Low latency encode mode
Video Inputs: Composite, Component, HD-SDI, DVI, HDMI (Optional ASI Input)
Input video resizer supports many standard resolutions
Video Output Interfaces: Ethernet and ASI
Outputs RTP, RTMP, or MPEG-2 Transport Stream
Supports fractional resolutions and frame rates
Video Frame Rate: 50Hz or 60Hz
SD Card interface for local storage and firmware updates
USB interface for mass storage devices or other peripherals
Web-based configuration software for user-friendly configuration and control
RS232 serial port for technical configuration and control
Operating: 0 to 45 degrees C at 20-80% relative humidity (non-condensing)
Storage: -40 to 70 degrees C at 20-80% relative humidity (non-condensing)
Measurements: 203mm x 114mm x 41mm
Weight: 682g

DOC-USR-0038-05
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Z3 Technology, LLC ♦100 N. 8th St. STE 250 ♦Lincoln, NE 68508-1369 USA ♦+1.402.323.0702
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4.0 OPERATING CONTROLS
FRONT VIEW
REAR VIEW
1 Status Light 1
2 Status Light 2
3 USB 2.0
4 SD Card Slot
5 Power Switch
6 Analog Audio In L
7 Analog Audio In R
8 Composite In
9 Component Y In
10 ASI/SDI Out
11 Component Pb In
12 SDI/ASI In
13 Component Pr In
14 HDMI In
15 RS-232 Serial Port Connection
16 VGA In
17 Ethernet
18 12V Power
3
4
5
6
8
10
15
2
Figure 2 Z3-MVE-02 Front View
1
7
12
9
11
13
14
16
17
18
Figure 3 Z3-MVE-02 Rear View

DOC-USR-0038-05
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Z3 Technology, LLC ♦100 N. 8th St. STE 250 ♦Lincoln, NE 68508-1369 USA ♦+1.402.323.0702
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5.0 GETTING STARTED AND RUNNING THE Z3-MVE-02
For these steps, you will need: a computer, a 1080p30/1080i video source,
a Z3-MVE-02 Unit (included), a 12V power supply (included), an HDMI Cable, and at least 1 Ethernet cable.
5.1 Setting up the Video Source
(1) Select an HD source with HDMI non-HDCP output (in Z3’s testing, the Brite-View BV-5005HD is used).
-Power on the HD Source
-Connect an HDMI cable from the HD Source to a monitor
-Set the HD Source to 1080p30 or 1080i output
-Select and begin playback of the content
If you see playback on the monitor, you’ve confirmed the source works.
(2) Move the HDMI cable from the monitor to the Z3-MVE-02 “HDMI In” port.
5.2 Connecting and powering up the Z3-MVE-02
(3) Connect an Ethernet cable to “Ethernet” on the Z3-MVE-02 (see ). Connect the other end of the
Ethernet cable directly to a PC. You will use this PC to control the Z3-MVE-02 and to decode the output
stream.
(4) Connect the 12V power supply to “+12VDC” (see ).
Figure 4 Z3-MVE-02 Rear Panel Connections
(1) Connect Video Source to HDMI In
(3) Connect
Power
(2) Connect
Ethernet

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Z3 Technology, LLC ♦100 N. 8th St. STE 250 ♦Lincoln, NE 68508-1369 USA ♦+1.402.323.0702
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(5) Power on the Z3-MVE-02:
(6) The “Status” LED light will take around 1 minute to light up.
5.3 Finding the Z3-MVE-02 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.
(7) Make sure your Windows PC is connected to the same network in which the Z3-MVE-02 is connected to.
(8) Run the “ZFinder” PC Utility on your Windows PC. The ZFinder window appears. ZFinder does a scan of
the network and lists the location of all Z3 systems connected to the network. In this case, the Z3-MVE-
02 appears:
Figure 6 ZFinder with Z3-MVE-02 Listed
Figure 5 Z3-MVE-02 Power Switch and Status Light
(1) Turn on PWR
(2) Status lights up after around 1 minute

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Z3 Technology, LLC ♦100 N. 8th St. STE 250 ♦Lincoln, NE 68508-1369 USA ♦+1.402.323.0702
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(9) Click on the Z3-MVE-02 entry in the window to select it. This will cause the “Edit Device”, “Open
Device” and “Flash Leds” boxes to activate:
Figure 7 ZFinder with Z3-MVE-02 Selected
(10) By clicking “Edit Device”, you can change the Name, IP Address, Netmask, and Gateway address of the
Z3-MVE-02. You can also flash the LEDs on the Z3-MVE-02 board by clicking “Flash Leds” (useful if there
are multiple Z3-MVE-02’s connected). Click on “Open Device.” An Internet browser window is opened
(default browser used is Firefox) and the Web GUI appears:
Figure 8 The Z3-MVE-02 Web GUI (Top Part)

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Z3 Technology, LLC ♦100 N. 8th St. STE 250 ♦Lincoln, NE 68508-1369 USA ♦+1.402.323.0702
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(11) Now that you have reached the GUI, you are ready to modify the settings for encoding to your
preferences. For this demo, change “Video Source” to “HDMI,” verify “Output Interface” is
“Ethernet(VBR),” change “Output Format” to “MPEG-2 TS,” change “Dest IP Address” to “225.1.2.3”
and change “Dest Port” to 8888:
(2) Make sure “Output
Interface” is set to
“Ethernet(VBR)”
(1) Change “Video Source”
to “HDMI”
Figure 9 Changes to Encoding Parameters
(3) Change “Output
Format” to “MPEG-2 TS”
(4) Set “Dest IP Address” to
225.1.2.3
(5) Set “Dest Port” to 8888

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(12) The encoder may have already started. If it has, click on “Stop Encoder”. The status should then
change to “Stopped”. Then click on “Start Encoder”. Once you do this, the status will change. If the
encoder hasn’t started already, simply click on “Start Encoder” and observe the status change:
Figure 10 Z3-MVE-02 Web Menu –Start/Stop/Status Section
(2) Status changes to
“Stopped”
(3) Click “Start Encoder”
(1) If necessary, click “Stop Encoder”

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5.4 Opening a VLC Client to Receive the Encoded Stream
(13) Run VLC on your PC (version used in testing at Z3: 2.05. We recommend using Version 1.1 or higher.)
(14) Select Media –Open Network Stream. In the box, type “udp://@225.1.2.3:8888”
(15) Press “Enter”.
(16) You should now see video streaming from VLC.
Figure 11 VLC Open Network Screen
Figure 12 Example of Z3 Video Streaming to VLC (UDP/TS)

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5.5 Streaming RTP
Once you have UDP streaming running, it is relatively simple to change to RTP streaming. All that is needed
is a change of settings and an SDP file (an example file is provided with the software release from Z3). To
stream using RTP, do the following steps:
(17) Click on “Stop Encoder” to stop the current encoding session.
(18) Make sure “Output Interface” is “Ethernet (VBR)” (see ).
(19) Change “Output Format” from “MPEG-2 TS” to “RTP” (see )(Note: Do not select “MPEG-TS over
RTP”).
(20) Confirm that “Dest Port” () is 8888 (this will be important for the VLC configuration).
(21) Click “Start Encoder” to begin the encoding session.
(22) Copy the “z3_multicast_h264_mp1l2_48000.sdp” file received from Z3 to your PC.
(23) Open VLC. Select “Media – Open File” and select the “z3_multicast_h264_mp1l2_48000.sdp” file you
just copied.
(24) You should then see RTP video streaming on VLC:
Figure 13 Example of Z3 Video Streaming to VLC (RTP)

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5.6 Using DHCP
This release supports using DHCP to acquire an IP address at boot-up:
(25) Click the “Use DHCP” check box in the Web GUI. Once it is checked, you will see that the values of
Local IP Address, Local Netmask, and Default Gateway will no longer be editable:
Figure 14 Using DHCP
(1) Check “use
DHCP”
(2) Values no longer editable

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Z3 Technology, LLC ♦100 N. 8th St. STE 250 ♦Lincoln, NE 68508-1369 USA ♦+1.402.323.0702
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(26) Click on “Save User”. Wait for “Saved All to User” message to appear:
(27) Turn the Power Switch to Off on the Z3-MVE-02.
(28) Turn the Power Switch on the Z3-MVE-02 to On. The LED “ready” light should appear after 1 minute.
(29) Click “Refresh” on ZFinder. The Z3-MVE-02 should appear with a new IP address based on what it
received through DHCP:
(1) Click “Save User”
(2) Wait for “Saved all to User” to appear in status
Figure 15 Saving “Use DHCP”
(1) Click “Refresh”
(2) New IP Address appears
Figure 16 ZFinder and DHCP Address

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(30) As you did previously, select the Z3-MVE-02 row and then click “Open Device.” A browser will then
appear with the GUI, this time using the new IP address:
5.7 Dynamically changing bit rate / frame rate
It is possible to change 2 parameters in the middle of an encoding session:
(1) Video Bit rate
(2) Frame Decimation
To change these, simply enter the new desired value and then click the “Start Encoder” button.
Figure 17 Web GUI using New IP Address
New IP Address

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The web page will respond with the following message:
Status: Changed rate
The video stream will then continue uninterrupted with the new parameter.
5.8 Tuning for Latency
For latency, the key parameter to work with is Video Burst Size.
Video Burst Size defines the number of milliseconds of buffering the encoder has to work with. The higher
this value, the more buffering it has to work with and the more time it has to “smooth things out” for
challenging content. However, a higher value also causes latency to increase accordingly. To minimize
latency, this value should be set to the lowest possible value. The lowest value Z3 recommends is 150.
The figure below shows the suggested values for Video Burst Size:
Video Burst
Size
Case 1: Highest Quality, Highest Latency
2000
Case 2: Good Quality, Standard Latency
1000
Case 3: Normal Quality, Lowest Latency
150
5.9 Streaming RTMP
The Z3-MVE-02 also supports streaming RTMP to servers such as Wowza and ustream. Z3 Technology has
used Wowza for this demo. The steps for doing so are as follows:
(1) Follow steps (1)-(10) earlier in this section to connect the MVE-02 for encode and bring up the Web GUI.
(2) If using Wowza, install the Wowza server on a PC in your network (for details on configuring Wowza,
please see Appendix A).
(3) In the Encoder Web GUI, set “Output Interface” to “Ethernet (VBR)”.
(4) Set “Output Format” to “RTMP”. This will cause “Dest IP Address” and “Dest Path” to appear.
(5) In “Dest IP Address”, type the IP address of the PC with the Wowza server (in this example, it is
“10.1.10.251.”)
(6) In “Dest Path”, type “/live/1080”.
Figure 18 Tuning for Latency

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(7) Set the resolution to your preferences to stream to Wowza. Z3 Technology has used “1080i.”
After finishing steps (1)-(7), the GUI should look like the following:
Figure 19 Configuring for RTMP Encode
(1) Set to “Ethernet (VBR)”
(2) Set to “RTMP”
(3) Set to IP Address of Wowza Server
(4) Set to “/live/1080”
(5) Set to “1080i”