Z3 Technology Z3-MVE-250 User manual

User Instructions
Dual Channel Rack-Mount HD Video Encoder
Model Name: Z3-MVE-250
DOC-USR-0109-03
Manual Version 2.68
Software Version 2.68
June 26,2019
Before attempting to connect or operate this product, please read these instructions carefully and save this manual for future use.
© 2019 Z3 Technology, LLC. All rights reserved. ZEUS is a registered trademark of Z3 Technology, LLC.
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 reserves the right to change this
product at any time and without notice. All product names, trademarks, trade names, service marks, or service names mentioned in this document
are the property of their respective owners.
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.
The Power of ZEUS™

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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
2.35.2
10/24/2016
Initial Document
TA
2.35.2a
10/25/2016
Updated Product Photos.
TA
2.68
06/26/2019
Updated 3G-SDI input/output to 3G-SDI/ASI input/output. Added RTSP, and
RTMPS to features section
SI

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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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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 GENERAL DESCRIPTION.................................................................................................. 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 PACKAGE CONTENTS..................................................................................................... 9
4.0 FEATURES ................................................................................................................ 10
4.1 Supported Input Resolutions .......................................................................................10
4.2 Supported Output Resolutions .....................................................................................10
5.0 OPERATING CONTROLS ................................................................................................. 11
6.0 GETTING STARTED WITH THE MVE-250............................................................................... 12
6.1 Set up the SDI Video Source........................................................................................12
6.2 Connect and Power up the Z3-MVE-250 ..........................................................................12
6.3 Find the Encoder Using ZFinder ...................................................................................13
6.4 Configure Channel 1 and Encode ..................................................................................14
6.5 Run VLC to View Stream ............................................................................................17
6.6 Streaming RTP........................................................................................................18
6.7 Changing the Bitrate and Frame Rate Dynamically.............................................................20
6.8 Adjusting the UDP TS Rate..........................................................................................22
6.9 Tuning for Latency...................................................................................................24
6.10 Using the “Aux TS File” Option...................................................................................25
6.11 Encoding Closed Captioning ......................................................................................26
6.13 Stream Multiple Resolutions ......................................................................................27
6.13.1 Using an HDMI Source .......................................................................................................................................27
6.13.2 Using an SDI Source ...........................................................................................................................................27
7.0 USING THE Z3-MVE-250 TO ENCODE RTMP........................................................................... 28
7.1 Connect the Encoder ................................................................................................28
7.2 Configure CH1 for RTMP Streaming ...............................................................................28
7.3 Set up the Wowza Server ...........................................................................................29
7.4 Start the Encode .....................................................................................................29
7.5 View the Content on Wowza .......................................................................................29
8.0 RUNNING THE DECODER ............................................................................................... 31
8.1 Create a .ts File using the Encoder ...............................................................................31
8.2 Connect the Output ................................................................................................31
8.3 Set Decoder Mode ...................................................................................................31
8.4 Configure and Run Decoder ........................................................................................33

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9.0 PERFORMING OTHER OPERATIONS WITH THE Z3-MVE-250 ........................................................ 34
Saving Current Settings .............................................................................................34
9.2 Using a Static IP Address............................................................................................35
9.2.1 Open the User Interface Using ZFinder................................................................................................................37
9.2.2 Opening the User Interface Manually..................................................................................................................37
9.3 Making a Firmware Update.........................................................................................38
9.4 Using the Password Feature ........................................................................................40
9.5 Enabling Forward Error Correction................................................................................42
9.5.1 Encoding with Forward Error Correction.............................................................................................................42
9.5.2 Decoding with Forward Error Correction.............................................................................................................43
10.0 SUMMARY OF OPTIONS ................................................................................................ 44
10.1 The System Setup Tab .............................................................................................44
10.2 The User Presets Tab...............................................................................................46
10.3 The Status Tab ......................................................................................................47
10.4 The MPTS Tab .......................................................................................................48
10.5 The CH1 Tab (HDMI Source Only - Encode) .....................................................................49
10.6 The CH2 Tab (SDI Source Only - Encode)........................................................................55
10.7 The CH1 Tab (Decode) .............................................................................................56
10.8 Values Appearing at the Bottom of All Tabs ....................................................................57
APPENDIX A: Installing Ear Racks on the Z3-MVE-250 ................................................................. 58
APPENDIX B: Configuring the Wowza Server for RTMP ................................................................. 59
APPENDIX C: Troubleshooting.............................................................................................. 61

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 Package Contents for the Z3-MVE-250 ......................................................................... 9
Figure 2 Front and Rear Views of the Z3-MVE-250.....................................................................11
Figure 3 Z3-MVE-250 Rear Panel Example Encode Connections......................................................12
Figure 4 Z3-MVE-150 Power Switch......................................................................................13
Figure 5 Example ZFinder Window with a Z3 Product Selected......................................................13
Figure 6 Z3-MVE-150 User Interface (System Setup Page) ............................................................14
Figure 7 Z3-MVE-250 Configuration Screen - UDP......................................................................16
Figure 8 VLC Open Network Stream Screen for UDP ..................................................................17
Figure 9 Example of Z3 Video Streaming to VLC (UDP) ...............................................................17
Figure 10 Configuration Screen - RTP....................................................................................18
Figure 11 VLC Open Network Stream Screen for RTP .................................................................19
Figure 12 Example of Z3 Video Streaming to VLC (RTP) ..............................................................19
Figure 13 Viewing Bitrate in VLC .........................................................................................20
Figure 14 Changing the Bitrate Dynamically............................................................................20
Figure 15 Drop in Bitrate after Dynamic Bitrate Change .............................................................21
Figure 16 Status Page Output Showing Lower Bitrate .................................................................21
Figure 17 Changing TS Rate ...............................................................................................22
Figure 18 TS Rate and Lower Bitrate Reflected in VLC ...............................................................23
Figure 19 Tuning for Latency..............................................................................................24
Figure 20 Using the Aux TS File Enable Option .........................................................................25
Figure 21 Setting VLC to use the Extracted Closed Caption Data ...................................................26
Figure 22 Change Operating Mode .......................................................................................27
Figure 23 Create Additional Streaming Channels ......................................................................27
Figure 24 Example Settings for RTMP Encode ..........................................................................28
Figure 25 Getting to the Wowza Test Player............................................................................29
Figure 26 Viewing Z3-MVE-150 Content on Wowza ....................................................................30
Figure 27 Connecting the Z3-MVE-150 for Decode.....................................................................31
Figure 28 Changing to Decoder Mode....................................................................................31
Figure 29 System Setup in Decoder Mode...............................................................................32
Figure 30 Decoder Configuration Settings for Decode Example .....................................................33
Figure 31 The User Presets Tab ...........................................................................................34
Figure 32 Entering a User Preset Name .................................................................................34
Figure 33 Saving New Settings to a User Preset........................................................................35
Figure 34 Setting DHCP within z3_config1 ..............................................................................36

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Figure 35 Reboot Reminder for Changing IP Settings..................................................................36
Figure 36 IP Address Shown in ZFinder ..................................................................................37
Figure 37 User Interface Using DHCP Address ..........................................................................37
Figure 38 Updating the Device Firmware from the Web Interface ..................................................38
Figure 39 Updater Screen .................................................................................................39
Figure 40 File Selection Screen...........................................................................................39
Figure 41 Selecting “Set Password”......................................................................................40
Figure 42 Changing the Password ........................................................................................40
Figure 43 Password Entry Screen.........................................................................................41
Figure 44 Enabling Pro-MPEG FEC Encode...............................................................................42
Figure 45 Enabling Pro-MPEG FEC Decode ..............................................................................43
Figure 46 Z3-MVE-150 with Ear Racks ...................................................................................58
Figure 47 Wowza Performance Settings .................................................................................59
Figure 48 Wowza Security Settings.......................................................................................60

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1.0 GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The ZEUS Z3-MVE-250 Multi-Format Video Encoder is a 1RU rack-mount system capable of processing multi-
format H.264 High Profile video up to 1080p at 60 frames per second. The Z3-MVE-250 features two
independent encoders/decoders giving the user the flexibility to configure the system as two encoders, two
decoders or one channel of each. This unit is a cost-effective system suitable for broadcast encoders and IP
streaming. The Z3-MVE-250 provides immediate access to multi-format HD video, integrated system
peripherals and production-qualified codecs.
The Z3-MVE-250 features multiple I/O interfaces, including 3G-SDI, HDMI, ASI and Gigabit Ethernet.
Multiple interfaces allow customers to quickly integrate full H.264 1080p performance in their
network without the power consumption and physical space required of a PC-based platform.

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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 straight to Section 6.0, “GETTING STARTED WITH THE MVE-
150,” 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, and tuning for latency as well as encoding
closed captions and streaming one video source into multiple resolutions. Details on encoding to RTMP
can be found in the follow-up section on pages 27. Details on running the Decoder can be found in
Section 8.0, “RUNNING THE DECODER”, on page 31.
2.2 If You Already have a System from Z3 and Need to Update the Firmware
You can update the firmware via the HTTP-based user interface by following the instructions in Section
9.3: “Making a Firmware Update”, on page 38.
*Note: Actual version numbers for your Z3 product may differ from those pictured in this document.

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3.0 PACKAGE CONTENTS
Z3-MVE-250
AC Power Cable
2x BNC to BNC Cable
2x HDMI Cable
2x DB-9 Serial Cable
Ear Rack Bracket x 2
4 mm (L) x 3 mm (D) Screw x 6
*Note: The serial cable is included for advanced troubleshooting purposes only and is not needed by the typical user.
Figure 1 Package Contents for the Z3-MVE-250

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4.0 FEATURES
▪Two independent encoder/decoder channels
▪HD resolutions up to 1920x1080, including 1080p60/50, 1080i30/25, and 720p60/50
▪H.264 support
▪Support for extraction from up to four sub channels of audio from SDI
▪AAC-LC, AACH-HE v1, and AAC-HE v2 audio codecs
▪Ability to encode two different streams from the same source
▪Closed caption support (EIA-608, EIA-708)
▪Pro-MPEG Forward Error Correction support for encode and decode
▪Inputs: HDMI, 3G-SDI, ASI (Decode)
▪Outputs: HDMI, ASI (Encode)
▪Interfaces to 1Gb Ethernet, USB 2.0 (x2), RS-232
▪Outputs MPEG-2 Transport Stream, RTP, RTSP, RTMP, RTMPS, TSRTP or TS File
▪HTTP-based configuration software for user-friendly configuration and control
▪RS-232 serial port for technical configuration and control
▪Operating Temperature and Humidity: 0 to 40ºC at 20-80% relative humidity (non-condensing)
▪Storage Temperature and Humidity: -10 to 65ºC at 20-80% relative humidity (non-condensing)
▪Measurements: 430 x 215 x 44 mm (16.93 x 8.46 x 1.72 in)
▪Weight: 2.99 kg (6.59 lb)
4.1 Supported Input Resolutions
SDI: 1080p60, 1080p50, 1080i30, 1080i29.97, 1080i25, 720p60, 720p59.94, 720p50, 576p50,
576i25, 480i30, and 480i29.97
HDMI: 1080p60, 1080p50, 1080i30, 1080i29.97, 1080i25, 720p60, 720p59.94, 720p50, 576p50,
576i25, 480p60, 480i30, and 480i29.97
4.2 Supported Output Resolutions
HDMI: 1080p60, 1080p59.94, 1080p50, 1080i30, 1080i29.97, 1080i25, 720p60, 720p59.94,
720p50

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5.0 OPERATING CONTROLS
ENCODER 1 ENCODER 2
1: RS-232 Serial
1
4: (Top to Bottom) 7: RS-232 Serial
2
10: (Top to Bottom)
2: 3G-SDI / ASI Output - HDMI Input
3
8: 3G-SDI / ASI Output - HDMI Input
4
3: 3G-SDI / ASI Input - HDMI Output 9: 3G-SDI / ASI Input - HDMI Output
5: 2x USB 2.0 11: 2x USB 2.0
6: GigE 12: GigE
13: 100-240 VAC Power
1
For advanced troubleshooting purposes only. Not needed by typical users.
2
For advanced troubleshooting purposes only. Not needed by typical users.
3
Supports Non-HDCP content only. For example, a Blu-Ray player cannot be used as a video source.
4
Supports Non-HDCP content only. For example, a Blu-Ray player cannot be used as a video source.
Figure 2 Front and Rear Views of the Z3-MVE-250
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

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6.0 GETTING STARTED WITH THE MVE-250
This section gives step-by-step instructions on using one channel of the Z3-MVE-250 to stream 1080p or 1080i
video to the VLC media player running on your PC. In addition to the Z3-MVE-250, you will need a computer
with VLC media player downloaded, a 1080p60/1080i video source with SDI output, a BNC to BNC cable and
at least one Ethernet cable. These instructions can be applied to both Encoder 1 and Encoder 2.
*Note: Actual version numbers for your Z3 product may differ from those pictured in this document.
6.1 Set up the SDI Video Source
(1) Select an HD source with SDI output.
(a) Power on the HD source.
(b) Connect the HD source via SDI to a monitor.
(c) -Set the HD Source to 1080p60 or 1080i output.
(d) -If you are using a media player rather than a video camera, select and begin playback of
the content you would like to stream.
6.2 Connect and Power up the Z3-MVE-250
(2) Connect the SDI source to “SDI In” on the unit.
(3) Connect an Ethernet cable from “Ethernet” on the back of the unit to a switch, router or other DHCP
server on the same network as your Windows PC. You will use this PC to control the Z3-MVE-250 and
to decode the output stream.
(4) Connect the AC power supply to the Z3-MVE-250.
(1) Connect video
source to SDI In
Figure 3 Z3-MVE-250 Rear Panel Example Encode Connections
(2) Connect
Ethernet
(3) Connect
Power

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(5) Power on the unit. It will take 45-60 seconds to boot.
6.3 Find the Encoder Using ZFinder
ZFinder is a PC Utility that allows you to find any Z3 Technology product on your network. If you have
not downloaded this to your computer, you can find it on the USB drive provided with your system.
(6) Verify your Windows PC is connected to the same network in which the encoder is connected.
(7) Run the “ZFinder” PC Utility on your Windows PC. The ZFinder window appears. ZFinder then
completes a scan of the network and lists the location of all Z3 systems connected to the network.
In this case, the Z3-MVE-250 appears.
(8) Click on the Z3-MVE-250 entry in the window to select it. This will cause the “Edit Device”, “Open
Device” and “Flash LEDs” boxes to activate:
*Note: Selecting “Edit Device” allows for manual changes to network settings. Selecting “Flash
LED’s” is not applicable to the Z3-MVE-250 as there are no LEDs.
(9) Click on “Open Device.” An Internet browser window is opened (for best results, Firefox or Chrome
(2) Status lights up after 45-60 seconds
Figure 4 Z3-MVE-150 Power Switch
Figure 5 Example ZFinder Window
(1) Turn on power

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are recommended) and the HTTP-based graphical user interface (GUI) appears with the System
Setup tab open.
6.4 Configure Channel 1 and Encode
(10) From the System Setup Tab, click on the “+” tab to create the “CH2” tab.
The “CH1” tab supports an HDMI video source.
The “CH2” tab supports an SDI video source.
In order to utilize an SDI video source, click on the “+” tab to create a tab for an additional channel. SDI
input is only supported by using the “CH2” tab. If SDI is your only input, the “CH1” tab can be stopped
or deleted using the “Channel Controls” on that page. Use the “Channel Controls” options rather than
the “Start All” or “Stop All” buttons found on the bottom of all screens.
*Note: HD-SDI selection in the “CH2” tab supports HD-SDI resolutions and 3G-SDI resolutions.
Figure 6 Z3-MVE-150 User Interface (System Setup Page)

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(11) Verify the “Video Source” is set to SDI and the “Video Resolution” matches the output of your
source.
(12) Set “Output Format” to “UDP”.
(13) You can set the “Dest Address” to:
(a) the IP address of your PC that will be running the VLC media player (in the pictured
example, 192.168.0.6)
(b) or to a multicast address (An example multicast address would be “225.1.2.3”. If you are
on a shared network, check with your Network Administrator.)
(14) Make note of the value of “Dest Port” (This will be 5004 by default).
(1) Change to UDP
(2) Change to IP
Address of your PC
(3) Confirm “Dest
Port” is 5004
(6) Click “start”
(4) If necessary, click “stop”
(5) Status changes to “STOPPED”

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(15) After 20 seconds,
the encoder will automatically try to start. If it has done so, click on “stop” in the “Channel
Controls” section near the bottom of the screen. The status should then change to “STOPPED.”
Then click on “start.” If the encoder had not already started, simply click “start.”
Figure 7 Z3-MVE-250 Configuration Screen - UDP

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6.5 Run VLC to View Stream
(16) Run VLC on your PC (version used by Z3: 2.1.5)
(17) Select Media – Open Network Stream. In the box, type “udp://@192.168.0.6:5004”, where
“192.168.0.6” matches the values of the computer IP address or multicast address entered for
“Dest Address”, and 5004 is the value of “Dest Port” noted previously.
(18) Press “Enter.”
(19) You will now see video streaming to VLC.
Figure 9 Example of Z3 Video Streaming to VLC (UDP)
Figure 8 VLC Open Network Stream Screen for UDP

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6.6 Streaming RTP
Once you have UDP streaming, it is relatively simple to change to RTP streaming. All that is needed is
one parameter change. To stream using RTP, complete the following steps:
(20) Return to the CH2 configuration tab, click on “stop” to stop the current encoding session.
(21) Change “Output Format” from “UDP” to “RTP.”
(22) Click on “start” to start the RTP encoding session.
Change to “RTP”
Figure 10 Configuration Screen - RTP

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(23) Run VLC on your PC (version used by Z3: 2.1.5)
(24) In the “Open Media” box, type “rtsp://{IP Address}/z3-{ch #}{m}.mp4”, where {IP Address} is the IP
address of the Z3-MVE-250, {ch #} is 1 for CH1 or 2 for CH2, and {m} is added if a multicast address
is being streamed. For example, if the IP address of the Z3-MVE-250 is 192.168.81.68, encode is
being done from CH1, and unicast streaming is being done, the user would type in
“rtsp://192.168.81.6/z3-1.mp4”:
.
*Note: VLC version 2.1.5 or later is needed for RTSP support.
(25) You will then see RTP video streaming on VLC.
Figure 11 VLC Open Network Stream Screen for RTP
Figure 12 Example of Z3 Video Streaming to VLC (RTP)

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6.7 Changing the Bitrate and Frame Rate Dynamically
The Z3-MVE-250 includes an “update” button which allows you to change the bitrate or frame rate
without stopping and restarting the encoder. To use this feature, complete the following steps:
(26) 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:
(27) In the CH2 tab, change the bitrate from “8000K” to “2000K” and click “update”:
Figure 14 Changing the Bitrate Dynamically
(1) Change bitrate to 2000K
(2) Click “update”
Figure 13 Viewing Bitrate in VLC
video + audio bitrate