Multicast streaming
You can add multiple multicast streams to a channel in Pearl-2. A multicast stream consists of one stream distributed to many viewers via a multicast-capable network. You can stream to several multicast networks and at the same time, stream to non-multicast CDNs.
Pearl-2 supports multicast streaming to an IP TV or a set-top box playlist using SAP when the stream format is MPEG-TS.
MPEG-TS streams using UDP push
When you configure an MPEG-TS stream using UDP push, you have the option to enable SAP and multicast over a local network at the same time.
Before configuring your channel for MPEG-TS streaming, ensure the following codecs are configured in the encoding section:
Video – H.264
Audio – MP3 or AAC, if audio is configured.
To configure MPEG-TS with UDP push and enable SAP:
Log in to the Admin panel as admin.
From the Channel(s) menu, select the channel and click Streaming. The Streaming configuration page opens.
Click New stream and select MPEG-TS UDP push.
Enter the destination multicast IP address where the broadcast can be viewed.
A IPv4 multicast address range is an address between 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255. Contact your System Administrator for the specific address to use.
Enter the destination port number through which the media will stream.
(Optional) To advertise your stream to a media player over a local network, do the following:
Check SAP announcement to enable advertising your stream over a local network. When this is enabled and a multicast IP address is configured, your stream is displayed in the playlist of the local media player.
Enter a multicast IP address in the** SAP announcement IP** field. If your media player is configured to receive multicast streams from an IP address that is different from the default address 224.2.127.254, you may need to contact your system administrator for a specific multicast IP address.
Enter a channel number in the Channel number field to identify your stream in the media player. By default, the Channel number is the channel identifier.
When a channel number value is not specified, viewers cannot select a channel from the set-top box or Smart TV .
Enter a name for a group of streams in the text box next to Group name. Since media players simply present a list of available streams, you can organize your streams into multiple folders or in cases where folders are not displayed, use dot separator hierarchy to help your viewers filter out unwanted streams by category.
Click Apply.
Select Start when you're ready to start streaming.
**View the MPEG-TS UDP stream **
To view the stream from a media player, open the URL in the media player, for example:
udp://@ip:port
For example: udp://@226.10.24.32:7000
To view the stream when SAP announce has been set and the stream is advertised from a media player, set-top box or Smart TV, refer to Viewing with Session Announcement Protocol (SAP).
If you're streaming to 10/100 Mbps set-top boxes over Gigabit Ethernet and you notice frames are dropping, you can limit the bandwidth of the stream.
Set up traffic shaping
If you're multicasting to set-top boxes that have 10/100 Mbps interfaces on the same Gigabit Ethernet and you notice frames are dropping, you can limit the bandwidth of the stream using traffic shaping to adapt for the lower bandwidth set-top boxes. Only multicast streams support traffic shaping: MPEG-TS USP, MPEG-TS RTP/UDP, and RTP/UDP.
If you need traffic shaping configured differently than what the Admin panel allows, contact support@epiphan.com.
When traffic shaping is enabled, the default bitrate limit is set to auto. In auto mode, the bitrate is limited to the sum of the channel's configured bitrate plus 4 Mbps and is adjusted to fit within the range of 4 Mbps minimum to 95 Mbps maximum.
You can also set a bitrate limit for the maximum amount of bandwidth that gets streamed using the Admin panel when traffic shaping is enabled. When you do, the streamed video won't exceed the maximum bitrate you set. The valid bandwidth limit bitrate range is 4 Mbps to 95 Mbps. We recommend that you set the bitrate to a value no less than the channel encoding bitrate plus 4 Mbps.
For example, if the bitrate for the channel is set to 10 Mbps in the encoding settings, the minimum value we recommend for the bandwidth limit bitrate is 14 Mbps.
Important considerations
Traffic shaping works for the local switch. Switches connected to the local switch don't respect the policy.
If the channel encoding bitrate is set to a value that's less than 4 Mbps and traffic shaping is enabled, the minimum bandwidth limit does not drop below than 4 Mbps.
If the channel encoding bitrate value is greater than 95 Mbps and traffic shaping is enabled, the maximum bandwidth limit does not exceed 95 Mbps.
If the bandwidth limit is set to auto and the total of the channel bitrate plus 4 Mbps exceeds 95 Mbps, the maximum bandwidth limit does not exceed 95 Mbps.
After traffic shaping is enabled, we recommend that you first test a multicast stream using the auto traffic shaping settings. If your low bandwidth network device is displaying poor video quality, then go ahead and manually set the limit bandwidth bitrate according to the bandwidth of your particular network device.
Set traffic shaping for a multicast stream using the Admin panel
Log in to the Admin panel as admin.
From the Channel(s) menu, select the channel and click Streaming. The Streaming configuration page opens.
Click New stream and select a multicasting stream as the type: MPEG-TS USP, MPEG-TS RTP/UDP, or RTP/UDP. The new stream is created with the default name Stream 1.
Click the stream name to see the stream settings.
Check Limit bandwidth. The default bitrate is set to auto.
(Optional) Set the Limit bandwidth rate and enter a bitrate value from 4,000 kbps to 95,000 kbps.
Click Apply.
Viewing with Session Announcement Protocol (SAP)
When SAP Announce is configured for a stream that uses UDP streaming, the stream is advertised over the local network. Local viewers can view the stream using a software or hardware media player. Viewers are presented with a list of available channels, similar to a television menu. Viewers need only click on a stream and the video is streamed to their desktop, mobile or tablet.
Your stream is advertised by the metadata title, if one was configured; otherwise, the stream is identified by its channel identifier. When browsing from a VLC media player, streams are advertised by their channel identifier and are organized by the group name. When browsing from an XBMC media player, streams are advertised by the stream's metadata title (if configured); otherwise, streams are advertised by their channel identifier.
View the Session Annoucement Protocol (SAP) stream
Ensure the stream has SAP announcement enabled; otherwise, it is not advertised in the media player's playlist.
Ensure the SAP announcement IP is a multicast IP address.
Some media players, for example Exterity receivers, listen for SAP announcements on a specific multicast address 239.255.255.255. If your audience is using Exterity to view your stream, you must change the SAP announcement IP address to 239.255.255.255.
Launch a media player and play the streams.
Using VLC, click **View **and select Playlist. The right-hand panel indicates the playlist is empty.
From the side menu, click Network streams (SAP). The playlist is populated with all streams in your network that are SAP announcement enabled. If you specified a Group Name when you configured the publish stream the stream will be listed in folder identified by the group name.
Click on a live stream in the playlist to play the stream.
This VLC example shows two streams D2P83658.vga and D2P83658.video, which are organized in a folder by their group name.
Streaming NDI
For other NDI resources on the network to see the video resources on Pearl-2, you must start an NDI stream for the channel you want to broadcast on the network.