Table Of Contents
Assigning Programs to Channels
Duplicating a Scheduled Program
Creating a Multimedia Data Stream for the Recording
Sending a Question to the Question Manager Moderator
Displaying the Full Text of a Question
Changing the Status of a Question
Displaying Questions in Table Form
Exporting the Question List for External Processing
Managing Scheduled Programs
This chapter contains procedures for defining and managing scheduled programs. Once defined, the programs are listed on the Scheduled Programs page. Topics covered include:
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Reviewing a Scheduled Program
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Accessing Scheduled Programs
On the IP/TV Content Manager main page, click the Scheduled Programs icon to display the Scheduled Programs page. (See Figure 3-1.)
Figure 3-1 Scheduled Programs Page
To sort the scheduled program list by program name, channel, server, or date and time, click one of the headings at the top of the list. The heading you click becomes the new sorting criterion.
For each scheduled program listed on the Scheduled Programs page, the display includes the program name and description, the channel, the source server, and up to three dates and times at which the program is scheduled to be shown.
For each scheduled program, some or all of the following links are available:
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Creating a Scheduled Program
Follow these steps to create a new scheduled program using IP/TV Content Manager:
Step 1
Step 2
Figure 3-2 New Scheduled Program Channel Selection Page
Step 3
Step 4
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In most cases, one of these choices is adequate to set up a program. However, if you want to see all possible program options, you can choose Advanced Program (Show All Options).
Step 5
The New Scheduled Program page appears. (See Figure 3-3.) Depending on the program type you chose, some of the options shown may not appear.
Figure 3-3 New Scheduled Program Page
Step 6
Note
Step 7
Step 8
If you enter a URL, a user watching this program on IP/TV Viewer can click the URL and go to the website.
Step 9
Step 10
Note
Step 11
Step 12
Step 13
Figure 3-4 Schedule Section of the New Scheduled Program Page
Table 3-1 briefly describes the schedule options.
Step 14
If the program is assigned to a channel, nearly all of these options are determined by the channel defaults. In this case, the only options that appear are the check boxes for video, audio, SlideCast, and web presentation.
The options that appear on the page also differ depending on whether you chose Basic Live Capture Program, Basic Media File Program, or Advanced Program on the New Scheduled Program page.
Figure 3-5 shows an example of the options for a basic live-capture program.
Figure 3-5 Multimedia Source Information—Live-Capture Program
Table 3-2 describes the options in the Multimedia Source Information section for a basic live-capture program.
Table 3-2 Multimedia Source Information Options
Preferred Video Format
Defines the preferred video format. This field defaults to the format specified in Preferences. Choices include H.261, Indeo, MPEG1, MPEG2 full D1, MPEG2 half D1, MPEG4 - ISO, MPEG4 - Microsoft, Other Video for Windows Codecs.
Compression Quality
Sets the H.261 compression quality level. Applies only to live-capture video compressed with the H.261 codec. The default value is 8.
Preferred Audio Format
Sets the format to be used for live-capture audio. This field defaults to the format specified in Preferences. For ISO MPEG-4 video format, this field must be set to MP3.
Video Frame Size For `MPEG4 - ISO' Format (Width x Height)
Sets the ISO MPEG-4 frame format to either predefined or customized dimensions in pixels (width x height). Unlike other codecs, the resolution cannot be changed in the IP/TV Server configuration. Preferred Audio Format must be set to MP3.
Refer to the Cisco IP/TV Administration and Configuration Guide for ISO MPEG-4 minimum requirements.
Play Video
Defines whether the video portion of the file or live-capture stream is included in the program. The Enable QoS? check box allows you to choose to enable QoS, if supported on your network.
Play Audio
Defines whether the audio portion of the file or live-capture stream is included in the program.The Enable QoS? check box allows you to choose to enable QoS, if supported on your network.
Play SlideCast
Defines whether the program includes a SlideCast portion in addition to video or audio. The Enable QoS? check box allows you to choose to enable QoS, if supported on your network.
Note
Refer to Chapter 8 of the Cisco IP/TV Administration and Configuration Guide for information on the SlideCast feature.
Play Web Presentation
Defines whether the program is a web presentation in addition to video or audio.
Refer to Chapter 8 of the Cisco IP/TV Administration and Configuration Guide for information on the web presentation feature.
Multicast HTML to Browser Cache1
Pushes the HTML pages and embedded graphics files of the web presentation to the client browser. If this option is checked, the pages are multicast to all viewers. If the option is unchecked, the browser of each viewer individually requests the HTML pages and the server unicasts the pages to each requester, which adds the cumulative bandwidth required to deliver the HTML pages to the bandwidth required for the program itself.
Serve Over MPEG2 Transport
Enables MPEG-2 transport streaming capability. Preferred Video Format must be MPEG-2 full D1 or MPEG-2 half D1. Preferred Audio Format must be MPEG. The MPEG-2 transport option allows a program with a valid MPEG-2 transport file to be streamed as a single composite stream, instead of separate audio and video streams. MP2T is the standard format used in the cable industry.
Refer to the Cisco IP/TV Administration and Configuration Guide for information on the MPEG-2 transport feature.
AudioPID
Specifies the audio packet ID (PID) of the program. The range is 16 through 8190.
VideoPID
Specifies the video packet ID (VID) of the program. The range is 16 through 8190.
Share SlideCast with2
Specifies whether the program you are defining includes the SlideCast stream from the program you choose in the list.
Share Presentation with2
Specifies whether the program you are defining includes the web presentation stream from the program you choose in the list.
Audio/Video Bandwidth
Sets the audio/video bandwidth in kilobits per second (kbps). The default is 1150.
Maximum Video Frame Rate
Sets the maximum number of frames per second for the video portion of the program. Applies only to MPEG live-capture streams and MPEG files. The default is 30.
Start Page URL (Optional)
Specifies the HTML page that the user goes to at the start of the presentation. It can be either a URL Internet address or the full path name of an HTML file on the local hard drive of the server, for example, http://www.cisco.com or C:\BoardMtg\slide001.htm.
Audio/Video Server
Specifies the name or IP address of the IP/TV Server assigned to play the audio or video portions of the program. Specifies which capture card is used. Choose a server from the list or enter the name of a new server.
SlideCast/Web Presentation Server
Specifies the name or IP address of the IP/TV Server assigned to play the SlideCast or web presentation. In the case of SlideCast, this server cannot be the same as the audio/video server unless audio, video, and SlideCast were all recorded to an RTP file. In the case of a web presentation, the server can be the same.
1 This option must be chosen if the HTML pages are to be served by a server that is not configured as a web server or is not accessible to the browser of the user. This option must also be chosen for web presenter programs that multicast content captured with ScreenCaster, either live or from a previously recorded .mp4 file.
2 The start and end time of the program you are defining must be within the range of the program that contains the SlideCast or web presentation stream.
Figure 3-6 shows an example of the options for a basic media file program.
Figure 3-6 Multimedia Source Information—Media File Program
Table 3-3 describes those options in the Multimedia Source Information section for a basic media file that are not explained in Table 3-2.
Step 15
The Enable QoS? check box to the right of the Play Video, Play Audio, and Play SlideCast check boxes lets you enable QoS using RSVP (Resource Reservation Protocol). QoS provides superior transmission quality in networks with RSVP-enabled routers running under Windows 2000.
To view details regarding QoS, click the QoS Details link.
The QoS Details page appears. (See Figure 2-12.)
Table 3-4 lists the UDP port ranges used by IP/TV Content Manager for various types of data streams. If you decide to specify port numbers explicitly rather than letting IP/TV Content Manager assign them, you should choose even-numbered ports within these ranges.
Table 3-4 UDP Port Ranges
Audio
16,384 through 32,766
Web presentation
32,768 through 49,150
Video or SlideCast
49,152 through 65,534
Step 16
The options that appear on the page differ depending on whether you chose Basic Live Capture Program, Basic Media File Program, or Advanced Program on the New Scheduled Program page. Most of these options also depend on whether the corresponding global option to allow them to be selected is enabled or not (on the Preferences page).
Refer to the Cisco IP/TV Administration and Configuration Guide for source-specific multicast (SSM) and multicast address information.
Figure 3-7 shows an example of the Multimedia Address Information options for a basic live-capture program.
Figure 3-7 Multimedia Address Information—Live-Capture Program
Table 3-5 describes the options in the Multimedia Address Information section for a basic live-capture program.
Figure 3-8 shows an example of the Multimedia Address Information options for an advanced program.
Figure 3-8 Multimedia Address Information—Advanced Program
Table 3-6 describes the Multimedia Address Information options for an advanced program that are not explained in Table 3-5.
Step 17
Step 18
If IP/TV Content Manager finds errors or omissions on the page, the Data Entry Errors page prompts you to return to the New Program page to modify the information.
When you have finished correcting the errors, click Create Program again to submit the corrections to IP/TV Content Manager.
If the page is properly completed, you return automatically to the Scheduled Programs page.
Assigning Programs to Channels
IP/TV Content Manager allows you to set up programs that are not assigned to any channel. However, channels offer a few benefits:
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However, if you set up a program that is not assigned to a channel, you must enter much more information about the program.
For example, each channel has a unique set of multicast addresses and UDP port numbers.
All programs assigned to that channel automatically use the same addresses and port numbers, so you need not remember which addresses (or address ranges) to assign to the program.
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Refer to the Cisco IP/TV Administration and Configuration Guide for information on defining channels.
Program Schedule Options
For any live-capture session, it is a good idea to set the start time a little earlier and the end time much later than you expect the live-capture session to start and end. Setting the start and end times this way allows for any slip in the actual start or end of the event. When a recording is made, "dead air" at the beginning and end of the session is not saved in the file.
When you decide how to schedule a program, you first must determine whether the program is a continuous or noncontinuous program:
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If you define a program as continuous, and assign it to a channel, you can still define noncontinuous programs on that channel. The noncontinuous programs simply overlap the continuous program (but are not allowed to overlap each other). Note that if the continuous program is a prerecorded file, the continuous program restarts from the beginning when the noncontinuous program has finished. Noncontinuous programs must be multicast from the same server as the continuous program that they overlap.
An example of a continuous program that has a noncontinuous program overlapping it is a 24-hour news service. The news program is always on, and users can tune in whenever they want to get a news update. Suppose, though, that the financial news is always discussed for a half-hour starting at 3:00 p.m., and some users want to subscribe to the financial news so that IP/TV automatically launches the program for them. You can define a noncontinuous program that begins at 3:00 p.m. and runs for 30 minutes. This noncontinuous program is a subset of the 24-hour news program, and overlaps it for that 30-minute interval.
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For noncontinuous programs only, you can do one of the following tasks:
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These two choices are either/or choices. You cannot combine them for the same program. If your program needs a repeat schedule with more complexity, set as much of the schedule as you can on this page. Then, once the program is submitted to IP/TV Content Manager and you have returned to the main page, click the Duplicate link for that program to create a duplicate of the program. You can set the remaining repeat schedule in the duplicate program. See the "Duplicating a Scheduled Program" section for tips on using the Duplicate Scheduled Program page.
Live-Capture Program Settings
When you define a live-capture program, you must set the video format, audio format, data rate, and frame rate parameters to values appropriate to the video capture card and codec (compression/decompression) used by IP/TV Server that will capture and multicast the program. Refer to Appendix A in the Cisco IP/TV Administration and Configuration Guide for recommended settings for the most common codecs.
Reviewing a Scheduled Program
Follow these steps to review a scheduled program:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
You might want to review an existing program under these circumstances:
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Deleting a Scheduled Program
Follow these steps to delete a scheduled program:
Step 1
IP/TV Content Manager displays the Delete Scheduled Program page and asks you to confirm that you want to delete the program.
Step 2
Note
Editing a Scheduled Program
Follow these steps to modify a scheduled program:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
IP/TV Content Manager displays the Edit Scheduled Program page.
Step 5
Step 6
If IP/TV Content Manager finds errors or omissions on the page, the Data Entry Errors page prompts you to return to the Edit Scheduled Program page to modify the information.
When you have finished correcting the errors, click Revise Program again to submit the corrections to IP/TV Content Manager.
If the page is properly completed, you return automatically to the Scheduled Programs page.
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Duplicating a Scheduled Program
Follow these steps to duplicate a scheduled program:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
If IP/TV Content Manager finds errors or omissions on the page, the Data Entry Errors page prompts you to return to the Duplicate Scheduled Program page to modify the information.
When you have finished correcting the errors, click Duplicate Program again to submit the corrections to IP/TV Content Manager.
If the page is properly completed, you return automatically to the Scheduled Programs page.
You might want to duplicate an existing program under these circumstances:
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Recording Scheduled Programs
IP/TV allows you to record a scheduled IP/TV program and save it in a media file on the local disk of an IP/TV Server. This feature is usually used to record content that is acquired through live capture for playback at a later time.
The following factors determine which file format is used to save the live-capture content:
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To display a list of all scheduled recordings, click Recordings on the IP/TV Content Manager main page. The Recordings page is shown in Figure 3-9.
Figure 3-9 Recordings Page
For each recording, the information displayed includes the name and description of the program to be recorded, the name of the source server, and up to three dates and times at which the program is scheduled to be recorded.
For each recording, the following links are available:
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Scheduling a Recording
This section describes the procedure for setting up a recording. It has two steps:
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Creating a Multimedia Data Stream for the Recording
If the content you want to record is not already defined as a program, see the "Creating a Scheduled Program" section for instructions on setting up a new program.
If you want to record an existing program, you need not define a new program before you can record it, since it is already defined in IP/TV Content Manager.
In addition, consider the following points:
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For any live-capture session, it is a good idea to set the start time a little earlier and the end time much later than you expect the live-capture session to start and end. Setting the start and end times this way allows for any slip in the actual start or end of the event. When a recording is made, "dead air" at the beginning and end of the session is not saved in the file.
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Note
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Setting Up the Recording
Follow these steps to set up a new recording:
Step 1
Figure 3-10 New Recording Program Selection Page
Step 2
Figure 3-11 New Recording Page
Step 3
Step 4
Note
Step 5
Step 6
Accept the default schedule, or override it by changing the information in any of the editable fields.
Figure 3-12 Recording Schedule Section of the New Recording Page
Step 7
Figure 3-13 Recording Instructions Section of the New Recording Page
Step 8
The file extension must be .rtp, .mpg, or .mp4. The RTP file format is used only for recording IP/TV programs, and is optimized for multicasting over a network. The MPG file format is used for local recording of live MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 data streams. The MP4 file format is used for local recording of ISO MPEG-4 data streams.
The MP4 file format is also used to record a web presentation stream if the web presentation stream is part of a live program with ISO MPEG-4 video. However, this is possible only when the audio and video server is the same as the Web Presenter server.
Step 9
If the Do not overwrite existing file check box is checked, unique filenames are generated to prevent the first recording from being overwritten by a later recording of the same program. Note that if you choose not to overwrite repeated recordings, these files occupy a great deal of disk space and may quickly fill the server disk drive.
Step 10
Step 11
Figure 3-14 Contact Information Section of the New Recording Page
Step 12
If IP/TV Content Manager finds errors or omissions on the page, the Data Entry Errors page prompts you to return to the New Recording page to modify the information.
When you have finished correcting the errors, click Create Recording again to submit the corrections to IP/TV Content Manager. If the page is properly completed, you return automatically to the Recordings page.
Step 13
As soon as the recording session is completed, you can create a scheduled or on-demand program using this file.
Reviewing a Recording
Follow these steps to review a recording:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Deleting a Recording
Follow these steps to delete a recording:
Step 1
IP/TV Content Manager displays the Delete Recording page and asks you to confirm that you want to delete the recording.
Step 2
Step 3
Editing a Recording
Follow these steps to modify a recording:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
If IP/TV Content Manager finds errors or omissions on the page, the Data Entry Errors page prompts you to return to the Edit Recording page to modify the information.
When you have finished correcting the errors, click Revise Recording again to submit the corrections to IP/TV Content Manager.
If the page is properly completed, you return automatically to the Recordings page.
Using Question Manager
Question Manager is a text-only feedback mechanism that allows users to submit questions to the moderator of a scheduled program. The moderator can display the questions that apply to the program, sort the questions, answer the questions as part of the presentation that is being shown, export the questions to be stored or manipulated in an external spreadsheet or database application, and delete the questions after the program is complete.
Question Manager is useful for environments such as distance learning and training. It allows remote users to participate in the question and answer portion of the presentation.
The Question Manager function applies to scheduled programs, but not to on-demand programs.
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Enabling Question Manager
Before a user can submit questions about an IP/TV program to the program moderator, or before an administrator can moderate a program, Question Manager must be enabled for that program.
To enable Question Manager for a scheduled program, check the Enable Question Manager check box on the New Scheduled Program, Edit Scheduled Program, or Duplicate Scheduled Program page. An example of the New Scheduled Program page is shown in Figure 3-3.
Sending a Question to the Question Manager Moderator
If a user is viewing an IP/TV program that has Question Manager enabled, the Question Manager button on the IP/TV Viewer tool bar is active; otherwise, the button is grayed out. When an IP/TV Viewer user clicks an active Question Manager button, the Question page appears. (See Figure 3-15.)
Figure 3-15 Question Form
On the Question page, Question Manager supplies the e-mail address of the user and name that the user entered in the IP/TV Viewer User Information dialog box. If this information was not entered, the moderator receives the question from Anonymous.
The user can change the name, enter a subject line, and enter a question. When the user clicks Submit, the question is sent to the Question Manager moderator. Questions can be submitted before the program begins.
Moderating an IP/TV Program
To use the Question Manager moderator, your web browser must have Java support enabled. (Java support is not required for users submitting questions to the moderator.)
Follow these steps to moderate a Question Manager-enabled program.
Step 1
Or, start a web browser and go to the following URL:
http://contentmanagerhost/iptvfiles/qmselect.htm
where contentmanagerhost is the DNS name or IP address of the IP/TV Content Manager managing the program.
The Moderator Program Selection page appears. (See Figure 3-16.)
Figure 3-16 Question Manager Moderator Program Selection Page
Step 2
Step 3
Figure 3-17 Question Manager Moderator Page
The Question Manager Moderator page displays the list of outstanding questions for the program. Initially, the list is displayed in the order in which the questions were received.
For each question, the display includes the status of the question, the name of the person who submitted the question, the date and time the question was submitted, and the subject field from the Question form of the user.
Sorting the Question List
To sort the question list by status, name, date and time, or subject, click the column heading to be used as a sort criterion. As new questions are submitted, they are added to the list and sorted according to the current sort criterion.
Displaying the Full Text of a Question
To display the full text of a question (that is, the text entered in the question box on the Question form of the user), choose the question by clicking anywhere in that row.
Changing the Status of a Question
Initially, every question has the status "Q," indicating that the question has not been answered. Questions may be answered in several ways. Note that none of these ways results in feedback to the person who submitted the question other than through the program content itself.
During the course of the program, if the program content addresses a user question, the moderator can change the status to "A," meaning "answered." Or, if the program includes a question and answer period, and the question is answered by the presenter, the moderator can change the question status to "A."
To change the status of a question, choose the question and click Answered. The status field for that question changes from "Q" to "A."
If the list of questions is long and many questions have been answered, the moderator can delete answered questions from the list by choosing each answered question and clicking Delete.
Deleted questions disappear from the question list of the moderator, but IP/TV Content Manager does not purge them completely until it deletes the program itself.
To purge deleted questions before IP/TV Content Manager deletes the program, the moderator can click Purge All Deleted.
Displaying Questions in Table Form
At any time, the moderator can display the questions for the program in table form by clicking Show All. The List All Questions page appears. (See Figure 3-18.) This is a convenient form to print out and give to the program presenter, so the presenter can answer the questions during the question and answer portion of the presentation.
The list displayed on the List All Questions page includes all questions for the program being moderated, and whether their status is asked, answered, or deleted.
Figure 3-18 List All Questions Page
Exporting the Question List for External Processing
To export the list of questions as comma-delimited ASCII text so that the data can be manipulated in an external spreadsheet or database application, click Save to File. A dialog box allows you to specify the path and name for the file.
Each question in the list is exported as a single line having these fields:
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For the first sample question shown in Figure 3-18, the exported text looks like this:
3/3/1999 4:19:00 PM, "Sales Outlook", "asked", "Joe Smith", "What are the sales projections for the next 6 months?"
