Table Of Contents
IP/TV Features and Functionality
New Features in IP/TV Version 3.5
QuickTime Plug-In Support for the Web-Based Program Guide
Playing Media Clips Before a Live Event
ISO MPEG-4 Streaming and Recording
Incremental Installer for IP/TV Viewer
Third-Party Server Software Upgrades
About Scheduled and On-Demand Programs
Accessing IP/TV Content Manager
Introduction
This chapter provides an overview of the different components of IP/TV and describes how IP/TV Content Manager, in particular, works. This chapter contains the following sections:
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How IP/TV Components Interact
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About IP/TV
IP/TV is a network-based application that delivers live or prerecorded, on-demand or scheduled programs to an unlimited number of users over any IP-based local- or wide-area network. Synchronized presentations and screen captures are also supported, in addition to a wide range of video management functions.
As part of the Cisco Content Networking family, IP/TV is a turnkey solution that brings movie-quality video over enterprise networks to the desktop of the user, eliminating the need for dedicated video cabling, monitors, or special viewing rooms. Designed with respect to scalability, high-quality broadcasts are delivered safely across large enterprises.
Applications for IP/TV include broadcast TV to the desktop, video on demand, computer-based training, distance learning, corporate communications, manufacturing process monitoring, and surveillance systems.
IP/TV Version 3.5 supports a wide variety of audio and video formats, including Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG-1), MPEG-2, Microsoft MPEG-4, ISO MPEG-4, Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA) MPEG-4 Advanced Audio Coding-Low Complexity (AAC-LC), and H.261.
To view a 7-minute video that describes IP/TV capabilities, click Introduction Video on the Cisco IP/TV Installer CD.
IP/TV Components
IP/TV consists of three separate components: IP/TV Viewer, IP/TV Content Manager, and IP/TV Server.
IP/TV Viewer is the client component and is available as software only. Both IP/TV Content Manager and IP/TV Server components are available either as a software-only option or as a hardware appliance. As a software-only option, these components must be run on third-party PC systems that meet the minimum requirements of the specific IP/TV component.
As a hardware appliance, they are part of the Cisco IP/TV 3400 Series Server hardware. Each 3400 Server type has preinstalled IP/TV software.
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Refer to the Cisco IP/TV 3400 Series Servers User Guide for more information on server hardware configuration and setup.
IP/TV Viewer
IP/TV Viewer resides on the client and lets you view programs. A program is an audio, video, or text transmission over the network. IP/TV Viewer has a customizable user interface that displays a list of scheduled and on-demand programs. IP/TV Viewer allows you to subscribe to any of the listed programs, and plays the program at the scheduled or requested time. You can also browse among all currently running programs.
IP/TV Viewer obtains program information from IP/TV Content Manager, and displays programs served by IP/TV Server or other servers. It can also display programs multicast from the Multicast Backbone (MBone) of the Internet or from other servers that transmit in MBone-compatible format.
IP/TV Viewer can run as a standalone application, a helper application activated by a web browser, or a browser plug-in. It is available as software only and runs on Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.0, and Windows XP.
Refer to the Cisco IP/TV Viewer User Guide for more information on how to install and use IP/TV Viewer.
IP/TV Content Manager
IP/TV Content Manager is accessed from a browser and is used by the system administrator or broadcast administrator to set up and manage IP/TV scheduled or on-demand programs, channels, recordings, and file transfers among IP/TV Servers.
The IP/TV Content Manager component is available as software only or comes preinstalled on a Cisco IP/TV 3400 Series Server hardware appliance (Control Server).
IP/TV Content Manager runs on Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0. You can access IP/TV Content Manager from Netscape 4.5x through 4.7x, or Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x or later. The browser must have Java and JavaScript enabled.
This guide provides information on how to create scheduled and on-demand programs. Refer to the Cisco IP/TV Administration and Configuration Guide for information on how to install, configure, and administer IP/TV Content Manager.
IP/TV Server
IP/TV Server, which is controlled by IP/TV Content Manager, serves and records programs. It multicasts and records scheduled programs, unicasts on-demand programs, and transfers files according to the schedules defined in IP/TV Content Manager.
The IP/TV Server component is available as software only or comes installed on Cisco IP/TV 3400 Series Server hardware appliances (Archive Server and Broadcast Server).
The IP/TV Server component can function as an Archive Server for scheduled and on-demand programs, or it can be configured with a video capture card and function as a Broadcast Server, that is, with live encoding and serving functionality as well.
IP/TV Server also supports SmallCast for unicast transmission across nonmulticast-enabled routers (or across the Internet) and then multicasting to viewers on the remote network segment.
IP/TV Server runs on Windows 2000 Server and Windows NT 4.0.
Refer to the Cisco IP/TV Administration and Configuration Guide for information on how to install, configure, and administer IP/TV Server.
How IP/TV Components Interact
You can use IP/TV for the broadcast of scheduled live or prerecorded programs, on-demand programs, or a combination of the two.
You can use a given server to broadcast both scheduled and on-demand programs.
Figure 1-1 shows the interactions between IP/TV components in the case of scheduled programs. Note that although IP/TV Viewer receives program descriptions only from IP/TV Content Manager, the programs are sent to IP/TV Viewer from the various media servers. The media servers may be IP/TV Servers, MBone servers, or other servers that run IP/TV-compatible MBone tools.
Figure 1-1 IP/TV Components—Scheduled Programs
Figure 1-2 shows the interactions between these components in the case of on-demand programs. IP/TV Content Manager manages a group (cluster) of servers that together form a virtual machine, with an integrated database to keep track of program information. Clustering allows IP/TV Content Manager to balance the server load by routing a user program request to the least-busy server.
Figure 1-2 IP/TV Components—On-Demand Programs
IP/TV Features and Functionality
IP/TV has the following turnkey, scalable features for delivering high-quality video over enterprise networks:
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Industry standards for media streaming comply with Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA) specifications to ensure interoperability.
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Audio and video streams are delivered independently to minimize the impact of network congestion on the client. Audio has priority.
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New Features in IP/TV Version 3.5
IP/TV Version 3.5 introduces the following new features:
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MPEG-4 AAC-LC
IP/TV Version 3.5 achieves Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA) compliance by supporting the MPEG-4 Advanced Audio Coding-Low Complexity (AAC-LC) format. This feature provides archiving and streaming of high-quality multimedia content over low-bandwidth Internet links.
ISMA MPEG-4 AAC-LC audio and video streams provide for two-channel audio streams ranging from 16 kbps to 32 kbps. Streams are packetized using Real-Time Transfer Protocol (RTP) on the server per the ISMA 1.0 specification. Streams do not contain Audio Data Transport Stream (ADTS) or Audio Data Interchange Format (ADIF) headers. Decoder configuration is sent out-of-band by Session Description Protocol (SDP) to make it available to the decoder before it starts decoding the stream.
IP/TV Version 3.5 supports AAC in the following ways:
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New Hardware
IP/TV Version 3.5 introduces a set of new hardware platforms: the IP/TV 3426, IP/TV 3427-C1, IP/TV 3427-C2, and IP/TV 3427-C3 Broadcast Servers. IP/TV Version 3.5 runs on these platforms as well as on the IP/TV 3412, 3417, 3425, and 3432 Servers.
IP/TV Version 3.5 also supports multiple capture cards on the IP/TV 3426 and IP/TV 3427 Servers.
The IP/TV 3426 Server uses only one capture card, the Videum 4400 AV video capture card, whereas the IP/TV 3427 Server has as many as five ports to hold various combinations of the Videum 4400 AV, Videum 1010 Plus, and Optibase MovieMaker 200S Networker video capture cards. On the new hardware, IP/TV Version 3.5 supports up to eight streams per server.
QuickTime Plug-In Support for the Web-Based Program Guide
IP/TV Version 3.5 supports Apple QuickTime 6.0 as a client application. When you select a program from the web-based program guide, the QuickTime plug-in is launched automatically if your device does not have IP/TV Viewer or an IP/TV plug-in installed.
The QuickTime client supports ISMA MPEG-4, MPEG-2 with MPEG-1 layer 2 audio, MPEG-1, and SlideCast with live video and basic audio and video streaming from IP/TV Server to the QuickTime 6.0 client.
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MPEG-4 Codec for SlideCast
In order to improve the clarity of slides in the SlideCast feature, IP/TV Version 3.5 uses MPEG-4 Simple Profile encoding. Previous versions of IP/TV used H.261 encoding for SlideCast. MPEG-4 supports higher resolutions and better compression than H.261 and ensures quality SlideCast presentations.
Support for Different Viewers
IP/TV Server Version 3.5 and IP/TV Content Manager support both QuickTime and IP/TV Viewer. Support for different viewers allows users of IP/TV Viewer and the QuickTime plug-in to watch the same program simultaneously. QuickTime users can access the program from the web-based program guide of IP/TV Content Manager and play them using the browser plug-in.
Web-Based Question Manager
IP/TV Version 3.5 introduces a web-based Question Manager. This feature allows users to access Question Manager from IP/TV browser plug-in as well as from the QuickTime plug-in window. The Click Here to Ask a Question to the Speaker link in the browser window takes you to the web-based Question Manager.
Playing Media Clips Before a Live Event
Administrators can set up a program of media clips to play before the scheduled broadcast of a live event. This program has the same attributes as the live program and plays before the scheduled broadcast of the live event. The program starts playing at the time set by the administrator and stops playing when the live event starts playing. The live event plays in the same window as the program of media clips. Administrators can use this feature to play programs related to a live event and to keep viewers tuned to the scheduled broadcast of the live event. This feature also helps administrators verify that users can view the scheduled broadcast. If users can view the program of media clips with no difficulty, then they will also be able to view the broadcast of the live event.
ISO MPEG-4 Streaming and Recording
The ISO MPEG-4 Simple Profile (SP) codec takes advantage of improved compression technology that makes it possible to stream higher-quality video at lower bit rates.
The ISO MPEG-4 feature, which is supported through IP/TV software, together with the IP/TV 3426 and IP/TV 3427 Servers, allows users to encode a live video stream using ISO MPEG-4 and an MPEG-4 AAC-LC audio stream simultaneously.
A live ISO MPEG-4 program can be recorded to an MP4 media file on the origin server. The recorded MP4 file can be previewed locally on IP/TV Server using Microsoft Windows Media Player.
The MP4 file can be streamed in both scheduled and on-demand modes.
Minimum requirements for ISO MPEG-4 streaming and recording include a 1.6-GHz Pentium 4 processor, 512 MB of memory, and one free PCI slot for the capture card.
Because of performance limitations, the Cisco IP/TV 3424 Broadcast Server is not recommended for use with the ISO MPEG-4 codec.
Incremental Installer for IP/TV Viewer
The incremental installer feature allows users to upgrade IP/TV Viewer by updating only those files that have changed from the version already installed. Since the incremental installer image contains only upgrade files, the image size is smaller and easier to use.
This utility is run at the client and it automatically detects the IP/TV Viewer version installed. If the detected version is 3.x, then it will be automatically upgraded to Version 3.5.
Third-Party Server Software Upgrades
Upgrades to third-party server software include the following:
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About Scheduled and On-Demand Programs
IP/TV Content Manager can manage both scheduled and on-demand programs. A scheduled program consists of either live or prerecorded content that is multicast over the network at a set time. An on-demand program consists of prerecorded content that is unicast to a single client whenever it is requested.
The uses, advantages, and limitations of scheduled and on-demand programs are discussed in the sections that follow.
Scheduled Programs
Scheduled programs are either live or prerecorded programs that are available to viewers at times defined by IP/TV Content Manager, and are delivered by one multicast data stream per media type (video, audio, Web Presenter, or SlideCast). Using multicast technology, scheduled programs can reach unlimited numbers of viewers simultaneously without overloading the network (refer to Chapter 1 of the Cisco IP/TV Administration and Configuration Guide).
Scheduled programs can be live content sent to viewers in real time, or prerecorded content that can be played repeatedly at scheduled times. Typical uses of scheduled programs include employee communications, group training, and distance learning.
How Scheduled Programs Work
In IP/TV Content Manager, you define a list of scheduled programs and assign them to one or more specified servers. The list of programs is automatically sent to IP/TV Viewer, and the programs can be watched by users at the scheduled time.
Programs and Channels
When you define scheduled programs, it is important to understand the relationship between programs and channels. In the IP/TV context, channels and programs are nearly identical to their network television equivalents, but there are a few differences. Understanding these differences will help you create the best model for your organization and manage IP/TV scheduled programming most effectively.
On network television, a channel carries either a single, continuous program (such as a 24-hour news channel) or a series of noncontinuous, back-to-back programs. Programs cannot exist without channels. All programs must be carried by a channel in order to be viewable. To view a program, the user tunes to its channel. The channel itself constitutes the address of all programs on that channel.
In IP/TV, a channel can carry either a single, continuous program, a series of noncontinuous, back-to-back programs, or both.
A noncontinuous program can overlap a continuous program. It is defined as a separate entity that can be tuned in by the user.
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 one-half hour starting at 3:00 p.m., and some users want to subscribe only 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. The noncontinuous program is a subset of the 24-hour news program, and overlaps it for that 30-minute interval. This is a mechanism to allow the user to subscribe to a small portion of the continuous program.
A channel constitutes a template for programs. The programs on that channel share the channel address and a variety of common characteristics such as passwords.
Unlike network television, an IP/TV program need not be assigned to a channel. It can exist independently. In this case, the program simply has its own address. Thus, if you prefer, you can omit the channel mechanism altogether. However, a channel is useful if you want to create programs with similar characteristics.
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On-Demand Programs
On-demand programs are available to individual users to watch at the time of their choosing. Because on-demand programs use unicast technology, multiple requests for an on-demand program require more network bandwidth than for a scheduled program (refer to the "Unicast Traffic" section in Chapter 1 of the Cisco IP/TV Administration and Configuration Guide). We recommend that you use the on-demand mode for programs that are accessed less frequently, such as individualized corporate training and video archives, and use scheduled mode for group viewing.
IP/TV Content Manager manages a cluster of servers that together form one larger server, with an integrated database to keep track of server and program information. IP/TV Content Manager automatically collects a list of available media files from the cluster and, using the Cisco FTP server, can also schedule distribution of files from one server to another or from an outside source to one or more of the servers.
The administrator then defines these files as programs in IP/TV Content Manager, using a hierarchical tree of program categories. A top-level category can contain subcategories, which you navigate to by clicking links. This hierarchical structure allows you to manage and make available a large library of programs. Unlike on-demand programs, scheduled programs do not have a tree structure, but their program listing on the client can be easily sorted by name, start time, end time, media type, or program description.
IP/TV Viewers receive on-demand programs only from their local cluster. One or more subnets can be defined as a proximity group, and one or more proximity groups are associated with a given server cluster. This allows the administrator to localize network traffic by ensuring that IP/TV Viewers receive on-demand programs only from their local cluster.
IP/TV Content Manager distributes a list of available on-demand programs to IP/TV Viewers, and this list is displayed on the program listing screen. When a user requests a program, IP/TV Content Manager uses information from the database to assign the least-busy server in the cluster to meet the request, and then directs IP/TV Viewer to that server. If one of the servers fails, or needs to be taken out of service, IP/TV Content Manager balances the request load among the remaining servers.
Channels do not apply to on-demand programs.
Accessing IP/TV Content Manager
IP/TV Content Manager is accessed remotely using a browser. The computer used to access IP/TV Content Manager Version 3.5 must run Netscape Navigator 4.5x through 4.7x, or Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x or later. The browser must have Java and JavaScript enabled. Check the browser Options or Preferences menu to be sure that these features are enabled.
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To access IP/TV Content Manager, go to the following URL:
http://contentmanagerhost/
where contentmanagerhost is the DNS name or IP address of IP/TV Content Manager.
Enter the administrative username and password for the IP/TV Restricted Zone and then click OK.
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htpasswd -b passwd admin new_password
The change takes effect when you stop and restart the Apache service from Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Services > Component Services.
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When you access IP/TV Content Manager for the first time, store the URL in the frequently visited sites list of your web browser. The actual mechanism you use varies depending on which browser you use. Refer to your browser documentation or help system for more information.
When you access IP/TV Content Manager, the first window that appears is the IP/TV Content Manager main window. (See Figure 1-3.)
Figure 1-3 IP/TV Content Manager Main Window
The IP/TV Content Manager main window contains multiple links for setup and configuration, including on-demand and scheduled programs creation, proximity group and server cluster configuration, recordings and file transfer setup, and server status monitoring.
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