Table Of Contents

Adding Encoders to a Job Profile (CLUI)

Introduction to Encoders

Viewing a List of Your Encoders

Assigning Audio Tracks to Final Encoded Output

Removing an Encoder Tab from a Job Profile

Using Fast Start Encoding

Using Immediate Encoding

Encoders

Flash 8 Encoder

Introduction to the Flash 8 Encoder

Understanding Flash 8 Encoder Settings

Adding a Flash 8 Encoder to a Job Profile

H.264 Encoder

Introduction to the H.264 Encoder

Understanding H.264 Encoder Settings

Adding an H.264 Encoder to a Job Profile

MP3 Encoder

Introduction to the MP3 Encoder

Understanding MP3 Encoder Settings

Adding an MP3 Encoder to a Job Profile

MPEG Encoder

Introduction to the MPEG Encoder

Understanding MPEG Encoder Settings

Adding an MPEG Encoder to a Job Profile

QuickTime Encoder

Introduction to the QuickTime Encoder

Understanding QuickTime Encoder Settings

Adding a QuickTime Encoder to a Job Profile

Real Encoder

Introduction to the Real Encoder

Understanding Real Encoder Settings

Adding a Real Encoder to a Job Profile

WAV Encoder

Introduction to the WAV Encoder

Understanding WAV Encoder Settings

Adding a WAV Encoder to a Job Profile

Windows Media Encoder

Introduction to the Windows Media Encoder Tab

Understanding Windows Media Encoder Settings

Adding a Windows Media Encoder to a Job Profile

Adding Encoders to a Job Profile (CLUI)

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Revised: December 2, 2008, OL-16995-01

Encoders tabs tell the Cisco MXE 3000 how uncompressed preprocessor output will be compressed for distribution.

This section includes the following topics:

•Introduction to Encoders

•Viewing a List of Your Encoders

•Assigning Audio Tracks to Final Encoded Output

•Removing an Encoder Tab from a Job Profile

•Using Fast Start Encoding

•Using Immediate Encoding

•Encoders

Introduction to Encoders

The Cisco MXE 3000 uses Encoder tabs to set parameters that govern how uncompressed preprocessor output will be compressed for distribution. For example, a file that is intended for users of Microsoft Windows Media Player who connect to the Internet using cable modems will have one set of requirements, while users of RealPlayer who connect to the Internet using a T1 connection will have a different set of requirements.

The settings included on each Encoder tab are specific to the encoder being used. The user adds or adjusts the settings on each Encoder tab then adds them to the Job Profile.

See also: Encoders for more information on each encoder.

Viewing a List of Your Encoders

Procedure

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Step 1 From the main menu, click File > New Job Profile. A Preprocessor tab will be added, and the Encoder option will activate.

Step 2 Select Encoder. A list of all available encoders will display.

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Assigning Audio Tracks to Final Encoded Output

The Cisco MXE 3000 allows users to define which output channels to include in the final encoded media file. The Audio Tracks menu, shown in Figure 6-1, allows you to select the desired output tracks from the preprocessor as input to the encoder. These selected channels then map directly to the encoder. You may select as many tracks as are supported by the encoder. For example, if the encoder supports up to four outputs, the user can select up to four of the preprocessor outputs and they will be mapped to the encoder output in order.

Figure 6-1 Selecting Audio Tracks from an Encoder Tab

The individual encoders allow you to determine if the output of the encoder is stereo or mono. In the QuickTime encoder example in Figure 6-2, the output is set to stereo (two different channels). If mono audio output is selected within QT, the stereo inputs to the QT encoder will be averaged and one output channel will be created from the pair.

Figure 6-2 Movie Sound Settings

Procedure

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Step 1 Right-click any encoder tab. A submenu displays.

Step 2 Hold the mouse pointer over Audio Tracks, and slide the pointer to the right to select a track.

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Removing an Encoder Tab from a Job Profile

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Caution Removing an encoder tab from a saved Job Profile will affect unsubmitted jobs (jobs in the Job Log) and may cause an error when you try to submit a job that uses the edited Job Profile. See also: Editing an Existing Job Profile.

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Procedure

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Step 1 Right-click the encoder tab.

Step 2 From the submenu, select Remove Tab, as shown in Figure 6-3.

Figure 6-3 Removing an Encoder Tab from a Job Profile

Step 3 Click Yes to confirm.

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Using Fast Start Encoding

Fast Start reduces the total time required to process a job by starting the encoding process as soon as enough of the image has been preprocessed, rather than waiting for the preprocessing to be completed. Customers typically use this feature when submitting large jobs.

Because Fast Start encoding utilizes available computer processing cycles, the Cisco MXE 3000 will use Fast Start encoding only under the following circumstances:

•If at most one other clip is currently encoding

•If bumpers and trailers are not specified in the preprocessing profile.

See also: Edit Menu, Fast Start option.

To enable Fast Start encoding, do one of the following:

•Right-click the encoder tab, and from the submenu, click Fast Start.

or

•From the main menu, click Edit, and from the submenu, click Fast Start.

Using Immediate Encoding

Typically, the Cisco MXE 3000 generates an intermediate uncompressed AVI file as the output of the preprocessing step. If Immediate Encoding is enabled, the Cisco MXE 3000 will not use an intermediate file, but uses a memory-based interface between the preprocessor and the encoders. This is extremely useful for longer input clips and/or formats with high data volumes, such as MPEG or OMF, where the disk space requirements for intermediate files could become prohibitive.

The Cisco MXE 3000 supports Immediate mode for the following encoders: Flash8, H.264, MPEG, MXF, Real, and Windows Media.

See also: Edit Menu, Immediate option.

To enable Immediate encoding, do one of the following:

•Right-click the encoder tab, and from the submenu, click Immediate.

or

•From the main menu, click Edit, and from the submenu, click Immediate.

Encoders

This section includes the following topics:

•Flash 8 Encoder

•H.264 Encoder

•MP3 Encoder

•MPEG Encoder

•QuickTime Encoder

•Real Encoder

•WAV Encoder

•Windows Media Encoder

Flash 8 Encoder

This section includes the following topics:

•Introduction to the Flash 8 Encoder

•Understanding Flash 8 Encoder Settings

•Adding a Flash 8 Encoder to a Job Profile

Introduction to the Flash 8 Encoder

Flash 8 encodes media into .swf and .flv formats. The Flash 8 encoder tab, shown in Figure 6-4, allows you to define Flash 8 encoding parameters.

Find a description of the settings available on the Flash 8 encoder tab in Understanding Flash 8 Encoder Settings.

Figure 6-4 Flash 8 Encoder Tab

Understanding Flash 8 Encoder Settings

The Flash 8 encoder tab allows you to adjust settings on the following subtabs:

•Video

•Bit Rate Control

•Audio

Video

Figure 6-5 shows the Video tab.

Figure 6-5 Flash 8 Encoder: Video Tab

Table 6-1 describes the settings.

Table 6-1 Flash 8 Encoder: Video Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Output Format	Sets the format that will be applied to the media being encoded.
Codec	Sets the codec to be applied to the media being encoded.
Width	Defines the output width of the encoded media.
Height	Defines the output height of the encoded media.
Frame Rate	Sets the output media frame rate.
Bit Rate	Sets the data bit rate of the output media.
Noise Sensitivity	Sets the level of preprocessing applied to the media being encoded. Values are: 0 (no temporal preprocessing) to 6 (highest temporal preprocessing). If no value is entered, the default value of 0 is used.
Sharpness	Sets the output media's image sharpness. Lower settings will result in fewer visible artifacts but may blur the image. Higher sharpness settings will result in a sharper image but may result in more visible artifacts. Values are: 0 (lowest) - 10 (highest). If no value is entered, the Cisco MXE 3000 uses the default value of 7.
Keyframe Control	•auto: Keyframes are generated whenever one is needed. •fixed: Keyframes are generated at fixed intervals determined by the Max Keyframe Interval below.
Max Keyframe Interval	Sets the fixed time intervals at which keyframes will be generated in the output media. The Enabled box in the Auto-Keyframes section below must be checked for the Keyframe Interval to apply. Note Setting this value to 0 will cause the job to fail.
Min Keyframe	Sets the minimum time (in seconds) allowed between keyframes. Setting this option to a very low value may cause an increase in the average output data rate. If no value is entered, the Cisco MXE 3000 applies a default value of 0.5 seconds.
Auto-Keyframes Section
Enabled	When this box is checked, auto-keyframe settings apply to the media file during encoding.
Sensitivity	Defines how different a frame must be from the previous frame before a new keyframe is inserted. Lower values produce fewer keyframes, while higher values produce more keyframes.

Bit Rate Control

Figure 6-6 shows the Bit Rate Control tab.

Figure 6-6 Flash 8 Encoder: Bit Rate Control Tab

Table 6-2 describes the settings.

Table 6-2 Flash 8 Encoder: Bit Rate Control Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Encode Mode	Determines the encode mode to be applied to the media during encoding. •CBR: creates output that is best suited for streaming to a server over a TCP network. •2-Pass CBR: first pass analyzes media, second pass provides constant bit rate encoding of the media. •1-Pass VBR: creates output for playback situations where bandwidth fluctuations are not a concern. •2-Pass VBR: first pass analyzes media, second pass provides variable bit rate encoding of the media. •1-Pass Best quality: creates output for playback situations where bandwidth is not a concern. Encode and decode times are the longest. •2-Pass Best quality: first pass analyzes media, second pass provides best quality encoding of the media. •Realtime: encodes media while meeting real time deadlines.
Allow Drop Frames	When checked, the Cisco MXE 3000 drops frames when necessary to maintain the defined data bit rate during encoding.
Error Resilient Mode	When checked, the Cisco MXE 3000 attempts to protect against corruption due to mis-transmitted keyframes by invoking error-checking of all keyframes in the ingested media file. Error resilient mode may decrease overall video quality by up to 5%.
Speed	When Realtime is chosen from the Encode Mode drop-down, this setting sets the speed at which the encoder attempts to compress the frames it receives. When set to 0, the encoder tries to use all of the available cycles to compress the video. When set to 8, the encoder tries to use half the available cycles. When set to 16, no cycles are used. Values are 0 (100%) - 16 (0%). If no value is entered, the default value of 7 is used.
Peak Bit Rate	For CBR encoding, the maximum bit rate allowed in the stream as a percentage of the encoded bit rate
Undershoot Target	Creates output that targets a slightly lower bit rate ensuring that bits are available in the data rate buffer to improve difficult sections.
Player Buffer Section
Prebuffer	For CBR encoding, the buffer size to preload by the media player before beginning playback
Optimal Buffer	For CBR encoding, the buffer size that the encoder should try to maintain in case a specific frame causes the buffer to overflow
Max Buffer	For CBR encoding, the maximum size of the buffer
Two Pass Controls
Enabled	When this box is checked, the second pass variability control settings apply to the media file during the second pass of a 2-pass encode.
Variability	Determines the variability in the bit rate from nearly constant bit rate (0) to a highly variable bit rate (100) that is proportional to the difficulty of the encoded material. Values are 0 - 100 percent of the bit rate, default 70.
Min Section	Lowest bit rate that the encoder will allow for any section, no matter how uncomplicated the section. This value is used to prevent difficult sections from stealing too many bits from uncomplicated sections. Values are 0 - 100 percent of the bit rate, default 40.
Max Section	Highest bit rate that can be streamed. Also, the highest bit rate that the encoder will allow no matter how difficult the section. Values are 100 - 1000 percent of the bit rate, default 400.
Fixed Quality Section
Enabled	When this box is checked, the quality setting applies to the media file during encoding.
Quality	Lower numbers produce higher quality frames. However, the encoder may not be able to maintain the desired bit rate without dropping frames. Values are 0 (best) - 63 (worst), default 45.

Audio

Figure 6-7 shows the Audio tab.

See also: Assigning Audio Tracks to Final Encoded Output.

Figure 6-7 Flash 8 Encoder: Audio Tab

Table 6-3 describes the settings.

Table 6-3 Flash 8 Encoder: Audio Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Codec	Selects the audio codec to be applied during encoding.
Bit Rate	Sets the bit rate to be applied during encoding.
Sample Rate	Sets the sample rate to be applied during encoding.
Channels	Sets the number of audio channels to be applied during encoding.

Adding a Flash 8 Encoder to a Job Profile

Procedure

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Step 1 From the main menu, click File > New Job Profile or Open Job Profile.

Step 2 Click Encoder > Add Flash 8 Encode. A Flash 8 tab is added to the job.

Step 3 Set Video, Bit Rate Control, and Audio settings. See also: Understanding Flash 8 Encoder Settings.

Step 4 Click File > Save Job Profile to save changes.

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H.264 Encoder

This section includes the following topics:

•Introduction to the H.264 Encoder

•Understanding H.264 Encoder Settings

•Adding an H.264 Encoder to a Job Profile

Introduction to the H.264 Encoder

The H.264 encoder produces clips that are compatible with H.264 broadcast servers.

Functionality supported by the latest MainConcept H.264 SDK includes the ability to multiplex H.264 video and AAC audio into MPEG-4 or 3GPP streams. In addition, Sony PlayStation Portable and Apple iPod compliant clips can also be created.

You also have the option to encode video using MBAFF (macro-block adaptive field frame) coding using a macroblock pair structure for pictures coded as frames, allowing 16x16 macroblocks in field mode (compared with 16x8 half-macroblocks in MPEG-2).

The H.264 encoder enables you to produce CableLabs-compliant output. To produce valid streams for the CableLabs format, the input video and audio settings should meet the requirements of the CableLabs format because non-standard settings for the CableLabs format are allowed as long as the settings are MPEG-compliant.

In addition, you may change the display pixel aspect ratio. The pixel aspect ratio is the width of the pixel with respect to its height. A square pixel has a ratio of 1:1, but a nonsquare (rectangular) pixel does not have the same height and width. This concept is similar to the frame aspect ratio, which is the total width of an image with respect to its height. These aspect ratios are not necessarily tied together. For example, a widescreen image with a frame aspect ratio of 16:9 can be made of square or nonsquare pixels. If the output video size is the same as the source video, and the source video has nonsquare pixels, then the pixel aspect ratio of the source video is automatically preserved in the output video. Preserving the pixel aspect ratio of video increases the file size or stream bit rate. If the frame aspect ratio (Ix:Iy) and the height and width of the image source are known, then the following formula can be used to determine the x and y values of the pixel aspect ratio:

PixelAspectRatioX / PixelAspectRatioY = (Ix * height) / (Iy * width)

For example, if the image size is 720 x 360 pixels, and the frame aspect ratio is widescreen (16:9), then: PixelAspectRatioX / PixelAspectRatioY = (16 * 360) / (9 * 720) = 8/9 or PixelAspectRatioX = 8 and PixelAspectRatioY = 9.

If the image size is 176 x 144 pixels, and the frame aspect ratio is widescreen (16:9), then: PixelAspectRatioX / PixelAspectRatioY = (16 * 144) / (9 * 176) = 16/11 or PixelAspectRatioX = 16 and PixelAspectRatioY = 11.

See also:Understanding H.264 Encoder Settings for a description of the settings available on the H.264 encoder tab.

Figure 6-8 H.264 Encoder Tab

Understanding H.264 Encoder Settings

The H.264 encoder tab allows you to adjust the following settings:

•Video

•Audio 1 and Audio 2

•Multiplexing

•Motion Estimation

•Stream

Video

Figure 6-9 shows the Video tab.

Figure 6-9 H.264 Encoder: Video Tab

Table 6-4 describes the settings.

Table 6-4 H.264 Encoder: Video Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Format	Defines the format of the input source: NTSC or PAL
FPS	The video frame rate of the encoded output in frames per second.
Profile	Establishes ranges for parameter settings in application-specific situations. For example, DVD authoring software may specify Main Profile only. Therefore, encoding settings can safely be assumed to match decoder capabilities. •Baseline: Progressive CAVLC, no B-slices, progressive encoding only •Main: CABAC and CAVLC, B-slices enabled, interlace and progressive encoding •High: CABAC and CAVLC, B-slices enabled, interlace and progressive encoding
Level	Limits the possible settings for video encoding.
Field Mode	Defines whether the video images will be interlaced or progressive. •Interlaced: Images are made up of fields that scan alternate lines. Two fields are required to build a frame. •Progressive: Each frame is presented sequentially.
Entropy Mode	•CAVLC: Context-adaptive variable length coding. Available in all profiles and is the default. •CABAC: Context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding. CABAC is not available in baseline profiles. Only binary decisions are encoded. Non-binary items are converted to binary codes and then encoded.
Width	Specifies the width in pixels of an encoded frame. Values are 16 to 1920 and must be a multiple of 2.
Height	Specifies the height in pixels of an encoded frame. Values are 16 to 1280 and must be a multiple of 4.
Use B Slices	Specifies whether or not bi-predicted slices (B slices) are used to improve coding efficiency. This is not allowed for a baseline profile.
Optimize Rate Distortion	Specifies whether to optimize rate distortion. Rate distortion defines the trade-off between quality and bit rate.
Use Hadamard Transform	Allows quality optimization for low bit-rate encoding.
Ref Frames	Specifies the maximum number of reference frames that can be used for motion search compensation and prediction in order to encode a frame. Multiple reference frames can improve the prediction process and increase error resilience by using another reference frame in the event one is lost. A limit of 16 reference frames can be used within a frame. The default value is 2.
Write Sequence	Behavior for writing sequence parameter set. Values are: per IDR (default), or per I-frame
Write Picture	Behavior for writing picture parameter set. Values are: per IDR (default), or per I-frame
Entropy Coding Mode	Specifies the entropy coding mode. Values are: •CAVLC: Context-adaptive variable length coding. Available in all profiles and is the default. •CABAC: Context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding. CABAC is not available in baseline profiles. Only binary decisions are encoded. Non-binary items are converted to binary codes and then encoded.
VBV Buffer Section
Initial Fullness	Initial (before playing) VBV buffer fullness (%), default is 10%.
Final Fullness	Final (when clip ends) VBV buffer fullness (%), default is 100%.
Bit Rate Control Section
Mode	•CBR: (Constant Bit Rate) Maintains a constant bit rate for the stream. •VBR: (Variable Bit Rate) Allows variability in the bit rate for file size and bandwidth minimization. Max bit rate defines the range the encoder should stay within while encoding. The average bit rate is the desired average bit rate of the encoded bit stream. •VBR-CQT: (Variable Bit Rate - Constant Quantization) Allows quantization parameters for the different slice types (I, B, and P). Using this option, the stream bit rate can vary without any limitation. A lower value for any slice quantization parameter yields better video quality. –QUANT-pI - I Frame quantization. Valid values are 0 to 51; default is 28. –QUANT-pP - P Frame quantization. Valid values are 0 to 51; default is 30. –QUANT-pB - B Frame quantization. Valid values are 0 to 51; default is 32. •2-PASS VBR: Allows variability in the bit rate for file size and bandwidth minimization.
Bit Rate Buffer Size	Specifies the size of the Hypothetical Reference Decoder (HRD) Coded Picture Buffer (CPB). Adjust this value to the bit rate for CBR encoding and the max bit rate for VBR encoding to avoid DTS/PTS underflows during multiplexing. It controls the size of the buffer needed to encode the video. A low value can result in buffer overflows which can show up as stuttering video. Software decoders usually ignore the buffer size but most hardware players will have problems if the buffer size is not correct. It should match buffer sizes of targeted hardware decoders. Encoded frames are placed into the buffer (hypothetically) and removed from the buffer at regular intervals. The video stream is constructed by varying the size of the encoded frames such that the buffer does not underflow (i.e. becomes empty when it is time to decode a frame) or overflow (i.e. becomes full so that no space is available to store encoded frames).
Avg Bit Rate	Target average bit rate for CBR and VBR encoded files.
Max Bit Rate	Maximum allowable bit rate for VBR encoded files.
Inter Search Modes	Specifies macro block search modes. Creates a prediction model from previously encoded frames. The 16x16 value is always used, but you may select 8x8. Not valid for baseline profile.
Quant-pl	Specifies the macro block quantization value for I slices to use in the constant quantization variable bitrate.
Quant-pP	Specifies the macro block quantization value for P slices to use in the constant quantization variable.
Quant-pB	Specifies the macro block quantization value for B slices to use in the constant quantization variable.
Chroma Offset R	For high profile, this is the Cr chroma quantization offset. Values are: -51 - +51.
Chroma Offset B	For baseline and main profiles, this is the chroma quantization offset (both Cb and Cr). For high profile, this is the Cb chroma quantization offset. Values are: -51 - +51.

Audio 1 and Audio 2

Figure 6-10 shows the Audio 1 and Audio 2 tabs.

Figure 6-10 H.264 Encoder: Audio 1 and Audio 2 Tab

Table 6-5 describes the settings.

Table 6-5 H.264 Encoder: Audio 1 and 2 Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Type	Specifies AAC, AAC-HE, PCM, WAV, AC3, Layer1, or Layer2 audio encoding. AAC, AAC-HE, AC3, Layer1, and Layer2 enable stream multiplexing. AAC enables header and bit rate mode settings.
Channels	Select mono, stereo, joint stereo, dual stereo, or 2/0 channels for output.
Sample Rate	Sets audio sampling rate to tradeoff audio quality and transmission bandwidth and file size limitations.
Bit Rate	Sets audio bit-rate to tradeoff audio quality and transmission bandwidth and file size limitations.
De-emphasis	Enabled for Layer1 and Layer2 audio only. Sets a flag for the player to indicate that de-emphasis mode is employed. Choices are None, 50/15 us, and ccit.j17. Set to None for DVD and SVCD. Set to None or 50/15 us for VCD.
Psychoacoustic Model	Enabled for Layer1 and Layer2 audio only. Sets the psychoacoustic model to use.
Header	Enabled for AAC audio only. May be None (raw encoded output) or ADTS (Advanced Digital Theater Systems).
Bit Rate Mode	Enabled for AAC audio only. Specifies whether to use constant bit rate or variable bit rate encoding mode.
Mute	Enabled for PCM audio only. Sets a flag for the player to mute output if all samples in an audio frame are set to zero.
Emphasis	Enabled for PCM audio only. Sets a flag for the player to apply emphasis to all samples from the start of the audio stream.
High Frequency Cutoff	Enabled for AAC audio only. Selects the cut-off frequency in hertz. •Default sets a cut-off value for the sampling frequency. •Not used indicates that all frequencies are kept. •Custom removes frequencies above the specified frequency (Hz) value.
Hz	Enabled for AAC audio only. If Custom is chosen for the high frequency cutoff, then all frequencies above the specified frequency value are removed. Values are 1000 to 48000 Hz.
Quality	Enabled for AAC audio only. For variable bit rate mode, specifies the target quality level from low to high.

Multiplexing

Figure 6-11 shows the Multiplexing tab.

Figure 6-11 H.264 Encoder: Multiplexing Tab

Table 6-6 describes the settings.

Table 6-6 H.264 Encoder: Multiplexing Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Stream	Specifies what type of multiplexing will be performed. •mpeg1: System stream multiplexing is enabled. •mpeg2: Program stream multiplexing is enabled. Valid audio input is AAC, Layer 1, or Layer 2 audio. •videocd: Constrained multiplexing that satisfies the requirements for Video CD production. •vcd-padded: Constrained multiplexing that satisfies the requirements for padded Video CD production. •svcd: Constrained multiplexing that satisfies the requirements for Super Video CD production. •dvd: Constrained multiplexing that satisfies the requirements for DVD production. •transport: Multiplexing into a transport. Valid audio input is AAC, Layer 1, or Layer 2 audio. •external: Multiplexing into a transport stream using the Manzanita multiplexer. This is suitable for cable transmission and other applications that require transport streams. Valid audio input is AAC, AC3, Layer 1, or Layer 2 audio. A configuration file to control the Manzanita multiplexer is required. •none: No multiplexing is performed. This is suitable for DVD authoring systems that require separate video and audio files.
Config File	Specifies the Manzanita configuration file used for external transport stream multiplexing. This option is available only if the external stream multiplexing type is selected.

Motion Estimation

Figure 6-12 shows the Motion Estimation tab.

Figure 6-12 H.264 Encoder: Motion Estimation Tab

Table 6-7 describes the settings.

Table 6-7 H.264 Encoder: Motion Estimation Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Spacial Search Range	Specifies the motion vector range (circle of the motion vectors from a pixel). Values depend on the level used. Values are: •Level 10 (1.0) - 0 - 63 •Level 11 (1.1) - 20 (2.0) - 0 - 127 •Level 21 (2.1) - 30 (3.0) - 0 - 255 •Level 31 (3.1) - 51 (5.1) - 0 - 511
Subpixel Mode	Subpixel motion search depth. Values are: •full pixel: only full pixel position will be examined •half pixel: half-pixel positions will be added to the search •quarter pixel: both half and quarter pixel positions will be added to the search
Multi Reference Frame	Multi-reference frame motion estimation search mode. Values are: •complex: slower, better quality •fast: faster, lower quality
Sub Block	Sub-block motion estimation search mode. Values are: •complex: slower, better quality •fast: faster, lower quality
Rate Distortion Optimazation	Rate distortion optimization method. Values are: •complex: slower, better quality •fast: faster, lower quality
Fast Inter Decisions	Allows the encoder to use fast intercoding decision metrics to speed up the encoding process. If yes, can decrease quality but will reduce encoding time. Values are: yes or no (default).
Fast Intra Decisions	Allows the encoder to use fast intracoding decision metrics to speed up the encoding process. If yes, can decrease quality but will reduce encoding time. Values are: yes or no (default).

Stream

Figure 6-13 shows the Stream tab.

Figure 6-13 H.264 Encoder: Stream Tab

Table 6-8 describes the settings.

Table 6-8 H.264 Encoder: Stream Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Slice Mode	Uses multiple slices. On systems with multiple physical or logical CPUs, encoding can be accelerated by using more than one slice.
Slice Count	The number of slices to use if Slice Mode is enabled. Values are: 0 (auto detect the number of CPUs) or a positive number not greater than the picture size in macroblocks.
IDR Interval	Instantaneous Decoder Refresh (IDR) interval specifies the number of frames in a group of pictures (GOP) or the number of frames between IDR frames. The first frame in a GOP is always an IDR frame (I-frame). It is used as a reference frame and is the first frame without quality loss because it contains the maximum information. It is similar to an I-frame in MPEG. The IDR interval must be a multiple of the reordering delay value. If this field is 1, then only IDR frames are generated. Values are 1 to 300; the default value is 33.
IDR Indexing	The H.264 encoder will use scene change detection algorithms to improve video quality around scene changes in the video.
Index Sensitivity	This field is activated by the IDR Indexing option. Sensitivity adjusts the dynamic threshold for detecting when a scene change has occurred.
Reorder Delay	Specifies the number of B-frames between consecutive I- and P-frames. If this value is 1, then no B-frames will be generated. Values are 1 to 4; default value is 3.
Use B Slices as Reference	Allows B-frames to be used as reference frames.

Adding an H.264 Encoder to a Job Profile

Procedure

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Step 1 From the main menu, click File and New Job Profile or Open Job Profile.

Step 2 From the main menu, click Encoder > Add H.264 Encode. An H.264 tab is added to the job.

Step 3 Set Video, Bit Rate Control, Audio, Audio2, and Multiplexing settings. See also: Understanding H.264 Encoder Settings.

Step 4 Click File > Save Job Profile to save changes.

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MP3 Encoder

This section includes the following topics:

•Introduction to the MP3 Encoder

•Understanding MP3 Encoder Settings

•Adding an MP3 Encoder to a Job Profile

Introduction to the MP3 Encoder

The MP3 encoder produces audio-only MP3 files.

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Note Because MP3 players do not accommodate the standard video metadata used by the Cisco MXE 3000, any metadata entered during job submission will be stored in the database but will not be included in output files.

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Find a description of the settings available on the MP3 encoder tab, shown in Figure 6-14, in Understanding MP3 Encoder Settings.

Figure 6-14 MP3 Encoder Tab

Understanding MP3 Encoder Settings

This section includes the following topics:

•Audio

Audio

Figure 6-15 shows the Audio section.

Figure 6-15 MP3 Encoder: Audio Section

Table 6-9 describes the settings.

Table 6-9 MP3 Encoder: Audio Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Private	Turns the MP3 Private bit on or off. The Private bit can be used when the clip is played to trigger application-specific events.
Copyright	Indicates whether the encoded clip is copyright protected.
Original	Indicates whether the encoded file is the original or a copy.
Target	A drop-down list displays valid combinations of bit rate and sample rate. Bit rates range from 20 kbps to 320 kbps, and sample rates are 11.025, 22.050, and 44.100 kHz.
Channels	Determines the number of audio channels in the output audio stream. •Mono: Audio in the output file will be streamed as a single channel. •Stereo: Audio in the output file will be streamed in stereo.
Quality	Controls the trade-off between seed and compression quality of the encoded output. The Quality selected affects both the speed of encoding and output file size as follows: •Low: Encoding is done as quickly as possible with less emphasis on the quality of the encode. •Medium: Equal emphasis is given to speed and quality during encoding. •High: Emphasis is given to the quality of the encode with less emphasis on speed.

Adding an MP3 Encoder to a Job Profile

Procedure

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Step 1 From the main menu, click File and New Job Profile or Open Job Profile.

Step 2 From the main menu, click Encoder > Add MP3 Encode. An MP3 tab is added to the job.

Step 3 Set Audio settings. See also: Understanding MP3 Encoder Settings.

Step 4 Click File > Save Job Profile to save changes.

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MPEG Encoder

This section includes the following topics:

•Introduction to the MPEG Encoder

•Understanding MPEG Encoder Settings

•Adding an MPEG Encoder to a Job Profile

Introduction to the MPEG Encoder

Find a description of the settings available on the MPEG encoder tab, shown in Figure 6-16, in Understanding MPEG Encoder Settings.

Figure 6-16 MPEG Encoder Tab

Understanding MPEG Encoder Settings

The MPEG encoder tab contains settings on four subtabs:

•Video

•Audio

•GOP Properties Subtab

•Multiplexing

Video

The Video subtab allows you to adjust the following settings:

•Video Section of Video Subtab

•Variable Bit Rate Control Section of Video Subtab

•Optimization Section of Video Subtab

Video Section of Video Subtab

Figure 6-17 shows the Video section.

Figure 6-17 MPEG Encoder: Video Subtab

Table 6-10 describes the settings.

Table 6-10 MPEG Encoder: Video Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Type	Identifies the type of MPEG video being created by the encoder. Settings in the MPEG tab will vary depending on the Type selected. •MPEG-1: Designed for data rates between 192 kbps and 104.857 Mbps. Used primarily for PC multimedia applications. •Video-CD: A standard digital format for storing video on a compact disc. •MPEG-2: MPEG-2 is designed for data rates of between 192 kbps and 300 mbps. Used primarily for digital broadcast satellite and digital television. Supports interlaced video, and larger frame sizes and bit rates than MPEG-1. •Super Video-CD: Super Video CD is a format used for storing video on standard compact discs. SVCD was intended as a successor to Video CD and an alternative to DVD Video and falls somewhere between both in terms of technical capability and picture quality. •DVD: DVD video is a consumer video format used to store digital video on DVD (DVD-ROM) discs.
Field Mode	Specifies the field mode of the input source. Values are: progressive and interlaced. For MPEG-1, Video-CD, and Super Video-CD types, the input must be progressive.
Chroma Format	Specifies the resolution of the chrominance data. Valid values are 4:2:0 and 4:2:2. 4:2:2 is valid only for MPEG-2 4:2:2 profile.
Output Format	Specifies whether to encode in NTSC or PAL format.
Resolution	Specifies the size of the encoded frames. The available pre-configured choices are different for MPEG-1 and MPEG-2. The size is fixed for Video-CD, Super Video-CD, and DVD. For MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, the custom resolution allows an individual height and/or width to be entered.
Width	Specifies the width in pixels of the output file created by the encode. Values are 80 to 1920 pixels.
Height	Specifies the height in pixels of the output file created by the encoder. Values are 60 to 1088 pixels.
Encode Mode	•CBR: Constant Bit Rate encoding, where the same bit rate is maintained throughout the encode. •VBR: Variable Bit Rate encoding, where the bit rate is varied during the encode, depending on the complexity and output requirements. •VBR-Quality: Variable Bit Rate encoding, where the quality is maintained within bit rate boundaries during the encode, depending on input complexity and output format requirements.
Bit Rate	Sets the transmission rate for video as a portion of the encoded output stream. Values are 192.0 to 100000.0 kbps for 4:2:0 chroma format and 192.0 to 300000.0 kbps for 4:2:2 chroma format. Note When Variable Bit Rate is selected, this value is not used.
Frame Rate	Determines the frame rate of the encoded output. •23.976: 29.97 NTSC with 3:2 pull-down (inverse telecine) applied. •24.00: Film-based source footage or 30 FPS NTSC with 3:2 pull-down (inverse telecine) applied. •25.00: PAL video source footage. •29.97: NTSC video source footage. •30.00: NTSC drop-frame video source footage. •50.00: Double frame rate/progressive PAL video source footage. •59.97: Double frame rate NTSC video source footage. •60.00: Double frame rate NTSC drop-frame video source footage.
Quality	Defines the size of the search area for MPEG motion prediction. A higher value will result in better quality video but will increase the encode time. Values are 0 to 20, with 3 as the default.
Pixel Aspect	Selects the pixel aspect ratio. Aspect Ratio here refers to the ratio of the width to the height of the area represented by a pixel. Pixel Aspect Ratio settings defined for MPEG-1 are given as floating point numbers: 1.0 (square), 0.06735 (default 3:4), 0.7031 (9:16 625 line), 0.7615, 0.8055, 0.8473 (9:16 525-line), 0.8935, 0.9157 (BT.601 625-line), 0.9815, 1.0255, 1.0950 (BT.601 525-line), 1.1575, and 1.2015. Pixel Aspect Ratio settings defined for MPEG-2 are written as ratios: •1:1: Square •3:4: Default •9:16: Anamorphic (wide-screen) •1:2.21: Widescreen film
Profile & Level	Specifies a subset of the MPEG-2 syntax required for decoding the stream as well as coded parameter constraints, such as bit rate, sample rate, frame rate, etc. Supported combinations are: •simple profile - main level, •main profile - low level, •main profile - main level, •main profile - high level, •high profile - high level, •4:2:2 profile - main level, or •4:2:2 profile - high level
VBV Buffer Size	Specifies the size of the virtual buffer verifier (VBV) in 2048 byte units. If 0 is input then the VBV buffer size will be calculated by the encoder. This value is different for MPEG-1 and MPEG-2. For MPEG-2, the maximum value is determined by the profile/level combination. Unless a particular size is required, this parameter should be set to 0 to allow the encoder to choose the size.

Variable Bit Rate Control Section of Video Subtab

Figure 6-18 shows the Variable Bit Rate Control section.

Figure 6-18 MPEG Encoder: Variable Bit Rate Control Section

Table 6-11 describes the settings.

Table 6-11 MPEG Encoder: Variable Bit Rate Control Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Average bit rate	Specifies the average bit rate to maintain. Values are 192.0 to 300000.0 kbps depending on the profile/level combination. Note The Average Bit Rate value must always be less than the Maximum Bit Rate value.
Quantization Scale	Specifies the desired image quality for VBR encoding. The bit rate will be made as large as necessary to achieve the desired quality. Values are 1 to 31, but reasonable approximate values are as follows: •2-3: Very good picture quality, very high bit rate. •4-5: Good picture quality, high bit rate. •6-7: Medium picture quality, medium bit rate. •8-9: Low picture quality, low bit rate.
Minimum average bit rate	Specifies the lower limit for the average bit rate maintained to achieve a desired quantization value. Values are 192.0 to 300000.0 kbps depending on the profile/level combination. Note The Minimum Average Bit Rate value must always be less than the Maximum Average Bit Rate value.
Maximum average bit rate	Specifies the upper limit for the average bit rate maintained to achieve a desired quantization value. Values are 192.0 to 300000.0 kbps depending on the profile/level combination.

Optimization Section of Video Subtab

Figure 6-19 shows the Optimization section.

Figure 6-19 MPEG Encoder: Optimization Section

Table 6-12 describes the settings.

Table 6-12 MPEG Encoder: Optimization Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Mode	Indicates whether to maintain quality at the expense of speed or speed at the expense of quality. Values are speed or quality.
Level	•If quality, the desired quality, 0 - 31 (highest quality). •If speed, the available CPU performance, 0 - 31 (highest performance).

Audio

Figure 6-20 shows the Audio tab.

Figure 6-20 MPEG Encoder: Audio Tab

Table 6-13 describes the settings.

Table 6-13 MPEG Encoder: Audio Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Type	Determines the type of audio processing to perform. •Layer 1: MPEG Audio Layer 1 (ISO/IEC 11172-3). •Layer 2: MPEG Audio Layer 2 (ISO/IEC 13818-3). The standard audio format for MPEG files; various bit rates can be used. The audio stream will be multiplexed with the video stream. •PCM: An uncompressed format that is typically used by many MPEG-2 authoring products for DVDs. The format of the output is not a separate WAV file but is meant to be multiplexed with video into a DVD output. •WAV: Uncompressed audio in the pulse-coded modulation (PCM) format. PCM audio is the standard audio file format for CDs, containing two channels of audio sampled at 44,100 samples per second, 16 bits per sample. •AC3: High quality AC3 audio suitable for DVD authoring or multiplexing with MPEG video for transport stream generation.
Channels	Determines the number of audio channels in the output audio stream. •Mono: Audio in the output file will be streamed as a single channel. •Stereo: Audio in the output file will be streamed in stereo.
Bit Rate	Indicates the bit rate for the audio stream. Valid choices are: 32-640 kbps. (Depending on the type selected, some values may not be available.) Increasing the bit rate will yield better sound quality and will result in larger files. If the total bit rate is limited and you increase the bit rate, less of the total bit rate is available for video.
Sample Rate	Indicates the sample rate that the audio compression algorithms will use for compressing the data. Values are 32000, 44100, and 48000 kHz (depending on the type selected, some values may not be available).
Psychoacoustic Model	Specifies the MPEG psychoacoustic model in the MPEG-1 audio specification that is used for encoding. It optimizes audio at lower bit rates by tuning it to human hearing. It is not recommended for high bit rate applications. •1: Use calculations from Model 1. These calculations are simpler than those performed when Model 2 is selected. Processing time for these calculations is faster, but results in more compromises in the optimization. •2: Use calculations from Model 2. These calculations are more complex that those performed when Model 1 is selected. Processing time for these calculations is slower. This is the default setting.
Emphasis	Defines any emphasis that has been applied to the audio before encoding. The encoder does not modify the input samples before encoding them. This field is just a flag to the decoder to indicate that some emphasis was applied to the original source audio. •0: No emphasis. This is the default setting. •1: 50/15 msec emphasis. •2: Reserved •3: CCITT J.17
Private Bit	A spare, user-defined bit in the audio headers. For DVD format, set to 0.
CRC-Protection	Check this box to enable CRC-Protection, which specifies that a CRC is embedded in each audio frame. Both SVCD and DVD formats specify that CRC-Protection will be enabled.
Mute	Check this box to enable the mute state the decoder should use when the audio samples are zero. This is only a flag for the decoder, it does not affect encoding.

When selecting Audio Type AC3, the settings shown in Figure 6-20 display.

Figure 6-21 MPEG Encoder: Audio Tab AC3 Settings

Table 6-14 describes the settings.

Table 6-14 MPEG Encoder: Audio Tab AC3 Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Dynamic Compression	Compression profile presets that can be specified depending on the nature of the program material being encoded. •none: Completely shuts off the compression on playback •film-standard: For most movies •film-light: Less compression, more dynamic range •music-standard: For most music-only input •music-light: For music material, less compression •speech: For most dialog-only input
Bit Stream Mode	Indicates the type of audio service that the bit stream conveys. •complete-main: The normal mode of operation. Contains a complete audio program including dialog, music, and effects. •music-and-effect: This mode contains the music and effects for an audio program but not the dialog. •visually-impaired: This mode contains a narrative description of the visual program content. •hearing-impaired: This mode contains only dialog and is intended for use by those whose hearing impairments make it difficult to understand the dialog in the presence of music and sound effects. The dialog can be processed for increased intelligibility by the hearing impaired. •dialog: This mode is employed to most efficiently offer multichannel audio in several languages simultaneously when the program material is such that the restrictions of a single dialog channel can be tolerated. •commentary: This mode conveys primary program dialog. •emergency: This mode is intended to allow the insertion of emergency announcements. The normal audio services do not necessarily have to be replaced to present the emergency message. •voice-over-karaoke: This mode is intended for reproduction along with the complete-main mode.
Dialog Normalization	This setting allows the Dolby decoder to keep speech levels at a nearly consistent level between different sources. It is important to set this level correctly when you encode. For instance, if the speech in the material averages -17 dBa, then the Dialog Normalization number would be -17. Values are -1 to -31.
Lowpass Filter	The Channel Bandwidth Lowpass Filter is used to roll off the high frequency content in the input signal at a frequency just below that specified by the Dolby Digital audio bandwidth boundary. Using this filter ensures that the audio signal is completely contained within the Dolby Digital audio bandwidth. By providing a smooth transition at the upper bandwidth edge, this filter helps to minimize artifacts that may arise if the input signal contains significant high-frequency energy. In general, this filter should be enabled unless the encoding engineer is confident that the input signal does not contain appreciable high-frequency energy above the Dolby Digital audio bandwidth
DC Filter	This filter is used to block DC from being Dolby Digital encoded. This is important, as a DC offset requires some amount of data rate to encode even though it is not audible, thereby wasting bits. Another benefit of using this filter is that the meter values do not get stuck at the DC offset level during very quiet passages (DC offset can easily be greater than -60 dBFS). The DC Highpass Filter should always be enabled unless the encoding engineer is absolutely sure that there is no DC in the input audio.
De-Emphasis	This filter is used to de-emphasize any 50/15 µs pre-emphasized linear PCM signals that may be presented to the inputs of the Dolby Digital encoder. Pre-emphasis is a technique that was once commonly used to reduce the harshness of A/D and D/A converters.
Pre-Emphasis Filter	This filter is used in the overload protection algorithm to prevent RF overmodulation in set-top box decoders.
Dolby Surround	This mode indicates whether or not a two-channel Dolby Digital bitstream is conveying a Dolby Surround encoded program. This information is not used by the Dolby Digital decoding algorithm, but can be used by other portions of the audio reproduction equipment, such as a Dolby Surround Pro Logic decoder.
Audio Production Section
Mixing Level	This information indicates the absolute Sound Pressure Level (SPL) of the audio program as heard by the original mixing engineer. This information makes it possible to replay the program at exactly the same loudness, or at a known difference in loudness. This level is used by the decoder during playback.
Room Type	This information indicates the type and calibration of the mixing room used for the final audio mixing session. The Room Type value is not normally used within the Dolby Digital decoder but can be used by other elements in the audio system. •not-indicated •large-room •small-room
Extended Bit Stream Section
Dolby Surround Ex-Mode	Indicates if the input material is EX-encoded.
HDCD	Indicates if the input material is HDCD-encoded.

GOP Properties Subtab

The GOP (Group of Pictures) is central to MPEG encoding. A GOP is defined as an encoded keyframe (I-frame) and all of its delta frames (P- and B-frames).

Figure 6-22 shows the GOP Properties subtab.

Figure 6-22 MPEG Encoder: GOP Properties Subtab

Table 6-15 describes the settings.

Table 6-15 MPEG Encoder: GOP Properties Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
P-Frames	P-frames are forward predictive delta frames. Increasing the number of P-frames increases the time between keyframes, and will result in smaller output files. Set P-frame values between 0 and 4. The default value is 3.
B-Frames	B-frames are bi-directional predictive delta frames, and are the smallest type of frame. Increasing the number of B-frames decreases file size and can help to reduce noise in the image. Set B-frame values between 0 and 4. The default value is 3.
Closed GOP Count	Indicates the number of closed GOPs per second. Increasing the frequency will yield better quality for high-motion footage and an improved search capability in the output clip, but the output file will be larger. Decreasing the frequency will result in a smaller output file. Valid choices are: •Only first GOP closed. •All GOPs closed. •One out of every 2 GOPs closed. •One out of every 3 GOPs closed. •One out of every 4 GOPs closed. •One out of every 5 GOPs closed. •One out of every 6 GOPs closed. •One out of every 7 GOPs closed. •One out of every 8 GOPs closed. •One out of every 9 GOPs closed. Note A closed GOP is a group of pictures that begins with an I frame (or keyframe). An Open GOP begins with a B-frame. Open GOPs require information from the previous GOP to be properly decoded, and therefore cannot be used as edit points in the output clip.
Sequence Header Count	Defines the frequency of sequence header placement relative to GOPs. Sequence Headers include information required to decode the clip, such as buffer size, frame size, aspect ratio, frame rate, and bit rate. Sequence headers should occur more frequently for footage that will be edited or will be broadcast in order to allow access at any point in the video. Video encoded for DVD can have a sequence header only at the beginning. Valid choices are: •Put sequence header before every GOP. •Put sequence header before one out of every 2 GOPs. •Put sequence header before one out of every 3 GOPs. •Put sequence header before one out of every 4 GOPs. •Put sequence header before one out of every 5 GOPs. •Put sequence header before one out of every 6 GOPs. •Put sequence header before one out of every 7 GOPs. •Put sequence header before one out of every 8 GOPs. •Put sequence header before one out of every 9 GOPs.

Multiplexing

Figure 6-23 shows the Multiplexing tab.

Figure 6-23 MPEG Encoder: Multiplexing Tab

Table 6-16 describes the settings.

Table 6-16 MPEG Encoder: Multiplexing Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Stream	Specifies what type of multiplexing is performed. •None: No multiplexing is performed. This is suitable for DVD authoring systems that require separate video and audio files. •System Stream: This option is only available for MPEG-1 encoding. •Program Stream: This is suitable for standard MPEG usage and only works with Layer 1 or Layer 2 audio. •Transport Stream: This is suitable for cable transmission and other applications that require transport streams and only works with Layer1, Layer 2, or AC3 audio. •Video-CD: Constrained multiplexing that satisfies the requirements for Video-CD production. This option is only available for Video-CD or MPEG-1 encoding. •Super Video-CD: Constrained multiplexing that satisfies the requirements for Super Video-CD production. This option is only available for MPEG-2 or Super Video-CD encoding. •DVD: Constrained multiplexing that satisfies the requirements for Super Video-CD production. This option is only available for MPEG-2 or DVD encoding.
Config File	Specifies the Manzanita configuration file to use for transport stream multiplexing. This option is only available if the transport stream multiplexing type is selected.

Adding an MPEG Encoder to a Job Profile

Procedure

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Step 1 From the main menu, click File and New Job Profile or Open Job Profile.

Step 2 From the main menu, click Encoder > Add MPEG Encode. An MPEG tab is added to the job.

Step 3 Set Video, Variable Bit Rate Control, and Optimization settings. See also: Understanding MPEG Encoder Settings.

Step 4 Click File > Save Job Profile to save changes.

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QuickTime Encoder

This section includes the following topics:

•Introduction to the QuickTime Encoder

•Understanding QuickTime Encoder Settings

•Adding a QuickTime Encoder to a Job Profile

Introduction to the QuickTime Encoder

The QuickTime encoder can be used to produce files for streaming or for progressive download. You may add multiple QuickTime tabs to a single Job Profile.

Find a description of the settings available on the QuickTime encoder tab, shown in Figure 6-24, in Understanding QuickTime Encoder Settings.

Figure 6-24 QuickTime Encoder Tab

Understanding QuickTime Encoder Settings

The QuickTime encoder tab allows you to adjust the following settings:

•Base Properties

•Timecodes

•QuickTime Format Type

•Video

•Audio

•Target Settings (QuickTime Movie Format)

•Target Settings (Other Formats)

Base Properties

Figure 6-25 shows the Base Properties tab.

Figure 6-25

QuickTime Encoder: Base Properties Tab

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Note Recordable and Auto Play can be chosen only when progressive download is checked.

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Table 6-17 describes the settings.

Table 6-17 QuickTime Encoder: Base Properties Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Recordable	•Checked: Allows streamed output files to be saved to disk. •Unchecked: Prevents a copy of the file from being saved. Unchecked is the default state.
Auto Play	•Checked: The clip will begin to play automatically once the file is accessed. •Unchecked: The end user will be required to click the Play button in the QuickTime Player for the clip to begin.
Progressive Download	Determines whether files will be encoded for streaming or for progressive download. Progressive download is a method of delivering audio and video. It uses the standard HTTP protocol to create a stream-like experience for the end user by downloading the file to the local drive and playing the file back as it downloads. Progressive download files do not require a streaming server. •Checked: The clip will be encoded for progressive download. •Unchecked: The clip will be encoded for RTSP streaming. Note If Progressive Download is checked, no hinting information will be added to the file. If it is unchecked, hinting information will be added that allows streaming but slightly increases the size of the encoded file.
Timecode Burn In	See also: Timecodes.

Timecodes

There are two kinds of QuickTime timecode tracks: one that is displayed at the bottom of the active video region in the QuickTime 7 Pro player (Burned-In) and regular timecode information that is not displayed.

The selections for inserting Burned-In and regular timecode information during a QuickTime encode are controlled through the Timecode Burn In checkbox on the QuickTime tab and the Timecode option on the right-click menu of the QuickTime encoder tab.

Use the two settings as described in Table 6-18.

Table 6-18 QuickTime Encoder: Timecodes 

Timecode Burn In checkbox	Timecode right-click menu item	Encoded State	Timecode is displayed	Timecode is displayable
Checked	Checked	Enabled	Yes	Yes
Checked	Unchecked	Disabled	No	Yes
Unchecked	Checked	Disabled	No	No
Unchecked	Unchecked	N/A	N/A	N/A

QuickTime Format Type

Figure 6-26 shows the Quick Time Format Type section.

Figure 6-26 QuickTime Encoder: Format Type

Table 6-19 describes the settings.

Table 6-19 QuickTime Encoder: Format Types and Descriptions 

Format Type	Description
Optimized Formats	Uses the integrated QuickTime capabilities. This selection will typically encode faster, but does not make every format available.
QuickTime Movie Format	This selection allows access to any QuickTime plug-in installed on your Cisco MXE 3000, generating files with a .mov extension. This selection allows access to any QuickTime format available on the machine, but typically encodes slower than in Optimized Format. Note A description of the target settings associated with this format are shown in Table 6-20.
Other Formats	This selection allows access to any QuickTime export plug-in installed on your Cisco MXE 3000, generating files with an extension other than .mov. This selection allows access to any QuickTime export format available on the machine, but typically encodes slower than in Optimized Format mode. Note A description of the target settings associated with this format are shown in Table 6-20.

Video

Figure 6-27 shows the Video section.

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Note This section displays only if you chose Optimized Formats from the Quicktime Format Type drop-down list described in Table 6-19.

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Figure 6-27 QuickTime Encoder: Video

Table 6-20 describes the settings.

Table 6-20 QuickTime Encoder: Video Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Codec	Determines the video codec used for encoding. Changing the codec in the drop-down list changes options available in the Video section so that only options used with the selected codec are shown. •Sorenson 2 Pro: Uses Sorenson 2 video codec. •Sorenson 3 Pro: Sorenson 3 is newer and encodes faster with higher quality output than Sorenson 2. It is preferred unless end users require Sorenson 2. •H.263: Used prior to Sorenson 3 for speed advantages over Sorenson 2, though output quality may not be as high. •Cinepak: This is an early inter-frame compression codec and the quality level is very low. •Animation: An animation-specific codec. •None: An uncompressed audio format. •Motion JPEG-A: Uses the Apple Motion JPEG-A codec. This is an intra-frame only compression format in which each frame is compressed using the JPEG format. This codec generates 2-field interlaced video. •Motion JPEG-B: Uses the Apple Motion JPEG-B codec. This is an intra-frame only compression format in which each frame is compressed using the JPEG format. This codec generates two-field interlaced video. •DV-NTSC: This generates QuickTime DV video in NTSC format and should also handle interlaced material. •DV-PAL: This generates QuickTime DV video in PAL format and should also handle interlaced material.
Width	Specifies the width in pixels of the encoded output file. Valid values are between 80 and 2000 pixels.
Height	Specifies the height in pixels of the output file created by the encode. Valid values are between 60 and 1300 pixels. This is a required field if the QuickTime Encoder section has been enabled.
Present At	Refers to Presentation Height and Width, which is the scale of the height and width of the video image in the QuickTime player during playback. This setting affects the player image size used during playback, not the size of the encoded video. In the drop-down list, the scale is expressed as percentages and reflect the width and height previously set. Custom allows the user to set the playback image size in the fields to the right.
Target Bit Rate	Sets the transmission rate for video as a portion of the Target value for the encoded output stream. Values are 4.0 to 10,000 kilobits per second. The bit rate for video in the Video Properties section and the bit rate for the audio in the Audio Properties section combined should not exceed the appropriate total bit rate for the selected target.
Target Frame Rate	Defines the desired number of frames per second. Min. Quality and Enable Frame Dropping values can result in less than the desired number of frames per second.
Enable Min. Quality	Forces video codec to maintain picture quality above the level specified using the Min. Quality slider. The QuickTime encoder will force the level of quality by either increasing the bit rate or dropping frames, if the setting is enabled. The higher the setting, the better the image in each frame.
Min. Quality	Sets the minimum picture quality level acceptable for encoding, with a range of 0 to 100. Drag right to increase the minimum quality of the image or left to decrease.
Enable Frame Dropping	Specifies whether Min. Quality settings can be enforced by dropping frames from the source video as it is encoded. •Checked: Minimum picture quality will be maintained by dropping frames from the source footage as it is encoded. This is the default and recommended value. •Unchecked: Minimum picture quality will be maintained by increasing the bit rate. Note It is strongly recommended that Enable Frame Dropping is checked whenever Enable Min. Quality is checked.
Automatic Keyframes	Determines whether or not keyframes will be created automatically based on detected scene changes. Enabling keyframe creation for changes of scene can increase the quality of the encoded output, but can also increase file size.
Max. Keyframe Spacing	Defines the maximum number of frames allowed between keyframes. If the specified number of frames passes without a keyframe detected, a new keyframe will be created. Added keyframes will be in addition to natural keyframes, and may not be added if natural keyframes occur at sufficient frequency. Setting this value to 0 will allow natural keyframes, but will not add any additional keyframes.
Keyframe Sensitivity	Adjusts the sensitivity to scene changes that require a new keyframe, making the creation of keyframes more or less likely based on scene change. Values are 0 to 100, with a default value of 50. Setting Keyframe Sensitivity to 0 is not recommended because it may disable the normal creation of keyframes, resulting in poor quality video. Only available in Sorenson 2 Pro and Sorenson 3 Pro.
Keyframe Size	Identifies at what size a keyframe will be created as a percentage of normal. Values are 0% to 100% with 100% as the default. Setting keyframe size to 100% allows the encoder to select the appropriate size for keyframes. Any percentage below 100 is calculated from the value selected by the encoder. Only Available in Sorenson 2 Pro.
Bidirectional Prediction	Allows the encoder to use information from both the frame that precedes and the frame that follows to render the image. Only available for Sorenson 3 Pro.
Cycle Macro Blocks	Forces unchanged portions of the image to be updated periodically. Only available for H.263.
Encoder Speed	Controls the mode of the Sorenson codec that increases encoding speed at the expense of quality. •Fast: Encoding will be performed faster with lower quality compression. •Slow: Encoding will be performed more slowly with higher quality compression.
Image Smoothing	Controls the use of the Sorenson decoder image de-blocking function, which reduces low bit rate artifacts. •Checked: Image de-blocking will be used. •Unchecked: Image de-blocking will not be used. Recommended for high bit rate encodes. Only Available with Sorenson 2 Pro and Sorenson 3 Pro.
Force Block Refresh	Defines minimum frequency for the compression block to refresh completely. This adds error-checking to the encoded stream to help recovery during high packet loss situations. Values are 0 to 50 seconds. Only Available with Sorenson 2 Pro and Sorenson 3 Pro.
Data Rate Tracking	Determines the level of variance from the defined bit rate for the encoded clip. Tracking the data rate tightly may result in packet loss or rebuffering during playback if network conditions vary. Values are 0 to 100 with 17 as the default. Only available with Sorenson 2 Pro.

Audio

Figure 6-28 shows the Audio section.

Figure 6-28 QuickTime Encoder: Audio

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Note This section displays only if you chose Optimized Formats from the Quicktime Format Type drop-down described in Table 6-19.

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Table 6-21 describes the settings.

Table 6-21 QuickTime Encoder: Audio Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Codec	Determines which audio codec will be used. Changing the codec in the drop-down list changes options available in the Audio Section so that only options used with the selected codec are shown. •QDesign 2 Pro: Recommended for encoding music or material with any amount of music. •Qualcomm: Recommended for encoding voice-only audio. •IMA4:1: Can be used for any type of audio, though results in large output files. •Uncompressed: An uncompressed audio format.
Encoder Speed	Controls the mode of the QDesign 2 Pro codec that increases encoding speed at the expense of quality. •Fast: Encoding will be performed faster with lower quality compression. •Slow: Encoding will be performed more slowly with higher quality compression. Only available for QDesign 2 Pro.
Bit Rate	Sets the transmission rate for audio and a portion of the Target value for the encoded output stream. Values are 4 to 10,000 kilobits per second. The bit rate for audio in the Audio Properties section and the bit rate for the video in the Video Properties section combined should not exceed the appropriate total bit rate for the selected target. Only available for QDesign 2 Pro.
Sample Rate	Indicates the sample rate the audio compression algorithm uses for compression. Values of are 4, 6, 8, 11.025, 16, 22.050, 24, 32, and 44.100 kHz. Only available for QDesign 2 Pro and Qualcomm Purevoice.
Channels	Determines the number of audio channels in the output audio stream. •Mono: Audio in the output file will be streamed as a single channel. •Stereo: Audio in the output file will be streamed in stereo. Only available for QDesign 2 Pro and IMA4:1.
Attack	Controls the transient response of the codec. Values range from 0 to 100. Increasing the Attack value causes the codec to respond more quickly to changes in signal energy, like those found in percussive sounds, but may reduce the quality of longer, more tonal sounds. Reducing the Attack value causes the codec to focus on long, smooth tones like those found in horns or piano, but may cause less crisp percussive sounds. The default value of 50 is neutral. Only available for the QDesign Codec.
Spread	Characterizes the tonal quality of the audio, from tonal to noise-like. Reducing the Spread setting results in clearer but sometimes metallic audio. Increasing the Spread setting results in warmer but noisier audio. Valid values range from 0 to 100. The default value of 50 is neutral. Only available for the QDesign Codec.
Rate	Sets bit rates per frequency. •Full: Produces the best sounding audio. •Half: Produces a smaller file, but may reduce quality. Only available for the Qualcomm Codec.
Optimize for Streaming	Optimizes the audio output for streaming or progressive download. •Checked: Optimizes audio portion of output file for streaming. •Unchecked: Optimizes audio portion of output file for progressive download. Only available for the Qualcomm Codec.

Target Settings (QuickTime Movie Format)

The Target Settings section, shown in Figure 6-29, provides access to parameters for QuickTime Plugin formats that generate .mov output files. This section is displayed only when the QuickTime Movie Format type is selected.

Figure 6-29 QuickTime Encoder: Movie Format Target Settings

Table 6-22 describes the settings.

Table 6-22 QuickTime Encoder: Movie Format Target Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Master Stream	Depending on the clip length and the encoding parameters, up to two white frames may appear at the end of a clip. This happens if the encoded audio stream is longer than video. The Master Stream setting overcomes this limitation. Choices are: None (default), Video, and Audio. When Video is selected, the audio duration will be padded or truncated to match the video and vise-versa.
Settings Button	Displays the pop-up for selecting the output format and specifying video and audio parameters for the selected format.
Width	Specifies the width in pixels of the encoded output file. The value is set automatically if the width is set using the Settings button.
Target Frame Rate	Specifies the frame rate of the encoded output file. The value is set automatically if the frame rate is set using the Settings button.
Height	Specifies the height in pixels of the encoded output file. The value is set automatically if the height is set using the Settings button.
Field Mode	Defines whether the video images will be interlaced or progressive. •Progressive: Each frame is presented sequentially. •Interlaced: Upper/Top Field First: Images are made up of fields that scan alternate lines. Two fields are required to build a frame. Upper or top fields will be first in the sequence. •Interlaced: Lower/Bottom Field First: Images are made up of fields that scan alternate lines. Two fields are required to build a frame. Bottom or lower fields will be first in the sequence.

Target Settings (Other Formats)

The Target Settings section for Other Formats, shown in Figure 6-30, provides access to parameters for QuickTime Export Plugin formats that generate output files with formats and extensions other than .mov. This section is only displayed when the Other Formats type is selected.

Figure 6-30 QuickTime Encoder: Other Formats Target Settings

Table 6-23 describes the settings.

Table 6-23 QuickTime Encoder: Other Formats Target Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Master Stream	Depending on the clip length and the encoding parameters, up to two white frames may appear at the end of a clip. This happens if the encoded audio stream is longer than video. The Master Stream setting overcomes this limitation. Choices are: None (default), Video, and Audio. When Video is selected, the audio duration will be padded or truncated to match the video and vise-versa.
Format	Determines the specific format to be encoded.
Settings Button	Displays the pop-up for specifying video and audio parameters for the selected format.
Width	Specifies the width in pixels of the encoded output file. The value is set automatically if the width is set using the Settings button.
Height	Specifies the height in pixels of the encoded output file. The value is set automatically if the height is set using the Settings button.
Target Frame Rate	Specifies the frame rate of the encoded output file. The value is set automatically if the frame rate is set using the Settings button.
File Extension	Specifies the file extension to be used for the encoded output file. Most format selections will prepopulate this box with a default extension value.
Field Mode	Defines whether the video images will be interlaced or progressive. •Progressive: Each frame is presented sequentially. •Interlaced: Upper/Top Field First: Images are made up of fields that scan alternate lines. Two fields are required to build a frame. Upper or top fields will be first in the sequence. •Interlaced: Lower/Bottom Field First: Images are made up of fields that scan alternate lines. Two fields are required to build a frame. Bottom or lower fields will be first in the sequence.

Adding a QuickTime Encoder to a Job Profile

Procedure

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Step 1 From the main menu, click File and New Job Profile or Open Job Profile.

Step 2 From the main menu, click Encoder > Add QuickTime Encode. A QT tab is added to the job.

Step 3 Set base, Format Type, Video, and Audio settings. See also: Understanding QuickTime Encoder Settings.

Step 4 Click File > Save Job Profile to save changes.

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Real Encoder

This section includes the following topics:

•Introduction to the Real Encoder

•Understanding Real Encoder Settings

•Adding a Real Encoder to a Job Profile

Introduction to the Real Encoder

Find a description of the settings available on the Real encoder tab, shown in Figure 6-31, in Understanding Real Encoder Settings.

Figure 6-31 Real Encoder Tab

Understanding Real Encoder Settings

The Real encoder tab allows you to adjust the following settings:

•Base Properties

•Network Properties

•Encoder Properties

•Subtabs

•Video

•Audio

Base Properties

Figure 6-32 shows the Base Properties section.

Figure 6-32 Real Encoder: Base Properties

Table 6-24 describes the settings.

Table 6-24 Real Encoder: Base Properties Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
SureStream	Determines whether the encoded output will be encapsulated using SureStream. This allows multiple bit rates to be encoded into the same file, rather than having a different file created for each bit rate selected.
Downloadable	Determines whether end users will have the ability to download a copy of the file for local playback. By default, this box is not checked, meaning copy protection is enabled.
Recordable	Determines whether end users will be able to record a copy of the encoded file. By default, this box is not checked, meaning copy protection is enabled.
Indexed by search engines	This option is no longer supported by the Cisco MXE 3000.

Network Properties

Figure 6-33 shows the Network Properties section.

Figure 6-33 Real Encoder: Network Properties

Table 6-25 describes the settings.

Table 6-25 Real Encoder: Network Properties Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Loss Protection	Protects against packet loss by adding error correction packets to the broadcast stream. If packets are lost, then the Helix server may be able to reconstruct the lost packets using the error correction packets. Error correction packets are supported only for broadcast streams that use the UDP transport protocol. This setting is ignored for broadcast streams that use the TCP transport protocol. Loss protection increases the bandwidth only to the stream Helix server. It does not affect the bandwidth of the broadcast streams delivered to the player by the Helix server. Loss protection is most useful when sending a broadcast stream over a lossy network such as the Internet. On the same local area network, loss protection may not be needed.
Prefer Audio Over Video	This option is not supported by the Cisco MXE 3000.
Real-Time Events	Determines whether to include the real-time events stream in the encoded output. Default is Unchecked.

Encoder Properties

Figure 6-34 shows the Encoder Properties section.

Figure 6-34 Real Encoder: Encoder Properties

Table 6-26 describes the settings.

Table 6-26 Real Encoder: Encoder Properties Settings, Descriptions, and Values 

Setting	Description and Value
Width	Width of finished output defined in pixels. Default is 320.
Height	Height of finished output defined in pixels. Default is 240.
Encode Mode	•CBR: Constant bit rate (CBR) encoding is the more traditional method of encoding streaming video. It maintains a consistent bit rate for the stream. CBR encoding should be used when streaming at bandwidths below 350 Kbps and when encoding multiple streams into the same clip or broadcast (SureStream). •VBR Bitrate: Unlike CBR encoding, variable bit rate (VBR) encoding does not maintain a constant streaming rate. Instead, it has a target average bit rate and a maximum bit rate. VBR encoding generally provides video quality superior to CBR encoding. It gives more bandwidth to scenes that are hard to compress, making the most visible difference in videos that have fast-moving, high-action scenes. VBR is not compatible with SureStream technology. Therefore, only a single stream can be encoded. VBR encoding is suited for bandwidths of 350 Kbps or higher. •VBR Quality: Specifies that the encoder should maintain a specified quality level within the constraints of the maximum target bit rate. The target bit rate setting is ignored (the target bit rate and quality settings are mutually exclusive). This setting is also not compatible with SureStream technology. •VBR Unconstrained Bitrate: Specifies that the encoder should maintain a specified quality level with no constraints of the maximum target bit rate. This setting is also not compatible with SureStream technology.
Encode Passes	•With two-pass encoding, the encoder processes the entire source once to gather information about how best to encode the source file. Then a second pass is made through the source file to encode the streams. Two-pass encoding can substantially increase encode quality, but requires more encoding time. The first pass takes about as long as it would to encode the source file for one target audience. Although two-pass encoding helps for constant bit rate encoding, it provides greater benefit for variable bit rate (VBR) encoding. •For one-pass encoding, the source is sequentially analyzed in small sections during encoding, creating a string of VBR sections within the clip.
Input Audio Type	Music (default) or Voice
Max. Keyframe Spacing	Defines the maximum time allowed between keyframes. If the interval passes without a keyframe detected, a new keyframe will be created. Values are expressed in number of seconds between keyframes. Added keyframes will be in addition to natural keyframes, and may not be added if natural keyframes occur at sufficient frequency. Acceptable values are 1 to 200 seconds with 8 as the default value. Note Setting this value to 0 will cause the job to fail. Keyframes are frames that contain all of the information about the image without relying on previous or subsequent frames to build the image. Increasing the number of keyframes in the encoded output can increase the quality of the clip. Because keyframes contain more data, increasing the frequency of keyframes can also increase file size.
Complexity	This setting determines the balance between encoding time and quality. •Low: Results in the fastest encoding time, but reduces the quality. •Medium: Results in a balance between encoding time and quality. This is the default. •High: Produces the best possible result, but requires the greatest processing and the longest encoding times.
Startup Latency	Startup latency determines how long after the player begins to receive the stream that it is required to display video. The value ensures that the video requires no more buffering once the stream begins. The startup latency does not include the time it takes to launch the player, find the host Helix Server, send the request, and receive the server's response. The startup latency can be increased for videos that stream at low bit rates and start out with high action sequences. The longer latency creates a larger data buffer for the starting sequence, and generally improves the video's appearance. Long latency time may cause restless viewers to stop the presentation before playback begins. The startup latency does not affect how quickly a downloaded clip begins to play. Increasing the latency value, however, can improve the visual quality in downloaded clips that begin with fast-action sequences.
Quality	Determines the desired quality level for the VBR Quality mode. Values are 0 to 100 with a default of 80.
Video Quality	Video quality mode influences the visual quality of the encoded video. It helps to balance visual clarity against frame rate, and generally has more effect on videos encoded for low bandwidths. It helps to heighten the visual clarity or increase the encoded frame rate. Choose one on the following values: •Smoothest Motion Video: Use for video with high-speed motion to provide smoothest image. •Normal Motion Video: Use when video contains normal motion. •Sharpest Image Video: Use for slow- or low-motion video to provide sharpest image. •Slide Show Video: Use for slide presentation type video.
Enabled Streams	Each checkbox enables a stream targeted for the connection speed selected. Each checkbox corresponds to a side tab at the bottom of the screen. Choices are 28.8k, 56k, ISDN, Dual ISDN, XDSL\Cable Modem, XDSL.384\Cable Modem, XDSL.512\Cable Modem, and LAN.

Subtabs

Subtabs displayed at the bottom of the tab, shown in Figure 6-35, are used to configure settings for each stream activated in the Enabled Streams check boxes. Tabs for streams that have not been activated are grayed out.

Figure 6-35 Real Encoder: Subtab

Table 6-27 describes the settings.

Table 6-27 Real Encoder: Subtab Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
14.4K	Creates output optimized for end users who connect to the Internet using 14.4K modems.
28.8K	Creates output optimized for end users who connect to the Internet using 28.8K modems.
56K	Creates output optimized for end users who connect to the Internet using 56K modems.
ISDN	Creates output optimized for end users who connect to the Internet using ISDN line to connect to the Internet.
Dual ISDN	Creates output optimized for end users who connect to the Internet using Dual ISDN or ISDN modems.
xDSL\Cable Modem	Creates output optimized for end users who connect to the Internet using unspecified DSL modems other than ISDN modems.
xDSL384\Cable Modem	Creates output optimized for end users who connect to the Internet using the DSL modems capable of sustained download exceeding 384 kbps.
xDSL512\Cable Modem	Creates output optimized for end users who connect to the Internet using the fastest form of DSL modems, those capable of sustained download exceeding 512 kbps
T1	Creates output optimized for end users who connect to the Internet over a T1 line.
LAN	Creates output optimized for end users who connect to the Internet over their local area network.

Video

Figure 6-36 shows the Video section.

Figure 6-36 Real Encoder: Video

Table 6-28 describes the settings.

Table 6-28 Real Encoder: Video Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Video Codec	Specifies which codec will be used. •RealVideo 10: RealVideo 10 is the latest video codec and supersedes all previous codecs such as RealVideo 9 and RealVideo G2. This codec requires an automatic software download for the client player if it is not already installed. So, in some instances, older codecs are still used. •RealVideo 9: RealVideo 9 is an older version of RealVideo. •RealVideo 8: RealVideo 8 is an older version of RealVideo.
Target Frame Rate	Defines the targeted maximum number of frames per second (FPS) for the encoded output. Values are 4 to 30 FPS.
Target Bit Rate	Sets the transmission rate for video as a portion of the Target value for the encoded output stream. Values are 4.0 to 5000.0 kilobits per second (kbps)
Maximum Target Bit Rate	Sets the maximum transmission rate for video as a portion of the Target value for the encoded output stream, when the encode mode is VBR Bitrate. Values are 4.0 to 5000.0 kilobits per second (kbps).

Audio

Figure 6-37 shows the Audio section.

Figure 6-37 Real Encoder: Audio

Table 6-29 describes the settings.

Table 6-29 Audio Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Audio Codec	Specifies which codec will be used. •Real Audio10: Real Audio 10 is the latest audio codec and supersedes all previous codecs. This codec may require an automatic software download for the client player. So, in some instances older codecs are still used. •Real Audio 8: This is an older version of Real Audio. •G2 (Mono): This is an older version of Real Audio 8 and should only be used when client player requirements do not support Real Audio 8. •G2 (Stereo): This is an older version of Real Audio 8 and should only be used when client player requirements do not support Real Audio 8.
Target Settings	Defines the bit rate and sample frequency for the encoded output.

Adding a Real Encoder to a Job Profile

Procedure

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Step 1 From the main menu, click File and New Job Profile or Open Job Profile.

Step 2 From the main menu, click Encoder > Add Real Encode. A Real tab is added to the job.

Step 3 Set Network Properties, Encoder Properties, and subtab Video and Audio settings. See also: Understanding Real Encoder Settings.

Step 4 Click File > Save Job Profile to save changes.

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WAV Encoder

This section includes the following topics:

•Introduction to the WAV Encoder

•Understanding WAV Encoder Settings

•Adding a WAV Encoder to a Job Profile

Introduction to the WAV Encoder

The WAV encoder creates audio-only Waveform files that can be played back by most audio and media players.

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Note Because WAV files do not store metadata, any metadata entered when a job is submitted will not be included in the output file.

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Find a description of the settings available on the WAV encoder tab, shown in Figure 6-39, in Understanding WAV Encoder Settings.

Figure 6-38 WAV Encoder Tab

Understanding WAV Encoder Settings

The WAV encoder tab allows you to adjust the following settings:

•Audio

Audio

Figure 6-39 shows the Audio section.

Figure 6-39 WAV Encoder: Audio

Table 6-30 describes the settings.

Table 6-30 WAV Encoder: Audio Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Sample Rate	Indicates the sample rate of the audio compression algorithm used for compression. In kHz, values are 8.000, 11.025, 22.050, 44.100, and 48.000
Channels	Determines the number of audio channels in the output audio stream. •Mono: Audio in the output file will be streamed as a single channel. •Stereo: Audio in the output file will be streamed in stereo.
Sample Size	Determines the number of bits used for each sample. Valid choices are 8 kbps or 16 kbps. Increasing the Sample Size will result in higher quality output and larger file size.
Codec	Determines which codec will be used for WAV encoding. •PCM: Encodes using Pulse Code Emulation (PCM), an uncompressed digital format. This is the default value. •ULAW: Uses µ-law algorithms to reduce the size of audio files. This method, referred to as companding (for compacting/expanding), allows maximum increments in the most frequently used audio range, with larger increments beyond the range.

Adding a WAV Encoder to a Job Profile

Procedure

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Step 1 From the main menu, click File and New Job Profile or Open Job Profile.

Step 2 From the main menu, click Encoder > Add WAV Encode. A WAV tab is added to the job.

Step 3 Set Audio settings. See also: Understanding WAV Encoder Settings.

Step 4 Click File > Save Job Profile to save changes.

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Windows Media Encoder

This section includes the following topics:

•Introduction to the Windows Media Encoder Tab

•Understanding Windows Media Encoder Settings

•Adding a Windows Media Encoder to a Job Profile

Introduction to the Windows Media Encoder Tab

The Windows Media Encoder tab, shown in Figure 6-40, defines parameters used by Microsoft to determine how clips should be encoded.

Find a description of the settings available on the Windows Media tab in Understanding Windows Media Encoder Settings.

Figure 6-40 Windows Media Encoder Tab

Understanding Windows Media Encoder Settings

The Windows Media encoder tab allows you to adjust the following settings:

•Base Properties

•Video Stream

•Audio Stream

•Subtabs

•Video

•Audio

Base Properties

Figure 6-41 shows the Base Properties section.

Figure 6-41 Windows Media Encoder: Base Properties

Table 6-31 describes the settings.

Table 6-31 Windows Media Encoder: Base Properties Settings and Descriptions 

Settings	Description
Encapsulated	Check this box to specify that output files will be encapsulated as a single file. Note When Encapsulated is not checked, only a single output target may be defined in the Job Profile. To encode multiple, un-encapsulated files, add multiple Windows Media encoder tabs to the Job Profile.
Seekable	Check this box to allow end users to use the player's controls to view the clip from any point. If unchecked, the clip must be viewed from the beginning.
Script Stream	Check this box to enable event script stream in the encoded output.
Bit Rate	Specifies the size of the event script in kilobytes per second (kbps).
Packet Size	Check this box to specify a maximum TCP/IP packet size for transmission of the encoded media, or to accept the default size. Note If a large packet size is specified, the success of the transmission depends on all hardware and network components in the transmission chain being able to handle the larger packet size.
Maximum	Specifies the maximum packet size in bytes.
Allowed Dropped Frames	In the event that frames are not being passed to the Windows Media encoder core due to an inadequate number of cycles, check this box to allow the job to continue even though the output is incomplete.

Video Stream

Figure 6-42 shows the Video Stream section.

Figure 6-42 Windows Media Encoder: Video Stream

Table 6-32 describes the settings.

Table 6-32 Windows Media Encoder: Video Stream Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Video Codec	Specifies the codec to be used for encoding video. Codec options are as follows: •Windows Media Video V9: This codec may require an automatic software download for the client player, so in some instances older codecs are still used. •Windows Media Video V8: Windows Media Video 8 is an older version of this codec and is used when the available player is incompatible with the latest version. •Windows Media Video V7: Windows Media Video 7 is an older version of this codec and is used when the available player is incompatible with the latest version. •ISO MPEG-4 Video V1: This is the ISO compliant MPEG-4 codec. •MPEG4V3: MPEG4V3 was the first Windows Media codec and encodes only to .asf files. •Windows Media Screen V7: This is an older version of the codec used for screen capture recordings and other types of non-standard video. •Windows Media Screen V9: This codec is used for screen capture recordings and other types of non-standard video. •Advanced Profile: This is the latest Windows Media codec.
VBR/CBR	Determines whether the output will be streamed at a variable bit rate (VBR) or a constant bit rate (CBR). •VBR: Variable bit rate encoding allows the codec to vary the bit rate of each frame as required by the complexity of the image. High-action scenes, where each frame changes frequently, will use higher bit rates. Lower bit rates will be used for static scenes. •CBR: Constant bit rate encoding keeps the same bit rate per frame regardless of the complexity of the video image.
Passes	This option is only available with CBR. It determines how many encoding passes are made. •1: Single pass encoding results in faster encoding. •2: Two pass encoding results in better quality compression.
VBR Mode	Determines the VBR encoding mode, requiring additional parameters to be set. •Quality: Specifies that the encoder should vary the bit rate to maintain a specified quality level. •Constrained: Specifies that the encoder should vary the bit rate, but not to exceed a specified maximum bit rate and peak buffer size. •Unconstrained: Specifies that the encoder should vary the bit rate with no limits.
Quality	Determines the desired quality level for Quality VBR mode. Values are 0 (low quality) to 100 (high quality).
Max VBR Bit Rate	Determines the maximum bit rate value allowed for variable bit rate video encoding. Enter a value between 10 kilo bits per second to 5 million bits per second. Max VBR bit rate is only available for VBR encoding in Constrained mode.
Peak Buffer Size	Determines the maximum allowed buffer size in seconds for variable bit rate video encoding. Enter a value between 1 and 100 seconds. Peak Buffer Size is only available for VBR encoding in Constrained mode.

Audio Stream

Figure 6-43 shows the Audio Stream section.

Figure 6-43 Windows Media Encoder: Audio Stream

Table 6-33 describes the settings.

Table 6-33 Windows Media Encoder: Audio Stream Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Audio codec	Determines which audio codec will be used. •Windows Media Audio V9: This is the most recent codec and is used for both voice and music. This codec may require an automatic software download for the client player, so in some instances older codecs are still used. •Windows Media Audio V9 Voice: This codec is optimized specifically for voice. •Windows Media Audio V9 Lossless: This codec is optimized for lossless compression. •ACELP.net: This is an older codec for very low bandwidth voice-only audio.
VBR/CBR	Determines whether the output will be streamed at a variable bit rate (VBR) or a constant bit rate (CBR). •VBR: Variable bit rate encoding allows the codec to vary the bit rate of each frame as required by the complexity of the image. High-action scenes, where each frame changes frequently, will use higher bit rates. Lower bit rates will be used for static scenes. •CBR: Constant bit rate encoding keeps the same bit rate per frame regardless of the complexity of the video image.
VBR Mode	Sets the VBR encoding mode, requiring additional parameters to be set. •Quality: Specifies that the encoder should vary the bit rate to maintain a specified quality level. •Constrained: Specifies that the encoder should vary the bit rate, but not to exceed a specified maximum bit rate and peak buffer size. •Unconstrained: Specifies that the encoder should vary the bit rate with no limits.
Max VBR Bit Rate	Sets the maximum bit rate value allowed for variable bit rate video encoding. Enter a value between 10 kilo bits per second to 5 million bits per second. Max VBR bit rate is only available for VBR encoding in Constrained mode.
Peak Buffer Size	Sets the maximum allowed buffer size in seconds for variable bit rate video encoding. Enter a value between 1 and 100 seconds. Peak Buffer Size is only available for VBR encoding in Constrained mode.
DRM Mode	The Digital Rights Management (DRM) mode used to encode the output. Values are: none, version 1, or version 7
Select File	The name of the file where the DRM information that was used to encode, and will be used to decode, the output will be stored.

Subtabs

The subtabs at the bottom of the Windows Media Encoder tab, shown in Figure 6-44, correspond to the Enabled Streams checkboxes above them. Not all subtabs display at one time.

Figure 6-44 Windows Media Encoder Tab: Subtabs

Table 6-34 describes the settings.

Table 6-34 Windows Media Encoder: Subtab Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Enabled Streams	Check a box to activate its corresponding subtab. Enter the values, then click another Enabled Streams box, and add the values to that subtab. Note You must check the Encapsulated box at the top of the window to enable configuration of multiple streams.
Target Name	Specifies to the client player the bandwidth requirement of the encoded media. Select a Target Name based on the end user's Internet connection. For instance, choose xDSL.512\Cable Modem to create output optimized for end users who connect to the Internet using the fastest form of DSL modems, those capable of sustained download exceeding 512 kbps. This is a required field.
Decoder Complexity	Sets the trade-off between the quality of the encoded content and the time that is required to encode the video. Values for this parameter are auto, 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4. 0 is the least complex, and 4 is the most complex.

Video

Figure 6-45 shows the Video section.

Figure 6-45 Windows Media Encoder: Video

Table 6-35 describes the settings.

Table 6-35 Windows Media Encoder: Video Settings, Descriptions, and Values 

Setting	Description and Value
Width	Specifies the width in pixels of the output file. Values are 80 to 2000 pixels. This is a required field.
Height	Specifies the height in pixels of the output file created. Values are 60 to 2000 pixels. This is a required field.
Target Frame Rate	Defines the targeted maximum number of frames per second (FPS) for the encode. Values are .1 to 60 FPS. The default value depends on the Target Name selected. Note The number of frames per second in the output file cannot exceed the number of frames per second in the source video.
Target Bit Rate	Sets the transmission rate for video as a portion of the Target value for the encoded output stream. Values are 10 kbps to 20 million bits per second. The default depends on the target selected. This is a required field. Note The Target Bit Rate entered in the Video section and the Audio section combined should not exceed the appropriate total bit rate for the selected target. It is possible to exceed the target specified, but poor stream output quality will result.
Video Quality	Adjusts bias by controlling the relationship between the number of frames and the sharpness of the image. Slide the bar to the left (decrease) for more frames and less spatial image quality, or slide the bar to the right (increase) for fewer frames and higher image quality. Values are 0 to 100.
Max. Keyframe Spacing	Defines the maximum number of seconds allowed between keyframes. If the interval passes without a keyframe detected, a new keyframe will be created. Values range from 0 to 200 seconds. Note Setting this value to 0 will allow natural keyframes, but will not add any additional.
Compression Buffer Size	Specifies the amount of time the encoder uses to achieve an average bit rate. A larger buffer may increase quality but will result in increased latency.

Audio

Figure 6-46 shows the Audio section.

Figure 6-46 Windows Media Encoder: Audio

Table 6-36 describes the settings.

Table 6-36 Windows Media Encoder: Audio Settings and Descriptions 

Setting	Description
Channels	Determines the number of audio channels in the output audio stream. •mono: Audio in the output file will be streamed as a single channel. Stereo sources will be mixed to a single output channel. •stereo: Audio in the output file will be streamed in stereo.
Target Settings	Determines the selection of bit rate and sample rate that will be used for audio encoding. The available set of selections depends on the audio codec selected.

Adding a Windows Media Encoder to a Job Profile

Procedure

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Step 1 From the main menu, click File and New Job Profile or Open Job Profile.

Step 2 From the main menu, click Encoder > Add Windows Media Encode. A WM tab is added to the job.

Step 3 Set base properties, Video Stream, Audio Stream, subtabs, Video, and Audio settings. See also: Understanding Windows Media Encoder Settings.

Step 4 Click File > Save Job Profile to save changes.

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