The Cisco® MXE 3000 Smart Media Decoder is an intelligent decoder for organizations that need to efficiently process a wide range of media file formats and containers. It consists of a guided file decoder and a decoder triage tool.
Transcoding systems use profiles to define the output specifications of transcoded content. These profiles define parameters such as encoder type, frame rate, frame size, bit rate, audio tracks, and format. Typically, a system that is producing content fails job requests when the input does not provide the necessary elements to produce the desired output. For these situations, a second profile is produced that allows for production based on the limitations of the input. In normal production scenarios, the input formats are known and job failure is desirable because it flags problematic source material. If the input content formats are highly variable, a proliferation of profiles and workflows results, thereby providing valid definitions for all conditions.
The media file decoder applies a series of decoding algorithms to open new and unknown source media files, until a successful decode is achieved. If the recommended decoder approach fails to produce a successful decode, the file is triaged; it is put into a specific bucket associated with the failed decode attempts.
Waterfall Decoding for User-Generated Content
User-generated video (UGV) is uniquely problematic in that the content output specifications are known but the input video structure and components are random. For example, the output video specification may be video at 30 frames per second, 640 x 480, with one audio track. UGV may have been shot from a cell phone with lower image size and frame rate than the output specifications and may not include the sound track.
Transcoding systems have used two methods to overcome the problem of unpredictable input formats. The first is to decode and interrogate the input content to detect characteristics such as frame rate, frame size, bit rate, audio presence, and so on. The user defines rules to select an appropriate transcoding profile based on the derived data. This method still leads to profile proliferation, requires additional decode time to select the profile and workflow, and requires that a rule be in place to process the video.
An alternative solution is to synthesize input media elements to enable processing using standard workflows. The Cisco MXE 3000 offers the option of producing these missing input elements to produce valid output if they are not available from the source input. For example, the Cisco MXE 3000 produces a blank audio track if the source has none and converts the video frame rate and frame size. For material that cannot be properly ingested, the Cisco MXE 3000 moves source content into a triage area for manual evaluation. These techniques offer faster, more efficient ingest of UGV content without the complexity of profile proliferation and associated processing rules.
Figure 1. Cisco MXE 3000's Smart Media Decoder Functions
Features of Cisco MXE 3000's Smart Media Decoder
• Decodes files produced by popular mobile phones, PCs and MACs, personal digital assistants (PDAs), video cameras, and webcams
• Provides debug path for failed jobs by using triage function
Benefits of Cisco MXE 3000 Smart Media Decoder
• Removes production bottleneck caused by failed decodes and manual operator intervention
• Eliminates need for home-made multiformat decoders and client upload utilities
Applications
• High-volume social networking applications
• "Citizen journalist" bureaus
• Broadcast and print media websites
• Brand marketing portals
In summary, the Cisco MXE 3000's Smart Media Decoder is an integral component of the media processing workflow that greatly lowers the operational overhead by minimizing the failure rates for processing media files. Its ability to understand new and unknown source media files and intelligently apply processing parameters until a successful decode is achieved is an industry leading feature that removes the complexity that is traditionally associated with media processing.
