ViewCast (VCST)

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ViewCast - 3 - Whitepaper - Smooth Streaming
Requirements for creating and streaming
Smooth Streaming VOD
Now that we have covered what Smooth Streaming is, how do we create and deliver Smooth Streaming media for delivery on demand? There are three main parts:
1. The Encoding environment
2. The Distribution environment - Microsoft IIS Server with Smooth Streaming enhancements, or a CDN equipped with this already.
3. A compatible player -
Let’s explore each separately.
• Content Creation - To create content from existing clips you will
need an encoding environment that creates the new MP4-based
Smooth Streaming file format. Expression Encoder 2 SP1 is the
video encoding mechanism Microsoft offers; it goes along
with their Expression Blend™ 2 Service Pack 1 web development
suite. The full version (but not the trial version) lets you do full
Smooth Streaming VOD content creation using either the VC-1 or the new Microsoft H.264 video and AAC audio codecs.
Specifically, you need SP1 or later so you can select adaptive
streaming video and audio profiles and use the IIS Smooth
Streaming output media format. Expressions Encoder 2 SP 1
publishes the requisite files to the appropriate IIS server, as
detailed below.
• Content Distribution - To serve your own Smooth Streaming content you will need Microsoft’s Internet Information Service
(IIS) 7.0 , running on Server 2008, and will need to install the
Smooth Streaming extension for IIS7. This extension teaches IIS7
how to serve Smooth Streaming media assets to clients.
Reportedly, any server that supports the latest webDAV protocols
is also capable of streaming Smooth Streaming content. If you are
using a hosting provider (CDN), they will need to be similarly
equipped. Akamai has announced high-definition Smooth
Streaming support, announced March 17, 2009, and marketed as AdaptiveEdge Streaming for Microsoft Silverlight.
• Content Viewing - To surface your content, you will need to add Smooth Streaming playback support to your Silverlight application.
There are a number of ways to do this:
> Use any of the Silverlight 2 player templates included with Expression Encoder 2 SP1, to create a suitable Web-based player. Viewers will need only to download the Silverlight player when prompted, assuming it isn’t already present on their PC.
> Use the Open Video Player for Silverlight (http://www. openvideoplayer.com) or,
> Build your own player using Microsoft’s development environment and the MediaStreamSource Class based adaptive streaming implementation.
See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system. windows.media.mediastreamsource(VS.95).aspx
Smooth Streaming - Live
Microsoft very recently released a beta version of Smooth Streaming, that in its final release form supports live ingest. Specifically, it will accept real-time incoming encoded streams (VC-1 or H.264) from devices that can create suitable time-aligned and GOP-controlled streams. IIS Live Smooth Streaming (beta) is an extension for Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0 that supports live delivery using the same HTTP delivery methods used in VOD deployment.
Live Smooth Streaming (beta) for IIS 7.0 allows you to experiment with live streaming by simulating live delivery as though the content is being ingested from a media encoder. A good encoder engineered for this application and designed to easily integrate into broadcast
workflows is ViewCast’s new Niagara® 7500 HD encoder. It includes a folder of Smooth Streaming video files (files with .ismv file name extensions), and a small encoder applet that creates simulated Live Smooth Streaming output for testing purposes from those .ismv files. You can still create your own Smooth Streaming video (.ismv) files via Microsoft Expression Encoder 2 SP1, just as you would do for VOD applications. In practice, you will use the built-in IIS publishing point manager to create a live publishing point on the IIS Live-equipped server. Once the ingest point is set up, you will push one or more streams to the Live Smooth Streaming publishing point.
Once the publishing point is set up, you can experiment with a live simulation by using the sample encoder to simulate a live ingest. As noted before, this sample application converts any .ISMV file into the needed push format.
Smooth Streaming is certain to be a revolutionary technology for broadcasting HD and professional-grade media over IP and mobile networks. If you’re interested in applying Smooth Streaming to your workflow, the Niagara 7500 HD streaming appliance from ViewCast can offer you a simple solution to take advantage of this advancement in live and video-on-demand broadcast applications.
For more than a decade ViewCast has offered the highest degree of reliable, professional-grade streaming products engineered to simplify the complex workflows required in the management and delivery of media to computers and mobile devices. Find your ideal solution for expanding your audience through the multi-platform world of Webcasting, IPTV, VOD, mobile TV, and digital asset management by talking with one of our streaming specialists today, or simply visit http://www.viewcast.com.
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Plano, TX 75075
USA | 800.540.4119
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©2009 ViewCast Corporation. All rights reserved. Osprey®, Niagara®, SimulStream® and
Niagara SCX® (and design)™ are registered
trademarks of ViewCast Corporation.
Next Generation Streaming Media Solutions
ViewCast Niagara® 7500 HD encoder

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