VBrick 7000 Series, Getting Started Manual

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VBrick H.264 Appliance Getting Started Guide 57
Chapter 8
Streaming Video Basics
Topics in this chapter
Video Basics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Getting the Best Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Network Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
VBrick Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Serial Port Passthrough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Video Basics
It is important that the source of the video being encoded and streamed is of the highest
possible quality in order to avoid using unnecessary bandwidth to transport source video
artifacts, distortion, etc. If using a camera, exercise common sense; good lighting and a steady
camera will improve overall performance. Cameras, VCR tape players, DVD players, and live
television broadcast feeds from a TV tuner can all be used as video sources. VBrick supports
standard video via BNC connectors, or S-Video via mini-DIN connectors. BNC-to-RCA
adapters are readily available if RCA-type cables are used.
Getting the Best Video
Video quality is a subjective concept that depends on a variety of factors. VBrick's
philosophy is to make our network appliances as flexible as possible so they can be used
effectively in different applications on a wide variety of networks. This means you can
configure an appliance for maximum performance but you can also configure it in such a way
that it will only work well in a very limited environment. Video quality is also relative. What is
acceptable quality for a surveillance application on a low-bandwidth network is most likely
unacceptable for a corporate presentation or a two-way video conference on a high-speed
LAN. Much depends on your network, the bandwidth you have available, and the audience
you are trying to reach.
For best results, start with the default values and then adjust the bit rate, frame rate,
resolution, and other parameters with care. Experiment with different settings to see the
trade-offs in quality and performance. You can track your changes by periodically saving the
configuration file using the
Read
and
Restore
options on the Manage Configuration page in
VBAdmin. If the audio and video quality is still less than you would expect, re-apply your
saved configuration and try again. Keep in mind that the VBrick is stable, reliable and
flexible. In most cases a small amount of experimentation will help you find the
configuration settings that will deliver the best audio and video your network can support.
For more information, or help configuring your appliance, contact VBrick Support Services.