Getting Started

1. Once I've received my Streambox system, what do I need to get started?
   
   
2. Do I always need to configure my IP address?
   
   
3. Can I add my own peripherals to or change the operating system of the Streambox device? Can I install other applications on the Streambox device?
   


4. Can the Encoder use any other compression formats, such as MPEG, WMV, and AVI variants?
   
   
5. How can I monitor performance while the system is running?
   
   
6. I see a lot of data streaming by on the Decoder screen. What does it all mean?
   
   

1. Once I've received my Streambox system, what will I need to do to get started?
   The typical Streambox system includes rack-mountable Encoder and Decoder, power cables, and manuals. In addition, you will need to provide a network cable and a network connection.

   The Decoder typically does not need any user interaction, but if you are running over Ethernet you will need to configure the Encoder to use the Decoder's IP address. In order to do this, you will have to hook up a VGA monitor, USB keyboard and USB mouse. Once the Encoder is configured for the Decoder's IP address, you may disconnect the monitor keyboard and mouse, as all the controls are available from the front LCD panel on both systems.

   It's a good idea to always have a VGA monitor, USB keyboard and USB mouse available whenever you need to reconfigure or upgrade your Streambox system.

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2. Do I always need to configure my IP address?
   Streambox systems typically ship as a DHCP client, so if a DHCP exists server on the same network then it will assign an IP address automatically. On the Decoder, the IP address displays on the front LCD panel, and you can use that number when you configure the Encoder.

   If you would like to use specific IP addresses for your Encoder or Decoder, please let us know and we can pre-configure your systems so all you have to do is hook them up and turn them on.

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3. Can I add my own peripherals to or change the operating system of the Streambox device? Can I install other applications on the Streambox device?
   The ACT-L3™ Video Transport is dedicated to a single task – to deliver real-time broadcast-quality video and audio with low latency. The operating system is finely tuned to deliver optimal performance. Adding additional software and hardware components that have not been tested with the ACT-L3™ Video Transport system can cause irreparable harm to the system.

   The only supported additional components are a VGA monitor, USB mouse, and USB keyboard. Adding any other components or software without specific instructions from Streambox Technical Support is not supported and will void your warranty.

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4. Can the Encoder use any other compression formats, such as MPEG, WMV, and AVI variants?
   ACT-L3™ Video Transport uses a proprietary compression algorithm that is optimized for high-resolution low-latency real-time streaming across an Ethernet or T1/E1 connection. We do not offer any other compression options at this time.

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5. How can I monitor performance while the system is running?
   The best measure of performance is found on the front LCD panel of the Decoder. There are two numbers preceded by L= and R=.

   The L stands for lost video frames, while the R stands for recovered IP packets. Monitoring these values can show you the current status of the network quality.

   Ideally, the L number should be at zero, since lost frames are normally undesirable. The R number may increase, which is an indicator of the FEC functionality.

   If the L number starts to increase, you might be experiencing temporary network starvation, in which the network is unable to deliver the stream your Encoder is sending. Increasing FEC values can mitigate this issue, as can changing the shuffle settings.

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6. I see a lot of data streaming by quickly on the Decoder screen. What does it all mean?
   What you're seeing is output code from the Decoder application. Each pair of lines comprises a brief (sub-second) snapshot of current conditions. Here is a description of each item, reading left to right across both rows of the Decoder display:



Item	Description
A	Audio data rate per sample.
V	Video data rate per sample.
[diff:x.xx]	Difference between audio and video bitrate. This is normally within a few hundredths of a second, but larger numbers can indicate a loss of audio-video sync.
Latency	The difference in timestamp between the packet currently being rendered and the last packet received in the buffer, in milliseconds.
Bitrate	Bitrate as received by the Decoder to render the audio-video stream. This may differ slightly from the bitrate sent by the Encoder, since it discards IP and UDP header information.
Resolution	Current resolution rate to which the Decoder is rendering video. 740x480 would indicate Full D1 resolution.
Color Profile	4:2:0 or 4:2:2, as set at the Encoder.
FEC	Current rate of Forward Error Correction setting.
AI	Uncompressed audio data in the buffer, in bytes.
S	Buffer packet stack size; the current number of IP packets in the Decoder buffer.
B	Buffer byte size; the current number of bytes of data in the Decoder buffer.
L	Lost frames of video, which indicates packet loss from Encoder to Decoder.
R	Recovered IP packets, indicating the efficiency of FEC settings.
OV	Overall stream duration since Decoder was last started. Represented as dd:hh:mm:ss

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