The MGE-400D module set a default 44.1-KHz sample rate for audio signaling and provided a maximum 2-Mbps encoding rate, which supports resolutions from 160x112 to 384x288. A wizard took me through the process of creating a channel for distribution, letting me choose an installed encoding module and identify the target stream as unicast, multicast or both. Although unicast channels are limited to 10 simultaneous users, you can set the channel to distribute a multicast stream from the device or from an external Windows Media Server (WMS). The MGW 2400 supports a maximum of four external servers with no configuration necessary. As soon as you export a unicast or multicast stream from the MGW 2400 to your WMS, a unicast publishing point or multicast station is automatically configured.
I set up a channel to distribute a DVD of Blade Runner using both unicast and multicast streams to PCs with Windows Media Player 7.1 and Mercury Interactive's LoadRunner 7.5.1, a testing device that generates multiple, simultaneous media requests from the streaming server. From a unicast point on the MGW 2400, a 2-Mbps bit-rate stream sent a DVD-quality view of Los Angeles in 2019 to 10 users. The same quality was available to unlimited users from a multicast station set up on a WMS.
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Vendor Info
MGW 2400, chassis, $5,000; MGE-400, $3,000; MGE-400D, $3,500. Optibase, (650) 230-2400, (800) 451-5101. www.optibase.com |
If you're streaming over a low-bandwidth connection to a remote site, you can adjust the bit rate dynamically to relieve network congestion as demand increases. I tested this using LoadRunner's Media Player clients to increase the number of multicast users to 100, which caused video delay from network congestion. Rather than reduce the client requests, I adjusted the bit rate to 750 Kbps and then 350 on the fly. Within seconds, video delay was reduced and the test network was decongested.
You can configure the encoding rate from 64 Kbps to 2 Mbps as necessary. Being able to adjust the bit rate adds value to the MGW 2400: If you find that a live event is hampering your other mission-critical applications or flooding a pipe to a remote office, you can reduce the bit rate accordingly.
Sean Doherty is a technology editor and lawyer based at our Syracuse University Real-World Labs®. Write to him at [email protected].
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