SBT3­VLWHE

Automated Hybrid HD/SD Encoder

Software for Windows
SETUP AND OPERATION GUIDE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Overview
Streambox ACT-L3 Codec
Streambox Low-Delay Multiple-Path Transport
Streambox One-Button-Streaming Smart Presets
2 Installation
2.1 Obtaining the Streambox ACT-L3 Software
2.2 Installing the Streambox ACT-L3 Encoder
3 Live Transport
3.1 Camera Connection
3.2 Network Connections
TCP/IP Connection
BGAN
Establishing a single BGAN Connection
WLAN – Cellular Data – WiMax/LTE/HSPA+
3.3 Encoder Interface
File Menu
Network Menu
Video Menu
Audio Menu
Presets Menu
*
Smart Presets
Audio/Video Controls Panel
3.4 Encoder Setup
Configure the Bitrate “Target Bitrate”
Configure the Encoding Latency “VBR Buffer Size”
Set Additional Options
Optimize Video and Audio Parameters
Presets
3.5 Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting IP Systems
Troubleshooting Video Quality
Troubleshooting Latency
4 IFB Client
5 File-Based Acquisition
 5.1 Creating Files
Capturing Raw ACT-L3 files
5.2 Using the ACT-L3 Transcoder
Exporting Files Using a Non-Linear Editor
Contact Information
Manuals and Help Articles
1 OVERVIEW
The Streambox solutions for live and file based newsgathering
provide unrivaled video quality and reliability for all broadcast
and broadband applications. Using Streambox’s innovative
ACT-L3 compression technology, news organizations worldwide
can attain greater agility in gathering news faster and at a
lower cost. Flexibility, reliability, and ease-of-use are critical in
these applications and with Streambox solutions remote field
reporters are able to set up quickly and transmit higher quality
video and audio over low bandwidth connections, as events
unfold.

Streambox ACT­L3 Codec

The ACT-L3 Codec features an advanced proprietary video
compression technology optimized for interlaced display
systems. The ACT-L3 Codec is adaptable to differing data rate
requirements with both constant bit rate and variable bit rate
modes.

The ACT-L3 Transport excels over low bandwidth IP networks

and provides unrivaled broadcast video from 64Kbps up to
8Mbps (SD), 512kbps to 30Mbps (HD), all in real-time.

The robust ACT-L3 Video Transport solution features innovative

error correction technologies and bandwidth shaping
technologies, which manage, control, and recover packet loss
and correct video delivery irregularities inherent in satellite and
IP/T1/E1 networks.

Streambox Low­Delay Multiple­Path Transport

The Streambox Automated Hybrid Encoder software can encode
both SD and HD video in a single software package, as well as
offer efficient Low-Delay Multiple-Path (LDMP) network
transport to make use of multiple IP network connections while
maintaining the desired low-latency stream.
LDMP works by having the Encoder constantly measure both
bandwidth and latency all of the network connections available
to it, and proportionally distribute the Video stream data to
each connection based on ability to carry data at the desired
latency.

Streambox One­Button­Streaming Smart Presets

The Streambox Automated Hybrid Encoder offers
one-button-streaming through the use of Smart Preset buttons
tailored to typical broadcast needs and network conditions. This
keeps the interface simple for beginning and novice users, while
still providing easy access to the full range of codec and stream
customizations for experienced and expert users.
2 INSTALLATION
The Streambox Automated Hybrid Encoder software installation
package can be obtained by from the Streambox Support Portal
website at [Link] To
obtain and install the software from the support portal website
you will need the name and serial number of your software
license, as well as the product key to activate the software.

2.1 Obtaining the Streambox ACT­L3 Software

Streambox software is licensed per computer based on the
hardware components installed in the computer, and activated
using the Product Key and a hidden hardware-based ID sent to
the Streambox Activation Server. If the software is not
activated for the computer, it will re-request activation. If the
activation system is tampered with, however, the application
will close without completing startup. The Product Key will be
mailed to you or your system administrator at the time of
purchase. If you are transferring the software from an old or
broken computer to a new one, contact Streambox Support;
they are able to reset your Product Key for a new activation,
but you must be covered by a Hardware Warranty or Support
Services Contract.

2.2 Installing the Streambox ACT­L3 Encoder

Launch the Streambox ACT-L3 Encoder installation package by
double clicking the setup file. The installation wizard will open.
Click ​
​ Next​
to begin the installation process.

Review the Streambox EULA and click I Agree.

 ​elect the Destination folder for the installation of the
S
software. The default folder is recommended. Click ​ Install​
to
begin the installation.

If prompted to automatically reboot the system once

installation is complete, choose yes.
 Once the system has rebooted there will be a shortcut for the
Encoder application on the desktop.
3 LIVE TRANSPORT
It is necessary to set up all video sources, such as cameras and
any adapters, as well as all network connections, before
starting the software.

3.1 Camera Connection

The laptop encoder’s FireWire port can accept Standard
Definition (SD) video via the Digital Video input (DV or DV25)
port in IEEE 1394 format. This input is a standard FireWire
4-pin or 6-pin connection. Be aware that many cameras may
need to be configured to output raw DV over FireWire;
proprietary digital video protocols are not supported. Only a
Standard Definition video can be sent through FireWire.

To capture High Definition (HD) video, additional 3​ -party video

rd​

capture devices are necessary to input an SDI signal with the

Encoder software. Laptops with the ExpressCard port may use
the AJA Io Express to connect an HD-SDI or SD-SDI signal to
the Streambox Automated Hybrid Software. If the computer is
equipped with USB 3.0 connection then the BlackMagic
UltraStudio SDI is supported for HD-SDI or SD-SDI. Contact
Streambox Support to find out what additional devices are
supported.

3.2 Network Connections

TCP/IP Connection
Network connections provide the Streambox systems with a
means to send ACT-L3 transport stream from the encoder to
the decoder. All Streambox laptop encoders should come
standard with RJ-45 Ethernet and built-in WiFi connections for
TCP/IP networks. The Streambox laptop encoder also includes
additional interface support for 3rd party IP connections such as
BGAN, cellular data (3G), and WiMax/LTE/HSPA+ (4G).
Each Streambox unit needs to be set up on the network. The
Streambox unit will function properly over TCP/IP with an IP
Address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway.
NOTE:​ When LDMP is in use, the Streambox Automated Hybrid
Encoder will use all attached and connected network interfaces
regardless of settings.

NOTE:​ The Streambox Automated Hybrid Encoder software will

produce an error if it cannot detect a network connection.
Connect all desired network adapters before running the
software.

BGAN
The advanced video compression of the Streambox ACT-L3
codec can be optimized to sustain high quality video at low
bandwidth. When combined with the global reach of BGAN you
are able to transmit live news at 384 Kbps from almost
anywhere in the world. In addition, the Streambox portable
encoder allows two BGAN terminals to be multiplexed together
offering a total of 768 Kbps.

Establishing a single BGAN Connection

1. Using the Ethernet connection, connect the primary BGAN
terminal.
2. Start the BGAN LaunchPad application.
3. The BGAN LaunchPad will locate and connect to the primary
BGAN terminal.
4. Register with the Inmarsat network and establish a 256Kb
(or faster) streaming connection.
5. Close the LaunchPad application

WLAN – Cellular Data – WiMax/LTE/HSPA+

One important thing to know about wireless data connections is
that they are prone to packet loss. The Streambox ACT-L3
codec helps to account for this by integrating forward error
correction. On wireless data connections it may be necessary to
add forward error correction in order to add redundancy to the
data stream.

While LDMP is enabled, the addition of multiple WWAN (cellular

3G and 4G) modems to the USB ports can potentially increase
the available network bandwidth while keeping latency to an
affordable minimum. The two-way exchange of error-checking
information in the stream will also help minimize, if not
eliminate, the need for FEC.

3.3 Encoder Interface

In this section we will go over the basic feature of the
Streambox Encoder software for Windows.

The picture above represents the encoder application for

Microsoft Windows (XP/Vista/7/8). The window on the left
provides a preview of the video being fed into the encoder
along with a menu bar at the top. These menu items contain all
of the settings that the user can control on the Streambox unit.
The window on the right is known as the “Audio/Video Controls
Panel”. This window shows the Video Input, Audio Input, Audio
Gain, Encoder statistics, and the Network statistics.
File Menu

The File Menu is where the user chooses if they want to record
the encoded video to a file, or stream and record the encoded
video. The Streambox software automatically starts the
streaming process as soon as it is launched which is why the
option to just stream is not present.

Network Menu
The Network Tab is primarily used
to set target IP address and port
for the Decoder or server receiving
the stream. Here the user can also
set the target bitrate and VBR
buffer size (encoder latency).

Advanced settings on the Network

Tab include MTU or packet size,
TTL and packet stuffing.
Video Menu
The Video menu contains important
settings for controlling video
characteristics. This tab also contains
optional video filters that can improve
the video at lower bitrates. The
recommended I-frame (keyframe) rate
for PAL is 250.

Audio Menu
The Audio menu contains important
settings for controlling audio
characteristics. When using the
Encoder software on a notebook Mono
and Stereo (2 ch.) are the only options
when using DV-embedded audio, but
additional channels, up to 8, are
available when using SDI-embedded
audio.
Presets Menu

The Presets menu is where you can save all of the current
settings to a single, user created, preset name. The user can
also choose what information to save by selecting/de-selecting
the three check boxes.

To delete a preset, enter the name of the existing preset,

unselect all 3 boxes, and click OK.

Smart Presets
Below the Preview window is a tray featuring 6 buttons. This
tray can be opened by clicking the “OneClick” button on the
lower right corner of the Preview window, and closed with the
same arrow or the up arrow on the tray itself.

These 6 buttons are the Smart Presets. They are best used with
LDMP enabled, so that the automatic optimization process can
happen. Each of the first 5 buttons is appropriate for different
kinds of video-capture conditions or network conditions.
NOTE:​ Smart Presets are designed to function well only when
LDMP is enabled in the Network Menu. If LDMP is not enabled,
the Smart Presets do not perform their optimizations to the full
extent.

● Low Latency: Used primarily over a wired network

connection. By default, this Smart Preset will attempt to
create the best quality stream possible with 1 second of
latency. In this mode, the camera should be stationary
and mounted on a fixed base or tripod.
● Talking Head: This preset aims for 2 seconds of latency
and is optimized for a source-video featuring a mounted
or fixed camera and relatively low motion on screen. In
this mode, the camera should be stationary and
mounted on a fixed base or tripod.
● Action: This preset aims for 2 seconds of latency, but is
optimized for a higher amount of motion in the source
video, or for video in which the camera is in motion or
on a moving platform (such as a shoulder).
● Reliable: This preset aims to give the best possible
quality using all available bandwidth, but it potentially
could have very high latency as a result. This mode is
greatly preferred when the camera or subject is in
motion.
● Satellite: This preset optimizes the network transport for
satellite communication, which naturally has a higher
innate latency than wired or typical wireless network.

The 6​th​
button, Advanced, is to allow experienced users to
access the side-panel which features more customizable
settings as well as a statistics tab for informative purposes.

After clicking a Smart Preset, a pop-up window will begin the

bandwidth measurement period. This Automatic Bandwidth
Negotiation (ABN) Testing proceeds for up to 45-60 seconds
(by default) unless the Encoder determines that its particular
settings will not achieve the desired connection, based on
minimum bandwidth and maximum latency, before that time.
The encoder may “fail” its current settings and shift to a new
set and the ABN timer resets.

The Automated Hybrid Encoder is measuring the speed and

latency of each available connection to determine the best
possible amount of each network path that can be used to
achieve both the highest possible bandwidth while still
remaining below the latency goal. Each Smart Preset has its
own bandwidth and latency thresholds that ABN must meet
before accepting a group of settings.

During this period, it’s best not to disturb the process.

However, if one has high confidence that ABN and LDMP have
located the correct settings for your network, click the Accept
button to begin the stream with the active settings. Clicking the
Next button will cause the Encoder to move on to the next set
of LDMP settings to try to find an acceptable connection. If,
after 5 attempts, the available network cannot sustain the
latency requirements of the selected mode, it will eventually fall
back to Reliable mode.

NOTE:​ If the Latency and Bandwidth both measure 0.0 during

this process, it is likely that the Decoder to which Avenir is
pointed is either frozen or down. The zeros indicate that the
Decoder is not responding to complete the bandwidth
measurements. Check the Decoder IP and then check the
Decoder itself.
Audio/Video Controls Panel

The Audio/Video Controls side panel allows the user to choose

the audio and video input of the Streambox unit.
The user can also choose the video standard of the source
video. If the source video is SD, then NTSC, NTSC-J, PAL, and
24 (FPS) will be displayed. If the source video is HD, then
720p, 1080i, and 1080/24 are displayed. The user can choose
whether the preview window displays the original video being
fed into the encoder, or the encoded video.

NOTE:​ The Preview window is primarily for ensuring that a

source video feed is detected by the encoder software and that
the video subject is framed correctly; it will not duplicate the
quality or framerate of the stream entirely.

Also displayed are Encoder and Network statistics. The Encoder

statistics allow the user to see if there are dropped frames
stemming from capture or the encoding process. Though it is
normal for some dropped frames to appear at the start of the
stream, a constant or erratic increase in dropped frames
indicates a problem. The problem is nearly always inadequate
network bandwidth (either limited by the bitrate setting or the
network connection itself) to send the stream at the set quality.

The network statistics allow the user to view the available

network buffer and current actual bitrate being transmitted; as
ACT-L3 is a variable bitrate codec, the bitrate may not be at or
near the maximum bitrate setting.

3.4 Encoder Setup

The Streambox ACT-L3™ Transport allows control of a large
number of parameters in order to achieve the highest level of
video quality for any given application. The configuration
process can be optimized using the step-by-step method shown
below.

Configure the Bitrate “Target Bitrate”

The target bitrate is the most determinate factor in overall
video quality. It is usually the most limiting factor in any
system implementation. With this known, it is best to start by
optimizing the network to give the highest possible bandwidth
available. In most cases this is a fixed factor on the network
being used and is beyond the user’s control. Streambox
ACT-L3™ Encoders allow a broad and finite target bitrate
adjustment which allows maximum performance to be
squeezed out of a given network.

Configure the Encoding Latency “VBR Buffer Size”

The second most influential parameter for video quality is
encoding latency or the “VBR Buffer Size.” This setting
determines the amount of time the encoder has to process the
video before it is to be transported to the decoder. This
parameter also determines how long it will take for the video
signal to output from the decoder. Encoding latency affects the
quality of video in high motion scenes because it determines
the amount of processing time that the codec is allowed for
motion estimation.

Encoding latency is normally determined by the application. For

example, newsgathering may require very low latency to
minimize the delay in live interviews, whereas video backhaul
distribution would use a higher setting for improved quality in
high motion scenes.

Set Additional Options

At this point, set any additional options that need to be used for
the application such as Closed Captioning and Metadata. Keep
in mind that each of these options uses a small portion of the
transport bitrate, which will affect the video quality slightly with
each additional option selected.

Optimize Video and Audio Parameters

Once the bitrate, encoding latency, and additional options are
set it is time to configure the video and audio parameters to
optimize the encoding settings. The remaining parameters to
set are video capture resolution, video color profile, video frame
rate, audio codec, and number of audio channels.

These parameters must fit within certain specifications for the

ACT-L3™ Transport to function properly and to achieve quality
video output. They are largely determined by the bitrate and
encoding latency settings but can vary slightly based on the
desired results.

Presets
Presets allow the user to recall frequently used ACT-L3™
Transport configuration settings quickly and easily. Presets can
be helpful for engineers in configuring a unit before field use,
thereby requiring less training for field personnel.
3.5 Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting IP Systems
● Verify both units have correct IP configuration
● Be sure network interfaces have connected and
“Enabled” status. The screenshot below shows “Local
Area Connection 1” with connected and “Enabled” status
and “Local Area Connection 2” shows “Network cable
unplugged”.
● Verify units are not blocked by a Firewall
● If the decoder is behind a NAT router, verify proper port
forwarding has been configured on the router (UDP Port
1770)
● Test network connection by “pinging” the
gateway/router address.
NOTE: The ping reply may not respond if the decoder is behind
a router or firewall which blocks ICMP ping requests.

Troubleshooting Video Quality

Video quality problems most often occur due to network packet
loss. Since video is being sent in real-time there is no time for
retransmission when packet loss occurs. Packet loss over the
network connection will cause the video to drop frames or
become “blocky.” This is shown as “L=” values on the decoder.
The best approach to resolving this problem is to repair or
improve the network connection.

Work with your network provider or system administrator to

reduce network loss, add or increase the priority of ACT-L3™
Transport traffic (UDP Port 1770) and use FEC to circumvent
packet loss. See the FEC section in the ACT-L3™ Transport User
Manual.

Troubleshooting Latency
The Streambox ACT-L3™ Transport is optimized for low latency.
The lowest point-to-point latency for these systems using
 optimized settings for low latency transport is approximately 20
frames or 627ms +/-1 frame (33ms/frame). This assumes
>5ms network latency. When determining overall transport
latency of an installed system, network latency must be added
to the overall latency measurement.

4 IFB CLIENT
The IFB Client allows the user to connect to the Streambox IFB
server. The server and client allow the reporter to receive low
latency audio from the studio on the laptop while in the field.

Channel​ : Selects and displays the current audio channel

received from the IFB Server.
Audio Level​ : Displays the relative audio level of incoming
audio.
Connection Status​ : Displays the current status of the IFB
client connection, (Receiving Data, Connecting)
IFB Server​ : Opens the “Connection” window for configuration
of the IFB Server connection.
 1​. Enter the IFB Server’s IP address in the “IFB Server IP
address” field.
2​. Enter the IFB Server’s password in the “Access password”
field. Note: the password characters will not display when typed
for security purposes.
3​. Adjust the IFB “Prebuffer “if necessary. The IFB Prebuffer
may need to be increased if audio skips on certain networks.

5 FILE­BASED ACQUISITION
The Streambox file based acquisition solution provides an easy
and efficient way for field reporters to get high quality video
clips back to the studio. Reporters can capture raw ACT-L3 files
or export QuickTime MOV from non-linear editors such as Final
Cut Pro. In addition, the UDP based Store and Forward upload
client offers enhanced management of uploads.

5.1 Creating Files

The first step in sending back files is to create the file. There
are two main workflows: capturing a raw ACT-L3 file using the
Streambox encoder software, and editing a file in a NLE then
exporting it. Both methods will be discussed below.
 Capturing Raw ACT­L3 files
Capturing a raw ACT-L3 file is very similar to live streaming. To
capture a file first apply a high quality preset. You are able to
record at a much higher quality than you could use for live
streaming since you don’t have contend with network issues.
Under the “File” menu select “Record only” to begin recording.

1. The file will record the video you are playing into your encoder
until you select “Stop recording.”
2. You also have the option of “Record to file and stream.” Use
this option when you want to save a local copy of your live
stream.

NOTE:​ The file you create using “Record to file and stream” will
have the same settings that you use for live streaming, and
therefore the quality of the archive maybe limited by your
upload speed.

5.2 Using the ACT­L3 Transcoder

1. Open a command prompt window to run the Transcoder

application by choosing ​
Start​
-> ​
Run​
“CMD” -> ​
Enter​
.
2. Navigate to the folder where you are storing your ACT-L3 video
files, in this example they are stored in D:\Video

3. From here you may run the Transcoder on any of your saved
ACT-L3 files using the following syntax:

RawFileNameAndPath.actl3​/qt
Transcoder /file ​
Windows [Link]

Example: ​
Transcoder /file demo.actl3 /qt [Link]

You may also specify absolute pathnames:

Example: ​Transcoder /file D:\ACT-L3\demo.actl3 /qt
D:\Video\[Link]
4. When you have entered the correct syntax for the transcoding,
start the Transcoder by pressing “enter” and the processing will
begin. The output of the Transcoder is identical to the ACT-L3
Decoder application ([Link]). Output should be similar to
what is shown below:
5. Verify that the output file was created as specified. If
necessary, run the file by playing it in Windows Media player to
verify format.

Exporting Files Using a Non­Linear Editor

To export files from your NLE you must first add the file to the
timeline. All major NLE’s have a timeline that is used when
editing video. Once this is done you need to export using
Quicktime. This option will depend on your NLE; please see the
product manual for more details. Once you have chosen to
export using Quicktime you will see the Streambox ACT-L3
codec as an option. Choose this option to get a [Link] file.
The benefits are going to be better quality at a smaller file size
when compared to other codecs.

CONTACT INFORMATION

+1 206.956.0544 Tel
+1 206.956.0570 Fax

Technical Support
support@[Link]
+1 206.956.0544, Option 5

Corporate Headquarters
1848 Westlake Avenue N
Seattle, WA 98109

USA Sales and Information

sales@[Link]
+1 206.956.0544, Option 3

International Sales and Information

internationalsales@[Link]
+1 206.956.0544, Option 3
Business Development
business@[Link]
+1 206.956.0544, Option 3
MANUALS AND HELP ARTICLES
Visit the Streambox Support website for additional
troubleshooting, help articles, manuals, and downloads.
[Link]