Faq - SnapStream Media Enterprise TV Server Administrator's Manual

FAQ

How can I change the configuration of the tuners?
Open the web interface and navigate to Admin=> Tuners. Tuner settings can be edited from this menu.
How can I set up the server for direct video (non-television) inputs? How can I "lock" tuners to a
particular channel?
For recording content when no guide data is necessary, you will need to create a single local channel
lineup in the web interface under Admin=>Program Guide for each tuner that you would like to do this
with. Make sure that each lineup uses a different channel number. You can then set a tuner to use the
necessary lineup and input type under Admin=>Tuners.
To lock a tuner to a specific channel with guide data, you will need to create a custom SnapStream.net
lineup, by importing the one channel that you would like to lock it to. You can then set a tuner to use the
necessary lineup and input type under Admin=>Tuners.
Specific instructions for some types of tuning configurations can be found in the SnapStream Enterprise
TV knowledgebase, at http://kb.snapstream.com.
Note: In order for some changes to tuner configuration to take effect, the tuner must be disabled and
then re-enabled.
How do I make a recording from a specific TV input?
Enterprise TV does not support setting a recording job to use a specific tuner. In order to enable
recording by tuner, you must create a single-channel lineup for each tuner. See the answer above.
Do I need to install the web player on every single user PC? Where can I find the prerequisites
that are necessary? Is the web player suitable for distribution through Windows Group Policy or
other installation management tool? Is there a Mac-compatible version of the web player?
The SnapStream web player is a browser plug-in that must be installed in order for users to play back
recordings through a web browser. It can be used on both Macs and PCs. Clicking the play button next
to a recording in our web interface will prompt a user to download and install the web player it if they
don't have it already.
You can find the prerequisites needed for installing the web player here:
http://www.snapstream.com/support/kb/snapstream-web-player-requirements
A walkthrough of installation can be found in our online help file:
http://www.snapstream.com/enterprise/support/etv_5_help/html/thewebplayer.htm
The web player installs at the user level. For this reason, it does not require administrative permissions,
and it is not suitable for distribution through an installation management tool. We recommend allowing
users to manage the installation of the plug-in themselves. However, if administrative installation of the
Web Player is desired, SnapStream Support can provide a suitable installation package.
What video format does the server use? Can I change the video format?
The SnapStream appliance records SDTV and HDTV in MPEG-2 format inside an MPEG-2 transport
stream wrapper. Recording files have the extension .TP or .TS. Due to hardware limitations, this is the
only format in which the server can record. SnapStream's ShowSqueeze utility allows videos to be
transcoded into Windows Media or H.264/MPEG-4 formats for portability and file compression.
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