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Wowza Brings Network DVR Functionality out of Beta

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Over the weekend, as part of the 2012 National Association of Broadcasters' show (NAB), Wowza Media Systems introduced an updated version of its Wowza Media Server 3 (WMS). WMS 3.Wowza在2011年NAB展上首次亮相的插件架构中,新增了一个网络数字视频录像机(nDVR)功能.

现在nDVR已经结束了测试,已经购买了WMS3或WMS3的服务器客户.1直接(称为永久被许可方)将支付nDVR插件的全价, 单服务器许可证的价格为495美元,购买2-4个nDVR插件每单位可节省50美元,同时购买5个以上插件可节省100美元.

In addition, Wowza also offers Daily and Monthly WMS 3 "rentals" for those who might want to upgrade their media delivery server capacity for a number of days or weeks; for those customers, the nDVR AddOn usage will now be billed at full price, starting in May 2012.

Two other options are new to the Wowza Media Server 3.1 .功能列表:使用转码器AddOn(以前只允许视频和音频组合转码)提供转码音频流的能力,以及在转码器AddOn输出上插入动态覆盖的能力.

During the beta phase, we worked on a number of scenarios with the nDVR, 主要的测试是为田纳西州东北部的一个双校区教堂实施时移解决方案. 虽然一个更长的案例研究即将到来,但这里有一些我们的初步发现:

Wowza nDVR and Live Streaming

nDVR和直播的使用并不一定是相互排斥的. 我们被要求实现时移功能的原因——也是Wowza的nDVR插件最有意义的原因——是为了让两个校区的部长都能做出选择, at any given service, which campus to deliver their sermon from.

In other words, 这位高级部长很有可能选择亲自出现在两个校区中的任何一个,参加每周三次的礼拜活动. 当牧师从两个地点中的任何一个布道时, 另一个地点将远程观看投影屏幕上的直播布道.

To add to complexity, 每个地点也会有当地的人才在布道前提供音乐. As is the case with any event coordinating between locations, 一个音乐小组可能会比另一个校园的音乐小组更长或更短. This uncertainty, 这意味着牧师的布道可能会在另一个校园准备好观看远程流的五分钟前开始, was a primary reason to consider the nDVR solution.

如果这是唯一的问题——5分钟的延迟——Wowza nDVR解决方案本身的时移特性将是理想的,以适应传输的时移特性. 事实上,使用媒体传递服务器并不一定有真正的理由. Yet, WMS 3和nDVR插件最有意义的原因是能够选择直播(当每个地点的音乐团体在同一时间结束时)或nDVR播放(当牧师在当地校园开始早些时候讲话时)。.

The way to accomplish this was to have two players, 一个面向直播,另一个面向nDVR回放, 每个播放器可作为一个简单的URL点击硬编码的信息,关于直播流或nDVR文件段的位置.

Wowza nDVR as Asset Management System

我们发现的第二件事是,nDVR可以用作穷人的资产管理系统. 了解校园布道复杂时变的读者可能会问一个合乎逻辑的问题:如果牧师的布道被推迟到另一个校园的音乐团体已经唱完歌,准备在牧师真正开始布道前五分钟观看布道,会发生什么?

A number of ideas were tossed around, including forcing the minister to cut the music group's portion short, but those were deemed as too intrusive. The final solution, though, showcased the power of the nDVR AddOn.

To accommodate this extremely fluid scenario, without resorting to bending the time-space continuum, 我们使用了第三个单点播放器:媒体人有第三个可用的URL,该URL被编码为从nDVR缓存中播放之前的布道.

For the 11 a.m. service, then, 如果当地的校园音乐团体已经完成了他们的歌曲,会众准备好了牧师的讲道, 媒体人可以点击第三个URL,它会调用一个播放器来播放上午9:30的视频.m. sermon. 虽然这听起来可能类似于回放五分钟的时间变换布道, it's actually quite a bit different, 因为nDVR已经记录了在下次服务开始前20分钟结束的流的文件结束信息. In essence, the nDVR's cache, 哪一个可以设置为任意的分钟数,甚至天数,这样我们就可以充分利用时间转换的优势.

In the end, nDVR和live的结合特性对于负责播放第二校区讲道的媒体人来说是透明的. 对这个人来说,这是一个简单的基于牧师是否准时的1-2-3决定, 他的布道迟到了五分钟或者提前了五分钟. The solution also can scale to several campuses, 是什么打开了教会的大门,使其可以在该地区的任何校园使用相同的敬拜形式.

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