In my recent article “From Zero to Streaming in 10 Days,” I briefly mentioned that we use hardware encoders from Haivison. Haivision has a wide variety of products, from single hardware encoders to a massive “video furnace” that can provide video services for an entire campus.

At Bates College we use only the hardware encoders. Specifically, we use the Barracuda (SD encoding) and the Makito (HD Encoding). We installed them in 3U Gator travel cases so that they can easily move around.

There are several features of the devices that we like. First is that they can produce multiple streams at one time. So, depending on what you are doing you can send streams to multiple servers or players.

For example, you can send a stream to three specific computers via their IP address. On those computers you simply open up a player (we use VLC) and you can view the stream. A really terrific use for this type of set-up is for overflow from one location to another. If you are using a single camera, you can simply connect it directly into the Haivision device. There are also line inputs for audio. Presumably, you would be providing some type of sound support, so simply take a feed out of your mixing board and plug it in. Just like that you are providing a very high quality overflow.

The Haivision boxes are all configured via a web interface that is very easy to use. You can configure two different stream qualities. You can then mix and match where you send the lower or higher quality streams. This provides a lot of flexibility.

At Bates we don’t have a campus coax network, so for us overflow was always limited to within a building. Also, wires needed to be run from the original location to the overflow location. This was labor intensive and costly. Now, due to the ease of this setup we can overflow from any location on campus that has a network location. Our overflow site can also be anywhere. This allows our customers (event organizers) to decide the look and feel of their overflow site as
opposed to being stuck to a classroom in the same building. We have had overflow sites in a gym, a lobby and a atrium.

Another fabulous feature is the ability for the devices to multicast. In order to do this you are going to need to talk with your network administrators. Some networks have multicast turned off. However, if you play nice with your administrators you will both benefit. In order to explain how, a quick primer on multicast vs. unicast is needed.

In a unicast situation the encoder sends a stream to a single location (server or player) designated by IP address. Every unicast stream you add on the network is a total add. So, if one unicast stream is a 2MB stream, sending that stream to 10 computers causes a 20 MB load on the network.

Enter multicast. Multicast sends out one stream on a defined IP address. You point your player (again we use VLC, can’t beat the price) to that IP address. No matter how many computers “tune” into that stream, there is only one stream on the network. It is analogous to tuning into a radio station, every person who listens in the car does not affect the quality of the signal.

So, let’s say that you have a hugely popular event on campus and you want to overflow to several different locations and let students tune in from their residence halls. Multicast is the only way to go! A 2MB stream tuned into by 40 people, is still a 2MB stream on the network.

How do you get your network admins to work with this technology? Well, first you let them know about it before it arrives!!! Second, I brought the Makito and Barracuda over to my network admins before I even took it out of the box. I let them play with it and get comfortable. They liked it, gave it back and now I have free reign with the device. This also opened up a line of communication about the device and how we use it. When I have issues, problems or concerns they are happy and interested to help me, because they have buy in to the technology.

I cannot leave out that the Haivision boxes can also stream to Wowza server. So, whether you have one at your location, or are sending the stream to a CDN, these boxes can do this simultaneously as it streams the multicast! Pretty darn powerful!

Remember that you can be creative as well. During our major events we use a TriCaster for switching, titling, etc. However, theTriCaster has Flash Media Live Encoder behind the scenes doing the encoding. So, that is limited to a single primary server and a backup server. That makes it difficult to do an overflow while you are streaming. So, we take a component feed out of the TriCaster and plug it into the Makito. Now, we can take that produced feed and send it out as a on-campus MultiCast, and multiple servers if we desire.

I did not get as many comments on my recent article as I did on my previous one. Help! It is your comments, questions and feedback that makes these follow-ups fun and interesting.

So, please keep them coming!!