Video Server

The Broadcast Television Engineering Technology program at Napa Valley College has a Philips BTS Media Pool digital video server. It was likely made in 1995, given that the copyright for the manuals contains this date.

This document attempts to provide a server operation manual that is customized to our program. It partly draws from the manuals the program has on the server, partly draws from my experience, and partly draws from the experience of others in the program.

This document was last updated on $Date: 2007/03/15 07:15:23 $.

Equipment

The video server is comprised of the server itself and two workstations.

Server

The server is located in the server room. There are three sets of equipment racks in the server room; one of these sets holds the video server. This set is comprised of three equipment racks, located near a wall in the middle of the server room, further away from the exit doors than the other rack sets. The center and leftmost racks contain mostly tan/gray boxes with few or no controls/lights (the main video server components). The leftmost rack also contain:

• a control panel for routing video signals to and from the server.
• four A-to-D audio converters
• a tape drive used for backing up the meta data for the video server

Other components associated with the video server are in the rightmost rack and include:

• the HP computer running HP/UX that controls the video server and is the local workstation, located at the top of this rack
• the monitor, keyboard/mouse drawer tray, and Belkin 4-port KVM switch used to access the HP computer
• a Sony Betacam VTR deck
• computers associated with a donated video streaming server

Other Rack Sets in the Server Room

Just to avoid confusion as to which rack set is the one for the video server, this paragraph describes the other rack sets in the server room. One other equipment rack set is the one holding the audio patch panel, house sync, effects 3 and effects 1 monitors, video switcher, and other gear; this is the set that is nearest the exit door to the control room. The other equipment rack set is the one holding the video recorders (including a Sony Betacam VTR and two Sony D-2 VTRs); this is the set that is nearest the exit door to the stairwell.

Workstations

There are two workstations, one in the control room and one in the studio.

Control Room Workstation

The workstation in the control room allows easy access to recording and playback using the video server. There are a set of three small monitors mounted in the counter that provide the ability to monitor material being recorded to and played back from the video server.

Studio Workstation

The workstation in the studio allows easy access to the video server for those using the various editing systems (Avid, Adobe, Final Cut Pro), so that recordings can be transferred between the server and individual editing systems.

Startup

This section provides the basics of starting the video server. It is a good idea to get the experience of starting the server a few times; while it is almost as boring as watching paint dry, after a few boots you get an idea of the normal startup sequence of events, so that on the one day you do start it up and you observe abnormal behavior, you may be able to predict a failure or at least remember that the failure you experience later that day may have been related to the abnormal startup sequence you witnessed.

Here's how to start up the server:

1. Look in the circuit breaker panel. Ensure that breakers 2, 7, and 12 (I've got to verify these numbers - they are the ones by which the receptacles behind the three racks associated with the video server are numbered on the top) are turned on.
2. Locate the UPS (uninterruptible power supply) on the floor to the right of the rightmost of the racks containing the video server. Ensure it is plugged into the receptacle associated with circuit breaker # 4 (to be corrected later). Ensure the switch on the back of the UPS labeled line and battery power is turned on.
3. Ensure the monitor in the rightmost rack is powered on.
4. Find the Hewlett-Packard computer mounted in the right-side rack at the top. It is connected to the UPS so you don't have to flip any power strip switches prior to turning it on. Push and release the power button (it's on the left side of the front of the computer). The computer should show signs of activity; specifically, the light above the power button should blink green.
5. Pull out the keyboard and mouse slide-out drawer for the computer.
6. Ensure the KVM switch is powered on, toggling the power button on the front of the KVM unit if needed. Ensure the KVM switch is switched to port 4 - press the port toggle button on the right side of the KVM unit if needed to do so. This switches the monitor, keyboard, and mouse to be associated with the H-P computer you just powered up.
7. You should now see evidence of the boot process of the H-P computer. It'll show a set of operations that it is performing, together with a column on the right that indicates if the operation has been completed. Wait a while, until you finally see the graphical login screen (if you don't see this in a minute or two, you have a problem).
8. Log in using an appropriate user name and password. This document will not contain user names or passwords, so you will have to get them from another source, like your black book.
9. Wait until the CDE (Common Desktop Environment), an X-Windows-based graphical user interface (GUI), presents itself.
10. Click (once, don't double click) on the SPLASH icon on the toolbar at the bottom of the screen (the squarish thumbnail image just to the right of the EXIT button, and a bit to the right of the center of the screen); this will invoke the Splash application. If you double-click on the SPLASH icon, you will get two instances of the application, which can be confusing.
11. You should then see the Media Pool Selector window. Select the media pool system; it should be the only one presented, is labeled BTV0, and its status will likely be something like Booting. Click on the media pool's name in the media pool list box, then click on the Select button.
12. For the Enter User Name dialog, enter the user name for a valid user of the media pool. It could be the system administrator if you know you will be performing system administration upon booting, but it doesn't have to be as long as the system boots successfully.
13. For the password dialog, enter the password appropriate for the user name you just entered.
14. You should either see 1) the Splash main window, or 2) a dialog presenting the message Warning: the resource manager is not connected or System unavailable. Splash is unable to connect. Attempting to reconnect.; in the case of (2), click the OK button to get to the Splash main window.
15. In the Splash main window, select Maintenance->Configure in the menu bar.
16. Double-click on AC0 to invoke a dialog box on AC0 configuration
17. Verify that logging is enabled for this device. Choose to enable it and apply/OK to close the dialog, else just close the dialog. For some unknown annoying reason, this option is frequently disabled between boots.
18. In the Splash main window, select Views->State of Media Pool in the menu bar.
19. You'll be displaying the State of Media Pool window until the system completes booting. This is the boring part, but by looking at the dialog, you'll get a sense of what the normal boot sequence is like so that you can recognize abnormal boot sequences. Increase the height of this window until all lines in the component status list box are visible at once.
20. Locate the power switch set in the left rack of the racks containing the video server, near the bottom of the left rack, just above the Hewlett-Packard computer you powered on earlier in this procedure. The set is light gray and contains six switches: the one on the left is marked AC0, the next one to its right is marked AC1, and the rest are unmarked.
21. Turn on the rightmost (6th) power switch (unmarked). This powers the 4 A-to-D audio converters and the switch panel.
22. Turn on the (leftmost) power switch marked AC0.
23. Wait until the line in the State of Media Pool window referring to AC0 displays a status of System Startup and displays a status code in the low 200's (likely 208),
24. Turn on the second power switch, marked AC1, on the light gray power switch set. After doing this, the light on the commutator will glow red, and the lights on the components making up the arrays AC0 and AC1 will glow green.
25. Wait until the line referring to AC1 displays a status of System Startup and displays a status code in the low 200's (likely 208). Also, the status code for the commutator will go to 201.
26. Turn on the middle two (unmarked) power switches on the light gray power switch set. Switch 3 turns on the VRs and the commutator. Switch 4 turns on the box in the bottom of the leftmost rack. Switch 5 is not connected. After this, the lights on VR0-1 through VR0-5 will glow green, and the light on the commutator will still be red.
27. Continue watching the window (for 5 to 15 minutes) until
    • the status for each of the devices is displayed Ready
    • the lights on the commutator and VRs 1-5 (in the left-side rack) are all green
    • and the lights on the arrays (in the right-side rack) are all green.

The video server is now ready for use.

Troubleshooting

AC0 and AC1 need to be plugged into receptacles serviced by different circuits. If they are plugged into the same circuit, the breaker for that circuit will blow during the boot process.

Software Support

There are three software applications supplied with the video server, two of which are of general interest to video server users.

SPLASH

The SPLASH name is an acronym for Software Program for the Logical Administration of System Hardware. The SPLASH application allows you to

• create streams (configurations of applications and hardware resources) used to record and play back media stored on the server
• manage media files
• perform system monitoring and maintenance functions

Stream

The Stream application provides a UI that operates as a virtual VTR, allowing you to record and/or play back media files.

Operating a Video Server Workstation

The topics are listed but most don't have information for them yet.

Starting/Booting

Here's how to start up a workstation (the one in the control room and the one in the studio near the editors).

1. Find any power strip connecting workstation components to power and turn that on. This is required for the control room computer (I'll have to check for the studio computer).
2. Find the Hewlett-Packard computer CPU box. Push and release the power button (it's on the left side of the front of the computer). The computer should show signs of activity; specifically, the light above the power button should blink green.
3. You should now see evidence of the boot process of the H-P computer. It'll show a set of operations that it is performing, together with a column on the right that indicates if the operation has been completed. Wait a while, until you finally see the graphical login window (if you don't see this in a minute or two, you have a problem).

Logging In

1. Log in using an appropriate user name and password. This document will not contain user names or passwords, so you will have to get them from another source, like your black book.
2. Wait until the CDE (Common Desktop Environment), an X-Windows-based graphical user interface (GUI), presents itself.

Starting SPLASH

1. Click (once, don't double click) on the SPLASH icon on the toolbar at the bottom of the screen (the squarish thumbnail image just to the right of the EXIT button, and a bit to the right of the center of the screen); this will invoke the Splash application. If you double-click on the SPLASH icon, you will get two instances of the application, which can be confusing.
2. You should then see the Media Pool Selector window. Select the media pool system; it should be the only one presented, is labeled BTV0, and its status will likely be Full. Click on the media pool's name in the media pool list box, then click on the Select button.
3. For the Enter User Name dialog, enter the user name for a valid user of the media pool. It could be the system administrator if you know you will be performing system administration upon booting, but it doesn't have to be as long as the system boots successfully.
4. For the password dialog, enter the password appropriate for the user name you just entered.
5. You should either see 1) the Splash main window, or 2) a dialog presenting the message Warning: the resource manager is not connected or System unavailable. Splash is unable to connect. Attempting to reconnect.; in the case of (2), click the OK button to get to the Splash main window.

Applications

There are two application types to be familiar with

• Stream - this will invoke a VTR-like interface on your choice of media file
• BetaCP - this will invoke a UI-less service that provides an programmatic interface to an external video device (like the video server) between a software program that can control Sony Betacam VTRs and between the video server which can be made to respond with the protocol defined for Sony Betacam VTRs

You will use streams to record and play back media files to various control room and server devices. You will use BetaCPs to record and play back media files to various video editing systems located in the studio.

The Splash Main Window

The Splash main window contains two sections

• the Configured Software section in the topmost subwindow - this contains inactive applications
• the Running Software section in the bottommost subwindow - this contains active applications

Invoking an Existing Application

In order to invoke an existing inactive application

1. click and hold the middle mouse button on an icon within the Configured Software subwindow that represents the desired configuration
2. continuing to hold the middle mouse button, drag the icon into the Running Software subwindow
3. release the middle mouse button and wait for the application to activate, indicated by the icon now being present in the Running Software subwindow

If this operation fails

• you might not have permission to use this application
• the resources used by the application might be in use by an already-running application

Operating a Running Stream

The Stream interface presents a VTR interface on an associated media file. The interface presents some fairly obvious controls to do some fairly obvious operations. This section will talk about the non-obvious details of using Stream in our environment.

Starting Recording

To start recording, move the mouse pointer over the record button and the click on both the left and right mouse buttons simultaneously.

The EE/PB Check Box

The EE/PB (electronics to electronics / playback) check box is located at the lower left of the Stream window. When it is deselected, the monitor output of the VTR is always what is being played back currently or the most recent frame of what was played back most recently. When it is selected, the monitor output is the selected input source when recording or stopped, and the output shows the effects of any compression being applied to the recorded material. Apparently, one can't see the effects of compression unless the application is configured to use 1:1 as the minimum compression.

If you are recording in the control room, you should select the check box so that you can monitor the video being recorded while you are recording it. The three little monitors mounted within the counter top to the left of the workstation monitor allow you to view server 1, server 2, and server 3 as VTR1, VTR2, and VTR3, respectively. If you are the recording engineer, and you are using a stream that has the EE/PB box checked, and you don't see in the appropriate little monitor the video you are recording, then the server isn't recording it.

If you are playing back a media file to insert into the video switcher via VTR1, VTR2, or VTR3 inputs, and are also recording the output of the program and/or effects buses on the video server, you should ensure the EE/PB check box is deselected on the Stream used to play back the media file, or else you will generate some feedback which will make your video look interesting but will probably not be the effect you want.

Configuring (Creating and Modifying) Applications

I don't have time to fill out this section right now. However, there are some system limitations about which you should know.

If you plan to record audio, you must record audio to server 1's audio channels. This will be true until we receive our dedicated audio A/D converters and set up an audio patch panel or source/destination control panel at the video server. So, ensure that any Stream configuration you use for audio recording uses Server 1's audio channels.

Configure existing applications by either:

• double-clicking on an icon in the Configured Software subwindow
• selecting an icon in the Configured Software subwindow and then choosing the Views->Instance Configuration menu item.

You can view, but not modify, the configuration of an application whose icon is located in the Running Software subwindow by double-clicking or choosing the Views->Instance Configuration menu item.

Viewing and Changing Properties of Saved Media Files

In order to change properties, you must be logged on either as the owner of the saved media file(s) of interest or as the system administrator.

In the Splash window, choose the File->Show Media List ... (Ctrl-m) menu option. (Ignore the square on the left side of the menu pulldown entry - it isn't a check box toggle)

This opens the Media File List dialog with a list of files and attributes, and OK/Cancel/Apply/Delete buttons.

The Apply button should enable after making a change. To commit the change, click Apply or OK.

Changing Media File Permissions

To change file permissions, click on the cells within the appropriate column. The permissions are like UNIX file system permissions: there are read, write, and execute permissions and there are three sets of users: owner, group, and world. The letter r will show up if that user category has the right to read the media file, and the letter w will show up if that user category has the right to change the media file. I've seen the x show up but I've not seen how to apply it or what it means in this context. When you click on the cells, the permissions on the file will change. Warning!: clicking the Cancel button does not cancel permissions changes you make here!

You'll likely want to set permissions of the media files you value to read-only by everyone, since people will often choose an existing media file to load when they are learning how to use the Stream application, and if they happen to click the record button as part of their learning process, you will lose some or all of your recorded material.

Changing Media File Name

To change the file name, click on the file name column in the row corresponding to the desired file. The system will replace the cell with an editable text box, in which you can make the change you want.

Exiting SPLASH

To exit the Splash application

1. Double-click on the square in the upper left of the Splash window, or choose File->Exit in the menu bar
2. You will get a dialog box asking you to confirm your choice; choose OK/Yes to continue
3. The Splash window will close/disappear

Logging Out

To log out, click the Exit button on the task bar near the center of the bottom of the screen.

Shutting Down

After logging out, wait for the logout process to complete and the login screen to redisplay on the monitor, then press and release the power button on the workstation (that will shut down the workstation). Wait until the shutdown process is complete before powering down any associated power strip.

Setting Up Audio Recording and Playback

The server room contains three digital-to-analog converters, Behringer Ultra Match Pro (Model SRC2496), that we use to perform digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital conversion of audio between the video server and the rest of the audio system in the studio.

System Limitations

In order to record or play back audio, you must use VRs 1, 2, or 3, since the audio system only has three D2A converters, and they are assigned to those VRs.

When patching cables between ports on the audio patch panel, ensure that the polarity of the two cables is the same, otherwise the audio from the two channels (now out of phase) will cancel each other upon playback unless you again reverse the polarity. The patch panel cable plugs each have a gold screw and a silver screw; ensure that both patch panel cables have the same orientation of gold screw and silver screw when the cables are plugged into the patch panel.

Analog Audio Patch Panel Connections

The analog audio patch panel contains jacks that go to and from the D2A converters. In the bottom row of jacks, the six left-most jacks connect to the inputs of the D2A converters as follows:

In the second row of jacks from the bottom, the six left-most jacks connect to the outputs of the D2A converters as follows:

Digital Audio Patch Panel Connections

The digital audio patch panel is located on the leftmost video server rack. It is normalized to defaults of channel 1 (left) and channel 2 (right). Override this by patching in the next adjacent pair if you want to use channels 3 and 4. This paragraph needs some more specifics on which ports go to which channels and how to patch.

Setting Up the D2A Converters

There are a bunch of buttons and knobs on the D2A converters. Here's what you need to know about them.

General Notes

Many of the displayed values will be preset when the D2A converter reads the AES stream.

Source (left)

The source switch on the left side has the choices of analog in or analog out. These only affect the LED meters next to the source switch, and the headphones. For example, if you choose analog in, the LED meters will reflect the amplitude of the incoming analog audio and the incoming analog audio will be routed to the headphone jack.

Mode

Ensure it is set to A/D & D/A conv.

Source (right)

This is the source for the digital side. This should be set to RCA.

Format

Should be set to AES/EBU.

Clock

Should be set to digital in. In this case, the D2A will recover the clock from AES, and will set the sample rate and word length for you.

Dither

If using 16- or 20-bit data, the D2A will dither to 24 bits.

Emphasis

Leave off.

Copy

Leave off.

Gain

This knob sets the incoming level for analog input. Use this when outputting 1 kHz tone at 0 dB. Brian has been setting this at -4 dB just for headroom. There is no gain on analog out, since it is at line level.

Other Notes

After the LED status lights BTS VTRs go green, the VTRs will output null AES data, and that should turn on the lock lights on the D2A converters.

Recording Audio to the Video Server

To set up for recording audio on the video server:

1. Patch the Audio Mix Out Left and Audio Mix Out Right jacks on the audio patch panel into the inputs for the desired VR.
2. Set up the A2D converter for the desired VR.
3. Check line levels.

Playing Back Audio from the Video Server

To set up for playing back audio previously recorded on the video server:

1. Patch the appropriate outputs for the desired VR into the desired audio board channels or the inputs to the VTRs in the VTR room.
2. Set up the A2D converter for the desired VR.

Routing Video Input to and Video Output from the Video Server

The video server system uses a Sony BKS-R3205 source and destination control panel to route video to and from the server. There are 16 sources represented by 16 green buttons on the left, and 16 destinations, represented by 16 amber buttons on the right. Each source may be matched up with one destination (TBD - check if this is true, or if a source can go to multiple destinations).

Viewing and Changing Routing

Viewing Routing

View routes by:

1. pushing the amber button associated with the destination of interest
2. noticing what source is being routed to that destination by seeing which green source button is lit

Leave the green source buttons alone unless you intend to change the source associated with the selected destination.

Changing Routing

Pushing a green source button will change which source is routed to the currently selected destination; this is why it is important to push the destination button of interest before pushing any source buttons. This seems a bit convoluted if one wants to determine to what destination a source is routed, since in order to find out, one must potentially select each destination to find out to where the source of interest is being routed.

The Protect Button

There is a toggling push button labeled protect on the left side of the control panel. If you are concerned that somebody else is going to change your settings before you are through with your work, you can press the protect button. When viewing a particular source/destination combination, if the protect button is lit, users can't change the source routing for the selected destination without first hitting the protect button to disable protection. If the protect button is not lit for the selected destination, that destination is not protected from change. The protect button applies to individual destinations, not to the control panel as a whole; you can choose one destination, see it being marked as protected, and choose another destination and see it being marked as not protected. So, if you want to protect a set of destinations, for each destination you wish to protect, you must select the amber button for that destination, then push the protect button if needed so that the the protect button light is lit.

The Level Switches

You can ignore the Level switches.

Sources

Here are the sources you can choose to route:

Destinations

Here are the destinations you can choose to route:

Shutdown

Here is the list of tasks necessary to perform in order to shut down the video server.

1. At each workstation, logout (click the Exit button on the task bar at screen bottom), wait for the logout process to complete and the login screen to redisplay on the monitor, then press and release the power button on the workstation (that will shut down the workstation)
2. After all workstations have completed their shut down process, turn off all power switches in the white power switch set on the lower left of the set of racks holding the video server