| Evostream Media Server Frequently Asked Questions |
GeneralWhat does EMS stand for? Usage and FeaturesWhat types of streams can the EvoStream Media Server support? Installation and Basic OperationWhere can I get a trial version of the EvoStream Media Server? Integration and CustomizationHow can I see statistics about my instance of the EvoStream Media Server? About EvoStreamCan EvoStream customize the EvoStream Media Server for me and my company? GeneralWhat does EMS stand for? EMS stands for the EvoStream Media Server. What does the EvoStream Media Server do? The EvoStream Media Server can receive many video and/or audio streams of varying format and then serve each of those streams out in any supported format simultaneously. It is, as the name might imply, a Streaming Media Server! What makes the EvoStream Media Server so special? The EvoStream Media Server is the most efficient Media Server in the market. It can be run on embedded platforms using small ARM processors or can be used to fully maximize your full-blown server, supporting many Thousands of connections. The EvoStream Media Server architecture allows you to completely saturate your network interfaces, leveraging 100% of your available bandwidth! Why is the EvoStream Media Server so efficient? The EvoStream Media Server is written in C++, and has a specially tailored networking layer for every Operating System it runs on. By writing OS specific network layers we ensure that every network packet translation is optimized. Beyond the network layer, the EvoStream Media Server is architected with speed in mind and special care is taken to ensure the absolute minimum processing is done on each packet to reduce memory and processor usage. So then how efficient is the EvoStream Media Server? The EvoStream Media Server is so efficient that the entire server can be run on a 400Mhz ARM Linux security camera and still serve dozens of streams! That same efficiency allows the EvoStream Media Server to scale up to servers, supporting at least 2,000 connections per CPU core. That’s over 8,000 connections on a typical quad-core computer! Does the EvoStream Media Server introduce any delay into my streams? No! The EvoStream Media Server will hold only about 1 frame's worth of data (milliseconds of time) before sending it back out. We don’t believe in server side buffering! Is it possible to obtain an evaluation license, and if so, what are the terms and conditions? We offer a full featured 30-day trial license for you to experiment with. You can download it directly from our website. Does the Evaluation Version/License have any feature limitations? No, the Evaluation Version is full featured and not limited in any way.
Usage and FeaturesWhat types of streams can the EvoStream Media Server support? The EvoStream Media Server can receive the following stream protocols:
The EvoStream Media Server can create/send the following stream protocols:
Can I stream to iPhones and iPads with the EvoStream Media Server? Yes! By using the HLS features of the EvoStream Media Server you can stream to any iOS device. Can I stream to Android devices with the EvoStream Media Server? Yes! You can use either the RTSP protocol to stream to the native Android video player, or you can use the RTMP protocol to stream to the Flash plugin of the Android web browser. Can I stream video from IP cameras? Yes! The EvoStream Media Server can take streams from virtually any IP camera, allowing you to stream directly to iPhones, Android Devices, web pages and more! The EvoStream Media Server can even be embedded ON your IP cameras! Cameras running embedded Linux with ARM or MIPS processors can run the EvoStream Media Server, allowing you to reach any screen directly from your camera, and even setup self-contained camera networks without the need for ANY other hardware! What about Video on Demand (VOD), can the EvoStream Media Server support playing video or audio files? Yes! The EvoStream Media Server can play FLV or MP4 files. Can the EvoStream Media Server record my video and/or audio streams? Yes! The EvoStream Media Server has the ability to record any stream it receives as an MP4, TS or FLV file. How does the video and audio need to be encoded/compressed to use the EvoStream Media Server? The EvoStream Media Server requires that the video be encoded with H.264 and that audio be encoded as AAC. MP3 and G711 are supported for pass-through mode (RTMP->RTMP, etc). Can the EvoStream Media Server change the bit-rate and/or resolution of my video stream? In order to change the bit-rate of a video stream, the video needs to be completely decoded and then re-encoded at the new bit-rate. This is a very computationally intensive process. The EvoStream Media Server focuses on the efficient distribution of media streams, and so does not handle the decoding and re-encoding of data. Can the EvoStream Media Server create multiple versions of my video streams at new resolutions? In order to change the resolution of a video stream, the video needs to be completely decoded and then re-encoded at the new resolution/bit-rate. This is a very computationally intensive process. The EvoStream Media Server focuses on the efficient distribution of media streams, and so does not handle the decoding and re-encoding of data. Why do HLS and HDS introduce such large delays? HLS and HDS are “file-based” protocols. They work by converting a stream into small file “chunks”. These short files are then made available to the client/player, who can sequentially download each file via HTTP. This means that you will have to introduce at Least the length of one file length into your stream. In reality, however, the HLS and HDS playlist/manifest files are not valid until several chunk files have been created, multiplying your delay. The EvoStream Media Server provides parameters for adjusting your file sizes, allowing you to tailor the delay for your needs and anticipated server loads.
Installation and Basic OperationWhere can I get a trial version of the EvoStream Media Server? From here. Also, simply fill out the form to get your evaluation license from here. Is there documentation to help with my trial of the EvoStream Media Server? Of Course! Inside your distribution is a folder labeled “docs”. You will find a User’s Guide, a description of our Runtime API, and a How To doc that gives you some simple commands to get you started! What operating systems does EvoStream Media Server run on?
What are the minimum system requirements that the EvoStream Media Server can run on? 400MHz ARM processor, with 5MB of free RAM. This will allow you to serve at least a dozen live streams! When using Intel-style processors, expect to support around 2,000 active connections per CPU core. That means that with a modern quad core computer you can support over 8,000 streams! Double that if you run with hyper-threading!
Integration and CustomizationHow can I see statistics about my instance of the EvoStream Media Server? The EvoStream Media Server provides a suite of APIs just for this purpose. In particular, you will want to use listStreams, getStreamInfo and listStreamIDs. Please consult the API Definition document for more detailed information. Can I take an action when a new stream is brought into, or requested from, the EvoStream Media Server? Yes! As of version 1.6 you can receive HTTP posts, similar to XML or JSON-RPC, which will notify you of specific events. You are then free to take any action necessary. If a connection is dropped, or a stream is stopped, will the EvoStream Media Server reconnect when the stream becomes available again? The EvoStream Media Server will, by default, attempt to reconnect to any stream source that has been explicitly pulled (utilizing the pullStream API function). This behavior can be disabled by using the parameter “keepAlive=0” in the pullStream command. Does the EvoStream Media Server have event/system logging? Yes! As of version 1.6 a log of all important events are logged. This log can be parsed to understand the usage of your EvoStream Media Server instance(s).
About EvoStreamCan EvoStream customize the EvoStream Media Server for me and my company? Yes! EvoStream offers development services in addition to the sale of the EvoStream Media Server. If you have particular needs for your project, product or service, we can develop a custom solution for you based upon the commercial version of the EvoStream Media Server. Does EvoStream provide support for the EvoStream Media Server? Absolutely! We provide top-tier service contracts that give you access to our incredibly talented service professionals. Can I partner with EvoStream or OEM the EvoStream Media Server? Yes! Many EvoStream customers are actually OEM partners. We pride ourselves on providing flexible OEM agreements that meet your business model and deployment strategy. The EvoStream Media Server can be leveraged to make your products and services truly spectacular! The EvoStream Media Server is fantastic, how can I get a copy? We are so happy that you are excited about the EvoStream Media Server! We work hard to ensure it is a best-of-breed product, providing truly disruptive capabilities. Please contact ' ); // -->This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it " style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;"> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to learn more! |
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