VBrick Reflecting

Introduction

•Use an HTTP or RTSPU URL to get the unicast stream. You can create a web page that links to the HTTP or RTSPU stream directly or you can open the HTTP URL or RTSPU URL using Windows Media Player or a web browser.

•Use an HTTP URL to access the .asx file on the VBrick. You can create a web page that contains an HTTP link to the HTTP or RTSPU asx file on the VBrick or you can open the asx URL using Windows Media Player or a web browser.

•Use VBrick StreamPlayer Program Guide. VBrick's StreamPlayer product adds an automatic program guide to Windows Media Player. Each WM Appliance on your network is automatically listed in the program guide on the player. You simply click on the entry in the program guide to play the stream.

•Use VBrick's EtherneTV Portal Server (v3.2 or later). The Portal Server is a fully integrated video solution with automatic program guides and an integrated player for live streams from all types of VBrick appliances as well as on-demand streams from video servers. EtherneTV offers many advanced features such as scheduling, recording, and access control.

Reflecting

VBrick supports the concept of reflecting wherein a WM stream is redistributed to other network devices. Reflecting is supported by two models: (1) a single channel WM Encoder device, and (2) a standalone reflector model. A variant of the models can have hard drives. Streams are acquired either via push or pull. The reflector can be configured to receive a stream pushed from another WM appliance or a Reflector, or pushed from a Microsoft Windows Media Encoder. The Reflector can also be configured to pull a stream from another VBrick WM Appliance, a Microsoft WM server, or a Microsoft WM Encoder.

Reflecting involves an "encoder" which creates a video stream and sends it over the network and a "reflector" which receives the network stream from the encoder and retransmits the stream to players or other reflectors. In many applications, VBrick appliances are used both as the encoders and as the reflectors, but since VBricks are compatible with other devices in the Microsoft Windows Media ecosystem so you can just as easily use a VBrick as the encoder and a Microsoft or Real Helix Server as the reflector, or you can use a Microsoft Encoder or Microsoft Server as the source of a stream for a VBrick Reflector.

There are two types of VBrick Appliances that can do reflecting. One type is the Single Channel WM Encoder Appliances (part numbers 9190-4200-xxxx) which have both encoder and reflector features in the same unit. The other type is the VBrick WM Reflector Appliances (part numbers 9190-0200-xxxx) which contain only reflector features. Both types of reflectors can optionally include an internal hard drive for archiving.

Regardless of the mix of VBrick or Microsoft products for encoding and reflecting, the transmission of the stream over the network from the encoder to the reflector can be done either by "push" or by "pull." Although they accomplish essentially the same thing, there are various reasons to choose one or the other but the most important factor is what kind of firewalls exist between the devices. For example, if an encoder behind a firewall needs to distribute its stream through a public reflector, then pushing from the encoder to the reflector works well. Conversely, if a reflector behind a firewall needs to acquire a stream from a public encoder or server, then pulling from the source to the reflector works better.

VBrick WM Appliance Admin Guide