ADENA Hack: How to add IP sources to the DS-X09?

The DS-X09 Media Decoder, a 9-channel device, supports connecting IP sources through four different protocols:

• RTMP (audio and video)

• RTP (audio and video)

• RTSP (video only)

• NDI|HX (audio and video)

  
  

To add sources, the decoder uses the AREC Multi-view Maker app for Windows (which we reviewed in a previous ADENA Hack ). To add RTSP, RTMP, and RTP sources to the list, simply type their URL like you would on an AREC Media Station, VLC Media Player, OBS, or another application/device in the Main URL field. For instance, to add an RTSP stream of a Media Station, simply type rtsp://IP address of the Media Station/movie. To add a stream from a RADA A-TC02, type rtsp://IP address of the A-TC02/live/av0. Filling out Sub URL fields is optional, but if you do, the Sub URL will be used for previews inside the Multi-view Maker.

NDI links work a bit differently and require filling out both the Main and the Sub URLs. You can find the URLs in the NDI Studio Monitor, or from an NDI-enabled AREC Media Station if you have it. In the NDI Studio Monitor, press the menu button on the top-left corner of the app to see NDI devices in your network. It will look like this:

To check the URL in a Media Station, open the Network Device Manager, scan, and look for it in the “Host Name” column:

Now, open the Multi-view Maker and login to the DS-X09. This will open the Source Setting list. Fill out your sources’ names and enter their Main and Sub URLs in the following format:

Main URL: ndi://Source Name (Channel Name)

Sub URL: Source Name (Channel Name)

You can see how we added our sources in the picture below:

Press “Save” and that’s it, the system is ready to go!

Would you like to know more about the DS-X09 or other AREC solutions? Contact us at www.a-dena.com and we will be happy to assist you.

ADENA Hack: How to use the DS-X09’s Multi-view Maker?

AREC Multi-view Maker is a free control application made for Windows to control and configure the DS-X09 Media Decoder. You can download this application from our website, www.a-dena.com -> Resources -> Firmware & Applications. After you download and install it, simply run the application and enter the IP address, username and password of your DS-X09. 

The first page that will open afterwards, called ‘Source’, is used to configure your network video sources. You can assign names for easier recognition of sources, and input their primary and secondary RTP, RTMP, RTSP, or NDI|HX URLs. You can have up to 96 network sources in the list and switch between them easily on the ‘Control’ page of the app. 

This page is used to configure and switch between themes — combinations of layouts, overlays, and backgrounds, preview any of the individual sources, as well as the mixed video that the DS-X09 outputs via HDMI. Thus, to use the device, simply customise one of the 5 available themes by pressing a paper and pen icon next to them. 

To adjust a source’s position, simply left-click on it and drag it or use the X-Y coordinates at the bottom of the page. You can resize the source by dragging its bottom-right corner or by specifying the W-H parameters. Just as in our Layout Editor app, you are able to change crop modes for your sources, selecting letterbox, fit to width, fit to height, or fill modes, and also change the source order, putting it in front or behind of other sources. Also, when you select a source, you can enable or disable its audio input by using the tick box in the bottom-left corner of this page. You can use the ‘Add’ and ‘Delete’ buttons to either add or remove sources from a theme. You can rename your theme on the right side of this page, as well as add or remove backgrounds from themes. Simply click on the image you would like to use. When you finish customising a theme, press ‘Save’ to apply changes, and then click on the newly customised theme to output it on the DS-X09.

Would you like to know more about the DS-X09 or other AREC hardware and software products? Let us know at www.a-dena.com and we will gladly answer your questions.

Case study: Advanced healthcare training with AREC at SIMNOVA, Italy

Dear ADENA Partners, this time we have a case study from SIMNOVA, a centre for healthcare studies at the University of Eastern Piedmont in Italy. Completed by our distributor Prase Engineering, and integrators Tagliabue Sistemi and Tecnovox, the university’s setup ensures continuous 24/7 streaming from the operational rooms and automatic backup to Google Drive. Read how it was done below.

The Interdepartmental Centre for Innovative Teaching and Simulation in Medicine and Health Professions, known as SIMNOVA, was established several years ago at the University of Eastern Piedmont. Its mission is to conduct research in the healthcare sector, provide advanced training and related programs aimed at improving the quality of care, enhancing patient safety and minimisation of their health risks. To achieve these goals, SIMNOVA offers a wide range of courses in numerous subject areas, which are delivered in specially equipped simulation rooms. The university required an easy-to-use solution that could connect these rooms, record the operations, and upload them to cloud storage. Thanks to the efforts of our partners, the AREC Media Capture System was proposed and successfully implemented, along with audio systems from Shure.

There are a total of 6 simulation rooms at SIMNOVA, and AREC systems are utilised in all of them. Depending on the number of video inputs, a different AREC station is used for recording the operations. In rooms with 4 video inputs, the university uses LS-860 stations, while LS-300 models are employed in those with fewer sources. These stations capture audio and video content from various medical devices and microphone arrays, combine it with network camera feeds, and mix them into videos with custom layouts. In the control room, the operator can select any of these mixed Media Station streams and view them through the DS-X01 Media Decoder. This setup ensures continuous streaming from the operational rooms, and the graphical user interface (GUI) present on the DS-X01 lets the operator easily switch between different room views with a single touch.

LS-300 Media Station

LS-860 Media Station

DS-X01 Media Decoder

The chief technician responsible for the AV systems at SIMNOVA, Antonio Scalogna, shared the following regarding the installation:

With AREC, I can schedule each session and manage video recording backups in a highly flexible manner. Of course, I can also send the recordings to the instructors who conducted the simulations through Google Drive. Since the Center acquired AREC, I use it practically every day to fine-tune the streaming graphics and discover new features.

With the system in place, each training and simulation done at SIMNOVA is recorded and saved for further study and other purposes, ensuring that the goals of the university are achieved. Would you like to recreate this experience for your university? Reach out to us at www.a-dena.com, and we will be happy to discuss it with you.