Connect an Epiphan Pearl encoder to Wowza Video Legacy

Learn how to use Epiphan Pearl as the video source for a Wowza Video™ live stream. Epiphan Pearl, a lightweight, portable, all-in-one live video production system that captures, streams, and records multiple HD audio/video sources, can capture almost any live video and deliver it to the Wowza Video™ service. When you choose Epiphan as your video source, Wowza Video generates a six-digit connection code and an XML settings file. You can use either the code or the XML file to easily connect the Pearl encoder to Wowza Video.

To learn about other live stream settings you might see in the user interface, see Live Stream Setup page in Wowza Video.

1. Create a live stream

If you haven't already done so, create a live stream in Wowza Video that uses the Epiphan Pearl encoder as the video source.

1. Sign in to Wowza Video.
    
2. Click Add Live Stream.
3. On the Live Stream Setup page, enter a Live Stream Name, choose a Broadcast Location, and then click Next.
4. On the Video Source and Transcoder Settings page, select Epiphan as the encoder you want to use to connect to Wowza Video.
5. Specify other video source settings, click Next, and complete the steps to finish creating the live stream.

Wowza Video creates the live stream and displays the Overview tab of the live stream detail page.

2. Connect the Epiphan Pearl to Wowza Video

After you've added a live stream in Wowza Video, configure the Epiphan Pearl to connect to it. You can configure the Pearl in either of two ways: by using the Wowza Video connection code, or by using the XML connection settings file that Wowza Video generated for the live stream.

Connect using the Connection Code

Note: The Wowza Video connection code is supported in Epiphan Pearl firmware version 3.14.4 through 4.7.1 only.  For later firmware versions, see the Source Connection Information on the Overview tab of the live stream detail page for server, port, and other details your encoder needs to connect to Wowza Video.

1. On the Live Streams page of Wowza Video, select the live stream that uses Epiphan as its video source.
    
2. On the Oveview tab of the live stream detail page, make note of the six-digit Connection Code.

3. Sign in to the Epiphan Pearl web-based admin interface using your Epiphan credentials.
    
4. Add or select a channel for your Wowza Video stream.

5. With the channel selected in the Channels menu, click Streaming.

6. Under Stream to a server, click the Publish menu and choose Wowza Video.
    
7. In the Connection code field, enter the Connection Code from the Overview tab of your live stream detail page, and then click Set.

8. Click Apply.
    
9. Configure any other required settings for your broadcast. See the Epiphan Pearl User Guide for information on how to configure a channel.

Connect using the XML settings file

1. On the Live Streams page of Wowza Video, select the live stream that uses Epiphan as its video source.
    
2. Click the Video Source and Transcoder tab of the live stream detail page.
    
3. Under Download Configuration File, click Download.

4. Copy the downloaded file, Epiphan.xml, to a computer on the same network as the Epiphan Pearl.
    
5. In a browser on that computer, sign in to the Epiphan Pearl web-based admin interface using your Epiphan credentials.
    
6. Add or select a channel for your Wowza Video stream.

7. With the channel selected in the Channels menu, click Streaming.

8. Under Stream to servers, click New Stream and select Use profile XML. Then navigate to and select the Epiphan.xml profile.
9. Click Apply.
    
10. Configure any other required settings for your broadcast. See the Epiphan Pearl User Guide for information on how to configure a channel.

3. Test the connection

1. In Wowza Video, select the live stream that uses the Epiphan Pearl as its video source.
    
2. Click Start Live Stream at the top of the live stream detail page.
    
3. Click Start to confirm that you want to start the stream.

Wowza Video opens the stream and connects with the Pearl encoder.

4. In the Epiphan Pearl admin interface, start your video source.
    
5. In the Wowza Video web manager, confirm that the live stream is playing by looking at the Video Preview in the Overview tab of the Live Stream Details page.
   
   The video preview displays a frame from the live stream every 5 seconds. The started date and time appear under the preview. Source stream, transcoder, and delivery metrics begin to update.
   
   
   
    

6. Click Stop Live Stream at the top of the live stream detail page to end your test stream, and then stop the stream in the Pearl encoder.
   
   

   Note: If you configure a camera or encoder to push video to the Wowza Video service, it may take up to 10 seconds once the live stream or transcoder has started for the encoder to connect. This is due to DNS lookup of the host server's IP address. For a more immediate connection, in the encoder settings, use the IP address that's visible in Wowza Video after the live stream or transcoder has started. See Speed up the connection to a transcoder in Wowza Video for more information.

More resources

• Get started with Wowza Video
• Encoding best practices for Wowza Video