Learn how to use the MediaDS™ as the video source for a Wowza Video™ live stream. The MediaDS (media distribution system) is a real-time media encoding and live streaming video delivery platform that integrates live production technology from NewTek with live streaming software and services from Wowza Media Systems™ in a rack unit.
To learn about other live stream settings you might see in the user interface, see Live Stream Setup page in Wowza Video.
Notes:
- You can also use the MediaDS to deliver video to viewers using the integrated Wowza Streaming Engine™ media server software (version 4.6.0) and Wowza™ Player. For more information, see Use the MediaDS with Wowza Streaming Engine for live video streaming.
- Technical support for the MediaDS is provided by NewTek. If you need help, contact NewTek Professional Services.
1. Create a live stream
- Sign in to Wowza Video.
- Click Add Live Stream.
- On the Live Stream Setup page, enter a Live Stream Name, choose a Broadcast Location, and then click Next.
- On the Video Source Settings page, select MediaDS as the encoder you want to use to connect to Wowza Video.
- Specify the Input Resolution that you're using in your MediaDS encoder.
- 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. Set up the MediaDS encoder
After you've added a live stream in Wowza Video, configure the MediaDS encoder to connect to it.
Note: The MediaDS must be connected to the Internet for this procedure.
- In the MDS Desktop, in the toolbar at the bottom of the Channel 1 viewport, click the Connection menu.
- Choose New Connection and then choose Wowza Video.
- In the Configure Wowza Video Connection window, click Visit Website.
Important: Disregard the Server Address, Stream ID, Username and Password fields, and don't use the Sign In button. You must click Visit Website and then sign in to Wowza Video. - Sign in to Wowza Video using your Wowza credentials.
- In the Wowza Video user interface, navigate to the live stream that uses MediaDS as its video source.
- Click the Video Source and Transcoder tab of the live stream detail page.
- Under Download Configuration File, click Download.
MediaDS accesses connection details in the XML file and populates the Server Address and Stream ID fields of the Configure Wowza Video Connection window.
- Click Close.
- Configure the other required settings in MDS Desktop, including specifying your audio and video sources in the channel's Configure panel. For help, see the MediaDS user guide.
3. Test the connection
- In Wowza Video, select the live stream that uses the MediaDS encoder as its video source.
- Click Start Live Stream at the top of the live stream detail page.
- Click Start to confirm that you want to start the stream.
Wowza Video opens the stream and connects with the MediaDS.
- Start the stream in the MDS Desktop by clicking the Stream button in the channel's toolbar, and start your video source.
- 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.
- Click Stop Live Stream at the top of the live stream detail page to end your test stream, and then stop the MediaDS appliance and your video source.
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.
