VOD Setup Guide

March 7, 2022
Setup GuidesCommission GuideSetup Guide VOD

Thank you for purchasing a VOD server from Cablecast Community Media! This guide will walk you through setting up your new server.

Prerequisites

Before beginning the installation, please make sure that you have the following resources available:

• An ethernet network connection

• A keyboard, mouse, and a VGA monitor

Overview of Setup

There are three parts to setting up your Cablecast server: Physical Setup, Software Setup, and Testing.

Physical Setup : You’ll learn about the physical connections on the Cablecast server, and how to tie it into your existing infrastructure.

Software Setup : You will be taken through the steps necessary to configure the Cablecast software to communicate with your server.

Testing : Finally you’ll run some simple tests to make sure the Cablecast server is correctly configured and ready to use.

Sound like a plan? Let’s get started!

Part I: Physical Setup

Your Cablecast server should come with the following items in the box:

AC power cables : Powers the Cablecast server.

Server : The Cablecast server itself.

Physical Connections

On the back of your Cablecast server, you’ll see several ports. Please refer to the diagram below for connections on your VOD server.

System Connections

All of the Cablecast servers share some basic system connections:

1. Connect a keyboard and mouse via the USB ports.
2. Connect a monitor. The monitor is required for server setup, and we recommend that it remain connected. All Cablecast servers have at least a VGA
port, and this is what we recommend connecting up to the KVM in your rack.
3. Connect the Cablecast server to the network via one of the ethernet network
jacks.
4. Connect the Cablecast server’s power supply to an AC power source using
the provided AC power cables.

FIGURE 1: The Cablecast VOD

1. AC Power

2. RS232 COM port (male)

3. USB 2.0

4. USB 3.0

5. Ethernet

6. VGA


Powering On

Once your Cablecast server is connected, power on the server by pressing the power button on the front of the unit. The unit will boot and go through Windows System Preparation steps. You will need to create a Windows user/pass (do not forget this), and once into Windows be ready for Cablecast software setup.

1. The VOD Server will need a static internal network address.
2. VOD Server will also require an external/public address (inbound TCP 80/443) to allow the public to view VOD content from the server. A DNS record will be required if you intend to use https/ssl for your VOD server.

Part 2: Software Setup

With a new Cablecast system, a system commissioning appointment is included. This is where a member from the Cablecast Customer Support Team assists with the initial configuration and testing of your new server. We highly encourage all customers work with Cablecast Support when installing a new server. They can be reached by email at support@cablecast.tv

We are going to assume you already have the rest of your Cablecast system set up and working. So we will only be showing the steps to configure your Cablecast VOD server.

Adding the VOD server
The first thing we need to do after you have initially hooked up and turned on the VOD server is to add it to your system configuration. Navigate to Settings > System Settings > Servers Click on New and then put in the name of the server and the IP address you have given it. WE HIGHLY ENCOURAGE THAT YOU GIVE ALL OF YOUR CABLECAST SERVERS STATIC INTERNAL ADDRESSES. Click ok when you are done.



Control Module Setup
The next thing we will need to do in the setup of the Cablecast software is to configure the Control Modules. Navigate to Settings > Location Settings > I/O Tab > Control Module Sets The control modules tells the server what we are wanting it to do.

IF your system is running Cablecast 7.5 or higher

  1. Click the Blue +New button
  2. This will bring up the New Control Module Set.
  3. Give the new Control Module Set a Name, then select the Server that will be connected to the control module. In most cases this will be the VOD, unless setting up a Omni.
  4. Once a server has been chosen the Control Module drop down will appear. Choose the VODCM from the Control Module drop down
  5. Click Save.




IF Your system is running Cablecast 7.4 or lower

  1. Click on New to add a new Control Module
  2. Name the Control Module
  3. Select the VODCM control module associated with the IP address you have assigned to your Live server
  4. Click Save when finished.



VOD Setup
The next step is to assign your new VOD CMS to the VOD configuration. Navigate to Settings > Location Settings > I/O Tab > Video on Demand.

  1. From the Video on Demand Server CMS pull down Select VOD.
  2. Maximum Resolution sets your VOD quality ceiling. Note, Cablecast VOD use adaptive bit rate. and we recommend using Auto. Ex. If you have a 1080i source file, then Cablecast will create 360p, 480p, 720p, 1080p variants. If you have a 480i file, Cablecast will create a 360p and 480p variant.
  3. Embed Template is the VOD embed code structure. We recommend leaving this at default.



Testing and Sharing Cablecast VOD

Now that your VOD is configured, you can test. Go to a Show that has a digital file and select the VOD Enabled checkbox and Save the Show.

Navigate to Internet Video > Video on Demand and you can monitor the progress of the VOD creation under the progress tab.

Note, Cablecast will be creating multiple Variants of the file. When it is Fully Discovered it will be listed under the Complete tab. From here you can view the file, get a direct link, embed code, social media share links, etc.


Like we mentioned before, take full advantage of Cablecast Customer Support in the initial setup and configuration of any new Cablecast system.