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New Zixi Broadcaster Features
HLS Input
Zixi Broadcaster’s version 1.11 features support for HLS input streams. The HLS stream can include adaptive bitrate streaming as an input to the Zixi Broadcaster. Alternatively, the Input URL can point to a specific bitrate variant. This input can be converted to all other Zixi Broadcaster-supported formats.
New Output Types
- HTTP Push – The new version features HTTP Push outputs. The output is sent as an HTTP PUT request. The source of HTTP Push output is a predefined adaptive group with HLS or DASH fragments. Outdated stream fragments can be explicitly deleted from the server using HTTP DELETE.
- S3 Bucket – This is a specialized type of HTTP Push output that pushes the stream to an AWS S3 Bucket. The native S3 support includes the ability to configure the S3 authentication credentials and region.
- Facebook and YouTube Live RTMP – As part of the RTMP output configuration process, it is now possible to configure Facebook Live and You Tube Live targets. This enables you to send an RTMP stream into Facebook Live or YouTube Live using their native authorization/login and settings.
DTLS Encryption
Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) is a communications protocol that provides security for datagram-based applications by allowing them to communicate in a way that is designed to prevent eavesdropping, tampering, or message forgery. The DTLS protocol is based on the stream-oriented Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol and is intended to provide similar security guarantees.
The new version features DTLS encryption and identity authentication. This feature can be used in conjunction with static key AES scrambling for end-to-end encryption. The DTLS encryption replaces the “Automatic Encryption” option, which was available in previous versions.
DTLS encryption can be configured on any Input or Output UDP port on the Zixi Broadcaster. This feature is activated and configured in the Settings page. A DTLS server is configured using certificate and private key files in X.509 PEM format, similar to the files used to enable an HTTPS server.
New Transcoder Modes
For Zixi Broadcasters that have a Transcoder license, the new release features the following transcoding modes:
- Video only – transcoding of the stream where the output does not include the audio channel.
- Audio only – transcoding of the stream where the output does not include the video channel.
Histogram Graphs for Outputs
Output stream statistics now include history graphs. While viewing the stats (at the bottom of the screen) for a selected Output stream, you can now click on the graph icon next to a specific parameter to view a graph containing the historical data for that parameter.
Recording File Name Template
The recording options (Inputs and Adaptive) include the ability to configure a template for naming recorded files. The template uses dynamic variables for the following parameters:
- %S= Stream ID
- %Y=year
- %M=month
- %D=day
- %T=time, in HH.MM.SS format
Host Machine Info
The Status screen in the new version displays detailed HW system information of the underlying machine, running the Zixi Broadcaster. This information includes the number of processors, cores, and RAM, as well as details regarding the Operating System.
New Zixi Feeder Features
Automatic Bonding
Zixi Feeder features the ability to bond all available network interfaces when outputting a stream to a Zixi Broadcaster. Selecting the “ALL” option in the IP field, instructs Zixi Feeder to use all available network interfaces, while automatically adapting to changes in the IP addresses without requiring additional configuration.
New Zixi Receiver Features
Adaptive Streaming
When pulling the name of an adaptive group in the Zixi Receiver, a list of supported bitrates is now displayed. You can select a specific bitrate or you can select Auto for automatic bitrate adaptation based on the available bitrate on the link between the Zixi Broadcaster and the Zixi Receiver. This feature detects the bandwidth between Zixi Broadcaster and Zixi Receiver and dynamically adjusts the quality of a video stream accordingly. To enable this feature, the input URL should point to a name of an adaptive bitrate group (a group of streams with various bitrates and resolutions).
Additional Changes in Zixi Broadcaster
- HDS support has been removed
- Intel transcoder SDK has been upgraded to 2017R2
- Support for 4:2:2 and 10-bit depth color space input in transcoder
- Added transcoder hardware acceleration check dialog
- GPU utilization
- New CODECS string in HLS manifest
- New RESOLUTION=YxZ in HLS playlist
- New API to query SCTE-35 markers history (/zixi/adaptive_last_cues)
- SCTE-35 markers in MPEG-TS streams trigger OnCuePoint call function in RTMP
- Event log API now accepts optional 'start' parameter, in ISO_8601 format to query logs only after given time
- Broadcaster recent events logs size has increased to 10000 lines
- Installation partition free disk space reported in sys_load.json
- Remember matrix screen layout with browser cookies
- New total bytes counter for each track in tr101
- Matrix preview now supports 10-bit sources
- Added "Access-Control-Allow-Origin" header on DVR redirect resource
- Automatic bonding support has been added for Ubuntu with NetworkManager
- Output now displays orange led if it does not have any active sources
- Added local machine clock to status line
- New deflate content encoding in HTTP server
Hitless Failover
On all platform components, Zixi V12 features hitless failover for inputs, enabling undisrupted streaming when switching from one source to another. Zixi's new hitless failover feature is based on the SMPTE 2022-7 standard, which specifies “seamless” or hitless failover between binary-identical streams with synchronized RTP headers. Zixi's patent-pending hitless failover technology works by comparing the transport stream payload, without relying on sequences being synchronized. Zixi then applies a proprietary sequencing algorithm to identify missing parts and fill-in missing packets.
Content Analysis
Zixi Broadcaster V12 now includes analysis of video content in addition to existing transport and network analysis. The content analysis feature offers the following analysis of the stream's audio and video content:
- Audio levels – Detects audio volume level for every channel on AAC or MPEG audio. The analysis of the various audio tracks is available in the audio tree. The volume is presented in dBFS (Decibels relative to full scale).
- Audio silence detection (AAC/MPEG audio) – Detects silence (dBFS< -90) on AAC or MPEG audio with a duration of about 30s or longer.
- Audio clipping detection - Detects clipped audio upon occurrence on AAC or MPEG audio.
- Blank video detection - Detects blank frames of any color for a duration of about 60s or longer.
- Frozen video detection - Detects frozen video, i.e. no motion, for a duration of about 60s or longer.
- I-Frame Quantization Parameter – This indicator detects cases where the source encoder configuration is creating excessively lossy content. The analysis does not rely on the bitrate, but rather extracts the global quantization parameter, which is a parameter that indicates how much information was lost during encoding, from the elementary stream.
OTT Protocols
- Fragmented MP4 mode in HLS – The same MP4 fragments in DASH are supported in HLS.
- HEVC support in HLS on Apple devices (in MP4 mode) – Previous versions included HEVC support, but not on Apple devices. The new version includes HEVC support on Apple devices as well.
- Multi-audio HLS in separate streams –Allows playing multiple audio tracks in HLS, where every audio track is played from a different file.
- HEVC and Opus support in RTMP– The HEVC video codec and Opus audio coded are now supported in RTMP, including the ability to generate them, terminate them and send them from a mobile device/app. This is a non-standard flavor of the RTMP protocol requested by some customers.
- HEVC support in DASH – The HEVC video codec is now supported in MPEG-DASH.
- SCTE-35 markers converted to MPEG-DASH manifest – SCTE markers from the source transport stream now propagate to tags in the manifest of MPEG-DASH streams.
- API for SCTE-35 injection into adaptive streams manifest – With the Zixi Broadcaster API, it is now possible to inject SCTE markers into the adaptive stream manifest in both HLS and MPEG-DASH. This function can be also used to insert additional metadata.
- Preserve close captions after transcoding (H.264 &HEVC only) – Closed captions are automatically preserved when transcoding, as long as the source and the destination streams are H.264 or HEVC.
- Option to keep aspect ratio in transcoder – It is now possible to maintain the aspect ratio when transcoding.
Simplified FEC (Forward Error Correction)
The FEC Block Latency (ms) parameter sets the number of milliseconds that Zixi protects with a single FEC block. The larger the block, the more CPU utilization is required. However, it is able to recover from longer packet drops using FEC only.
IFB Support
Interruptible Foldback (IFB), also known as Interruptible Feedback or switched talkback, is a monitoring and cueing system for one-way communication from the director or assistant director to on-air talent or a remote location. IFB support has been implemented in Zixi Broadcaster Pull and UDP outputs, allowing the decoder with a Zixi Receiver to send audio back to the encoder with a Zixi Feeder. This offers the ability to, for example, give audio feedback to the camera operator.
Automatic Crash Reports
If Zixi Broadcaster, Feeder, or Receiver crashes, Zixi support will automatically receive an email containing the call stack of the event. This simplifies the support process and will eliminate the need to connect remotely to the system or send out log reports. Although the report is anonymous and does not include any sensitive data (e.g. configuration data, etc.), this feature is optional and can be turned off through the Settings menu.
Security Enhancements
V12 features new security enhancements that will ensure more stable and secure video delivery:
- API request limit – To avoid DDoS attacks, API requests are limited to 128K.
- XML-based API deprecated – To harden security further, the XML-based API is no longer supported.
- HTTPS support - HTTPS support was added to the HTTP authentication.
- chacha20/poly1305 cipher support – This cipher is the default mode for mobile devices on Zixi's HTTP and DTLS servers, offering greater efficiency for mobile devices.
- Trusted root certificates - Updated trusted root certificates for DTLS/TLS on Linux.
Supported Operating System Changes
In V12, Zixi Broadcaster is no longer supported on CentOS 6.x; it must be run on 64-bit CentOS 7.x or an equivalent Linux distribution with glibc 2.14+. The Zixi Feeder and Receiver components are still supported on CentOS 6.x with glibc 2.12+, but now only on 64-bit distributions.
Prior to V12 there was one Zixi Broadcaster application without the transcoder and one Broadcaster application with the transcoder included. In V12, the Zixi Broadcaster application without the transcoder is no longer needed as the transcoder is now always bundled with Broadcaster and enabled via a license.
Push Input Replacement Conditions
In V12, Zixi Broadcaster replaces an active Push Input only if the destination (IP or port) of the new connection matches the existing one, and if the stream name, password, and source IP match. This means that when two Zixi Feeders push the same stream to a single Zixi Broadcaster from the same IP address at the source and land at two different IP addresses at the destination (Zixi Broadcaster), or different ports of the same Zixi Broadcaster, they will not disconnect each other.
Transcoder Hardware Acceleration Check
Zixi Broadcaster V12 features a button that checks for the necessary hardware components to support Intel hardware acceleration for transcoding. If the existing hardware matches the requirements, an Install button appears. Clicking it will install a kernel, which includes the Linux kernel with the Intel patches that enable hardware acceleration. After the installation, the system will reboot and thereafter it will support Intel hardware acceleration.
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