Adding a Source – Zixi Broadcaster

You can add an input from a Zixi Broadcaster to a Broadcaster cluster to be managed as a source in ZEN. This is done by selecting Zixi in the New Source menu. You can use either Push or Pull method to send the Source from the Broadcaster.

When configuring a Source using a Push stream from a Zixi Broadcaster you can apply Network Bonding to the stream. This divides the stream into several network channels using multiple NICs and subsequently reunites them at the Ingest Cluster. When using Network Bonding, you need to specify which NICs will be used for this Source.

You can select several inputs from a single Broadcaster to simultaneously create a new Source in ZEN Master for each input.

To add a Broadcaster Source:

In the main navigation, click Sources.
Click + Add.
The Create New Source selection window is displayed.
Click on Zixi.
The Create Zixi Source window opens.
In the Info section, in the Name field, type a logical name for the Zixi source.
In the Access Tags field, select one or more of the predefined Access Tags from the drop-down list.
Access Tags are used for access control. By selecting an Access Tag, you are relating this source to that Access Tag. Access Tags are associated with certain roles (through the Users & Roles screen), and roles, in turn, are associated with users and user groups. If you would like to create a new Access Tag see Creating an Access Tag.
In the Input section, under Mode, select the mode used for sending the Source. Options are: Push or Pull.
In the Application section, select the Broadcaster radio button.
The fields relevant for creating a Source from a Broadcaster are shown.
If you selected Push Method, then use the following procedure to configure the input:
1. In the Broadcaster field, select from the drop-down list one of the available Broadcasters.
2. If you would like to create a Source from a single input, then in the Broadcaster Input field, select the desired input from the drop-down list of available inputs.
3. If you would like to create Sources from multiple inputs, select the Create Sources from Multiple Inputs checkbox.
  
  When you select this option, each input that is selected creates a separate Source in ZEN Master. Each Source is named independently in the Broadcaster Inputs section and the Name field in the Info section is disabled.
  
  A list of available Inputs on that Broadcaster is displayed. Take the following steps:
  1. Select one or more Inputs by clicking the button for the desired input.
  2. Selected Inputs are shown above the Filter box. (You can remove an Input by clicking the button for that Input).
  3. For each input that is selected you can edit the name of the Source in the Name field. Default: the name of the input on the Broadcaster.
If you would like the output configured in ZEN Master to replace any current outputs configured on the Broadcaster, select the Replace existing manual outputs for selected inputs
If you want the Source to be sent over a single NIC (i.e. no bonding) then do the following:
1. Do not select the Bonding checkbox.
2. In the Broadcaster Output NICs field, if you would like to specify which NIC is used, then select the IP of that NIC from the drop-down list. By default, Any is selected.
If you would like to use Bonding, then do the following:
1. Select the Bonding checkbox.
2. Select two or more NICs by clicking the button for each of the desired NICs.
3. Selected NICs are shown above the Filter box. (You can remove a NIC by clicking the button for that NIC).
4. For each NIC that is selected you can adjust the following parameters:
  - In the Max Bitrate field, enter the maximum bitrate to be used on this NIC.
  - If you want to use this NIC only when there isn’t sufficient bandwidth available on the other NICs, then select the Backup checkbox.
    
    If the Backup checkbox is not selected then this NIC is used in parallel with the other selected NICs.
In the Ingest Cluster field, select from the drop-down list one of the available Ingest Clusters as the destination for the Source.
In the Target Broadcaster/s field, select your broadcaster preferences. Either select a specific broadcaster to be used OR specify your preference for using primary vs. backup broadcasters, options are: Prefer primary Broadcasters, Primary Broadcasters only or Backup Broadcasters only.

For auto-scaling clusters, it is not recommended to select a specific broadcaster, as the broadcaster’s availability may not remain stable.
In the Latency [ms] field, select the latency time for the stream (default 4000).
If you would like to enable the Zixi auto encryption feature for encrypting the source stream, select the Enable Encryption checkbox.
If you would like to apply a PID Mapping profile to this Source, then in the PID Mapping field, select the desired profile from the dropdown list.

Using this method creates a single Source in ZEN Master with PID Mapping applied. If you would like to maintain a Source with the original PIDs and create an additional Source with PID Mapping (e.g. if you want to create several different PID Mapped variations), then use the method described in Adding a Source - PID Mapping.
To create a new PID Mapping Profile, see Adding PID Mapping Profiles.
In the Public Output field, if you would like to allow access to the stream directly through a supported player, select the Allow checkbox.
If you selected the Allow checkbox, then enter a password in the Password field to authenticate access to the stream.
If you would like to generate email notifications whenever a PID change is detected, select the Alert on PID changes checkbox.
If you would like enable Content Analysis (CQA), verify that the Content Analysis checkbox is selected (default).

It is generally recommended to enable Content Analysis unless it is causing technical problems. If Content Analysis is disabled, the system won't detect errors in the video and audio content of the stream and won't generate warnings for such events. Even when Content Analysis is disabled the system will still detect TR 101 errors in the stream.
If you would like to show traceroute info in the History tab for this Source (for Zixi Broadcasters, v13 and above), select the Traceroute History checkbox.

This feature is most useful for debugging connections with relatively static routes, such as through fiber or other private networks. It should not be activated for Sources sent through cloud providers since those routes constantly fluctuate.
Click Save.