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Conguring and Using
the ZvShow Channel
About the ZvShow Channel
The ZvShow Channel is an “extra” channel that you congure on most of the
HDbridge 3000, 2000 or ZvPro lines, (ZvShow is not available on composite or IP
streaming models). This channel is available in addition to the channels already
offered on the unit. The content for the video on this channel comes from a
video stored locally on the ZeeVee product or added to an SD card inserted into
the ZeeVee Product (not available on all models). The video is played and looped
onto the new ZvShow Channel continuously.
Common uses for the ZvShow Channel
The videos running on the ZvShow channel are typically very simple, signage-like
video clips (about 5 minutes in duration), used for the following purposes:
• Menus
• Commercials
• Barker channels – commercial establishments
Type of video for the ZvShow Channel
The ZvShow function only accepts video les that have been converted using
the ZvConvert tool. These les end with a ‘.zvc’ extension. The les are played
out continuously. The ZvShow channel is a sub-channel of the rst congured RF
channel and is simply added as another logical channel to the existing lineup.
There is some exibility in the content and quality of the video that the channel permits.
Note that the bandwidth is shared between the active encoded channel from a video
source and the ZvShow channel. If the bandwidth of the loaded video is sufciently
large, it can compromise the video playback on the companion program(s).
The internal storage capacity of the ZeeVee HDb2000 and ZvPro units is roughly
250MBytes. A video le cannot exceed that limit to be usable in the ZvShow
application. The maximum le size when using the SD card slot on the HDb2000
or ZvPro, as well as memory on the HDb3000 units is 4GB.
Channels available for multiple ZeeVee units
Each ZeeVee HDb2000 or ZvPro product deployed can generate one ZvShow
channel. For example, a head end consisting of six HDb2640 units would have
up to six where each card in the HDb3000 chassis can generate one ZvShow
channel, so a chassis with six cards would have up to six ZvShow channels
available ZvShow channels available for looped video content on new channels;
one from each unit. These ZvShow channels are disabled by default, so will not
show up in a channel lineup until they are enabled.
APPLICATION NOTE
The user loads a video clip
in the proper format (.zvc)
in to an internal on-board
storage or an SD card (not
available on all models).
That video clip is encoded
and played just as if it had
come from an external
video source.
2www.zeevee.com
CONFIGURING AND USING THE ZVSHOW CHANNEL
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Generate a Video File – There are a number of tools available for generation
of video that can be converted to the .zvc format. ZeeVee does not develop, manufacture
or endorse any of those tools. Some example le formats accepted by the ZvConvert
tool include .MP4 (Mpeg4 or avchd), .WMV (Windows media le), and MOV (QuickTime).
Please note, standard image les (.bmp, jpeg, png, etc) are not supported by ZvShow, it
must be a video.
6
Scan HD Televisions – Most digital HD televisions require a full channel scan
to pick up and display newly added channels, especially new digital sub-channels.
5
Enable ZvShow Channel – Once the ZvShow channel has been
congured, enable it via the Channel Plan tab in Maestro, so the program will be sent
out via the appropriate RF channel.
4
Congure Channel Lineup – Through the Channel Plan tab in Maestro,
congure the new ZvShow channel on the appropriate logical channel (Channel#).
Exact placement of the channel depends on how you want the desired presentation
order to appear to the TV viewer.
3
Upload le to ZeeVee Unit – Once generated, the le must be loaded in
to the ZeeVee unit that will be sourcing the channel. This can easily be done through
the ZvShow tab in Maestro, the ZeeVee web management tool. If using an SD card,
simply copy the le directly to the card and insert it into the ZeeVee unit.
2
Convert a Video File – Once a video le has been created, it must be
converted to the proper format. ZeeVee offers a conversion tool for this purpose
called ZvConvert. You can download the tool from our website here http://www.
zeevee.com/zvshow. Instructions for using the ZvConvert tool can be found later in
this document.
Using ZvShow
To use the ZvShow functionality the user needs to follow a simple sequence of steps:
3www.zeevee.com
CONFIGURING AND USING THE ZVSHOW CHANNEL
.
Use ZvConvert to convert
the video le
Once ZvConvert is installed and
running, take the following steps:
1. Load the le to be converted by
dragging and dropping the video
le into the interface or by clicking
the File menu and selecting
Open Transport Stream File,
then browsing to the video le.
After loading the le to be converted,
ZVC will show general information
about the video at the top of the
window, including frame rate length
and bit rate.
The bottom of the window will show
the conguration options.
Converting a Video File with ZvConvert
The ZvShow Channel will only accept a video le that has been converted using the ZvConvert tool.
The converted le must match the maximum resolution of the ZvPro or HDbridge2000 specications.
For example, a le for an HDbridge2540 must not be higher than 720p. The ZvConvert tool assists
you in specifying appropriate settings.
The steps for converting a video le with ZvConvert are as follows;
• Download and install ZvConvert
• Convert le
• Manage le bandwidth
Download and install ZvConvert
1. First, download and install ZvConvert. It can be found at www.zeevee.com/zvshow. Please note – the version of ZvConvert
must match the rmware revision of your unit, more information is found under the Resources section.
2. After installation, launch ZVC.
Depending on your browser you may be prompted to run the le, which will start the installation of the program. If you only have
the option to save, then save the le locally and then double click the downloaded le to start the installation. From there follow the
prompts to install ZvConvert (ZVC).
4www.zeevee.com
CONFIGURING AND USING THE ZVSHOW CHANNEL
2. Under the Target Device section
Select the ZeeVee device where the
le will be uploaded, including the
region (North America or European).
Knowing the device determines the
limits for resolution and bandwidth.
For example, selecting the HDb2640
will allow resolutions up to 1080,
where selecting HDb2540 will limit
the video resolution to 720. Be sure to
also specify if the le will be uploaded
to Internal Memory, or used with an
SD card (for HDb3000, select SD card
to allow for maximum le size). This
will affect the limits of le size allowed.
3. Specify the bit rate and resolution
for the le conversion. The bit rate
controls the video quality of the
converted le. Typically the higher the
bit rate, the better the video quality.
Remember that the ZvShow channel
will be sharing bandwidth from an
existing RF channel. If the bit rate is
set too high you may affect video
quality of both channels. See the
Manage le bandwidth section for
more details.
4. Specify the type of encoding as One
pass or Two Pass. This selection
can also affect the video quality. We
recommend using the Two pass
option, which will take longer, but
provides better video quality.
5. Click the Convert File button once
all congurations are set. The
conversion will start and a progress
bar displays to show the status of
the conversion.
The ZVC le will default to be saved in the same location as the original le and with the same name
but with a “.zvc” extension, this can be changed by editing the area titled Output Video File.
The size and bit rate of the video le will directly affect the length of time for the conversion.
Manage le bandwidth
As mentioned, the ZvShow channel shares the bandwidth from an already-existing RF
channel. For this reason, it is important to manage the bandwidth of the video being
played by ZvShow and video on Input 1 of the unit.
If video issues such as stutter or dropped frames occurs on the ZvShow or shared RF
channel, we recommend lowering the bit rate on the ZvShow video or moving your
video sources so the video on Input 1 is not fast motion or high density video.
Recommended ZvShow Bandwidths
Product ZvShow Bandwidth
HDb2640/HDb2620 8Mbits/second or lower
HDb2540/HDb2520 8Mbits/second or lower
HDb2380/HDb2312 4Mbits/second
HDb2840/HDb2920 8Mbits/second or lower
ZvPro Products 8Mbits/second or lower
5www.zeevee.com
CONFIGURING AND USING THE ZVSHOW CHANNEL
Upload the le using
the Maestro interface:
1. Log in to the ZeeVee unit and type
the IP address in the browser. The IP
address is found on the Front Panel
Display of the unit).
2. Click on the ZvShow tab and click the
upload button.
A popup will appear prompting for the
location of the media le to be loaded
in to the ZeeVee product for use by the
ZvShow player option:
3. Press the Click to browse… button
and then select a video le from your
computer and click the le button to
begin the upload.
The progress window may linger for
several minutes depending on the size
of the le to be uploaded. Do not close
your browser or reboot the system
during the upload operation or the
media le will be corrupted. Completion
is indicated with a dismissal window at
the end of the upload operation.
Note: With the HDb2000 and ZvPro units
if an SD card is inserted in the ZeeVee
unit, the uploaded ZvC le will be saved
there instead of internal memory. If the
ZvC le is very large (more than 500mb),
we recommend using a PC to transfer
the le to the SD card directly instead of
through Maestro.
Uploading a Video File
Once a video le has been created, you need to upload it to the ZeeVee unit for playback on the ZvShow
channel.
To upload the video, the following specications and instructions need to be satised:
• The ZvConvert le cannot exceed 250MB, (except HDb3000, that limit is 4GB).
• The ZeeVee unit must be running rmware <1.9.2> or higher. For information on updating rmware
please go to the rmware section under technical support http://zeevee.com/support/.
• The ZeeVee unit must also be congured for the default “Double QAM” mode. This is done under
advanced controls on the RF tab in Maestro.
• The ZeeVee unit must be connected to the same network and accessible to the PC or device containing
the le to be uploaded.
• Log in to the ZeeVee unit and type the IP address of unit in the browser (IP address is found on the Front
Panel Display of unit).
6www.zeevee.com
CONFIGURING AND USING THE ZVSHOW CHANNEL
To enable the ZvShow program
so that it is broadcast as part of
the channel lineup, the channel
numbering must be structured
appropriately. The ZvShow channel
will appear as the last sub-channel for
the rst RF#.
Enabling ZvShow and conguring channel lineup
1. Choose Enabled and hit Apply to
activate the ZvShow channel.
The ZvShow channel is now active.
If no le has been uploaded, the ZvShow
channel will be enabled and display
a ZeeVee idle screen with a message
stating “NO MPEG FILE LOADED.”
2. Rescan the channel lineup on the
attached televisions. Televisions
usually require a full rescan to detect
the addition of a new logical channel.
Following the channel scan, the
television should display the full lineup
of channels with the addition of the
new ZvShow channel.
You can congure the channel
numbers so that the ZvShow
program appears in the desired
position. In the case shown here,
the ZvShow channel is desired as
the lowest number in the plant so
that it is the “rst” channel in the
television’s lineup.
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