If our tests were the Kentucky Derby, Amnis' solution would win by a nose. Choosing the NAC-3000 Live Streaming Video Server/Encoder and LivePlayer 1.2 Streaming Media Desktop Player as our Editor's Choice award winner was difficult, as both vendors here have great products. What pushed us over the edge is the one-box solution Amnis offers for encoding both MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 streams and options available for streaming.
We first tested the Amnis NAC-3000 last spring, when we evaluated products that deliver broadcast-quality video over networks (see "Is It Live or Is It Digital Video?"). This time, instead of testing the decoder, we tested the desktop player, LivePlayer, with the encoder. LivePlayer can be installed under Windows 95 or higher, but if you want MPEG software decoding, the client must be running at least Microsoft Windows 98. We ran our tests under Windows 2000.
LivePlayer installed without any fuss once we figured out that LivePlayer and VBrick's StreamPlayerII couldn't be installed on the same computer. We couldn't identify the source of the conflict, but we believe there was a DLL conflict. Both players use and modify some portions of the Microsoft Windows Media Player.
Setting up the NAC-3000 was straightforward, but, as was the case in our last review, we still don't care for the telnet-based interface. Amnis is working on a fully graphical interface for configuring the units and should have it ready for consumers around summertime.
On the client side, LivePlayer will autodetect video streams created by any of Amnis' products and list those streams in the window. After selecting the stream we wanted to view and waiting a few seconds for initial buffering, we were watching our video in MPEG-1 SIF (Standard Interchange Format -- typically 352 by 240) on the screen. We liked that the NAC-3000 has more resolution options than either of the VBrick solutions tested. The NAC-3000 also holds true to the encoding bit rate and can be varied through a wider range than the VBrick units.
Like the players used for our streaming server tests, LivePlayer has the normal buttons for play, pause and stop, but it has one extra for record. This is something that the streaming server manufacturers haven't included in their products yet, and none will say if they will. By clicking the record button, you can actually save the video you are watching to your hard drive, and with MPEG quality, it's good, clean video. This feature is useful for archiving live video. A player near the source can be set to record the live video while it is being broadcast to everyone else within an organization. This archived video can then be stored on a server for later viewing by anyone using the player.
LivePlayer has two serious drawbacks. First, the player does not automatically resize to the resolution being played. While the player window can be resized, doing so manually often creates nonsquare pixels or an image that is larger or smaller than what was encoded.
Second, the player has a terrible problem with tearing. This phenomenon is well known by video folks who regularly move video between interlaced and noninterlaced systems. Tearing appears as horizontal lines that don't align themselves with those above or below. While the VBrick StreamPlayerII did show a bit of tearing, it was nowhere near what we observed in LivePlayer. Under normal circumstances, the tearing isn't very noticeable, but under the strain of our tests, it was quite apparent.
LivePlayer 1.2 Streaming Media Desktop Player, from $30 to $150 depending on version; NAC-3000 Live Streaming Video Server/Encoder, $6,995 to $13,995 depending on configuration; NAC-4000 Live Streaming Video Decoder/Receiver, $2,995. Amnis Systems (formerly Optivision), (800) 239-0600, (650) 855-0200; fax (650) 855-0222. www.amnisinc.com or rayas@amnisinc.com
VBrick Systems VBrick 3200, VBrick 6200 and VBrick StreamPlayerII
With only two vendors to test, we might assume that one product would be the loser. This is not true in VBrick's case. We liked several things about the units tested, but Amnis' solution squeaked past VBrick's.
VBrick supplied us with its 3200 MPEG-1 encoder and 6200 MPEG-2 encoder. The two products remind us of stepchildren: They appear to have come from two groups within the company, and neither knew of the other's existence.
The VBrick 3200 is configured from the VBAdmin Administrator application, which runs on a Windows operating system. VBrick provides many more configuration options than Amnis does. The options are categorized under tabs that stretch into the next cubicle -- 20 tabs in the scroll pane near the bottom of the window. Even with all the options, VBAdmin is simple to use. We were annoyed to find out that resolution changes required the 3200 to reset itself. This process takes about two minutes, and nothing can be changed in the configuration until the box has restarted.
The 6200 looks completely different from the 3200 on the outside, most notably because of its LCD status display. These lights display the unit's IP address and broadcast address. The differences continue in the configuration, as the 6200 is accessed with a Web browser that has options grouped under five tabs for easier editing. Resolutions can be changed on the fly, without the unit needing a restart. That's a big improvement over the 3200. We only wish the 6200 could include the 3200's MPEG-1 capabilities in the same box.
To play back video from both, we used VBrick's StreamPlayerII software installed on a Windows 2000 computer. VBrick has a Macintosh version that will play MPEG-1 streams under OS 9. Because of a problem within Apple's MPEG decoder, the audio and video drift apart after a few minutes. Apple expects to resolve the problem with its next release of QuickTime, version 6, which touts new MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 decoders. StreamPlayerII also will record the streams to the local hard drive if desired, from a Windows or Macintosh computer.
We liked the VBrick 3200's MPEG-1 video quality better than that of the Amnis NAC-3000. Although the image appeared sharper and crisper, however, there was obvious color banding that was not present in the NAC-3000. During our MPEG-2 tests, the results reversed. The VBrick 6200's video looked mushy and not as clear as the Amnis unit's output. Our major complaint is that the encoding bit rate cannot be changed below preset amounts. This can be seen in our test results. The VBrick 6200 consistently used more bandwidth for the same resolution than did the NAC-3000. There is a manual setting, but the 6200 wouldn't let us set this below what it was using.
VBrick also makes a software product for customers who want to stream to Windows Media Players. VBrick VBXcoder will receive an MPEG stream from either the 3200 or the 6200 and convert it into Windows Media Format (.wmv) for streaming to the desktop. This solution can be used to stream both internally, directly from the MPEG source, and externally, at lower bit rates from the VBXcoder. Using the free Windows Media Player can reduce some of the costs associated with the hardware-based encoding solution.
VBrick 3200, $4,995; VBrick 6200, $9,995; VBrick VBXcoder, $2,999; VBrick StreamPlayerII, $30 per PC or on a site-license basis. VBrick Systems, (866) 827-4251, (203) 265-0044. www.vbrick.com or info@vbrick.com
Darrin Woods is a technology editor of Network Computing and previously worked as a WAN engineer for a telecom carrier. Send your comments on this article to him at dwoods@nwc.com.
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