Many web browsers can act as RSS readers. As more and more installations make podcasts and vodcasts of their content available, managers should be mindful of resources. Portals may be subject to hacking, the load time for large files might frustrate users, and popular feeds could overwhelm bandwidth and crash your website.
If your S-series archive server or C-series encoder has been configured for vodcasting and podcasting, make sure the firewall has been configured to allow access. To prevent hacking and other attacks, TelVue® advises using port 3000 only for internal, trusted users such as employees. Enable port 50000 for external users who would access the feeds via your website. In these settings, nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn stands for the IP address of your server.
For Vodcasts
URL for the internal feed used by trusted users: http://nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn:3000/netcast/vodcast
URL for the feed available on your website: http://nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn:50000/netcast/vodcast
For Podcasts
URL for the internal feed used by trusted users: http://nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn:3000/netcast/podcast
URL for the feed available on your website: http://nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn:50000/netcast/podcast
Video Portal
URL for the internal feed used by trusted users: http://nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn:3000/video_portal
URL for the feed available on your website: http://nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn:50000/video_portal
The Video Portal includes two options for searching and browsing content.
- Search – To search for content by keyword, type a keyword or phrase in the Search box and press the Search button. All available content that matches the search is displayed. The keyword may appear as typed in the file name, program, episode name, program or episode code, description, or other content metadata.
- Browse by Category – To see all content of a specific category, press the Browse by Category tab and click on one of the categories from the list. To stop browsing and display all content again, click on the Search tab, clear the search field, and press the Search button.
When a video thumbnail or link is clicked, the video will play using the Quicktime embedded player.
Serving Media Files Locally
If the media files on your video portal are served locally by a TelVue Archive server, the media root URL will be served on standard web port 80 using http://nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn/media/psg/vol1.
If you are serving your media files locally, be aware of the bandwidth constraints at your installation. For example, if your facility Internet bandwidth is 1Mbps for upload, then at 256kbps per media file, you could serve at most 4 simultaneous videos in real-time, which would slow down any other upstream web traffic from your facility. Vodcasts and podcasts are rarely watched live so if they download a little slower that may be fine, whereas users on the Video Portal will generally expect real-time access. If your installation experiences a problem providing sufficient bandwidth, contact TelVue to discuss hosting options.
One method for your community to access your podcast and vodcast files is using the iTunes application. Within iTunes, you can enter the podcast or vodcast URL in the URL section of the Subscribe to Podcast option.
TelVue Connect™