Helix Universal Server
Encyclopedia
The Helix Universal Streaming Server is developed by RealNetworks
and originates from the very first streaming media server originally developed by Progressive Networks in 1994. The latest generation of Helix Universal Server (Version 14) now supports a wide variety of streaming media delivery transports including RTMP, RTSP, HTTP Live Streaming, Microsoft Silverlight and HTTP Progressive Download enabling mobile phone OS (Android, Blackberry, iPhone OS 3.0, Symbian, Windows Mobile) and PC OS media client (Flash Media Player, Quick Time, RealPlayer, Windows Media Player) delivery.
Helix Universal Server delivers multiple streaming media codecs including H.264, MPEG-4, Flash Media, RealMedia, Quick Time, Silverlight, Windows Media and a wide range of audio codecs including AAC, MP4, MP3, RealAudio.
16 November 2005 - Helix Universal Server version 11 launched adding mobile support for 3GPP.
13 May 2008 - Helix Universal Server version 12 launched adding Fast Channel Switching for mobile devices.
30 September 2009 - Helix Universal Server version 13 launched as part of Helix Media Delivery Platform. This version added support for HTTP Progressive Download, HTTP iPhone delivery, Server Side Playlists, Advertising insertion, and Live Rate Adaptation for mobile devices.
14 April 2010 - Helix Universal Server version 14 launched supporting universal streaming media delivery transports including RTMP, RTSP, HTTP Live Streaming, Microsoft Silverlight and HTTP Progressive Download enabling mobile phone OS (Android, Blackberry, iPhone OS 3.0, Symbian, Windows Mobile) and PC OS media client (Flash Media Player, Quick Time, RealPlayer, Windows Media Player) delivery. Helix Universal Server continues to support 3GPP, RealMedia, Windows Media, Quick Time and MPEG-4 from a single streaming media platform operating on Linux (RHEL5), Solaris SPARC, Windows 2003 or Windows 2008 Server OS
Codecs
Delivery Protocols
Media Clients Supported
Encoders Supported
Helix Universal Server operates with a wide range of live RTP or RBS (RealNetworks own secure broadcasting protocol) encoders to provide a wide choice of interoperation with 3rd party vendors. RealNetworks develop their own encoder in three versions
RealNetworks
RealNetworks, Inc. is a provider of Internet media delivery software and services based in Downtown Seattle, Washington, United States. The company is the creator of RealAudio, a compressed audio format; RealVideo, a compressed video format; RealPlayer, a media player; RealDownloader, a download...
and originates from the very first streaming media server originally developed by Progressive Networks in 1994. The latest generation of Helix Universal Server (Version 14) now supports a wide variety of streaming media delivery transports including RTMP, RTSP, HTTP Live Streaming, Microsoft Silverlight and HTTP Progressive Download enabling mobile phone OS (Android, Blackberry, iPhone OS 3.0, Symbian, Windows Mobile) and PC OS media client (Flash Media Player, Quick Time, RealPlayer, Windows Media Player) delivery.
Helix Universal Server delivers multiple streaming media codecs including H.264, MPEG-4, Flash Media, RealMedia, Quick Time, Silverlight, Windows Media and a wide range of audio codecs including AAC, MP4, MP3, RealAudio.
History
27 July 2002 - Helix Universal Server version 9 launched - the first universal multi-format streaming server - supporting RealMedia, Windows Media, Quick Time and MPEG-4 from a single streaming media platform operating on Linux, Solaris, HP-UX, Compaq Tru64, FreeBSD, IBM AIX, Windows NT and Windows 2000 OS16 November 2005 - Helix Universal Server version 11 launched adding mobile support for 3GPP.
13 May 2008 - Helix Universal Server version 12 launched adding Fast Channel Switching for mobile devices.
30 September 2009 - Helix Universal Server version 13 launched as part of Helix Media Delivery Platform. This version added support for HTTP Progressive Download, HTTP iPhone delivery, Server Side Playlists, Advertising insertion, and Live Rate Adaptation for mobile devices.
14 April 2010 - Helix Universal Server version 14 launched supporting universal streaming media delivery transports including RTMP, RTSP, HTTP Live Streaming, Microsoft Silverlight and HTTP Progressive Download enabling mobile phone OS (Android, Blackberry, iPhone OS 3.0, Symbian, Windows Mobile) and PC OS media client (Flash Media Player, Quick Time, RealPlayer, Windows Media Player) delivery. Helix Universal Server continues to support 3GPP, RealMedia, Windows Media, Quick Time and MPEG-4 from a single streaming media platform operating on Linux (RHEL5), Solaris SPARC, Windows 2003 or Windows 2008 Server OS
Specifications
Formats- 3GPP, 3GPP2, FLV, F4V, MPEG-4, Windows Media, QuickTime, RealMedia, MP3, SMIL
Codecs
- H.263, H.264, AAC, AAC Plus (HE-AAC), AMR-NB, AMR-WB, Various Flash codecs in FLV, VC1
Delivery Protocols
- RTSP, RTP, RBS (Helix-to-Helix), RDT (Helix-to-Helix), HTTP, HTTP cloaking, HTTP Live streaming to iPhone, HTTP progressive download, RTMP, RTMPT, RTMPS, MMS (Windows Media), MS-WMSP
Media Clients Supported
- PC - Flash Media Player, Quick Time, RealPlayer, SilverLight, Windows Media Player
- Mobile devices - Android, Blackberry, iPhone OS 3.0 or later, Symbian, Windows Mobile 5.0 or later
Encoders Supported
- Helix Producer, Helix Mobile Producer and RealProducer - RealNetworks developed encoding software for H.264, H.263, 3GPP, MPEG-4 and RealMedia
- Envivio - RTP based hardware encoders with H.264, H.263 codec support
- Viewcast - RTP based hardware encoders with H.264, H.264 codec support
Usage
- Live streaming of video and audio using RTP encoders or Helix Producer, RealProducer or Simulated Live using on-demand playlist agent
- On-demand streaming of video and audio files from a wide range of video and audio codecs
- Large scalabilty through Helix to Helix caching and splitting enabling usage in Content Delivery Networks, Enterprise delivery networks and Educational Campus networks
Architecture
Helix Universal Server is a component of the Helix Media Delivery Platform and enables the delivery of live and on-demand video and audio content to a wide range of media clients on mobile and PC playback devices. Helix Universal Servers are able to be linked to distribute content to enable large scale streaming across the Internet or Enterprise networks and to ensure fully redundant operation with no single point of failure.Helix Universal Server operates with a wide range of live RTP or RBS (RealNetworks own secure broadcasting protocol) encoders to provide a wide choice of interoperation with 3rd party vendors. RealNetworks develop their own encoder in three versions
- RealProducer - for live and on-demand encoding of RealAudio and RealVideo for RealPlayer clients
- Helix Producer - for live and on-demand encoding of H.264, H.263 and RealAudio, RealVideo for MP4 based and RealPlayer clients
- Helix Mobile Producer - for live and on-demand encoding of H.264, H.263 and RealAudio, RealVideo for 3GPP, MP4 based and RealPlayer clients
See also
- HTTP Live StreamingHTTP Live StreamingHTTP Live Streaming is an HTTP-based media streaming communications protocol implemented by Apple Inc. as part of their QuickTime X and iPhone software systems. It works by breaking the overall stream into a sequence of small HTTP-based file downloads, each download loading one short chunk of an...
- Real Time Streaming ProtocolReal Time Streaming ProtocolThe Real Time Streaming Protocol is a network control protocol designed for use in entertainment and communications systems to control streaming media servers. The protocol is used for establishing and controlling media sessions between end points...
- Real Time Messaging ProtocolReal Time Messaging ProtocolReal Time Messaging Protocol was initially a proprietary protocol developed by Macromedia for streaming audio, video and data over the Internet, between a Flash player and a server...
- RealNetworksRealNetworksRealNetworks, Inc. is a provider of Internet media delivery software and services based in Downtown Seattle, Washington, United States. The company is the creator of RealAudio, a compressed audio format; RealVideo, a compressed video format; RealPlayer, a media player; RealDownloader, a download...
- Helix Community