Media Server
Encyclopedia
A media server refers either to a dedicated computer appliance
or to a specialized application software
, ranging from an enterprise class machine
providing video on demand
, to, more commonly, a small personal computer
or NAS (Network Attached Storage)
for the home, dedicated for storing various digital media
(meaning digital videos/movies, audio/music, and picture files).
, a Home theater PC
(HTPC) running Windows XP Media Center Edition, MediaPortal
or MythTV
, or a commercial web server
that hosts media for a large web site. In a home setting, a media server acts as an aggregator of information: video
, audio, photos, books, etc. These different types of media (whether they originated on DVD
, CD
, digital camera
, or in physical form) are stored on the media server's hard drive. Access to these is then available from a central location. It may also be used to run special applications that allow the user(s) to access the media from a remote location via the internet.
, or a powerful, multicore
CPU. A RAID
may be used to create a large amount of storage, though it is generally not necessary in a home media server to use a RAID
that gives a performance increase because current home network transfer speeds are slower than that of most current hard drives. However, a RAID configuration may be used to prevent loss of the media files due to disk failure as well. Many Media servers also have the ability to capture the media. This is done with specialized hardware such as TV tuner cards. Analog TV tuner cards can capture video from analog broadcast TV and output from cable/satellite set top boxes. This analog video then needs to be encoded in digital format to be stored on the Media server. This encoding can be done with software running on the Media server computer or by hardware on the TV tuner card. Digital TV tuner cards take input from broadcast digital TV. In the USA, the ATSC standard is used. In most of the rest of the world, DVB-T is the accepted standard. Since these transmissions are already digital, they do not need to be encoded.
in environments such as Theatre
, Dance
, Corporate Events and rock tours has led to the development of media servers designed specifically for live events. These machines are often high-spec home computers with increased RAM
or hard drive technologies such as RAID
arrays or solid-state drive
s. They are then supplied with software which allows the control and manipulation of video content, much like VJ
software. One of the primary functions of these machines is to allow current show control technologies to control the playback of video content. Thus, a media server system may include inputs for DMX512-A, MIDI or similar control protocols.
of audio streams, and also interpreting DTMF tones used to navigate menus. For video processing, it may be needed to change video streams, for example transcode from one video codec to another or rescale (transrate) a picture from one size to another. This media processing functions are the core responsibility of a media server.
With telephony networks moving more towards VoIP technology, and using Session Initiation Protocol
(SIP), the idea of media servers has started to gain some traction. Typically, an application (the 'application server') has the controlling logic, and controls a remote media server (or multiple servers) over an IP
connection, possibly using SIP. Protocols such as Netann, MSCML
and MSML
have been created for this way of working, and a new protocol, MediaCTRL is under development at the IETF.
The IP Multimedia Subsystem
(IMS), the blueprint for next generation networks, defines a component called the MRF (Media Resource Function), which is a kind of media server. In the case of IMS, the 'controlling logic' is provided by the MRFC (MRF controller), which, along with layers above constitutes an 'application server'. Although the MRF has been associated largely with the legacy telecom H.248 protocol (see Gateway Control Protocol), it is claimed that SIP-based protocols like MediaCTRL will ultimately prevail.
Computer appliance
A computer appliance is generally a separate and discrete hardware device with integrated software , specifically designed to provide a specific computing resource. These devices became known as "appliances" because of their similarity to home appliances, which are generally "closed and sealed" –...
or to a specialized application software
Application software
Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...
, ranging from an enterprise class machine
Server (computing)
In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
providing video on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
, to, more commonly, a small personal computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
or NAS (Network Attached Storage)
Network-attached storage
Network-attached storage is file-level computer data storage connected to a computer network providing data access to heterogeneous clients. NAS not only operates as a file server, but is specialized for this task either by its hardware, software, or configuration of those elements...
for the home, dedicated for storing various digital media
Digital media
Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital form. It can refer to the technical aspect of storage and transmission Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital (as opposed to analog) form. It can refer to the technical aspect of...
(meaning digital videos/movies, audio/music, and picture files).
Purpose
By definition a media server is a device that simply stores and shares media. This definition is vague, and can allow several different devices to be called Media Servers. It may be a simple Network-attached storageNetwork-attached storage
Network-attached storage is file-level computer data storage connected to a computer network providing data access to heterogeneous clients. NAS not only operates as a file server, but is specialized for this task either by its hardware, software, or configuration of those elements...
, a Home theater PC
Home theater PC
A Home Theater PC or Media Center appliance is a convergence device that combines some or all the capabilities of a personal computer with a software application that supports video, photo, music playback, and sometimes video recording functionality...
(HTPC) running Windows XP Media Center Edition, MediaPortal
MediaPortal
MediaPortal is an open-source media center software project, often considered an alternative to Windows Media Center. It provides a 10-foot user interface for performing typical PVR/TiVo functionality, including playing, pausing, and recording live TV; playing DVDs, videos, and music; viewing...
or MythTV
MythTV
MythTV is a free and open source home entertainment application with a simplified "10-foot user interface" design for the living-room TV, and turns a computer with the necessary hardware into a network streaming digital video recorder, a digital multimedia home entertainment system, or home theater...
, or a commercial web server
Web server
Web server can refer to either the hardware or the software that helps to deliver content that can be accessed through the Internet....
that hosts media for a large web site. In a home setting, a media server acts as an aggregator of information: video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
, audio, photos, books, etc. These different types of media (whether they originated on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
, digital camera
Digital camera
A digital camera is a camera that takes video or still photographs, or both, digitally by recording images via an electronic image sensor. It is the main device used in the field of digital photography...
, or in physical form) are stored on the media server's hard drive. Access to these is then available from a central location. It may also be used to run special applications that allow the user(s) to access the media from a remote location via the internet.
Hardware
The only requirement for a media server is a method of storing media and a network connection with enough bandwidth to allow access to that media. Depending on the uses and applications that it runs, a media server may require large amounts of RAMRam
-Animals:*Ram, an uncastrated male sheep*Ram cichlid, a species of freshwater fish endemic to Colombia and Venezuela-Military:*Battering ram*Ramming, a military tactic in which one vehicle runs into another...
, or a powerful, multicore
Multicore
Multicore may refer to:* Multi-core processor ** Multicore Association, founded in 2005, a non-profit, industry consortium focused on multicore technology* multicore cable, a generic term for an electrical cable that has multiple cores...
CPU. A RAID
RAID
RAID is a storage technology that combines multiple disk drive components into a logical unit...
may be used to create a large amount of storage, though it is generally not necessary in a home media server to use a RAID
RAID
RAID is a storage technology that combines multiple disk drive components into a logical unit...
that gives a performance increase because current home network transfer speeds are slower than that of most current hard drives. However, a RAID configuration may be used to prevent loss of the media files due to disk failure as well. Many Media servers also have the ability to capture the media. This is done with specialized hardware such as TV tuner cards. Analog TV tuner cards can capture video from analog broadcast TV and output from cable/satellite set top boxes. This analog video then needs to be encoded in digital format to be stored on the Media server. This encoding can be done with software running on the Media server computer or by hardware on the TV tuner card. Digital TV tuner cards take input from broadcast digital TV. In the USA, the ATSC standard is used. In most of the rest of the world, DVB-T is the accepted standard. Since these transmissions are already digital, they do not need to be encoded.
HTPC packages with server capabilities
- Cisco Video Portal / http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6682/index.html
- GB-PVRGB-PVRGB-PVR is a PVR application, running on Microsoft Windows, whose main function is scheduling TV recordings and playing back live TV. This PVR also acts as a home media center with a digital video recorder, a radio station online tuner, a music and movie player, a library of images and other...
- Got All Media
- LinuxMCELinuxMCELinuxMCE is a free and open source software platform with a 10-foot user interface designed to allow a computer to act as a home theater PC for the living-room TV, personal video recorder, and home automation system. It allows control of everything in the home, from lighting and climate to...
- MediaPortalMediaPortalMediaPortal is an open-source media center software project, often considered an alternative to Windows Media Center. It provides a 10-foot user interface for performing typical PVR/TiVo functionality, including playing, pausing, and recording live TV; playing DVDs, videos, and music; viewing...
/ MediaPortal TV Server - MythTVMythTVMythTV is a free and open source home entertainment application with a simplified "10-foot user interface" design for the living-room TV, and turns a computer with the necessary hardware into a network streaming digital video recorder, a digital multimedia home entertainment system, or home theater...
- OrbOrb (software)Orb is freeware streaming software that enables users to remotely access all their personal digital media files including pictures, music, videos, webcams and television...
- Plex
- XBMC Media Center
- Xtream Media Servers / http://www.xtreammediaservers.com
- Shifra Media Center/Server / http://www.shifrasmarthomes.com/mediacenter.html
TV tuner hardware
- Vista View Saber Cards. Analog and Combo.
- Geniatech
- Hauppauge
- Ceton
Media Servers in Performance Environments
The growing use of motion graphicsMotion graphics
Motion graphics are graphics that use video footage and/or animation technology to create the illusion of motion or rotation, graphics are usually combined with audio for use in multimedia projects. Motion graphics are usually displayed via electronic media technology, but may be displayed via...
in environments such as Theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, Dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, Corporate Events and rock tours has led to the development of media servers designed specifically for live events. These machines are often high-spec home computers with increased RAM
Ram
-Animals:*Ram, an uncastrated male sheep*Ram cichlid, a species of freshwater fish endemic to Colombia and Venezuela-Military:*Battering ram*Ramming, a military tactic in which one vehicle runs into another...
or hard drive technologies such as RAID
RAID
RAID is a storage technology that combines multiple disk drive components into a logical unit...
arrays or solid-state drive
Solid-state drive
A solid-state drive , sometimes called a solid-state disk or electronic disk, is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data with the intention of providing access in the same manner of a traditional block i/o hard disk drive...
s. They are then supplied with software which allows the control and manipulation of video content, much like VJ
VJ
A video jockey is an announcer who introduces and plays videos on commercial music television such as the United States' MTV, VH1, Fuse TV, non-commercial TVU, Canada's MuchMusic, and Asia's Channel V...
software. One of the primary functions of these machines is to allow current show control technologies to control the playback of video content. Thus, a media server system may include inputs for DMX512-A, MIDI or similar control protocols.
Media Servers in Telephony
In the world of telephony, a media server is the computing component that processes the audio and/or video streams associated with telephone calls or connections. Conference services are a particular example of how media servers can be used, as a special 'engine' is needed to mix audio streams together so that conference participants can hear all of the other participants. Conferencing servers may also need other specialized functions like "loudest talker" detection, or transcodingTranscode
Transcoding is the direct digital-to-digital data conversion of one encoding to another, such as for movie data files or audio files. This is usually done in cases where a target device does not support the format or has limited storage capacity that mandates a reduced file size, or to convert...
of audio streams, and also interpreting DTMF tones used to navigate menus. For video processing, it may be needed to change video streams, for example transcode from one video codec to another or rescale (transrate) a picture from one size to another. This media processing functions are the core responsibility of a media server.
With telephony networks moving more towards VoIP technology, and using Session Initiation Protocol
Session Initiation Protocol
The Session Initiation Protocol is an IETF-defined signaling protocol widely used for controlling communication sessions such as voice and video calls over Internet Protocol . The protocol can be used for creating, modifying and terminating two-party or multiparty sessions...
(SIP), the idea of media servers has started to gain some traction. Typically, an application (the 'application server') has the controlling logic, and controls a remote media server (or multiple servers) over an IP
Internet Protocol
The Internet Protocol is the principal communications protocol used for relaying datagrams across an internetwork using the Internet Protocol Suite...
connection, possibly using SIP. Protocols such as Netann, MSCML
MSCML
The Media Server Control Markup Language is a protocol used in conjunction with the Session Initiation Protocol to enable the delivery of advanced multimedia conferencing services over IP networks. The MSCML specification has been published by the IETF under RFC 4722, now obsoleted by the newer...
and MSML
MSML
The Media Server Markup Language is used to control and invoke many different types of services on IP Media Servers and is described in RFC 5707. Clients can use it to define how multimedia sessions interact on a Media Server and to apply services to individuals or groups of users...
have been created for this way of working, and a new protocol, MediaCTRL is under development at the IETF.
The IP Multimedia Subsystem
IP Multimedia Subsystem
The IP Multimedia Subsystem or IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem is an architectural framework for delivering Internet Protocol multimedia services. It was originally designed by the wireless standards body 3rd Generation Partnership Project , as a part of the vision for evolving mobile...
(IMS), the blueprint for next generation networks, defines a component called the MRF (Media Resource Function), which is a kind of media server. In the case of IMS, the 'controlling logic' is provided by the MRFC (MRF controller), which, along with layers above constitutes an 'application server'. Although the MRF has been associated largely with the legacy telecom H.248 protocol (see Gateway Control Protocol), it is claimed that SIP-based protocols like MediaCTRL will ultimately prevail.
See also
- Comparison of PVR software packagesComparison of PVR software packagesThe following is a comparison guide for popular DVR software packages.-General information:Basic general information for popular DVR software packages....
- Digital Living Network AllianceDigital Living Network AllianceThe Digital Living Network Alliance is a non-profit collaborative trade organization established by Sony in June 2003, and has more than 250 member companies in the mobile, consumer electronics, PC, and service provider industries...
- Digital media receiverDigital media receiverA digital media receiver , also commonly referred to as a media extender, media streamer, digital media hub, or digital media adapter , is a home entertainment device that can connect to a home network to retrieve digital media files from a personal computer or other networked media server and...
- Home theater PCHome theater PCA Home Theater PC or Media Center appliance is a convergence device that combines some or all the capabilities of a personal computer with a software application that supports video, photo, music playback, and sometimes video recording functionality...
- Media PC
- Standard RAID levelsStandard RAID levelsThe standard RAID levels are a basic set of RAID configurations and employ striping, mirroring, or parity.The standard RAID levels can be modified for other benefits ; there are also non-standard RAID levels, and non-RAID drive architectures, which may be offered as alternatives to RAID architectures...
- Streaming mediaStreaming mediaStreaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
- UPnP AV MediaServers
- Windows Home ServerWindows Home ServerWindows Home Server, code-named Quattro, is a home server operating system from Microsoft. Announced on 7 January 2007, at the Consumer Electronics Show by Bill Gates, Windows Home Server is intended to be a solution for homes with multiple connected PCs to offer file sharing, automated backups,...