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In addition to the features available in all Helix Servers, the following additional features are only available in the Helix Server Unlimited:
NEW! 3GPP SUPPORT FOR WIRELESS STREAMING*
Helix Server is the only digital media server with universal support for live and on-demand delivery of all major file formats, including RealAudio and RealVideo, Windows Media, QuickTime, MP3, 3GPP (H.263 and H.264), AAC and AAC+. With Helix Server Unlimited, you can consolidate multiple media infrastructures onto a single platform to reach both wireline and wireless devices.
MULTICAST BROADCASTING
With multicasting you can increase the audience for a live event by reducing the broadcasting bandwidth. This is because Helix Servers send a single live stream to multiple players. Multicasting requires a specially configured network, and is more suited for intranets than Internet delivery.
With the Helix Server Unlimited, you can further reduce the cost and complexity of streaming to large audiences by multicasting RealMedia, QuickTime, Windows Media, MP3, MPEG-4, and a number of RTP-based formats to the respective media players.
MULTI-FORMAT SERVER-TO-SERVER UNICAST SPLITTING
Splitting refers to the transmission of a broadcast stream in any media format from one server to another.
Helix Servers reduce bandwidth by delivering and "splitting" live content for all major streaming formats in one integrated software solution. A Helix Server acting as a transmitter delivers a live media stream to other servers acting as receivers. Each receiver then broadcasts the stream to media players via Unicast.
SERVER-TO-SERVER MULTICAST SPLITTING
Multi-cast splitting provides a bandwidth efficient means for distributing content across a distributed network of servers.
SURESTREAM (BANDWIDTH) AWARE SPLITTING
SureStream allows you to broadcast RealAudio and RealVideo streams encoded at different bit rates. SureStream-aware splitting sends each stream only on request. This results in improved performance and reduced upstream bandwidth usage by distributing only the requested bitrates.
CONTENT CACHING
In a caching network, you typically manage the bulk of your on-demand media from one or more Helix Server — Unlimited configured as caching publishers. Helix Server which can also be configured as a caching subscriber, contacts the publisher server for on-demand content. Each subscriber server maintains a portion of physical disk space for caching on-demand content originally deployed on the publishing server.
Helix Servers Support Two Different Caching Methods
Client Request Initiated Server Caching
When a media player requests on-demand content from a subscriber server, that server attempts to fulfill the request from its cache. If the content is not cached, the subscriber server forwards the request to the Helix Server configured as a publisher. As the publisher server fulfills the request, the subscriber server loads the content into its cache, and streams it to the media player. In this way, you are able to reduce delivery cost by caching content at the network's edge.
Server Initiated Push to Caching Migration
Administrators of subscriber servers can manually make requests for content. This populates the cache with whatever content the administrator requires.
ENCODER-TO-SERVER REDUNDANCY
Helix Servers support encoder redundancy for all media formats. Separate encoders deliver the same stream to the transmitter. If the primary stream fails, the transmitter uses the backup stream. It sends the receiver one stream, which may come from either the primary or the backup encoder.
SERVER-TO-SERVER REDUNDANCY
You can increase redundancy within a splitting arrangement by adding Helix Server redundancy. Here, both the primary and backup encoders send streams to two different servers that each split the stream to three servers configured as relays. (Both Helix Live Transmitter and RealProducer can push the same stream to multiple Helix Servers.) Under normal conditions, each receiver gets a version of live.rm from each relay server.
ALTERNATE SERVERS/REALPLAYER RECONNECT
Normally, if an RTSP connection between RealPlayer and Helix Server breaks, RealPlayer attempts to reconnect to the same server. With a redundant server setup, Helix Server sends RealPlayer a list of alternate servers when it sets up the RTSP control channel. If a break occurs, RealPlayer uses its alternate list to connect to another Helix Server that has the same content. If multiple alternates are available, RealPlayer selects one randomly.
* NOTE: Mobile streaming is offered as an extension of the Helix Server Unlimited to Enterprise customers only (including Government and Education customers). Not available in all markets. Restrictions apply. Contact Sales for details.
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