Chapter 3: Using RealProducer Plus

This chapter describes how to use RealProducer Plus to convert standard audio and video into streaming RealMedia. The entire conversion process is known as a "recording session." You will learn how to create a recording session from a variety of input sources and how to monitor your recording session.

The RealProducer Plus Main Window

Before you begin to create RealMedia content, let's briefly tour the different components of the RealProducer Plus main window. This window is where you create, start, view, and stop a recording session.

The RealProducer Plus Main Window

The upper section of the window is where you monitor the recording process. "Viewers" show you the input video and the recorded output during a recording session. Meanwhile, an audio level indicator gives you a visual representation of the audio track.

The middle section lists all necessary information about the final RealMedia file. Details such as clip information, the target audience, audio format, video quality, and the type of stream being recorded are found here.

On the bottom are the recording controls. These controls allow you start, stop, and play the current recording session.

Recording Your Clips

RealProducer Plus includes simple assistants to guide you step-by-step through the recording process. These assistants are specifically designed to:

• convert existing audio and video files into RealMedia files

• record RealMedia files from media capture devices

• broadcast live, streaming content using a RealServer

If you are more familiar with the recording process, you can bypass the assistants and set up the recording process manually. This option is discussed later in "Recording Without the Assistants".

Recording from Media Files

This section describes how to record a RealMedia file from different types of existing media files using the recording assistant.

Only the following audio and video formats can be converted into RealMedia clips using RealProducer Plus:

• Audio: (AIFF, ULAW, MooV, Mp3, Sd2f, NeXT)

• Video: (MooV, Video for Windows)

To create a RealMedia file from an existing file using the recording assistant:

1. Select Recording Assistants from the File menu.

   The Recording Assistants dialog opens.

   

2. Select Convert an Existing File and click OK.

   The Record from File Assistant opens.

   

3. Use the Browse button to locate the audio or video file that you will use as the source for your recording.

4. Click Next.

   The RealMedia Clip Information page opens.

   

5. Enter the following information in the provided spaces. This information will help your audience find your clip. You may leave them blank.

   Title-the title of the clip

   Author-the name of the clip's creator

   Copyright-year and owner of the clip's copyright

   Description-a brief summary of the clip's contents

   Keywords-words that you think your audience would use to search for your clip

   See "Creating Keywords" for tips on creating your keywords.

6. Click Next.

   The File Type page opens.

   

7. Select the type of RealMedia file you want to create: SureStream or Single Rate. For more information on SureStream files, see "About SureStream".

8. Click Next.

   The Target Audience page opens.

   

9. Select the connection speed for your audience. You may make more than one selection if you are creating a SureStream file.

10. Click Next.

    The Audio Format page opens if your source file contains audio. If not, skip the next step.

    

11. Select the type of audio that your file consists of (if applicable), and click Next.

    	Note
    	You can only select the Stereo Music format if your audio source is in stereo.

    The Video Quality page opens if your source file contains video. If not, skip the next step.

    

12. Select the video quality for your output file (if applicable), and click Next.

    	Tip
    	These options are based on the content of your video. You can choose to sacrifice clarity for smoother motion, or vice versa. Choosing Normal Motion is good for most clips.

    The Output File page opens.

    

13. Enter the name and directory of your final output file.

    The output file should have a .rm extension (for example, myfile.rm).

14. Click Next.

    The Prepare to Record Page opens.

    

15. Review all information about the recording session. If it is correct, click Finish. You can use the Back button to reverse through the assistant and change any information.

    After clicking Finish, you are returned to the RealProducer Plus main window. Every option you selected with the assistant appears in the main window. If you are recording video input, the Input Source viewer shows the first frame.

16. You can change any recording options at this point, or simply click Start to begin recording.

17. Click Stop to quit recording before the source file ends.

    A dialog box opens asking you to confirm ending the recording, but the session continues to record.

18. Click Yes to close the dialog box and stop the recording.

    The Recording Complete dialog box opens. This dialog shows you final recording information about your RealMedia file.

    You have the following choices:

    • Click View Statistics to view complete information about your recording session. See "Monitoring Recording Statistics" for more information.

    • Click Close to return to the main window.

19. Click the Play button to open your RealPlayer and play the RealMedia file.

Recording from Media Devices

This section describes how to record a RealMedia file from different types of media devices using the recording wizard.

With RealProducer Plus, you can record from many types of media devices: live microphone input, live video camera input, audio tape, video tape, Digital Video Disks (DVD), or satellite feeds.

Before you begin the recording session, make sure that your media device is properly connected and is working correctly. Supported connections include:

• Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports

• ATI XCLAIM™ card

• on-board video input jacks

To create a RealMedia file from a media device using the recording wizard:

1. Select Recording Assistants from the File menu.

   The Recording Assistants dialog opens.

2. Select Capture Audio or Video to a File and click OK.

   The Record from Media Device page opens.

   

3. Select the Input Source(s) that you want to capture: audio and/or video.

4. Click Next.

   The RealMedia Clip Information page opens.

5. Enter the Title, Author, Copyright, Description, and Keywords in the provided spaces.

   This information will help your audience find your clip. You may leave these fields blank.

6. Click Next.

   The File Type page opens.

7. Select the type of RealMedia file you want to create: SureStream or Single Rate.

8. Click Next.

   The Target Audience page opens.

9. Select the connection speed for your audience. You may make more than one selection if you are creating a SureStream file.

10. Click Next.

    The Audio Format page opens if you selected an audio device. If not, skip the next step.

11. Select the type of audio that your content consists of (if applicable).

    	Note
    	You can only select the Stereo Music format if your audio source is in stereo.

12. Click Next.

    The Video Quality page opens if you selected a video device. If not, skip the next step.

13. Select the video quality for your output file (if applicable), and click Next.

    	Tip
    	These options are based on the content of your video. You can choose to sacrifice clarity for smoother motion, or vice versa. Choosing Normal Motion is good for most clips.

    The Output File page opens.

14. Enter the name and directory of your final output file.

    The output file must have a .rm extension (for example, myfile.rm).

15. Click Next.

    The Prepare to Record Page opens.

16. Review all information about the recording session. If it is correct, click Finish.

    After clicking Finish, you are returned to the RealProducer Plus main window. Every option you selected during the wizard appears in the window. If you are recording video input, the Input Source viewer shows the video source.

17. You can change any recording options at this point, or simply click Start to begin recording.

    	Note
    	Once you begin capturing your live input, you cannot use any other programs or click on the desktop.

18. Monitor your audio and/or video input, and click Stop to quit recording.

    A dialog box opens asking you to confirm ending the recording, but the session continues to record.

19. Click Stop to quit recording before the source file ends.

    A dialog box opens asking you to confirm ending the recording, but the session continues to record.

20. Click Yes to close the dialog box and stop the recording.

    The Recording Complete dialog box opens. This dialog shows you final recording information about your RealMedia file.

    You have the following choices:

    • Click View Statistics to view complete information about your recording session. See "Monitoring Recording Statistics" for more information.

    • Click Close to return to the main window.

21. In the RealProducer Plus main window, click the Play button to open your RealPlayer and play the RealMedia file.

Broadcasting Live Content

This section describes how to broadcast live from different types of media devices using the recording wizard.

In addition to creating RealMedia files from your media sources, you can use RealProducer Plus to broadcast your live content directly over the Internet or a corporate LAN. You must have access to a RealServer in order to use this feature.

To broadcast live content using the recording wizard:

1. Select Recording Assistants from the File menu.

   The Recording Assistants dialog opens.

2. Select Live Broadcast and click OK.

   The recording wizard opens to the Live Broadcast page.

3. Select the Input Source(s): audio or video.

4. If you select a video source, enter the Width and Height of the video.

5. Click Next.

   The Media Clip Information page opens.

6. Enter the Title, Author, and Copyright, Description, and Keywords in the provided spaces.

   This information will help your audience find your clip. You may leave these fields blank.

7. Click Next.

   The File Type page opens.

8. Select the type of RealMedia you want to create: SureStream or Single Rate. For more information on SureStream files, see "About SureStream".

9. Click Next.

   The Target Audience page opens.

10. Select the connection speed for your audience. You may make more than one selection if you are using SureStream.

11. Click Next.

    The Audio Format page opens if you selected an audio device. If not, skip the next step.

12. Select the type of audio that your content consists of (if applicable).

    	Note
    	You can only select the Stereo Music format if your input audio is in stereo.

13. Click Next.

    The Video Quality page opens if you selected a video device. If not, skip the next step.

14. Select the video quality for your output file (if applicable), and click Next.

    	Tip
    	These options are based on the content of your video. You can choose to sacrifice clarity for smoother motion, or vice versa. Choosing Normal Motion is good for most clips.

    The Media Server page opens.

15. In this step, you will enter information about the RealServer that you will use to broadcast your streaming media.

    1. Enter the name and port number for the RealServer that you will use for your broadcast.

    2. Enter a Filename that users will use to access the broadcast. For example, broadcast.rm (the file must have a .rm extension).

    3. Enter your Username and Password for the server, if required.

    4. You may also specify a filename and location for an archive of your broadcast. Select Archive Broadcast to File and enter a file name, or click the Save As button to browse for the archive file. The file must also have a .rm extension.

16. Click Next.

    The Prepare to Record Page opens.

17. Review all information regarding the broadcast. If it is correct, click Finish.

    After clicking Finish, you are returned to the RealProducer Plus main window. Every option you selected during the wizard appears in the window. If you are recording video input, the Input Source viewer shows the video source.

18. You can change any recording options at this point, or simply click Start to begin broadcasting.

19. Monitor your audio and/or video input, and click Stop to finish the broadcast.

    A dialog box opens asking you to confirm ending the broadcast, but the session continues to record.

20. Click Yes to close the dialog box and stop the recording.

    The Recording Complete dialog opens. This dialog recaps all information regarding your broadcast.

21. Click View Statistics to view complete information about your recording session. See "Monitoring Recording Statistics" for more information.

22. Click Close to return to the main window.

Recording Without the Assistants

Although using RealProducer Plus's recording assistants allows you to easily create RealMedia content, after time you'll likely be able to do without them. You can still create the same types of RealMedia clips:

• from a media file to a RealMedia file

• from a media device to a RealMedia file

• a live RealMedia broadcast

Converting Media Files

To convert media files without using the assistant:

1. Select Open File from the File menu.

   The Open File dialog opens.

2. Navigate to the file you want to record, and select it.

3. Click the Choose button.

   The Open File dialog closes, returning to the RealProducer Plus main window.

   	Tip
   	You can also drag your media file directly into the main window to create a new session.

4. Enter the Title, Author, Copyright, Description, and Keywords for your output. These fields are optional.

5. Select the File Type, either Single Rate or SureStream. For more information on SureStream files, see "About SureStream"

6. In the Target Audience section, select the connection speed for your audience. You may select more than one target audience if you are recording with SureStream.

7. In the Audio Format section, select the type of audio contained in your source (if any).

   	Note
   	You can only select the Stereo Music format if your input audio is in stereo.

8. In the Video Quality section, select the type of video contained in your source (if any).

9. Click Start to begin the recording process.

10. Click Stop to end the recording.

Capturing Live Media

To capture media without using the assistant:

1. Select Record Live from the File menu.

   The Live Capture Options dialog opens.

   

2. Select the Input Source(s): Audio or Video.

3. Enter the width and height for your video (if necessary) in pixels.

4. For recording to a file or archiving a broadcast, select RealMedia File in the Output section.

   1. Click Save As.

   2. Browse to the location for the file you want to create.

   3. Enter a name for the file, using an .rm extension.

   4. Click Save.

5. For a live broadcast to a RealServer, select Broadcast to RealServer in the Output section.

   1. Enter the name of the RealServer and the Port you will connect to.

   2. Enter a Filename that your audience will use to connect to your broadcast.

   3. Enter a Username and Password to connect to the RealServer.

6. If you want to start the recording at a later time, in the Timer section, select Start Time and choose a date and time.

7. If you want to end the recording at a certain time, in the Timer section, select Stop Time and choose a date and time.

8. Click OK.

   The Capture to File dialog closes, returning to the RealProducer Plus main window.

9. Follow steps 4 through 10 in the previous procedure for converting files without using the assistants.

Monitoring Recording Statistics

The Statistics window is a useful tool that allows you to monitor the performance of your recording session.

You can watch general statistics, audio-only statistics, or video-only statistics. If you are using SureStream, statistics are shown for each stream that RealProducer Plus creates.

To monitor recording statistics:

1. After you have created a recording session, choose Statistics from the View menu.

   The Statistics window opens. You can return to the RealProducer Plus window without closing the Statistics window.

   

2. Start recording, noting the top section of the Statistics window. Here is where you will find basic information about your recording session such as:

   • name and location of the input file

   • audio format and video quality

   • whether the output is SureStream or Single Rate

   You also find information that constantly changes, such as:

   • time remaining in the clip

   • real time performance

3. Also monitor the general, audio, and video information located at the bottom of the Statistics window. These statistics are described later in this section.

Monitoring Real Time Performance

A main feature of the statistics dialog is its ability to show the performance of your recording session.

This statistic compares the time it took to record your clip to the time it takes to play the input. For example, if your input is a 10 second video clip and it takes RealProducer Plus 5 seconds to process the clip, the Real Time Performance would be 50%.

When capturing video or audio to a file, any value near or above 100% means that your computer may not be able to process data as fast as it is received. The session may fail due to lack of computing resources.

General Statistics

These statistics give you information about each target audience selected during the creation of the recording session. If you are recording a Single Rate clip, only one stream appears. If you are using SureStream, all streams are listed for each target audience.

See the table below for more details about these statistics.

Audio Statistics

These statistics give you information about the audio codecs (compression/decompression algorithms) used to create the audio streams. More than one codec appears if you are using SureStream.

See the table below for more details about these statistics.

Video Statistics

These statistics give you information about the video codecs (compression/decompression algorithms) used to create the video streams. More than one codec appears if you are using SureStream.

See the table below for more details about these statistics.

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This file last updated on 11/10/00 at 16:15:29.