SmartMEDIA Technical Datasheet
High-performance media server for content delivery, transcoding, and DVR services
Overview
SmartMEDIA is a media server platform designed to deliver video content over IP networks. It provides transcoding, segmentation, encryption, recording, and delivery of audio/video content for both managed (IPTV) and unmanaged (OTT) IP networks, enabling operators to build scalable content delivery infrastructure.
Key Capabilities
Content Delivery
- Live TV streaming (unicast and multicast)
- Catch-up TV and Time-shift services
- Network PVR (nPVR) recording and playback
- Video on Demand delivery
- Adaptive bitrate streaming
Transcoding
- Real-time live stream transcoding
- Multi-profile output for ABR delivery
- Hardware acceleration (Intel QSV, NVIDIA NVENC)
- Resolution scaling and frame rate conversion
- Deinterlacing and video filtering
Recording & Storage
- Continuous DVR recording
- Configurable retention periods
- POSIX storage (local, NFS, SAN)
- Object storage (Amazon S3 compatible)
- Efficient chunk-based storage
Content Protection
- Multi-DRM encryption (Widevine, PlayReady, FairPlay)
- CENC (Common Encryption) support
- HLS-AES encryption
- On-the-fly re-encryption between DRM schemes
- Token-based stream authorization
Ad Insertion
- Server-side ad insertion (SSAI)
- VAST protocol support
- Linear stream ad replacement
- HLS/DASH manifest manipulation
Architecture
SmartMEDIA consists of modular components that can be deployed independently:
| Component | Function |
|---|---|
| Conveyor | Stream ingestion, remultiplexing, segmentation, recording |
| Transcoder | Real-time encoding with hardware acceleration |
| Playlist Generator | HLS/DASH manifest generation |
| HTTP Server | Content delivery (nginx-based) |
| Load Balancer | Request distribution and failover |
Supported Formats
Input
| Type | Formats |
|---|---|
| Container | MPEG2-TS (SPTS) |
| Protocols | UDP Multicast, HTTP Stream, HLS |
| Video Codecs | H.262/MPEG-2, H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC |
| Audio Codecs | AAC, AC3, MP2, MP3, DTS |
| Resolution | SD to 4K UHD, up to 60fps |
Output
| Type | Formats |
|---|---|
| Protocols | HLS, MPEG-DASH, Smooth Streaming |
| Container | MPEG2-TS, ISO BMFF (fMP4) |
| Video Codecs | H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC |
| Audio Codecs | AAC |
| Resolution | SD to 4K UHD, progressive |
Transcoding Options
Hardware Acceleration
| Technology | Hardware | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Intel QSV | Intel CPUs with integrated graphics | Cost-effective for moderate scale |
| NVIDIA NVENC | NVIDIA GPUs (RTX, Quadro, Tesla) | High density, cost-per-channel optimized |
Transcoding Features
- Multi-profile ABR ladder generation
- Synchronized keyframes across profiles
- Audio track passthrough or transcoding
- Configurable GOP structure
- Web-based profile management
DVR Services
SmartMEDIA enables time-shift television services:
| Service | Description |
|---|---|
| Catch-up TV | Watch programs after broadcast within retention window |
| Time-shift (TSTV) | Pause, rewind, fast-forward within live buffer |
| Pause Live | Pause and resume live broadcast |
| Start Over | Restart current program from beginning |
| nPVR | Subscriber-initiated cloud recording |
Recording Modes
- Main mode — Full demux/remux with optional encryption
- Pass-through — Preserve original stream with minimal processing
Content Protection
DRM Integration
| DRM System | Container | Encryption |
|---|---|---|
| Google Widevine | ISO BMFF | CENC (AES-CTR) |
| Microsoft PlayReady | ISO BMFF | CENC (AES-CTR) |
| Apple FairPlay | MPEG2-TS | CBCS (AES-CBC) |
| Verimatrix | MPEG2-TS | HLS-AES |
SmartMEDIA Ultra Feature
On-the-fly re-encryption from CENC to CBCS scheme enables:
- Single encrypted copy in storage
- Multi-DRM delivery without duplicate storage
- Support for both Widevine and FairPlay from same source
Integration
SmartLabs Ecosystem
| Product | Integration |
|---|---|
| SmartTUBE | Service delivery, content metadata, subscriber entitlements |
| SmartCARE | Recording server monitoring, streaming quality metrics |
| UDRM | License key management for multi-DRM |
External Systems
- CDN edge servers
- Origin shield / caching layers
- Ad decision servers (VAST)
- External storage systems (S3, NFS)
Deployment
Requirements
- Linux (x86_64)
- Standard server hardware
- Intel CPU with QSV or NVIDIA GPU for transcoding
- MongoDB for index storage
- Shared or object storage for content
Scalability
- Horizontal scaling with multiple nodes
- Conveyor and Transcoder can run on separate hosts
- Shared transcoder pools across multiple conveyors
- No single point of failure architecture
Why SmartMEDIA
| Differentiator | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Hardware flexibility | Intel QSV or NVIDIA NVENC — use existing or optimal hardware |
| Native codec integration | Higher stability and efficiency vs. ffmpeg-based solutions |
| On-the-fly re-encryption | Single storage copy for multi-DRM delivery |
| Modular architecture | Scale components independently |
| SmartLabs integration | Seamless operation with SmartTUBE and SmartCARE |
Next Steps
- Request Demo — See SmartMEDIA in action
- Contact Sales — Discuss your content delivery requirements
- SmartTUBE Datasheet — Learn about the complete platform
Ready to learn more about SmartMEDIA?