Transcoding media downloaded by the middleware

Starting from version 4.1.0 the Flowics Middleware allows a transcoding script (.bat) to run when an audio/video/image is downloaded in order to convert it into a format your graphics insertion system supports.


Requirements

  1. Install or update the Middleware to the latest version.
  2. Download the FFmpeg which allows you to convert your files. 
  3. We recommend downloading the Windows Terminal instead of using the windows default console. 


Installation for Windows

  • Download the FFmpeg here.
  • Extract the zip file into a single directory.
  • Open the extracted file and copy the bin folder into another directory. We suggest to paste it into a fairly easy path access.
  • Make sure that directory is present in the Path variable.
    • Go to Control Panel >> System & Security >> System >> Advanced System Settings >> Environment Variables
    • At this screen edit in System Variables the Path variable and make sure the folder where the bin file is located is contained within this list (e.g. C:\Users\Flowics\Documents\bin). Otherwise, add it to the end.


Configurations

  • Get the script that will run the FFmpeg:
    • For Windows click here.
    • For OSX/Linux click here.
  • Copy it in a text editor.
  • Change the FFmpeg path (where it is on your computer) e.g. C:\Users\Flowics\Documents\bin\ffmpeg.exe
  • Save it as a brother of the ffmpeg (bin folder) at the same directory.
  • Set the env.xml file into the webapp folder on the Middleware. Here you must declare:
    • File extension to be converted (e.g. ogg).
    • Destination extension (e.g. wav).
    • User (windows user path where the bin folder is located)
    • bin 
    • convert (ffmpeg_transcode.bat)

For example, if you want to convert ogg to wav using /usr/ bin/convert you must write:


<New class="org.eclipse.jetty.plus.jndi.Resource">
  <Arg></Arg>
  <Arg>transcoders</Arg>
  <Arg><![CDATA[
ogg,wav,C:\Users\Flowics\Documents\bin\ffmpeg_transcode.bat
]]></Arg>
</New>

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