Configuring Transcoder Plug-ins
Overview
The Appspace Content Transcoding is a plugin framework that allows Appspace administrators to install transcoding engines that allow users to convert media files into formats compatible for playback on their selected media player devices. Transcoder plugins are not pre-intsalled with Appspace and have to be downloaded from the Marketplace or manually added transcoders for self-developed plugins.
Downloading Transcoder Plugins From Marketplace
Step 1
Log into your Appspace Cloud account and access the extension drop-down menu from the upper-left corner and select Marketplace (within the Content group).
Step 2
Once in the Marketplace, select Transcoders from the category drop-down menu near the center of the page.
Step 3
The Marketplace should then list the available transcoders for download. Click on the desired transcoder.
Step 4
On the transcoder details page, download the transcoder package using download link next to the Description. Save the transcoder archive to an easy to access location on your local machine.
Warning
Make sure to read and meet the installation requirements for each transcoder. Your Appspace server must be properly configured and meet the hardware requirements that are defined. You must also download and install any/all software and codec requirements listed for the transcoder to function correctly.
Importing Transcoder Plugins
Step 1
To import the downloaded transcoder, begin by clicking on the user icon in your on-premise Appspace server and selecting System.
Step 2
Click on the Transcoding tab and proceed by clicking on ‘Import’ to continue.
Step 3
The Import dialog will prompt you to choose the transcoder package. Click on the Choose File button and locate the downloaded transcoder package from the Marketplace. Select the file and click Open. Complete the process by clicking Apply.
Step 4
Once the import has complated successfully, you should see it listed on the page under Available Transcoders.
Step 5
To complete the import process, click on the Apply Configuration tab. Apply the changes to the system by entering your Windows server credentials and click Apply.
Warning
The username and password should be your Windows server administrator credentials or an account with local administrator privileges to make and apply changes to server settings. This is NOT your Appspace server administrator credentials or your Appspace Cloud user credentials.
Step 6
At the Confirmation window, click Yes to restart your Appspace server.
You should see a message indicating the Appspace server’s restart progress.
If successful, you should be presented with an Information dialog window confirming the update. Click OK to complete the process.
Adding Custom Developed Transcoder Plugins
Step 1
To add custom developed transcoder plugins, begin by clicking on the user icon in your on-premise Appspace server and selecting System.
Step 2
Click on the Transcoding tab and proceed by clicking on ‘New Transcoder’ to begin adding a new custom transcoder.
Step 3
Under the Settings sub-tab of the New Transcoder window, fill in the Transcoder Name field. In the Supported File Types field, list (comma separated) the media file extension types that the transcoder will support. Appspace will use this information to determine the possible transcoders to use when a user encodes a media file in the content library.
Step 4
Click on the Profiles sub-tab. Each transcoder needs to have at minimum one profile created that defines the function the transcoder will perform. It is similar to a command line argument for the transcoder executable. Click the ‘New Profile’ link to continue.
Step 5
Enter a descriptive name in the Profile Name field that helps explain its function and file format outputs. Click the Add button once completed.
Note
In the various Settings fields, you will need at minimum the following values:
cli.outputext – the resulting file extension for the converted content for this profile
cli.arguments – the command line arguments to pass to the transcoder executable. It should contain the variables, %source% and %destination%
Click the ‘Add Setting’ link to add additional settings to this profile.
Finally, click the Apply button when to save the settings for this custom transcoder.
Step 6
Once the transcoder has been successfully added, you should see it listed on the page under Available Transcoders.
Step 7
To complete the import process, click on the Apply Configuration tab. Apply the changes to the system by entering your Windows server credentials and click Apply.
Warning
The username and password should be your Windows server administrator credentials or an account with local administrator privileges to make and apply changes to server settings. This is NOT your Appspace server administrator credentials or your Appspace Cloud user credentials.
Step 8
At the Confirmation window, click Yes to restart your Appspace server.
You should see a message indicating the Appspace server’s restart progress.
If successful, you should be presented with an Information dialog window confirming the update. Click OK to complete the process.
