April 25, 2011
Playing movies and music can be as simple and easy as plugging in your iPod or inserting a disc into a DVD player. But what if you want that music in another area of the yacht or two guests want to watch the same movie in different staterooms?
The technology and equipment for watching movies and listening to the same source for music has improved and makes the onboard movie and music experience enjoyable and simple.
There are a couple ways to store and play movies and music on demand. One is to use a standard Web server to deliver the audio and video data to a media player, and the second is to use a dedicated media server that specializes in audio/video streaming tasks.
Audio/video on the Web used to be primarily a download-and-play event. You had to first download the entire media file before it could be played. Because these files are so large, it took a long time to download.
Now with Web-based streaming you can begin playing media files right away, while the data is being sent, and without having to wait for the entire file to finish downloading. Netflix, Hulu, VuDu are some examples of this type of streaming media.
Web server streaming uses HTTP (Hyper Text Transport Protocol). This is the standard Web protocol used by all Web servers and browsers to communicate between the server and the client.
There is only one major advantage of using a Web-based server compared to using a dedicated media server, and that is being able to use the infrastructure that already exists on the vessel. No additional equipment or software is normally needed.
However, the downside is that if you have low bandwidth or a poor Internet connection, you will have difficulties playing the movie or music. Adding load onto the infrastructure might require additional Web server hardware.
The advantage to using a dedicated media server such as a Windows media server or a Kaleidescape system is that it has a more efficient network throughput and uses a higher bandwidth to deliver the media content to the client.
This results in better video quality. It also delivers better audio quality as the media player and the server remain in contact throughout the experience. A dedicated media server also is more cost effective to a lot of different users in multiple locations.
This type of server would allow multiple people to watch the same movie at the same time in different areas of the vessel. These media servers use a multicast support that allow a single media stream to be played simultaneously by multiple clients. They also reduce bandwidth usage so more than one person can watch the same content in another viewing area.
Dedicated drives can be added to the system to allow for private viewing as well.
One of the problems that yachts have to deal with is the consistency of each system. This is normally not a huge deal if the vessel isn’t being chartered and the crew is familiar with the system. It can easily be taught to new crew members and guests.
When a vessel is being chartered, however, the system needs to be the same across the vessel. Each remote, each unit needs to operate the same way. Being easy to use is a must.
One captain told us that he wanted the system to be easy enough for his 80-year-old mother to use “with her eyes closed.” We agree and believe simplicity works. Over-complicating a system and design only creates more issues. Push the button, watch a movie or a program … enjoy.
Choosing a media server is a big investment and an important decision. We have listed a couple of ways to go and each has advantages and disadvantages, however for the most efficient and cost effective way that will allow you solid performance every time and every outing, go with a Kaleidescape.
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