MasonIP Network Video Player User Guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome ........................................... 1 Getting Help System Requirements..................... 2 Whatʼs in the Box.............................2 Overview of Operation.................... 3 Flexible Input and Output Formats The Ultimate DVD Player Multiple Sources The Library ............................................ 4 About Servers and Networks..........
WELCOME Thank you for purchasing the MasonIP network video decoder/player. Whether you plan to use the Mason for proofing your DVD authoring, checking your HD encoding, or as the hub of your home video playback system, we are confident that you will love its high quality, flexibility and robust design. This User Guide will take you through the installation, configuration and use of your MasonIP. Please take a few minutes to read through it before you begin setting up your Mason.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS To use the Mason, you will need: • A 100/1000base-T Ethernet network connection • A computer with a web browser (for configuration) • A TV or monitor with an available composite, s-video, component or DVI • video input (HDMI inputs can be used with an optional adapter.) A computer or computers configured as a server to share the video files you want to play. (The Mason can access files on NFS, SMB or HTTP servers.) The Mason can also play files from a locally connected USB drive.
OVERVIEW OF OPERATION Simply put, the MasonIP is a hardware device which connects to a TV or monitor and allows you to play digital video files that are stored on your server(s) over an Ethernet network. It uses a handheld remote control to navigate its on-screen menus and control selection and playback of your files. The Mason is ideally suited for proofing the quality of video encoding in MPEG formats, as well as testing the functionality of authored DVDs.
The Library The contents of all your configured servers are displayed on your TV in a unified listing called the ʻLibraryʼ. The Library shows each server, as well as any connected USB drives. Each configured server is listed in the Library. Servers that are offline are still listed, but their names are ʻdimmedʼ Masonʼs internal storage, with video test patterns.
ABOUT SERVERS AND NETWORKS The Mason plays files that are stored on your server(s).
Network Security Even on an internal network, it is a good idea to configure your server to require authentication, to avoid any unauthorized access to your data. On a network that is accessible to the ʻoutside worldʼ it is absolutely essential. The Mason supports authentication on all three types of servers. About Network Speed The Mason has a 100Base-T Ethernet port. This is more than fast enough to handle even the highest bitrate files that Mason can play (50 mbps).
What Mason ʻseesʼ When you browse the Library, Mason only displays servers, folders and items it can play. Folders which contain a VIDEO_TS folder will be shown as DVDs, and any other playable files will be shown with a movie icon. No other files will be shown in the listing; incompatible files will just be ignored. This is a folder which contains a VIDEO_TS folder This is a playable video file This is a standard folder (which may or may not contain other items.
SETTING UP THE MASON There are three parts to setting up the Mason: • Connect the Mason to power, network and your TV • Configure the Masonʼs network address • Use a web browser to configure your servers The next few pages cover these items in detail. Mounting the Mason The Mason is a standard 1U rack-mount device, which can either be mounted in a standard equipment rack, or simply placed on a horizontal surface.
Connect Your Monitor & Audio 5. Connect your TV monitor(s) to the desired output(s). You can connect more than one video output if you like, but depending on the resolution you select some will not be active. If your monitor has a HDMI input, you can connect it to the DVI output of the Mason using an HDMI-toDVI adapter (not included). 6. Connect the desired audio output(s) to your sound system/amplifier. All audio outputs are active at all times, so you can connect them to different devices as needed.
Setting the IP Address of the Mason At the factory, the Mason is set to these network settings: Net Discovery....... Manual IP address............. 192.168.1.10 Mask....................... 255.255.255.0 Gateway................ 192.168.1.1 DNS....................... not set Most likely you will need to change these settings to something appropriate for your network. 8. With the remote control pointed towards the front of the Mason, press the ʻSetupʼ button. The Network Settings window will be displayed.
THE WEB CONFIGURATION SYSTEM With the exception of initially setting the IP address, all of Masonʼs settings are made using its web-based configuration pages. To access the configuration pages, you simply enter the IP address of your Mason into the address field of your favorite web browser on your computer. You can always find the current address of your Mason by pressing the ʻsetupʼ button on the remote control.
The main configuration page will open. It should look something like this: Notice that the MasonIP configuration pages are divided into four sections - • Main - which is used to change operational settings • Servers - where you set up access to your server(s) • Help - online help for each setting • Reset - allows you to reset your Mason back to factory settings Each section is accessible by clicking on its tab near the top of the page.
Main Settings Page To save any changes to the Masonʼs settings, click the ʻSave Changesʼ button at the bottom of the configuration page. Changes are applied as soon as you save them. Access Control This section is used to specify the user name and password which is required to enter the Mason IP Configuration pages. If you set an access password and then later forget it, you will not be able to access the configuration pages.
Overscan............... On some monitors (CRT & others), part of the image is usually obscured by the frame. Selecting 'overscan' will cause the Mason to slightly shrink everything so it will fit better on the screen. Picture Controls... The Mason allows you to use the remote control to adjust the color, contrast and brightness of the image. You can disable these adjustments if you prefer.
Screen Saver To help prevent burn-in on your TV, the Mason has a built-in screen saver function. You can specify how long it should wait before activating, and whether you want it to display a moving Wired logo, or simply blank the screen. Activate after......... Choose how many minutes before the screen saver starts Type ....................... Choose ʻLogoʼ to display a dark-gray Wired logo, or ʻBlank screenʼ. (on Energy Star monitors, choose ʻblank screenʼ to allow the monitor to sleep).
Power On with Remote Behavior You can specify what happens when you turn the Mason off and on using the remote control. Resume ................. The Mason will remember where you left off and start up again in the same place. This works whether you were watching a movie or browsing the library. Show Library ........ Choose this option to have the Mason display the main level of the Library directory when you turn it on.
Servers Settings Page This page allows you to specify up to eight servers and/or mount points which contain your media files. Mason can connect to Unix/Linux (NFS), Windows (SMB) and HTTP servers. Each of the eight possible servers has the same settings. Address................. The IP address of the desired server Type ....................... Choose NFS, SMB or HTTP to match your server Mount Point .......... specify the mount-point path to the server. User Name............
More About Mount Points Itʼs important to note that the ʻServerʼ entries donʼt all have to refer to different physical servers. You can enter a single server multiple times, specifying different sub-paths in the Mount Point field. For example, if your directory structure looks like this - this is the NFS share You can specify the mount point path to a subfolder instead.
Reset Page This page is used to reset the Mason to factory default settings. Reset Mason......... All your settings will be erased. The video resolution will revert to 480p for digital and 480i for analog, and the network settings will revert to 192.168.1.10. You would then need to use the remote control to set the IP address of the Mason before you can resume using the Web Configuration pages. Cancel....................
THE REMOTE CONTROL The Masonʼs remote control is used to navigate the Library and control the playback of your video. It includes all the typical functions of a DVD player remote control, along with a few special functions. The most-used buttons are the navigation keys group, which includes the fourway arrows and ʻEnterʼ key along with the ʻMenuʼ and ʻReturnʼ function, and the standard playback buttons.
Special & Multipurpose Buttons Some of the buttons on the remote have special functions. Eject Button Stops playback of DVD (overrides any UOPs that may be set). Power Button Depending on your settings, this button either suspends/ resumes the Masonʼs operation, or rescans and remounts all available servers and drives. Select Button Confirms settings in on-screen windows.
Page up - Page Down The Volume ʻ+ʼ and ʻ-ʼ buttons are used to control the Masonʼs output volume, if you have enabled that feature on the Configuration page. But these buttons also double as ʻPage Upʼ and ʻPage Downʼ buttons when you are viewing the Library listing. They let you jump through long listings very quickly. Reserved Buttons Some of the buttons on the remote are reserved for future use, and are currently inactive. They are indicated here.
APPENDIX Using USB Drives The Mason is primarily designed to play files located on network servers, but it can also play files from locally connected USB drives. This is ideal for situations where you need a ʻstandaloneʼ player. You can connect external USB hard drives or flash drives to the Masonʼs USB ports. The drive must be formatted in Windows format (MS-DOS/FAT32).
Firmware Updates The Mason has internal software/firmware that controls its operation and functionality. This firmware can be updated ʻin the fieldʼ. If Wired releases new firmware for the Mason, or if you want to completely reset the Mason to its original factory state, follow these steps to update the firmware. 1. First, download the appropriate firmware from the Wired website: www.wiredinc.com/category/support/firmware/.
After a few moments, the Mason will recognize the firmware file and this window will pop-up, showing the version of the new firmware. 5. To proceed with the firmware update, use the arrow buttons on the remote to choose ʻYesʼ and then press the ʻEnterʼ button. (to cancel without updating, choose ʻNoʼ instead.) The firmware update will begin, and the progress will be shown in the window. It typically takes about two minutes for the update to complete.
External Remote Connection The Masonʼs remote control sensor is located on the front panel. IR Sensor window If your Mason is located in an enclosed space it may not be able to properly pick up the signals. We offer an optional external IR sensor which plugs into the ʻIR Remote INʼ jack on the rear panel, and can be placed in an accessible location. Contact Wired at info@wiredinc.com for more information. You can also use a variety of standard IR extender/repeater systems.
Technical Specifications Video Outputs Analog composite via BNC, s-video, component via 3-BNCs Digital DVI (DVI connector, supports DVI and HDMI timing) SDI - optional - supports SD and HD with embedded audio Available resolutions 480i (NTSC), 576i (PAL), 480p, 576p, 720p60, 720p50, 1080i60, 1080i50, 1080p60 Audio Outputs Analog Digital stereo line level via RCA AES/EBU via XLR, SP/DIF via RCA, Toslink optical Compatible Formats Video MPEG-1, MPEG-2, AVC, VC-1, H.
