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What is Pixel Xtream^®?
What's unique about Pixel Xtream?
Is there a Software Development Kit (SDK) for Pixel Xtream?
Does Pixel Xtream come with hardware?
What formats are supported by Pixel Xtream?
How can I scale to higher performance transcoding?
Does Pixel Xtream allow the addition of logos and watermarks?
Does Pixel Xtream ingest DVDs?
Does Pixel Xtream handle HD?
Can Pixel Xtream encode for cell phones?
Can Pixel Xtream encode for streaming servers?
Can I capture video from tape for transcoding?
Is Pixel Xtream licensed on a per CPU or per computer basis?
What type of computer hardware do I need? Is Pixel Xtream multi-threaded?
What OS do I need for Pixel Xtream?
How fast is Pixel Xtream?
Does Pixel Xtream run on 64-bit Windows?
How does the security dongle work for Pixel Xtream?
What is your support policy?
How do I automate transcoding?
What is included in the purchase price of Pixel Xtream or Pixel Xtream LX?
Can I get a free evaluation copy?
How do I back up my custom settings?
Can I install a later version of QuickTime than what is recommended?
Are there any known issues with QuickTime versions?
Can I tell which folders are being monitored as Watch Folders?
Can I access files and use Watch folders across all machines on my network?
I have a file that I cannot import into Pixel Xtream. How should I proceed?
I purchased Pixel Xtream through a reseller. Who should I contact for support?
What about Third-Party Codecs and Applications?
I want to install a certain application on the Pixel Xtream server. Is that supported?
What does "Error: failed to open file" mean?
Does Pixel Xtream automatically de-interlace?
How do I know whether or not to enable de-interlacing?

What is Pixel Xtream^®?

Incorporating the breakthrough Pixel Magic^® video enhancement technology, Pixel Xtream is a family of high speed transcoder software products and appliances innovated by Ipera Technology. It currently includes Pixel Xtream, Pixel Xtream^® L2200 and Pixel Xtream^® L2200P. More products and more platform support are being added to the Pixel Xtream product family.

What's unique about Pixel Xtream^®?

Ipera's Pixel Xtream has several advantages that bring unbeatable value to our customers.
Quality: Pixel Xtream is the only transcoder on the market that incorporates automatic/intelligent video quality enhancement technology to allow it always achieve better visual quality in the output streams compared with competing products. Bit rates are also reduced with our innovative bit rate reduction technology.
Speed/Throughput: Our high-efficiency algorithms and patent pending transcoding architecture deliver a significant speed/throughput advantage. Pixel Xtream consistently runs from 50% up to 200% faster than other leading software transcoders currently on the market (detailed benchmark data is available). Our automatic quality adjustment also greatly benefits the throughput/productivity as no human intervention is required when transcoding very large volumes of diverse files.
Productivity: Besides Pixel Xtream's intuitive GUI layout and workflow, we invented several features including side-by-side preview to further improve usability. The side-by-side preview is a very convenient feature that allows you to immediately know what you are getting before you start your transcoding job. Lots of our users get right into using Pixel Xtream without reading the manual.
Cost: Not only is Pixel Xtream priced competitively, the fact that it's a low-touch, high-throughput product means you can get more work done with less money spent. In addition, Pixel Xtream has much lower computational requirements which turns into savings on server hardware costs.

Is there a Software Development Kit (SDK) for Pixel Xtream^®?

No. If you need assistance automating tasks within a production facility, or to use Pixel Xtream as a back-end transcoding service from an OEM application, please contact Ipera at support@iperatech.com. Pixel Xtream^® can be customized for your specific application if you have a unique setup.

Does Pixel Xtream^® come with hardware?

Pixel Xtream is a software transcoding application that you may run on any Windows machine that meets the minimal requirements. Pixel Xtream^® L2200 (rack-mount) and L2200P (portable) models are software-based appliances that incorporate video capture and ingest capabilities. You may run it on any system that meets the minimal requirements.

What formats are supported by Pixel Xtream?

The video codecs shipped with Pixel Xtream include: MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.263, H.264, DV25, DV50, DVCPro, JPEG-2000, and Windows Media. Audio codecs shipped with Pixel Xtream include: MPEG1 Layer 2, MP3, AAC, AMC, AMR-NB, and Windows Media Audio. In addition to a wide variety of codecs, Pixel Xtream also supports many different media “containers,” including HDV, MXF, MPEG-2 Transport Stream, MPEG-2 Program Stream, QuickTime, WMV, ASF, AVI, VOB, 3GP, 3G2, etc. In some cases, Pixel Xtream does not support both input and export of a particular format; for example, Pixel Xtream can decode JPEG-2000 files, but does not encode in that format. For a complete list of encode and decode formats, please contact sales@iperatech.com.

How can I scale to higher performance transcoding?

You can scale transcoding in two ways. The first is to increase the performance of an individual transcoding machine. We recommend dual-core, dual-processor systems. There are also four and eight processor machines available. The second way to increase performance is to add additional transcoding machines to your network. These transcoding machines can operate independently of each other or under centralized control. Please contact support@iperatech.com to discuss your specific situation.

Does Pixel Xtream^® allow the addition of logos and watermarks?

Yes, Pixel Xtream supports adding your own logos and watermarks.

Does Pixel Xtream^® ingest DVDs?

Yes, it can directly ingest entire DVD movies for streaming or archiving. It can also ingest VOB files and transcode them into appropriate formats. You may need to have a 3rd party codec installed. Please contact support@iperatech.com to discuss your specific situation.

Does Pixel Xtream^® handle HD?

Yes. Can Pixel Xtream encode for DVDs? In the future, Pixel Xtream will offer optional support for DVD authoring.

Can Pixel Xtream^® encode for cell phones?

Yes, Pixel Xtream supports various formats used in mobile TV and streaming to cellphones.

Can Pixel Xtream^® encode for streaming servers?

Yes, Pixel Xtream L2200 and L2200P feed directly into streaming servers using a variety of popular protocols.

Can I capture video from tape for transcoding?

Pixel Xtream L2200 and L2200P support live feed from a tape player.

Is Pixel Xtream^® licensed on a per CPU or per computer basis?

Pixel Xtream is licensed on a “per computer” basis. You may run it in a computer with any number of CPUs (or CPU cores). Pixel Xtream can run multiple transcodes simultaneously, taking maximum advantage of each processor core in your system.

What type of computer hardware do I need? Is Pixel Xtream^® multi-threaded?

We recommend a dual-core, dual-processor system (this provides substantial saving as competing products typical recommend a quad-core system). Pixel Xtream takes advantage of each processor core in a system, so running on the “dual-dual” systems will give you four separate CPU cores for fast transcoding. You should have at least 2GB of RAM (4GB if you are transcoding HD content). Pixel Xtream takes maximum advantage of multiple processor cores in the host system. The multiple processors will be used for increasing performance when generating a single output or when generating multiple targets simultaneously.

What OS do I need for Pixel Xtream^®?

You can run Pixel Xtream under almost all 32 bit or 64 bit versions Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 2003 Server or Windows 2008 Server. Pixel Xtream is not available at this time for Linux or Macintosh. Please contact support@iperatech.com to discuss your specific situation.

How fast is Pixel Xtream^®?

Pixel Xtream is only limited by the speed of the computer on which it is running and the speed with which data can be accessed and written. Transcodes can run much faster or in rare situation slower than real-time, depending on the type of transcode being executed. Every transcode type is different, so we recommend that you procure an evaluation copy of our software with which to test your chosen formats. This will help you determine the total computing performance that you will need for your desired throughput.

Does Pixel Xtream^® run on 64-bit Windows?

Yes.

How does the security dongle work for Pixel Xtream^®?

Currently, each server or system that runs Pixel Xtream requires a security key (also known as a “dongle”). Please contact support@iperatech.com to discuss other options that may be available.

What is your support policy?

Support contracts are available for purchase on an annual basis and are typically required for the first year after purchase. Support contracts cover technical support as well as maintenance updates including all generally available updates to the product and included codecs. Support hours are 8am to 5pm Pacific Time (USA) Monday through Friday. Please contact sales@iperatech.com to discuss pricing and options.

How do I automate transcoding?

Pixel Xtream provides various automation tools for transcoding. You can set up multiple watch folders with the application. Any files appearing in these watch folders will be automatically transcoded and sent to the specified location, according to the trasncoding parameters defined by the user.

What is included in the purchase price of Pixel Xtream^® or Pixel Xtream^® LX?

Pixel Xtream will come with a CD for the software and a security dongle. Pixel Xtream LX is a portable device that can perform live video transcoding.

Can I get a free evaluation copy?

Yes. Please fill in the trial version request and we will send you an evaluation copy.

How do I back up my custom settings?

By saving a job, you can save all the settings and reuse the setups for future transcoding.

Can I install a later version of QuickTime than what is recommended?

Yes.

Are there any known issues with QuickTime versions?

No.

Can I tell which folders are being monitored as Watch Folders?

Yes, from the Job Queue Manager user interface.

Can I access files and use Watch folders across all machines on my network?

Yes, if the network drive is accessible from the machine you install the software.

I have a file that I cannot import into Pixel Xtream^®. How should I proceed?

First you want to make sure the file format is among the supported. Also, you might want to examine to see if the video file has any errors in it. For example, see if one or more video players can play it. Or use a bitstream analyzer to examine it.

I purchased Pixel Xtream^® through a reseller. Who should I contact for support?

You should always attempt to get service through your reseller first. They are familiar with your setup and will probably know what you need to do. If you do contact Technical Support, please mention that you bought Pixel Xtream through a reseller and who that reseller is.

What about Third-Party Codecs and Applications?

Ipera's official policy on installing third-party codecs is that we have a list of supported third-party codecs and all other third-party codecs are unsupported. Supported means that we approve of or encourage the installation of these codecs, and we have qualified that they will not interfere with any Pixel Xtream codecs. However, we did not write the codecs, which means that problems inherent in the codec cannot be resolved by Ipera.

I want to install a certain application on the Pixel Xtream^® server. Is that supported?

Pixel Xtream is intended to run on a dedicated server. You can install other video applications on the same server with the understanding that Ipera will not be responsible for providing support in those situations.

What does "Error: failed to open file" mean?

Check Pixel Xtream Format Support or the Users Guide to find all supported input and output formats. It may also mean some bitstream errors are contained in the file.

Does Pixel Xtream^® automatically de-interlace?

Yes, if it detects that the input bitstream is interlaced. However, you can also set up the software so that it will continue to transcoded code the file in interlaced format.

How do I know whether or not to enable de-interlacing?

In order to decide if de-interlacing is required or not you need to determine where the result video will be played back. If the playback is intended for computer screens, you will need to deinterlace. If the playback is a television or an NTSC/PAL monitor, then you may want to leave the video in interlaced formats.

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