Frequently Asked Questions

1.Attach the SuperVue to your LAN
2.Assign an IP address if it isn't automatically assigned by the network's DHCP service.
3.Insert a VHS videotape or DVD videodisc into the SuperVue's VHS/DVD video deck, press PLAY on the VHS/DVD player where you want to begin recording and click on the SuperVue's Record button in the SuperVue's Web Administration utility.
4.After the video is done being loaded on to the SuperVue's hard drive, using Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser, browse to the SuperVue and click on the selected video file. Microsoft's Media Player will automatically launch and you will begin to watch the selected video.

Click here for a step by step illustration on how to record, store and share videos.

A SuperVue video will look as good as your network bandwidth will allow. If you have 1.2Mbits/sec. of available workstation bandwidth as defined in the next section then the video will look at least as good if not better than a VHS quality video. Videos viewed over the Web are limited by the bandwidth of your Internet connection and will typically be inferior than local area networked videos where there is greater bandwidth available.

Click here for an online demonstration of the SuperVue.

A "digital" video recorded or "encoded" by the SuperVue at 1.2Mbits per second looks as good if not better than the original "analog" VHS video playing on a TV set. The digital recording might actually look better than the original because many computer monitors do not interlace the picture like analog Television sets do. Interlacing is when the display skips every other horizontal line and then retraces over the skipped lines.

Click here for a competitive comparison of the SuperVue

In most applications it is legal to share videos. Institutions including schools and libraries are allowed by the recently passed T.E.A.C.H. act to conditionally share virtually any video including "for home use only" videos.

Refer to the Axonix Corporation application note regarding copy right laws by clicking here: FAQs Regarding Legal Issues Sharing Videos

In addition you may want to check with the video publisher and your State and Federal copyright laws for more details on any applicable restrictions.

The selected video recording rate should take into account the following factors:
*How many simultaneous video streams you want to support
*The type of video content you want to share
*The amount of available bandwidth* on your network
* The processing power of your workstations

You may want to Transcode the recorded video into one or more lower bit rate qualities to support both local and remote Internet access. Typically you should plan on recording at a minimum rate of 200-400 Kbits/s for remote broadband access and between 400 Kbits/s to 2.2 Mbits/s over your LAN.

The video quality at which you record should be selected based on several factors including what type of video is being shared (i.e. high bandwidth, dynamic rich color versus low bandwidth static black and white video) and the type of network the video is being shared over (i.e. high bandwidth local area network versus low bandwidth remote Internet network).

Determine both what bandwidth is available at your workstation and then how many workstations will be simultaneously viewing videos to determine what available bandwidth will be needed on your network.
Available bandwidth*--To determine the approximate bandwidth that is currently available at your workstation you can run the test at the following link:

Click here to link to an online bandwidth test

You may find that a 1.2 Mb/s VHS quality bit rate is not required for many videos unless the video incorporates rich color depth, high resolution and dynamic movement within the video.

You maybe surprised to find that after comparing a 400 Kbit/s video to a 1.2 Mbit/s video that the 400 Kbit/s video exhibits 80% of the overall picture quality while taking only 33% of the bandwidth and storage capacity.

If conserving bandwidth is not a concern then you should use the "near DVD" video setting which consumes 2.2 Mbits/s per stream. You can also custom configure the resolution you record at to meet your specific needs. For example you can select an ultra-high resolution of 640 X 480 by 60 Frames Per Second (FPS) or a resolution like 512 X 384 at 24 FPS to match up with the resolution that display projectors commonly use.

If you want to support over 100 simultaneous streams over your LAN then consider a bit rate between 400 to 700 Kbits/s. For example, assuming that you have at least 80 Mbits/s of available bandwidth on a switched 100 Mbit/s LAN you will be able to simultaneously stream at least 200 videos at 400 Kbits/s.

For assistance in determining what quality video you can view on your workstation click here for the SuperVue Network/Workstation Speed Vs. Quality Table.

In most cases, as many as your LAN can support. For example on a 100 Mbit/s LAN, where 80 Mbits/s of bandwidth is available simply divide the bit rate into 80 Mbit/s and you can estimate the maximum number of simultaneous video you can stream. For example, you could simultaneously deliver 60 VHS quality, 1.2 Mbits per second videos over a 72 Mbit per second network.

Any number of users can view any number of videos as long as the total required bandwidth is equal or less than the available bandwidth on your network.

Yes. You can either attach a digital projector or analog projector with an NTSC converter onto either the SuperVue or any workstation that can access the SuperVue. To optimize the playback display quality it is recommended that you match the SuperVue's video recording resolution with the projectors resolution which in many cases is 512 X 384 by 24 FPS.

If you want to determine how many videos at a given quality the SuperVue can store click here for the SuperVue Quality Vs. Storage Comparison Table

For example, assuming that you have a SuperVue Model 200 with an 80GB hard drive and that you want to record using the near VHS quality profile which consumes approximately 400MB's per hour of storage and has an average playback transmission rate of 800 Kbits/s --then you can make the following estimated conclusion: approximately 200 hours of Near VHS quality videos can be stored on a 80GB hard drive after all storage overhead is factored in. 80GB/400MB/Hour= 200 hours.

Yes. Simply click on the "import file" function and select the file to convert. The SuperVue will convert the selected video from the various supported formats including Audio Video Interleaved (AVI), QuickTime (MOV) to the Windows media video (WMV) format used by the SuperVue.

Yes. You may want to share the same video in a high speed rate for local users and at a lower rate for remote users who are limited by their broadband Internet or WAN connection.

No. You can use the SuperVue's Transcode utility to translate and encode the existing video from a higher bit rate down to a lower rate. Transcoding for example a 1½ hour 1.3 Mbit/s VHS quality video down to a Low DSL 200 Kbit/s bit rate video only takes on average approximately 30 minutes to perform. Transcoding should be performed during off hours since it takes a significant amount of the SuperVue's processing power to execute.

Yes. However you will need to record or "transcode" (refer to question 11 above) a copy of the video at a lower bit rate such as 45Kbits/sec.. Recording or transcoding at a lower bit rate results in a audio and video playback quality that is proportionately lower than the original.

Yes. Simply attach a video camera to the SuperVue and select the "Watch Live Stream" option in the Watch page of the SnapStream utility. You can also watch a video being recorded. There is approximately a 10 second delay between the time the video is recorded and the time it is available to be viewed.

Yes. The SuperVue allows simultaneous viewing of live video. Unlike Multicasting where a single stream is viewed by many users, the SuperVue's live video delivers a stream to every user. While the SuperVue's live video sharing is simpler to manage and more flexible than Multicasting it is not as bandwidth efficient as Multicasting.

Yes. There are several ways to backup or archive SuperVue videos. the easiest method is by simply storing the the video as it is being recorded to a networked storage server. You may also use either the included VNC remote administration utility to perform simple copy-paste transfers from the SuperVue to a network storage server. Alternately you can backup stored videos by using the client for Microsoft networking to map a drive letter to a SuperVue shareable video folder. Then either copy-paste or use a backup software utility to copy the files to a networked storage server.

Yes. That is one of the most time saving features of the SuperVue. Because the SuperVue is a random accessible, on demand video server, each individual can view the video at their own pace and review sections of the video by using all of the integrated features of Microsoft's Media Player, which includes among other things, simple playback controls.

The standard video format used to stream videos over LANs, WANs and the Internet is Windows Media Video (WMV). This format has been found to be the most compatible, ubiquitously available on the most popular platforms including Windows PCs, Macintosh and some cases Unix. There are tools included with the SuperVue that allows you to transcode a video into a resolution that wil run on portable handheld computers.

The SuperVue also allows you to import videos from some other video formats such as MPEG2 into either WMV or DivX formats. Some SuperVue models include a separate video conversion utility called AVSMedia that allows you to convert virtually any video format into any other format. Contact Axonix Customer Support for more information.

No. Only the industry standard Microsoft Internet Explorer based Media Player is required that is included with all Microsoft Windows operating systems and is optionally downloadable from Microsoft's web site. Windows automatically prompts the user and automatically performs an update to the Media Player if it detects an older version.

No. The SuperVue is a "headless" appliance which means that it does not require a video monitor, keyboard or mouse to administer. All administration is normally performed remotely via a web browser interface. Optionally the SuperVue may be administered locally via its video, keyboard and mouse connections.

Yes. The SuperVue supports video folder level password protected authentication which restricts users from accessing either a public or private folder of videos

You may optionally integrate the SuperVue's videos into your existing enterprise security method by moving the SuperVue's videos onto a secured storage server as described in question 15 above.

Yes. You can create a customized Web interface on your own Web server and link users to the SuperVue videos by either creating hyperlinks to videos on the SuperVue or copying the videos onto your Web server. While it is not required, you may want to a streaming server such as Microsoft's IIS in order to compensate for drop outs and auto-correction of transmission rates when delivering the videos over the Internet.

Ask our sales staff about a 30-day evaluation program! Some SuperVue models are sold on a 30-day unconditional return or upgrade policy.

Experience the future of on-demand video learning right now! Click on the SuperVue Video demo button below to take a tour of the SuperVue and watch recorded videos from our online demonstration SuperVue now!: SuperVue Video Demo

You can start by looking at our models page or contact our sales staff at 800.866.9797, Ext. 215 or 216. If you know how many total videos you want to share, and what type of chassis you need - either a Desktop or Rackmount - we can get you a quote.

How many videos you watch concurrently is only dependent upon the available bandwidth on your network and what quality level you record your videos. The SuperVue's recording quality is selectable from 45Kbits/s up to 10 Mbits/s.

Programmable Video Tuner. Schedule recordings of TV shows from broadcast, cable and satellite TV sources. Gigabit Interface. Now you can attach the SuperVue to a 10Mb/s, 100Mb/s or Gigabit network. MPEG2 Encoding & Importing. DivX Importing.

Yes! We have a list of satisfied SuperVue users in North America. Available upon request. You can also see some references on line!

Your original videotapes and videodiscs can be stored safely on a shelf in your office.

SuperVue sets up on almost any computer network very quickly and is administered via your workstation's web browser using TCP/IP. There is no client or administrative software required to start recording, storing and sharing videos from your new SuperVue!