README.TXT For NetStream 2(TM) for Win NT 4.0 (SP3/SP4)
Version 4.70 (Build 121) -  March 2000
======================================


Congratulations on your purchase of the REALmagic NetStream 2.
This file contains important information.  
Please take time to read through it for the latest updates.



CONTENTS
========

I   - SOFTWARE INSTALLATION 
II  - BORDER ADJUSTMENT AND COLOR CALIBRATION
III - GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
IV  - VIDEO MODES
V   - TESTED ENVIRONMENTS
VI  - MISCELLANEOUS

	Note: This driver has been tested and working approved
	for use with Windows NT 4.00 Workstation or Server;
	running Service Pack 3 or above.   Please make sure
        DirectShow is installed before the installation of this
        software.


I   - SOFTWARE INSTALLATION 
      =====================
    
After installing the NetStream 2 hardware and connecting the analog 
overlay cable, do the following:

1 - Insert Setup Disk 1.
2 - Run Setup either from the DOS prompt or from Windows NT Explorer. 
3 - Choose Installation directory and program folder.
4 - After installing the driver, reboot the system so NT can register 
    NetStream 2 driver. 

     

II  - BORDER ADJUSTMENT AND COLOR CALIBRATION
      =======================================

NOTE :  You need to set the Border Adjustment only once for each 
        display setting (resolution, number of colors, and 
        refresh rate).

1 - Start REALmagic Configuration from the REALmagic NetStream 2 group.
2 - Click on Adjust Border and use the proper buttons to adjust the 
    black rectangle in the magenta box. When done click OK.

	In the case the video window does not show the MPEG playback
	and shows only a green window, run "REALmagic Configuration"
	and click "Auto Calibration". If the rare configurations 
	where the MPEG still does not show do the following :

	Note 1: Click on Advanced..., then the Manual Calibration 
	to set the board. This will involve fixing the R, G, B 
	sliders as shown in the window four times.

	Note 2: You can also use the Advanced option to make more
	adjustments for the borders including jittering, stability,
	and horizontal frequency and to specify a different 
	chromakey color and its calibration in Color Adjustments.

3 - Adjust the volume and balance of the MPEG audio to your preference
    as well as the B, S, C video levels for Brightness, Saturation, and
    Contrast of the video.  Click OK.

NOTE: If you have a Matrox Millenium II, please see Note 4 of Miscellaneous.



III   - GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
      =======================

1 - MCI Support : 

    	A standard MCI driver is supplied.  Interactive multimedia 
    	titles can use the MCI interface to display high quality 
	MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 video. To play an MPEG file using MCI, open
	the standard Windows Media Player (MPLAYER.EXE), select
	"NetStream 2" from the "Device" menu, and open an MPEG file.
	Standard MCI compliant programs will automatically select the
	NetStream 2 for playback of MPEG files.
2 - DirectShow Support:
	A standard DirectShow driver is installed with NetStream 2.
	To use DirectShow with the NetStream 2, install the latest
	version of the Windows Media Player (MPLAYER2.EXE), which can
	be found on the Microsoft web site at www.microsoft.com/Windows/
	Downloads/Contents/Products/MediaPlayer. The Windows Media Player
	and other DirectShow compatible applications will automatically
	select the NetStream 2 hardware to play MPEG video. In addition,
	a wide variety of 3rd party streaming video products provide
	DirectShow filters and players which use the DirectShow interface
	to stream MPEG video using the NetStream 2. You can use either the
	new, DirectShow-based Media Player (MPLAYER2.EXE), or the older,
	MCI-based Media Player (MPLAYER.EXE) to play files on your computer
	using the NetStream 2. 

3 - File Format Support :

        MPEG-1 Video Streams
        MPEG-1 Audio Streams
        MPEG-1 System Streams

        MPEG-2 Video Streams 
        MPEG-2 Audio Streams 
        AC3 Audio Streams    
        MPEG-2 Program Streams
        MPEG-2 Transport Streams (DirectShow only)
        MPEG-2 System Streams


IV   - VIDEO MODES
      =============

1 -	The NetStream 2 board does not support interlaced VGA display
   	modes nor 16 color modes.

2 -	The maximum refresh rates allowed with the NetStream 2 MPEG
	card depend partially on the display board.  However the
	following can be used as a guideline :

		 640 x  480	120 Hz
		 800 x  600	120 Hz
		1024 x  768	 85 Hz
		1152 x  864	 75 Hz
		1280 x 1024	 60 Hz (75 with some VGA boards)
		1600 x 1200	 60 Hz

        Note : For NetStream 2tv, the refresh rates must be set lower if
	you are using the TV Scan Converter (eg at 1024x768 the refresh
        rate should be at a max of 70 Hz).

3 -	The TV output will display in NTSC format if the MPEG-2 is 
        encoded	for NTSC. It will use PAL format if the MPEG-2 is 
        encoded in PAL.	The NetStream 2 will not convert NTSC video
        to PAL or vice-versa.

4 - 	If you have the NetStream 2tv and you want to display VGA
	graphics on a television set, the optimal resolution for NTSC
	TV sets is 640x480 at 60 Hz, and 800x600 at 50 Hz for PAL
	TV sets. For PAL, many VGA cards to not support 50 Hz refresh,
	so we recommend the lowest available rate, which is usually 60 Hz.
	Using these modes produces the best results, because they most
	closely match the resolution and refresh rate of your TV set.
	Higher resolutions and refresh rates can be used, but degraded
	picture quality may result.

V - TESTED ENVIRONMENTS
     ===================

        - Microsoft NetShow Theater
	- Minerva VNP Encoder
	- MediaNow! StreamRider
	- OptiVision LiveWare
	- InfoValue QuickVideo Suite (VOD and multicast)
	- FVC VCache and VCaster
	- Oracle Video Server 
	- Silicon Graphics MediaBase
	- Starlight Networks
        - Cisco IP/TV (in progress)



VI - MISCELLANEOUS
      =============

1 - 	The driver cannot detect Horizontal frequency If your VGA card is 
	the Matrox Millenium II. You need to set the H. frequency manually 
	through "Adjust32->Advanced->Border Adjustments"
	
	Formula to convert Frequency to H. Frequency is 

	HFreq = VRes * 1.03 * Freq
	
	where
	HFreq = Horizontal Frequency.
	VRes  = No of Vertical Lines.
	Freq  = Refresh Frequency

	e.g You are running at 70Hz and Screen resolution is 1024*768 
	than your H.Frequency will be 

	HFreq = 768 * 1.03 * 70
	HFreq = 55372.8 or
	HFreq = 55300 or 55400

2 -     You might get system crashes running MPEG for a long time on 
        systems running in multi-processor mode (SMP).  In this case
        set the Affinity of your application to ONE processor.


NOTE :
====
- If you check, in DirectShow playback, the properties window of 
  the "Sigma Designs hardware decoder" -  you can use all functions
  such as Brightness, Saturation, .. and Border Adjust but ignore
  the TV-OUT tab.
- In the REALmagic Configuration, the Expert Settings option of 
  the TV out is disabled. 
- Cannot playback audio-only MPEG files under DirectShow.
	
======================================================================

	END   OF    FILE

