Step 1: Installing EdgeVis Media Manager
EdgeVis Media Manager is an application for viewing, extracting and managing recorded content from EdgeVis Encoders.
Installing EdgeVis Media Manager on Microsoft Windows
System requirements
The latest system requirements can be found in the following article:
Standalone Player
EdgeVis Media Manger is supplied with a simple standalone player that requires no installation. The simple player can be copied to a recordings disk allowing that disk to be played back later on any Windows PC without installation.
The minimum system requirements can be found in the following article: EdgeVis Client Suite for Windows Installation Guidance
Latest Download
The latest version can be downloaded from our Download Center and is included as part of the EdgeVis Client Suite Installer. Run the installer (which can only be run by a user with Administrator privileges) and select EdgeVis Media Manager which will install all of the files required.
Step 2: Managing edge recordings
There are several supported ways to manage the extraction and storage of recording files from an EdgeVis encoder.
Removal of the entire disk
The recommended method is to remove the entire disk (if possible) from an EdgeVis encoder. Once removed, attach the disk to the user’s PC and Media Manager will be able to play directly from the disk.
Note: If the footage is to be copied to another disk to preserve the original, either clone the disk or ensure all the files and folders are copied. This includes the archive and db folders.
Local download
On EdgeVis encoders that support this feature, files can be downloaded via Wi-Fi or LAN, using the SFTP or Local Viewer download feature. It is recommended that downloads are kept in separate folders for each encoder.
Remote download
From EdgeVis Client, files can be downloaded directly from the EdgeVis encoder. This download may take some time as it is using the same data channel as the video streaming which may be over a constrained bandwidth link.
Downloaded files are stored in the local recordings folder on the PC.
Copy individual files
It is possible, though not recommended, to copy individual files from the recording disk. If files are copied any resulting metadata may be lost. It is recommended to copy files from an EdgeVis encoder into separate folders, i.e. do not have footage from multiple encoders in the same folder. Media Manager may not be able to differentiate files from the different encoders.
Step 3: Opening recordings
EdgeVis Media Manager can play and list files available on the local PC or an attached disk.
On launching EdgeVis Media Manager the home tab offers several options:
Open an external DISK and view all available footage
Select this option to playback recorded video from a disk that has been removed from an EdgeVis encoder. The option will render a timeline and allow the entire disk to be played.
Open media folder
This offers the option to scan an entire folder and display all available files. Files can be grouped on a per encoder basis or by individual files.
Note: This will only show video and audio data, Metadata such as events and bookmarks will only be shown when using the Open database feature.
Open local media store
This will open the local folder where all media downloaded from EdgeVis Client are stored. Files can be grouped on a per encoder or by individual files.
Open database (available from the File option on the top menu bar)
This will open a database file and recordings that have been copied in their entirety to a disk or downloaded locally. Ensure the archive and db folders are copied in their entirety.
Step 4: Playing a recording timeline back from a disk
On opening a disk removed from an EdgeVis encoder the entire footage on the disk can be accessed along with switching between different inputs that have been recorded.
The video view will display a timeline of the available footage, along with transport controls, input selector and date picker.
Timeline controls
| Play the video from where the marker is | 
| Pause the video |
 | Skip forward to the next sequence |
 | Skip back to the previous sequence |
 | Fast forward. Press multiple times to increase speed |
 | Rewind. Press multiple times to increase speed |
 | Mark the extract start point |
 | Mark the extract end point |
| Clear start and end point |
 | Extract the video between start- and end- point. If no start and end time is set, then the entire timeline is exported |
 | View the bookmarks set on the recording* |
 | View the events on the recording* |
*Bookmarks and events are only viewable:
On recordings obtained from IP Series encoders running v7.3 and newer
On recordings retrieved by either connecting to the original disk, or…
On recordings retrieved by downloading using the Recordings Downloader.
Selecting a start date and time
When the video is not playing, click on the date or time to enter a location to start playing from.
Time zone
The EdgeVis encoder records footage using UTC (Universal Co-ordinated time). The time zone is set automatically to the encoder time zone at the time of recording (On encoders that support this feature)
The time zone can be set manually using the dropdown.
Selecting an input
If the EdgeVis encoder has multiple camera inputs available, the selected camera can be changed. This will update the timeline with the available footage from that camera.
Note: Older TVI/EdgeVis encoders and firmware versions do not support displaying the name of the camera input.
Using the timeline
The timeline (1) will show all the available footage on the disk. The blue bar represents available video. The time (2) is shown above, if your mouse has one, use the mouse scroll wheel to zoom in and out of the available footage. The scroll bar (3) can be dragged back and forward to move along the timeline. The scroll bar arrows can be dragged back and forward to change the zoom level of the timeline.
Events and bookmarks are indicated on the timeline (4). Hover over the marks to view the content of the events.
Events and Bookmarks
The events and bookmarks can be viewed in a list by selecting the events (1) or the bookmarks (2) icon.
Selecting an item (3) on the list will start playback from that time. Items can be queried from the search bar (4).
Events can be filtered from the menu (5). Filtering the event types will hide them from the list and the timeline view.
Exporting the entire timeline
To export the entire time do not select a start- or end-point; simply press the Extract button to extract the entire timeline.
Note: Ensure there is enough disk space to extract the video footage.
Exporting a section of footage
Play the video until you have reached the start of the footage you would like to export.
Press [← (Set start marker) button.
Play the video until you have reached the end of the footage you would like to export. Press the →] (Set end marker) button.
Fine adjustments can be made by dragging the end and start markers
Finally press the extract button to extract the footage to a standards based file
To clear the Set start and set end marker press the ][ button.
Note: During extraction of footage the original video and audio streams are not modified in any way.
Step 5: Viewing and extracting downloaded files
EdgeVis Media Manager can view and extract footage from downloaded files.
Selecting the Open media folder or Open local media store from the home screen.
Open media folder
This offers the option to scan an entire folder and display all available files. Files can be grouped on a per-encoder basis or by individual files.
Open local media store
This will open the local folder where all media downloaded from EdgeVis Client are stored. Files can be grouped on a per-encoder basis or by individual files.
File grouping
The files can be grouped on a per-encoder basis or each individual files. Toggle the view using the icons at the top of the list.
 | Group files on a per encoder basis Groups can be opened on a timeline by clicking the play button:  Open the group on a timeline to extract footage |
 | List each recorded file separately Individual files can be played by clicking the play button:  Individual files can be extracted by clicking the extract button  |
File display
The files can be either be displayed in tile or table format.
 | List as tiles |
 | List as a table |
Extracting Data
EdgeVis Media Manager can extract the standards based file from the CSX or CSXS file.
NOTE: The video and audio data are both extracted unmodified. It is not transcoded or modified in any way.
Step 6: Simple Media Player
EdgeVis Media Manger is supplied with a simple standalone Media Player that requires no installation.
The simple Media Player can be copied to a recordings disk allowing that disk to be played back later on any Windows PC without installation. This renders a disk removed from an EdgeVis Encoder ‘playable’ on any Windows PC.
Installing the player
Attach the external disk removed from an EdgeVis Encoder to your PC
From the Tools menu, select Install Player to Disk
Select the desired disk to install the player onto
Once installed, the disk can be plugged into any Windows PC that meets the minimum required specification and the video can then be played back. The Windows PC requires no other special software installed.
Opening Media Player on another PC
Attach the disk to the desired Windows PC
Navigate to the drive and click on the Media Player shortcut
Media Player will begin playback of the material stored on the disk
Using Media Player
On starting Media Player the user interface operates the same way as the standard Media Manager player.
Media Player offers most of the functionality of the standard player, except that it cannot;
Export footage
Open/browse files not stored on an original recording disk.
About EdgeVis recordings
There are several unique features in EdgeVis recordings including fragile watermarking and encryption.
Encryption
It is possible to encrypt the recordings to AES-128/AES-256 standard by setting a password on the EdgeVis encoder (encryption strength is determined by encoder model and firmware). The password will be required to view and extract the footage using Media Manager.
Encryption ensures the footage cannot be accessed by a 3rd party without the password.
Note: If the password is forgotten, there is no mechanism for recovering it.
Fragile Watermarking
As each video frame is written to the recording file, a ‘hash’ of the video frame is created and stored alongside the video within the file. During playback the video frame is recalculated and compared with the original hash from the file. If the hash matches, then the video frame has not been altered or modified in any way. If the hashes are different then the user is alerted that the video frame has failed the watermark test.
Hashing is a one-way algorithm and cannot be regenerated or reverse engineered. The hashing function used is MD5 on older pre-v7.2 encoders, and SHA2- 256 on v7.3 encoders or above.
Files and disks
There are several different files stored on a recording disk. The video footage is stored on CSX (non-encrypted) and CSXS (encrypted). Along with the video footage there are database files used by the system to store metadata and allows for the rendering of the timeline.
If a disk is copied, ensure all the files on the disk are copied. Failure to copy all the files may result in missing data during playback (alarm and bookmark information).