Audio Talkback
The Audio Talkback feature allows users to stream a mono channel of audio back to a Makito X encoder over a reliable LAN or WAN. Audio talkback enables end users monitoring a streaming session to "talk back" to individuals at the video source. For example, talkback enables students at remote classroom locations to ask their teacher questions, or a chief surgeon observing a surgery to collaborate.
Audio talkback uses the InStream software player application or the Makito X decoder (release 1.2 and later) to send the talkback audio to the Makito X encoder. The talkback audio stream is output via a speaker or headphones connected to the encoder’s 8-pin MiniDIN connector (see Audio/Video Interfaces). The following figure illustrates a sample talkback signal path from the audio source through the Makito X’s audio output when using InStream.
Audio Talkback Signal Path (InStream)
The following figure illustrates a sample talkback signal path when using the Makito X Decoder.
Audio Talkback Signal Path (Makito X Decoder)
There is no audio mixer on the Makito X, so the talkback feature is “First-In/First Served”, meaning that only one user can use the return audio channel at a time. The InStream player application provides “push-to-talk” functionality, which requires that the user push a button to transmit audio. The user must keep pushing the button to use the talkback channel. This prevents the user from accidentally locking and not releasing the channel.
The audio is only sent to the source video encoder; it is not distributed to other viewers of the stream.
The Talkback network service may be stopped or started from the Web interface (Services page, see Enabling and Disabling Network Services) or using the service command.
CLI commands are used to enable and disable reception of talkback audio, set the talkback volume, clear talkback statistics, and display talkback information. For details, see talkback (CLI). Talkback audio is not configurable through SNMP in the current release.
Note
Audio talkback is uncompressed audio (using approximately 350 kbps of network bandwidth).Related Topics