Elecard MultiStreamer: Troubleshooting Common Issues and Fixes

Elecard MultiStreamer: Ultimate Guide to Features & SetupElecard MultiStreamer is a professional-grade tool designed for creating, multiplexing, and streaming multiple MPEG-TS (Transport Stream) outputs simultaneously. It’s widely used in broadcast, IPTV, testing labs, and any workflow that requires precise control over stream composition, timing, and distribution. This guide covers everything from core features and supported formats to step-by-step setup, configuration examples, performance tips, and troubleshooting.

What is Elecard MultiStreamer?

Elecard MultiStreamer is a multi-channel MPEG-TS streaming and multiplexing application that allows users to generate, manipulate, and transmit multiple transport streams in parallel. It supports a variety of input sources, offers advanced payload and stream management, and provides flexible output options including UDP, RTP, SRT, and file-based outputs.

Key Features

Multi-channel streaming: Create and manage multiple independent transport streams simultaneously.
Flexible input sources: Accepts MPEG-TS files, elementary streams, encoded files, live captures, and network inputs.
Multiple output protocols: Support for UDP, RTP, SRT, HLS, and local file outputs for recording.
PID and program mapping: Full control over PID remapping, program association, and service information (SI) tables.
PCR and timing control: Precise timing, PCR adjustment, and jitter handling for broadcast-grade streams.
Stream monitoring and logging: Real-time statistics, bit-rate monitoring, and detailed error logs.
Scripting and automation: Command-line interface and batch scripting support for automated workflows.

Common Use Cases

Broadcast headend and contribution feeds
IPTV and OTT channel packaging
Stress-testing receivers and middleware with multi-channel streams
Creating multiplexed test streams with custom SI/PSI tables
Simultaneous recording and live output for redundancy

System Requirements

Minimum recommended specs will vary with channel count and bitrates, but a typical setup might include:

Multi-core CPU (Intel/AMD) — more cores for higher channel counts
8–32 GB RAM depending on concurrent streams and buffering needs
High-speed storage (SSD/NVMe) for file-based inputs/outputs
Gigabit or 10 Gigabit NIC for high-bandwidth UDP/RTP/SRT outputs
Windows or Linux (check Elecard version compatibility)

Installation

Download the Elecard MultiStreamer installer from the official Elecard site (or obtain the licensed package).
Run the installer and follow prompts; choose components (GUI, CLI, SDK) as needed.
On Linux, ensure dependencies (libc, network libraries) are present; use provided packages or compile if needed.
Activate license if required using provided license key or license server.

Interface Overview

Elecard MultiStreamer typically provides:

A main window listing configured channels
Per-channel settings panels for inputs, outputs, PID mapping, and PCR control
Real-time stats dashboard showing bitrate, packet loss, and continuity errors
Log/console pane for events and errors
Menu for global settings, profiles, and licensing

Step-by-Step Setup Example

Below is a straightforward example to create two MPEG-TS output streams from two input files, sending them over UDP.

Create Channel 1:
- Input: file1.ts (MPEG-TS file)
- Configure PID mapping if needed (e.g., remap video PID 0x0100 → 0x0200)
- Output: UDP 239.0.0.1:5000
- Set bitrate control: Average 5 Mbps, buffer size 2000 ms
- Enable PCR correction: ON
Create Channel 2:
- Input: file2.ts
- Output: UDP 239.0.0.2:5002
- Bitrate: 8 Mbps
- Enable program remap and SI table regeneration

Start streaming:

Click “Start” for both channels, or start via CLI:


multistreamer --channel add --input file1.ts --output udp://239.0.0.1:5000 --bitrate 5000000 multistreamer --channel add --input file2.ts --output udp://239.0.0.2:5002 --bitrate 8000000 multistreamer --start all

Command-Line Examples

CLI is essential for automation. Example commands might look like:

Add a channel from file and output to UDP:

multistreamer --add-channel --input file.ts --output udp://239.0.0.1:5000 --bitrate 6000000 --pcr-adjust on

Start, stop, and list channels:

multistreamer --start channel1 multistreamer --stop channel2 multistreamer --list

(Actual CLI flags may differ by version—refer to your installed version’s help: multistreamer –help)

PID, Program, and SI/PSI Management

Remap PIDs to avoid conflicts when multiplexing multiple programs.
Regenerate Program Association Table (PAT) and Program Map Table (PMT) when creating new services.
Edit Service Description Table (SDT), Network Information Table (NIT), and other SI tables for downstream devices.
Use SI/PSI monitoring to ensure decoders recognize services correctly.

Timing, PCR, and Jitter Handling

Enable PCR correction when input streams have discontinuous or non-standard PCRs.
Configure jitter buffer size on outputs to smooth bursty network conditions.
For SRT or RTP, leverage built-in latency controls to tradeoff between delay and resilience.
For low-latency contribution, minimize buffer sizes and ensure accurate PCR stamping.

Network and Protocol Tips

Use multicast (UDP) for LAN distribution; ensure IGMP support on switches.
For unreliable WAN links, prefer SRT or RTP with FEC.
For public internet streaming, use SRT with appropriate latency (~200–2000 ms) and encryption if needed.
Monitor network MTU to avoid fragmentation—consider Jumbo frames on controlled networks.

Performance Optimization

Pin threads/cores for high-channel count deployments.
Use hardware offload (NIC features) if available to reduce CPU.
Prefer local SSDs for high-bitrate file inputs/recordings.
Lower GUI refresh rates or run headless for server deployments.
Pre-generate PSI/SI tables for faster stream startup.

Common Problems & Fixes

Audio/Video out of sync: Enable PCR correction and check input timestamps.
Packet loss on UDP: Check network hardware, increase buffer/jitter, or use SRT.
Unexpected PIDs/services: Verify PID remapping and PAT/PMT generation.
High CPU: Reduce channel count per host, enable hardware offloads, or increase machine resources.

Monitoring and Logging

Use built-in statistics for bitrate, continuity counter errors, and PCR drift.
Export logs to files for post-mortem analysis.
Integrate with SNMP or external monitoring where supported.

Security Considerations

Use SRT with encryption for streaming over untrusted networks.
Restrict management interfaces to trusted subnets and use SSH for CLI management.
Keep the application and OS patched; follow vendor advisories.

Example Advanced Workflow

Input: Live SDI capture (converted to MPEG-TS)
Process: Remap PIDs, insert ad cues via SCTE-35, regenerate SI tables
Output: Simultaneous SRT to CDN ingest, UDP to internal monitoring, and local file recording for archive

Alternatives and When to Use MultiStreamer

Elecard MultiStreamer is ideal when you need precise low-level control over transport streams, multiplexing, and SI/PSI management. If you need simple single-channel streaming to web players, an encoder with built-in CDN support may be easier; for complex broadcast headends or lab testing, MultiStreamer is a strong choice.

Final Notes

Consult Elecard product documentation for version-specific features and CLI syntax.
Test streams with representative receivers (STBs, players) to validate SI tables and timing.
For deployments, plan redundancy (multiple servers or stream redundancy) to ensure reliability.

If you want, I can add configuration examples for SRT, SCTE-35 insertion, or a sample CLI script for automating multi-channel startup.