Teradek User Guide

Prism Flex Mk II Quick Start Guide (2024)

Updated on

With a flexible I/O and compact, low-SWaP design, Prism Flex Mk II easily fits into any workflow. Prism Flex Mk II is perfect for placement on a tabletop, camera top, or wedged between your video switcher and audio mixer. Prism Flex Mk II can encode or decode up to 4Kp60 video with stunning 10-bit 4:2:2 image fidelity. The Prism platform supports many common streaming protocols such as TRT, SRT, MPEG-TS, RTSP/ RTP, and RTMP(S), and can be connected to Teradek’s Core Cloud platform for even more flexibility.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  2. WHAT'S INCLUDED
  3. POWER AND CONNECT
  4. MENU BUTTON OPERATION
  5. INITIAL CONFIGURATION
  6. ENCODER/DECODER CONFIGURATION
  7. CONNECTING TO CORE
  8. RECORDING & CAMERA TO CLOUD
  9. OTHER RESOURCES

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

WHAT'S INCLUDED

  • 1x  Prism Flex Mk II Encoder/Decoder
  • 1x  12G-SDI BNC to BNC - 18in Cable
  • 1x  2pin Connector to 36W AC Adapter (Int) - 6ft Cable
  • 2x  Antenna 2dBi WIFI 2.4/5.8GHz

POWER AND CONNECT

  1. Encoder: Turn your video source on, then connect the HDMI (I) or SDI input (M) from your video source to Prism Flex’s input connector.
    Decoder: Turn your monitor on, then connect the HDMI (I) or SDI output (L) from your Prism Flex to the monitor’s input connector.
  2. Attach the two Wi-Fi antennas to the RP-SMA connectors (D).
  3. Connect power to Prism Flex using the included A/C adapter.
  4. Turn the Power switch on the back (N) to the ON position.

MENU BUTTON (A)
Use Prism Flex’s Menu button to navigate the status screens.
Press Button: Cycle through the status screens

NAVIGATION BUTTONS (C) Use the Navigation Buttons to cycle back and forth through the status screens and/or switch your configurable settings.
Press Up or Down: Cycle through status screens and navigate menus
Press Forward: Edit Prism Flex's configurable settings

  • Main screen - Displays the current stream settings and resolution
  • WiFi screen - Displays the current WiFi network and allows you to switch from AP to Client mode
  • Ethernet screens (1 and 2) - Displays the current WiFi network and allows you to switch from DHCP to Static mode
  • Modem screens (A and B) - Displays the carrier name and allows you to switch SIM cards
  • Firmware version: Displays the device name and firmware version. Hold to perform a factory reset.
  • Recording screen: Hold to enable or disable the recording function
  • Video/Encoder status screen: Displays the video input, encoder mode, and current resolution. Hold to switch the encoder mode
  • Bitrate screen: Displays the current bitrate. Press to edit the bitrate settings
  • Stream mode screen - Go Live/Begin Streaming
  • Audio Input screen - Displays the current Audio bitrate. Press to switch from Embedded, analog, or Mixed

 

INITIAL CONFIGURATION

Prism Flex must be initially configured locally by Web UI or via Prism App. Once Prism is connected to a network, you can access the web UI and configure stream destinations, encoder parameters, and other settings for each card. 

Connect via Ethernet

  1. Connect one or both of Prism Flex’s Ethernet ports to an Ethernet switch or router.
  2. Press the menu button or navigation buttons to navigate to the Ethernet 1 or 2 screen and obtain a DHCP IP address.
  3. Navigate to the IP Address
    • Web UI: Enter the IP address in your web browser’s navigation bar to access the web UI
    • Prism App: If the Prism is on the same network as the Prism app, it will be detected.  For advanced networks, use the + button at the top right of the app to enter the IP address manually

Connect to a Wi-Fi Network

Prism Flex supports two wireless (Wi-Fi) modes: Access Point (AP) Mode (default mode for connecting directly to Prism Flex as well as bonding multiple phones for increased bandwidth) and Client Mode (for connecting to external Wifi hotspots).

ACCESS POINT (AP) MODE

  1. Navigate to your device's Wireless Settings and connect to Prism-857-xxxxx (corresponding to the last 5 digits of the serial number).
  2. Once connected, Navigate to the IP Address 172.16.1.1
    • Web UI: Enter the IP address in your web browser’s navigation bar to access the web UI
    • Prism App: The Prism will show up in the menu and can be selected for configuration 

CLIENT MODE

  1. Press the menu button to navigate to the Wi-Fi status screen and switch to Client Mode.
  2. Press the menu joystick twice in the direction indicated, then press and hold the menu joystick to switch to Client Mode.
  3. Press and hold the menu joystick in the direction indicated to scan for available Wi-Fi networks.
  4. Select an available network, then enter the password. Once connected, the display will list the network and corresponding IP address.
  5. Once connected, Navigate to the IP Address 172.16.1.1
    • Web UI: Enter the IP address in your web browser’s navigation bar to access the web UI
    • Prism App: The Prism will show up in the menu and can be selected for configuration  

Accessing the Web UI

The Prism WebUI allows direct control of all of Prism Flex’s video configuration, network settings, firmware, licenses, and recordings.

NOTE: The default password is formatted as product + serial, where "product" is the lowercase product name (prism), and "serial" is the last 5 digits of the device's serial number:

  • Prism Mobile - prism12345
  • Prism Flex - prism12345
  • Prism Rack Mount - prism12345

For steps on how to create a unique security password, go to the System Settings section of the Prism User manual.

  1. Prism 1RU/2RU: Press ▼ on the card’s menu joystick to display Prism’s IP address on the front panel.
    Prism Flex/Mobile: Press the menu button to cycle through the menus to display Prism’s IP address (Ethernet or WiFi).
  2. Enter the IP address in your web browser’s navigation bar.
  3. Enter the default password.

Prism App

The Prism App allows you to configure all of Prism Flex’s settings, monitor your video, and contribute your phone's cellular internet connection to a Teradek Cloud Stream. The Prism App is available for Android and iOS devices and must be used with the Prism on an accessible network.

ENCODER/DECODER CONFIGURATION

Configure your Prism Flex decoder to receive streams from a Prism Flex encoder. 

NOTE: Prism Flex has several streaming modes available such as SRT, RTMP, YouTube, Facebook Live, and now TRT (Teradek Reliable Transport). The following instructions describe how to configure your decoder/encoder using MPEG-TS mode as an example.

1. Connect to the Prism Flex encoder (see previous section) and open the encoder’s web UI. 

2. Open the Streaming menu, then select MPEG-TS as the streaming mode. 

3. Select a protocol, then ensure the Prism decoder is configured to receive the stream using the correct protocol:

  • TCP → TCP
  • TCP Server → TCP Pull
  • UDP → UDP
  • Multicast → Multicast

Encoder Web UI

4. Enter the destination IP address, then confirm the port is set as the default 9710. 

5. Connect to the Prism decoder (see previous section) and open the decoder’s web UI. 

6. Open the Ingest menu, then select MPEG-TS as the ingest mode. 

7. Enter the protocol, ensuring the selected protocol matches the Encoder’s protocol configuration (see step 3). Confirm the port is set as the default 9710.  

Decoder Web UI

CONNECTING TO CORE

Core allows Prism Flex to be remotely controlled, utilize bonding protocols (Teradek Bonding Protocol and TRT) across multiple internet connections, and split the stream across multiple destinations.

Visit https://corecloud.tv to learn more.

Generating a Code to Connect to Core

VIA FRONT PANEL

  1. Press the Menu Button (A) until you arrive at the Cloud Services menu.  
  2. Press the Right button to arrive at the Core Menu.
  3. Hold the Middle Button to generate an Auth Code

VIA PRISM APP

  1. Select the encoder from the list (Bluetooth mode is not supported).
  2. Select Cloud Services then click Core.
  3. Log in to Core: Enter your credentials to link Prism to your Core account, then click Next.
    Link with Code: Copy the authorization code generated for your Prism, then follow the instructions. 

VIA WEB UI

  1. From the web UI, select Cloud Services then click the Link this Device tab in the Core section.
  2. Log in to Core: Enter your credentials to link Prism to your Core account, then click Next.
    Link with Code: Copy the authorization code generated for your Prism

In Core, under Sources select "Add Encoder", and and then select "Add a device using code"

Settings Management in Core

Once a connection is established, under Sources select the encoder and then press settings at the top right

From here, you will be able to configure Video Settings, Network Settings and more.

Connecting to a Server in Core

NOTE: A server must be started provisioned to completed the portion of the Quickstart guide

Once a connection is established, under Sources select the encoder and then press the Blue "Regular Server" button

Select a pre-provisioned video server.  If the server is not online, the Prism will attempt to start it.

Once connected, you can manage your channels and decoders attached to this stream by clicking "Manage Streams"

RECORDING AND CAMERA TO CLOUD

Prism Flex encoders support recording to an SD card or external USB hard drive for use for Camera to Cloud or Local Archiving

For best results, use Class 6 or higher SD cards formatted as exFAT for recording.

Broadcast and Cloudless Recording

  1. Insert a compatible SD card or drive into the corresponding slot. 
  2. Select the Recording menu, and select Enabled.
  3. Configure the Recording Settings and if so desired turn on "On Streaming Event" to start the recording automatically when you begin
  4. If manually controlled, press Start Recording at the top of the WebUI or the bottom of Prism App under Link iOS Device

Recording for Camera to Cloud Setup

  1. Insert a compatible SD card or drive into the corresponding slot. 
  2. Under Cloud Services link your encoder to your service of choice.
  3. Select the Recording menu, and select Enabled.  
  4. Configure the Recording Settings to match your Camera and turn on Multi-Interface Recording Uploads if your service supports Bonded file upload
  5. If necessary, scroll down and turn on

CAMERA TO CLOUD CONSIDERATIONS

  • Recordings are triggered via SDI/HDMI Camera Events
  • File will be uploaded after the recording is completed.

OTHER RESOURCES

Previous Articles Prism Mobile 5G/Mk II Quick Start Guide (2024)
Next Articles Prism 1RU Chassis

Prism

Quick Start Guides 8
Physical Properties 5
Licenses 3
Basic Configuration Guides 9
Device Reference Guide 10
Cloud Services Reference Guide 8
Technical Specifications 6
Regulatory Information 5
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