Chapter 1: Introduction to WINK Forge

1.1 Overview

WINK Forge is an enterprise-grade video transcoding and streaming platform that transforms video content for optimal delivery across diverse networks and devices. As the cornerstone of the WINK Streaming ecosystem, WINK Forge provides robust video processing capabilities that enable organizations to deploy comprehensive video streaming solutions.

Key Capabilities

• Multi-Protocol Support: Ingest and deliver video using RTMP, RTSP, HLS, MPEG-DASH, WebRTC, and more
• Enterprise Integration: Native integration with Genetec, Milestone, and other major VMS platforms
• Adaptive Streaming: Automatic bitrate adaptation for optimal viewing experience
• Security Features: SSL/TLS encryption, access control lists, and authentication mechanisms
• High Performance: Hardware-accelerated encoding supporting up to 8K resolution

1.2 System Architecture

WINK Forge operates on a modular architecture designed for scalability and reliability:

1.3 Deployment Options

Hardware Appliance

Pre-configured hardware solutions optimized for video processing:

• 1U and 2U rackmount servers
• Hardware acceleration via NVIDIA GPUs
• Redundant power supplies and RAID storage
• Pre-installed and optimized firmware

Virtual Appliance (V-Forge)

Deploy on your existing virtualization infrastructure:

• VMware vSphere compatible
• Hyper-V support
• KVM/QEMU compatible
• OVF/OVA templates available

Cloud Deployment (Cloud Forge)

Fully managed cloud instances:

• AWS EC2 optimized AMIs
• Azure marketplace images
• Google Cloud Platform support
• Auto-scaling capabilities

Chapter 2: Getting Started

2.1 Web Interface Access

The WINK Forge web administration interface provides complete control over all system functions. Access methods vary by firmware version:

Firmware 8.x (Current)

• Primary Access: https://[IP-ADDRESS]:444
• Alternative: https://[IP-ADDRESS]:443/wink-admin/

Legacy Firmware

2.2 Default Credentials

Initial system access requires the default credentials:

Username: admin
Password: admin_pass
Shared Key: admin_key
    

2.3 Security Configuration

SSL Certificate Management

Configure SSL certificates for secure access:

1. Navigate to Settings → System Options → SSL Certificate
2. Choose one of the following options:
   • Generate self-signed certificate
   • Upload existing certificate (PFX format)
   • Use Let's Encrypt (requires public domain)
3. Apply changes and restart web services

Shared Key Authentication

The shared key system provides an additional layer of security, particularly useful for:

• PCI-DSS compliance requirements
• Scheduled password rotations
• Multi-user environments

To configure shared key authentication:

# API call example
curl -X POST https://forge.example.com/api/ \
  --data-urlencode "<wink_api user='admin' pass='password' key='shared_key'>
    <req id='1' command='version'></req>
  </wink_api>"
    

Chapter 3: Input Configuration

3.1 Supported Input Types

WINK Forge supports a comprehensive range of input protocols and formats:

RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol)

Most common for IP cameras and encoders:

rtsp://username:password@192.168.1.100:554/stream1
rtsp://camera.example.com/live/channel1
    

RTMP (Real Time Messaging Protocol)

Popular for live streaming applications:

rtmp://server.example.com/live/streamkey
rtmp://localhost/live/camera1
    

HTTP/HTTPS Streams

Including MJPEG and HLS sources:

http://camera.example.com/mjpeg.cgi
https://server.example.com/hls/stream.m3u8
    

UDP/RTP Streams

For multicast and specialized applications:

udp://239.1.1.1:1234
rtp://224.0.0.1:5004
    

VMS Integrations

• Genetec: Direct SDK integration
• Milestone: Native protocol support
• ONVIF: Standards-based camera control

3.2 Input Settings

Basic Configuration

Video Parameters

Cropping Options

Remove unwanted portions of the video frame:

• Crop Top: Pixels to remove from top edge
• Crop Bottom: Pixels to remove from bottom edge
• Crop Left: Pixels to remove from left edge
• Crop Right: Pixels to remove from right edge

3.3 Advanced Input Options

Authentication Methods

Configure authentication for protected sources:

# Basic Authentication
rtsp://username:password@host/path

# Digest Authentication (automatic)
Input will negotiate digest auth when required

# Custom Headers (HTTP/HTTPS only)
Add in Advanced Options:
http_headers="Authorization: Bearer TOKEN"
    

Network Optimization

Metadata Mapping

Associate metadata with streams for downstream applications:

• Logical ID: Numeric identifier for VMS mapping
• Group ID: Category or zone assignment
• Latitude/Longitude: GPS coordinates for mapping applications

Chapter 4: Output Configuration

4.1 Output Formats

WINK Forge supports multiple simultaneous outputs per input, enabling diverse distribution strategies:

Streaming Protocols

Output Path Configuration

Configure output destinations based on protocol:

# HLS Output
/hls/stream_name

# RTMP Push
rtmp://cdn.example.com/live/streamkey

# RTSP Server
rtsp://0.0.0.0:8554/stream1
    

4.2 Encoding Settings

Video Encoding Parameters

Bitrate Guidelines

Audio Configuration

4.3 Adaptive Streaming

Creating Adaptive Bitrate Ladders

Configure multiple outputs with different qualities for adaptive streaming:

Chapter 5: Media Protocols

5.1 RTMP Configuration

RTMP Server Mode

Accept incoming RTMP streams:

# Input configuration
Type: RTMP
Path: rtmp://0.0.0.0:1935/live/stream1

# Publishers connect to:
rtmp://forge.example.com:1935/live/stream1
    

RTMP Push Mode

Send streams to CDN or streaming services:

# Output configuration
Format: RTMP
Path: rtmp://a.rtmp.youtube.com/live2/xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx
    

RTMP Authentication

Secure RTMP endpoints with token authentication:

# Enable in Settings → RTMP Rebroadcast
Authentication: Token
Token Lifetime: 3600 seconds

# Client URL with token
rtmp://forge.example.com/live/stream1?token=abc123
    

5.2 RTSP Configuration

RTSP Server Setup

# Output configuration
Format: RTSP
Path: rtsp://0.0.0.0:8554/stream1

# Access URL
rtsp://forge.example.com:8554/stream1
    

RTSP Transport Modes

RTSP Authentication

# Basic authentication
rtsp://username:password@forge.example.com:8554/stream1

# Digest authentication (automatic negotiation)
Configured in user management
    

5.3 HLS/LL-HLS

Standard HLS Configuration

# Output settings
Format: HLS
Path: /hls/stream1
Segment Duration: 6 seconds
Playlist Length: 5 segments

# Access URL
https://forge.example.com/hls/stream1/playlist.m3u8
    

Low-Latency HLS (LL-HLS)

# Enable LL-HLS
Format: LL-HLS
Part Duration: 0.33 seconds
Segment Duration: 2 seconds

# Client requirements
- HTTP/2 support
- Byte-range requests
- Modern player (HLS.js 1.0+)
    

HLS Encryption

Protect content with AES-128 encryption:

1. Generate encryption keys
2. Configure key server URL
3. Enable encryption in output settings

5.4 MPEG-DASH

DASH Configuration

# Output settings
Format: DASH
Path: /dash/stream1
Segment Duration: 4 seconds
Min Buffer Time: 1.5 seconds

# Manifest URL
https://forge.example.com/dash/stream1/manifest.mpd
    

DASH Features

• Multi-period support: Insert ads or alternate content
• Subtitle tracks: WebVTT sidecar files
• DRM support: Widevine and PlayReady
• Low latency mode: Chunked transfer encoding

Chapter 6: VMS Integration

6.1 Genetec Integration

Genetec Security Center

WINK Forge provides native integration with Genetec Security Center through the SDK:

Virtual Encoder Configuration

1. In Security Center Config Tool, add new encoder
2. Select "WINK Streaming" from manufacturer list
3. Enter WINK Forge IP address and credentials
4. Discover available streams automatically

Stream URL Format

# Genetec-compatible RTSP URL
rtsp://forge.example.com:554/genetec/[GUID]_[quality]

# Example
rtsp://forge.example.com:554/genetec/WF05-1234-5678-90AB-CDEF_high
    

Virtual Decoder Setup

Use WINK Forge as a Genetec Virtual Decoder:

# Input configuration
Type: Genetec
Path: [Genetec server details configured in plugin]

# Capabilities
- Multi-stream decoding
- PTZ passthrough
- Event forwarding
    

6.2 Milestone Integration

Milestone XProtect

Configure WINK Forge as a universal driver device:

Stream Configuration

# MJPEG for maximum compatibility
Output Format: MJPEG
Path: /mjpeg/camera1
FPS: 10-15 (reduce bandwidth)

# RTSP for better quality
Output Format: RTSP
Path: rtsp://0.0.0.0:554/camera1
    

6.3 VMS to VMS Bridging

WINK Forge excels at bridging between incompatible VMS platforms:

Common Bridging Scenarios

Camera Protocol Emulation

Make any source appear as a standard IP camera:

• ONVIF Profile S: Standard streaming
• Axis VAPIX: Axis camera emulation
• Panasonic: Legacy support
• Sony VISCA: PTZ control support

Chapter 7: API Reference

7.1 API Overview

The WINK Forge API provides complete programmatic control over all system functions. All API calls require SSL and authentication.

API Endpoint

https://forge.example.com/api/

Authentication

<wink_api user='username' pass='password' key='shared_key'>
    <req id='1' command='command_name'>payload</req>
</wink_api>
    

Response Format

<wink_api>
    <resp id="1" command="command_name" status="ok">response_data</resp>
</wink_api>
    

7.2 Stream Control Commands

Start/Stop/Restart Streams

Example: Restart Stream

<wink_api user='apiuser' pass='apipass'>
    <req id='1' command='restart'>WF05-2657-1C04-7F1B-5EC0</req>
</wink_api>
    

Stream Status

Get GUID Status

<wink_api user='apiuser' pass='apipass'>
    <req id='1' command='guidstatus'>WF05-1EDA-1C04-6E33-ABF9</req>
</wink_api>

Response values:
0 = Not publishing
1 = Publishing
2 = Blocked
3 = Unavailable
    

Block/Unblock Streams

Input Management

Create/Update Input

<wink_api user='apiuser' pass='apipass'>
    <req id='1' command='input_source'>
        <input title='Camera 1' 
               desc='Main entrance' 
               type='RTSP' 
               path='rtsp://192.168.1.100:554/stream1'
               enabled='1' />
    </req>
</wink_api>
    

Input Parameters

7.3 User Management API

Create User

<wink_api user='admin' pass='adminpass'>
    <req id='1' command='createuser'>
        <name>John Smith</name>
        <username>jsmith</username>
        <password>SecurePass123!</password>
        <access>2</access>
    </req>
</wink_api>

Access Levels:
1 = Admin
2 = Operator  
3 = Viewer
4 = API Only
    

Change Password

<wink_api user='admin' pass='adminpass'>
    <req id='1' command='changepassword'>
        <username>jsmith</username>
        <password md5='false'>NewPass456!</password>
    </req>
</wink_api>
    

Chapter 8: Advanced Features

8.1 One-Time Password (OTP) Authentication

OTP provides temporary access tokens for secure stream viewing, ideal for:

• Time-limited access to streams
• Integration with web applications
• Secure sharing of live content

OTP Workflow

1. Application requests OTP token from WINK Media Router
2. Token generated with specified duration
3. Client uses token to access stream
4. Token expires after duration or single use

API Commands

Create OTP Token

curl -d "apiuser=apiuser&apipass=apipass&action=create&duration=60&hash_type=alphanumeric&hash_length=32" \
     -X POST https://router.example.com/otp/api/

Response: 24814928371014572819abc123def456
    

OTP Parameters

Using OTP Tokens

# Append token to stream URL
https://forge.example.com/hls/stream1/playlist.m3u8?token=24814928371014572819abc123def456
    

8.2 Watermarking

Image Watermarks

Add logos or branding to video streams:

1. Upload watermark image (PNG with transparency recommended)
2. Configure in output settings:
   • Watermark File: Select uploaded image
   • Position: topleft, topright, bottomleft, bottomright
   • X-Pad: Horizontal offset in pixels
   • Y-Pad: Vertical offset in pixels
   • Opacity: 0.0 (transparent) to 1.0 (opaque)

Text Overlays

Add dynamic text to streams:

Timestamp Formats

# Predefined formats
YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS
MM/DD/YYYY HH:MM:SS
DD/MM/YYYY HH:MM:SS

# Custom format (strftime)
%Y-%m-%d %I:%M:%S %p
    

8.3 PTZ Control

PTZ Passthrough

WINK Forge can relay PTZ commands between VMS systems and cameras:

PTZ Configuration

1. Enable PTZ in input settings
2. Configure control protocol
3. Map PTZ URLs for passthrough
4. Test with VMS PTZ controls

Chapter 9: Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

Stream Not Starting

Poor Video Quality

• Pixelation: Increase bitrate or reduce resolution
• Stuttering: Check CPU usage, reduce FPS
• Color issues: Verify color space settings
• Artifacts: Adjust encoder preset (faster = lower quality)

High CPU Usage

1. Check transcoding load:

   top -n 1 | grep ffmpeg

2. Reduce quality settings:
   • Lower resolution
   • Decrease FPS
   • Use hardware acceleration
3. Optimize encoder settings:

   Preset: ultrafast (lowest CPU)
   Profile: baseline (simpler encoding)

Network Diagnostics

Built-in Tools

Access via Tools menu in web interface:

Log Analysis

Check system logs for errors:

# Web interface
Tools → Logs → System Logs

# Command line
tail -f /var/log/winkforge/stream.log
grep ERROR /var/log/winkforge/system.log
    

Common Log Messages

# Requirements
- Public domain name
- Port 80 accessible from internet
- DNS pointing to WINK Forge

# Automatic renewal
Certificates renew automatically every 60 days
        

# Increase file descriptors
ulimit -n 65536

# Optimize network buffers
sysctl -w net.core.rmem_max=134217728
sysctl -w net.core.wmem_max=134217728

# CPU governor for performance
cpupower frequency-set -g performance