This article contains the following topic:
- M-box? What's that?
- The Benefits
- Multi M-box
- Quicklink
- Control the M-box usage
- Technical
What is an M-box
An M-box is a "workflow" enabling users to download or send/publish media content to different sites/locations/receivers without worrying about security or technical issues.
The available M-boxes are placed in the pull-up folder located at the bottom of the Library workspace. Corresponding pull-up menus are available for the other Mediabank applications but usually without the publishing M-boxes.
What are the benefits of using M-boxes?
There are numerous reasons to use M-boxes, reduced workload, consistent media content delivery, elimination of user errors, and much more. M-boxes are the user's most efficient operating tools. A single M-box performs multiple operations and puts the user in control. Here are some of the benefits:
- Login procedures
- M-boxes already contain the access credentials of the receiving destination. User Id/password is unknown to the users.
- Security
- Only users with correct credentials can use an M-box.
- Workflows
- Multiple job functions and tasks can be performed in one action.
- Consistency
- The content is always delivered with consistent technical specs.
- It is always delivered to the correct recipient.
- Reduced workload on resources
- Transcoding, Conversions, compressions, and codec choice are predefined and according to the receiver's specifications.
- Any errors during transactions are automatically reported to both the origin and recipient. Enabling immediate action to maintain service availability.
- Every Mbox is monitored by NEP support staff. (Errors are probably fixed before the end-user becomes aware of any issue.)
- M-boxes also provide a usage log, enabling NEP support staff to inform users that they should pay extra attention to the present transaction.
- Increased service availability
Multi M-box
Mediabank also supports an enhancement to the existing M-Box. This enhancement benefits users publishing the same media content to many destinations. Instead of adding the same media content to each separate M-box, the user choose the Multi M-box.
The Multi M-box template contains all the available M-boxes, and all the users need to do is select the actual destinations and press execute. Locate the "Select destination M-boxes" menu and click the desired M-boxes.
Note!
The Multi M-box is not delivered as a standard feature but needs to be enabled by Mediabank support. Contact your local admin or Mediabank support to configure the Multi M-box.
M-box usage control
Using M-boxes is charged by minutes of media content transferred. Transferring hours of media content from hundreds of users requires control of both usage and cost. Mediabank customers can choose to use the M-boxes as follows:
- Free use, no restriction, but still in control. The accumulated use is visible to every user from the Dashboard when they are logging in to Mediabank. Any "abuse" is discovered immediately.
- Customers preferring strict control can choose a maximum weekly usage. When achieved, the M-box will not accept any further publishing. The "counter" is reset every Sunday at midnight.
- Customers preferring less strict control can choose a maximum weekly usage, but the users can exceed the agreed volume at a higher cost per/minute. The "counter" is reset every Sunday at midnight.
Technical
- M-boxes must be manually configured by Mediabank support/delivery.
- They are preconfigured with user/passwords. Users with access to the M-box do not need to know the technical details about the destination account.
- Publishing sites, broadcasters, and newspapers have specific requirements regarding the incoming media content. Each M-box converts the media content automatically to the destination requirements.
- M-boxes are destination agnostic. Cloud services, FTP sites, SOME sites like Youtube, etc., are supported.
- M-boxes are used for backups, file transfer, publishing, Archiving, and more.
- They can also be a part of automated workflows, doing daily/weekly/monthly routine tasks.
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