Case Study: Streaming and Archiving Live Surgical Training 3D Video and Audio

To expand his teachings to aspiring surgeons and gynecologists all over the world, Dr. Rajesh Modi, Director of the Akola Endoscopy Centre in Maharashtra, India, relies on the Matrox Monarch HD video streaming and recording appliance combined with the Matrox MC-100 SDI-to-HDMI mini converter to distribute 3D video and audio of his daily surgical procedures and to record them for the facility’s record keeping and as future teaching material. Students can view live streams of his gynecologic and endoscopic procedures on www.drmodi.in and by using the mobile app “Dr. Modi.”

Dr. Modi is a frequent speaker at medical conferences throughout India and often leads training sessions from the Akola Centre for surgeons looking to increase their knowledge of gynecological endoscopy.

Streamlining Streaming and Archiving

Previously, Dr. Modi used three separate products--two to handle the streaming and one as the recorder--to stream and record his daily operations. “Irreplaceable” is the word he uses now to describe Monarch HD’s role for his daily teaching and administrative needs.

Dr. Modi reports that data collection for the large amount of surgical work he conducts is of paramount importance in terms of record keeping, as well as providing high-quality video for future lectures.

“There’s no other option out there that comes close to this in terms of its dual use for recording and streaming, while at different settings, that does not compromise the quality of the recording,” he explained. “The Monarch HD/MC-100 combination is the only system that can convert two SDI inputs into a single HDMI output, and the HD recording it provides is simply brilliant.”

Compact Setup, Intuitive Workflow

The compact design and intuitive interface that lets users easily set up, control and output streams using any computer or mobile device with a browser has simplified this process and made portability much easier for Dr. Modi, which he said he particularly appreciates as someone who’s not a full-time video professional.

Two outputs for the 3D endo camera from the operating room provide left-eye and right-eye video signals which are sent to the Matrox MC-100 and multiplexed into one side-by-side HDMI signal. The HDMI signal is used as the source for the Monarch HD which streams the side-by-side video to a Flash Media Server. Viewers tune into Dr. Modi’s website to access the 3D content which they watch on any 3D display.

Matrox Monarch HD and Matrox MC-100 combine to enable 3D video streaming.

The above-and-beyond technical support he’s received from Matrox has solidified Dr. Modi’s confidence in this equipment selection. “The company provided a free demo of the equipment on-site in our operating theatre at Akola. Plus, their online and phone technical support has been consistently excellent. I know, without hesitation, if anything should go wrong, someone at Matrox is there for me.”

Matrox Monarch HD is a cost-effective, small, and easy-to-use H.264 encoder designed for professional video producers who need to simultaneously stream a live event and record a mastering-quality version for post-event editing. It provides these two independent modes in an integrated unit. From any HDMI input source, such as a camera or switcher, Monarch HD generates an H.264-encoded stream compliant with RTSP or RTMP protocol. While encoding the video at bitrates suitable for live streaming, Monarch HD simultaneously records a high-quality MP4 or MOV file to an SD card, USB drive, or network-mapped drive.