Cisco Unity Connection System Administration Guide, Release 1.x - Changing the Audio Format of Recordings, Prompts, and Media Streams [Cisco Unity Connection]

Table Of Contents

Changing the Audio Format of Recordings, Prompts, and Media Streams

Changing the Audio Format That Cisco Unity Connection Uses for Calls

Changing the Audio Format for System Prompts

Changing the Audio Format for Recordings

Changing the Audio Format of Recordings, Prompts, and Media Streams

See the following sections in this chapter:

•Changing the Audio Format That Cisco Unity Connection Uses for Calls

•Changing the Audio Format for System Prompts

•Changing the Audio Format for Recordings

Changing the Audio Format That Cisco Unity Connection Uses for Calls

For calls, Cisco Unity Connection advertises the audio format (or codec) that is preferred for the media stream with the phone system. You should consider the following when setting the audio format:

•If your system uses the Connection voice-recognition feature, Connection must use the G.711 Mu-Law audio format for media stream with the phone system.

•Connection should use the same audio format for the media stream that the phone system uses for the following reasons:

–To reduce the need for transcoding the media stream from one audio format to another.

–To minimize the performance impact on the Connection server and on the phone system.

–To preserve the audio quality of calls.

•When Connection advertises a different audio format than the one used by the phone system, the phone system will transcode the media stream.

To choose a different audio format for the media stream with the phone system, do the following procedure.

To Change the Audio Format That Cisco Unity Connection Uses for Calls

Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand Telephony Integrations, then click Port Group.

Step 2 On the Search Port Groups page, click the port group that belongs to the phone system integration for which you want to change the audio format of the media stream.

Step 3 On the Port Group Basics page, under Codec Preferences, click the applicable setting, as shown in Table 12-1.

Table 12-1 Settings to Select the Audio Format

Setting

Effect

Advertise G.711 Mu-Law

Connection will send the media stream in the G.711 Mu-Law audio format. The phone system will transcode if it does not use this audio format.

Advertise G.729a

Connection will send the media stream in the G.729a audio format. The phone system will transcode if it does not use this audio format.

Advertise Both, G.711 Mu-Law Preferred

(PIMG and SIP integrations only)

Connection will advertise its preference for the G.711 Mu-Law audio format but will send the media stream in whichever audio format that the phone system decides.

Advertise Both, G.729 Preferred

(PIMG and SIP integrations only)

Connection will advertise its preference for the G.729a audio format but will send the media stream in whichever audio format that the phone system decides.

Advertise Both

(Cisco CallManager integrations only)

Connection will send the media stream in whichever audio format that Cisco CallManager uses.

Step 4 (PIMG and SIP integrations only) If you want to change the packet size that is used by the codec, click the applicable setting.

Step 5 Click Save.

Step 6 On the Port Group menu, click Search Port Groups.

Step 7 Repeat Step 2 through Step 6 for all remaining port groups that belong to the phone system integration for which you want to change the audio format of the media stream.

Step 8 In the task bar, right-click the Cisco Unity Connection icon and click Restart > Voice Processing Server Role.

Step 9 When prompted to confirm stopping the Voice Processing server role, click Yes.

Changing the Audio Format for System Prompts

Cisco Unity Connection is installed with all prompts recorded in both the G.711 Mu-Law and the G.729a audio formats (or codecs). You should consider the following when setting the audio format for the prompts:

•Connection should use prompts in the same audio format that the phone system uses for the media stream for the following reasons:

–To reduce the need for transcoding from one audio format to another.

–To minimize the performance impact on the Connection server.

–Callers will hear consistent sound quality.

•The G.711 Mu-Law audio format offers superior audio quality.

•The G.729a audio format uses less network bandwidth.

To choose a different audio format for system prompts, do the following procedure.

To Change the Audio Format for System Prompts

Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand System Settings > Advanced, then click Conversations.

Step 2 On the Conversation Configuration page, in the Prompt Set Codec (G711 or G729a) field, enter the applicable setting, as shown in Table 12-2.

Table 12-2 Settings for the Prompt Set Codec Field

Setting

Effect

G711

Connection will play all prompts in the G.711 Mu-Law audio format. If the phone system uses a different audio format for the media stream, Connection will transcode the prompts.

G729a

Connection will play all prompts and conversations in the G.729a audio format. If the phone system uses a different audio format for the media stream, Connection will transcode the prompts.

Caution You must enter the characters exactly as shown above. Otherwise, Connection will not recognize the setting and the audio format will not be changed.

Step 3 Click Save.

Changing the Audio Format for Recordings

Typically, Cisco Unity Connection uses the same audio format (or codec) for recording a message that the playback device uses. For example, if users listen to messages primarily on a phone system extension, Connection should record messages in the same audio format that the phone system uses. If the users listen to messages on Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), however, Connection should record messages in the audio format that the PDAs use (such as GSM 6.10).

You should consider the following when setting the audio format for recording messages:

•Setting the audio format for recordings affects all messages, greetings, and names systemwide for all users.

•Minimizing the number of different audio formats in use on Connection for recording and playing back recorded messages, greetings, and names reduces transcoding between audio formats that Connection must perform and reduces the affect on the performance of the Connection server.

•When a message, greeting, or name is recorded in a lower quality audio format and later transcoded to a higher quality audio format during playback, the sound quality is not improved. Usually, the sound quality of a recording suffers during transcoding, especially when the sampling rate is changed.

For example, sound quality suffers when messages that are recorded in the G.729a audio format are played back on devices that use the G.711 Mu-Law audio format. However, sound quality is preserved when messages that are recorded in the G.711 Mu-Law audio format are played back on devices that use the same audio format.

•Changing the audio format for recordings affects only messages, greetings, and names that are recorded after the setting is changed. Existing messages, greetings, and names that were recorded in a different audio format are not affected by the new setting.

To choose a different audio format for recording messages, greetings, and names, do the following procedure.

To Change the Audio Format for Recording Messages

Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand System Settings, then click General Configuration.

Step 2 On the General Configuration page, in the Recording Format list, click the applicable setting.

If the playback device uses a different audio format, Connection must transcode the messages, greetings, and names into the applicable audio format or the playback device will not be able to play them.

Step 3 Click Save.