[Live-devel] Modifying testMPEG1or2VideoStreamer to Stream m4e Files

[Russell, Michael (mrusse05)]

Hi Ross,
 
Thanks for your reply.
 
So If I understand this correctly, the fact that I am using MPEG-4 video means that I have to somehow communicate the SDP description to my player; and for most applications, RTSP is employed to take care of that automatically.  I have successfully used testMPEG4VideoStreamer for this purpose.
 
The problem I have however is that I cannot use RTSP because (in my application) the client media player will never know when a stream is available.  I just want to leave my COTS media player open and play MPEG-4 video streams as they come in.  Can I somehow communicate the SDP to my client without having the client ask for it?  The stream would always come from the same source and have the same content.

 
________________________________

From: live-devel-bounces at ns.live555.com on behalf of Ross Finlayson
Sent: Fri 6/12/2009 5:48 PM
To: LIVE555 Streaming Media - development & use
Subject: Re: [Live-devel] Modifying testMPEG1or2VideoStreamer to Stream m4e Files



	I am using Live555 under Ubuntu Linux 9.04, streaming over a simple private LAN to a VLC client running under Windows.  Just cables and a switch.  No router, no firewalls.
	

	I modified testMPEG1or2VideoStreamer to stream unicast to a VLC client and it works well.  I now want to modify this application to read from an elementary stream video (.m4e/.m4v) file instead and stream that (still unicast).  The testOnDemandRTSPServer works well for this purpose, but I do not want the "on-demand" behavior of it.


You can't do this, because in order for VLC (or any other media player) to be able to play a MPEG-4 video RTP stream, the media player needs to be initialized with 'out of band' configuration information that 's included in a SDP description.  By far the best way to do this (especially in this case, because the configuration information can change from stream to stream) is to use RTSP (which delivers the appropriate SDP description to the client automatically).

Do not fear RTSP; RTSP is your friend.  Use the "testOnDemandRTSPServer" demo application, and ask your VLC client to play the appropriate "rtsp://" URL (which "testOnDemandRTSPServer" will print out when it starts).

Also, read
        http://www.live555.com/liveMedia/faq.html#liveInput-unicast
-- 

Ross Finlayson
Live Networks, Inc.
http://www.live555.com/