[Live-devel] Question about a FAQ answer

[Jeremy Noring]

The Live555 FAQ has this question and answer:

Q: For many of the "test*Streamer" test prpgrams, the built-in RTSP
server is optional (and disabled by default). For
"testAMRudioStreamer", "testMPEG4VideoStreamer" and
"testWAVAudioStreamer", however, the built-in RTSP server is
manditory. Why?

A: For those media types (AMR audio, MPEG-4 video, and PCM audio,
respectively), the stream includes some codec-specific parameters that
are communicated to clients out-of-band, in a SDP description. Because
these parameters - and thus the SDP description - can vary from stream
to stream, the only effective way to communicate this SDP description
to clients is using the standard RTSP protocol. Therefore, the RTSP
server is a manditory part of these test programs.

My question is: does this same principle apply to H.264 as well (i.e.
the sprop-parameter-sets and profile-level-idc guys in the SDP
exchange?).  Can't the sprop-parameter-sets/profile-level-idc be sent
in the stream itself, or is a secondary communication line essential
to make H.264 (and AMR/MPEG-4/PCM) understandable by a receiving
application?

Thanks.