HLS auto-switch

You would have to have something to parse it like:

if xml.parse(data)
videos=[]
for each object in xml.media
video={}
video.streamquality=[object.streamquality.gettext()]
video.streambitrate=[object.streambitrate.gettext().toint()]
video.streamurl=[object.streamurl.gettext]
videos.push(video)
end for
end if 
video.SwitchingStrategy="full-adaptation"

and then feed that into your video playback function. But you should ideally have more data than just the videos, such as title, shortdescriptionLine1 and thumbnail images.

also, you need to check the device mode - if SDTV mode you would override the streamQuality with ["SD"] or playback will fail in SDTV mode.

- Joel

Actually for HLS, you should NOT specify multiple URLs. You should put the URLs for the different streams in the top-level m3u8 as specified by the HLS spec, and pass that one URL to the video player. This allows the player to dynamically switch bitrates.

--Mark

Thanks!

Hello,

I am new to ROKU and using SampleVideoPlayer code to test my HLS streams. Even though, I have 6 different bit rates in my playlist.m3u8 file, ROKU picks the low quality stream and is not switching to high bit rate. I have enough internet bandwidth to use high quality stream.

Below is the section of code, which loads the streams from XML file:

e = curShow.media[0]
	if e  <> invalid then
		item.StreamBitrates.Push(strtoi(validstr(e.streamBitrate.GetText())))
		item.StreamQualities.Push(validstr(e.streamQuality.GetText()))
		item.StreamUrls.Push(validstr(e.streamUrl.GetText()))
	endif

Below is the XML for an item:

<item sdImg="http://xxxzzz.com/images/gh.png" hdImg="http://xxxzzz.com/images/gh.png">
    <title>My Test Stream 2</title>
    <contentId>10053</contentId>
    <contentType>Movies</contentType>
    <contentQuality>SD</contentQuality>
    <streamFormat>hls</streamFormat>
    <media>
      <streamQuality>SD</streamQuality>
      <streamBitrate>0</streamBitrate>
      <streamUrl>http://yyyzzz.com/playlist.m3u8</streamUrl>
    </media>
    <synopsis></synopsis>
    <subtitleUrl></subtitleUrl>
    <genres></genres>
    <runtime>9600</runtime>
    <hdBifUrl></hdBifUrl>
  </item>

And below is the streams in playlist.m3u8 file:

#EXTM3U
#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=200000
http://yyyzzz.com/mp4:n_150k.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wowzasessionid=1937835477
#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=400000
http://yyyzzz.com/mp4:n_300k.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wowzasessionid=1937835477
#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=600000
http://yyyzzz.com/mp4:n_500k.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wowzasessionid=1937835477
#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=1000000
http://yyyzzz.com/mp4:n_800k.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wowzasessionid=1937835477
#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=1500000
http://yyyzzz.com/mp4:n_1200k.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wowzasessionid=1937835477
#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1,BANDWIDTH=2300000
http://yyyzzz.com/mp4:n_1800k.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wowzasessionid=1937835477

Any suggestions?

Thank you!

Make sure you are setting the SwitchingStrategy value. A bug was introduced a few firmwares ago that would prevent HLS from switching to a higher bitrate if the SwitchingStrategy wasn't set. I don't know if that bug was ever fixed, but it's best to always set that value.

Thank you for quick reply!

I will add that code and will test again!

"TheEndless" wrote:
Make sure you are setting the SwitchingStrategy value. A bug was introduced a few firmwares ago that would prevent HLS from switching to a higher bitrate if the SwitchingStrategy wasn't set. I don't know if that bug was ever fixed, but it's best to always set that value.

Thank you. It worked. I am using SwitchingStrategy as "full-adaptation".

Another question - As I mentioned above, I am using HLS streams from Wowza server, which has 6 variants from 150k to 3600k. I read in the documentation that, the dots/HD symbol is not displayed, if the stream is HLS. Is there any way to display HD if any of the variant is of HD quality?

I am using "0" as StreamBitrates in XML.

Any other suggestions for quick switching/buffering/scrubbling?

Thank you!

If you set HDBranded=true the HD logo should show.

- Joel

Hi Joel,

Do you have a simple live streaming zip, an example which I can build on for live streaming studies? Similar to simple video player?
Sometimes, solutions have a way of staring in my face and I am not able to see it.
Appreciate all the help!

Thanks,

Here's a simplified version of simplevideoplayer code: that should work to stream a live stream:

sub main()
    print "Displaying video: "
    p = CreateObject("roMessagePort")
    video = CreateObject("roVideoScreen")
    video.setMessagePort(p)

    videoclip = CreateObject("roAssociativeArray")
    videoclip.StreamBitrates = [0]

    videoclip.StreamUrls = ["http://myserver.com/mylivestream.m3u8"]

    di = CreateObject("roDeviceInfo")
    if di.GetDisplayType() = "HDTV" then 
	  videoclip.streamqualities=["HD"]
    else
	  videoclip.streamqualities=["SD"]
    end if
    
    videoclip.StreamFormat = "hls"
    videoclip.Title = "my awesome live stream"
    videoclip.SubtitleUrl = ""
    videoclip.switchingstrategy="full-adaptation"
        
    video.SetContent(videoclip)
    video.show()

    lastSavedPos   = 0
    statusInterval = 10

    while true
        msg = wait(0, video.GetMessagePort())
        if type(msg) = "roVideoScreenEvent"
            if msg.isScreenClosed() then 'ScreenClosed event
                print "Closing video screen"
                return
                exit while
            else if msg.isPlaybackPosition() then
                nowpos = msg.GetIndex()
                if nowpos > 10000
                    
                end if
                if nowpos > 0
                    if abs(nowpos - lastSavedPos) > statusInterval
                        lastSavedPos = nowpos
                    end if
                end if
            else if msg.isRequestFailed()
                print "play failed: "; msg.GetMessage()
            else
                print "Unknown event: "; msg.GetType(); " msg: "; msg.GetMessage()
            endif
        end if
    end while
 end sub