Roku Developer Program

[1kevin]

Hi,

We're new to video, but are tasked with building a Roku Channel which will allow the user to view existing MP4/MOV files. They are being stored on Azure cloud storage with an CDN.

The MP4's are made with an AVC1 codec, and video content type of video/H264. 

A few questions:

* Is there anything we need to do on the cloud storage provider to ensure streaming is working?
* It seems like Roku might be downloading the entire video prior to playing, is that expected behavior for this file type? 
* Should we convert these to some other file format? The Roku developer documents simply list out the supported types, and MP4 is one, but are some preferencial to others?

I realize this is somewhat open ended, but if anyone else has any tips it would be very helpful. 

Thanks for your time!

[Baradanikto]

If you're new to developing a Roku channel, you should start with the Direct Publisher framework.  It has advantages and disadvantages, but, it depends on your goals.  DP does not require any coding.  However, if your channel is designed for subscriptions, DP is not a good choice.  You'll need to learn the BrightScript language if you plan on selling subscriptions to your channel.

[1kevin]

Thanks, we've got a custom developed channel almost done, my questions were specifically around the media streaming.

[Baradanikto]

Any supported video type is ok.  Make sure that the video files are marked "public" access.

[renojim]

I don't have any experience with cloud storage (just my own local server), but for MP4s make sure the MOOV atom is placed at the beginning of the file.  Some encoders refer to this as "web optimization".  ffmpeg accomplishes this with "-moveflags faststart".

[abdelmajidint]

Many people store videos and music on cloud storage services. By storing your files in this way, you can access them from any of your devices with an Internet connection so that you can listen to your favorite songs or watch your favorite movies in any location. However, MP4 files are not supported by the most popular cloud storage services. The best way to store MP4 files on cloud storage is to use a service like https://fastupload.io/en specifically designed for this purpose. I keep many audio files there, and I can easily access them from any device.