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cbrakhage
Visitor

SMIL file support

Hello,

I have a quick question concerned SMIL files and Amazon Web Services (specifically S3 and CloudFront).

I'm delivering SMIL files through a web service hosted on my website (say http://www.website.com/services/smil.php?id=1).

1) We only want to support RTMP streaming, and from my understanding the Roku only likes HLS. Will a SMIL work with this if the contents of the SMIL are using a RTMP base?

2) Does Roku require you to use a m3u8 for HLS?

I'm fairly new to BrightScript, so if it would be easier to parse the XML myself, and create the metadata, then I can, but it would be super simple if this was supported. 🙂

Thanks!

Chris
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5 REPLIES 5
RokuChris
Roku Employee
Roku Employee

Re: SMIL file support

There is no built in support for SMIL. You can parse the SMIL in BrightScript and extract the necessary data, but your SMIL will still need to contain a reference to a compatible stream. RTMP won't work.
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RokuJoel
Binge Watcher

Re: SMIL file support

typically, you would use RTMP to push your stream to a server that would deliver that stream as HLS to roku devices, typically that would be a Wowza or FMS server, but there are a few other options. The .SMIL file goes on the server and is typically used in multibitrate streaming scenarios. There is an option to run wowza on Amazon:

http://www.wowza.com/pricing/ec2-streaming

Yes you would use an m3u8 for HLS, although it may not be necessary that the file have the .m3u8 extension.

IOS compatible two bitrate smil with 64k audio stream file might look like:

<smil>
<head>
</head>
<body>
<switch>
<video src="feed003" system-bitrate="64000">
<param name="audioOnly" value="TRUE" valuetype="data"/>
</video>
<video src="feed003" system-bitrate="564000"/>
<video src="feed004" system-bitrate="1064000"/>
</switch>
</body>
</smil>


and the url might look like:

http://website.com/services/_definst_/video/my.smil/playlist.m3u8


Hope that helps.

- Joel
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cbrakhage
Visitor

Re: SMIL file support

So just to summarize:

1) I can't use an RTMP stream with Roku.

2) I have to use m3u8 (which I was going to implement anyways for iOS)

For m3u8's, is it necessary to have a file.smil in the URL for the m3u8s? Couldn't I just make a service like: http://www.website.com/services/m3u8.php?id=1
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cbrakhage
Visitor

Re: SMIL file support

Would setting up a HTTP stream on amazon work just as well?

Also, I'm guessing the Roku doesn't support DRM?
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RokuJoel
Binge Watcher

Re: SMIL file support

You don't need a smil file, but some services use them.

We don't currently support any flavors of DRM but there are numerous ways to secure your content on Roku.

- Joel
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